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The Rise East Project: The 40 x 40 Initiative to Bring New Vision on Quality of Life in Black East Oakland

In 2021, the 40×40 initiative was created by a coalition of community-based organizations, Roots Community Health Clinic, Black Cultural Zone (BCZ), the Brotherhood of Elders Network and East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) to address systemic issues of racism and displacement of African Americans in a roughly 40×40 block area in East Oakland, an area with the highest concentration of Black folks in the Bay Area.

Published

2 years ago

October 5, 2023

Oakland Post

At Roots Empowerment Day 2022, ROOTS was seeking input from the people for the first phase the 40x40 Council took in the development of services Rise East will provide. Courtesy photo.

By Tanya Dennis

Part 2

Rise East is a $100 million privately funded initiative that will rebuild Black neighborhoods in a 40×40 block area is East Oakland over 10 years. Project partners are Oakland Thrives, the 40×40 Council and Blue Meridian Partners.

The number 40 in sacred scripture signifies, new growth, new life, and transformation.

In African American history, the number 40 signifies the broken promise of 40 acres and a mule made by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and General William T. Sherman at the end of the Civil War in 1865.

On Oct. 15, 1966, The Black Panther Party demanded 40 acres in reparations for Black folks in their party’s ten-point program demanding payment for that overdue debt.

Greg Hodge is CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network. Courtesy photo.

Greg Hodge, CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network says “Roots was already serving this area under the leadership of Dr. Noha Aboelata when the pandemic hit, hitting the Black population the hardest, the most underserved in the city.

Within this area, household income and life expectancy are lowest among Black residents compared to other racial/ethnic groups. There is a 15-year gap in life expectancy between Black residents in East Oakland (70 years) and white residents of the Oakland Hills (85 years), Hodge said.

Dr. Aboelata and staff questioned how they could further support the nearly 50% of Black families living in poverty and safely address the issues face by the unhoused, the re-entry population and youth.

The Black Cultural Zone has served as the epicenter of growth and activity from the beginning. East Oakland Youth Development Center and the Brotherhood of Elders Network are now committed partners who are working to bring real change to East Oakland.

According to Roots, the vision is to transform the 40×40 block area into a place where people have what they need to heal, thrive, rejoice, and prosper, a vision far different from today’s reality where African Americans experience the worst quality of life indicators, including life expectancy, homelessness, and educational success. As the demographics of Oakland rapidly change, and with the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affecting the Black community, Roots members knew time was of the essence in addressing these disparities.

According to Hodge, “The 10-year Rise East plan will make deep and lasting improvements in the 40×40 and will affect 30,000 residents of African descent.”

More than 400 residents contributed their ideas to the Rise East plan. Together, residents and the 40×40 coalition launched the $100 million neighborhood improvement Rise East project with the assistance of the Blue Meridian Group.

For continuing success and growth, investment from the Alameda County, the City of Oakland, and the Oakland Unified School District is required.

As partners in Oakland Thrives, these institutions supported Rise East in concept. “Now it’s time for them to invest resources,” Hodge said. Blue Meridian’s money must be matched for Rise East to be a successful public investment.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

6 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.