Business

There Is Cash in California’s Comeback Plan for Your Small Business

Just in case Black businesses in the state are not aware, the California Legislature recently passed the $100 billion California Comeback Plan. It is the biggest economic recovery package in California history.

Published

5 years ago

August 14, 2021

Christy Price

Governor Gavin Newsom

And in it, there are billions of dollars in cash relief for small businesses.

State Treasurer Fiona Ma and Small Business Majority, an advocacy organization founded by and for small business owners, are hosting a webinar to share information about the new entrepreneurship programs included in the California Comeback Plan. It will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 25.

“As California businesses emerge from survival mode and embark on various stages of re-opening, now is the time to develop strategies that can help companies get the jumpstart they need and grow in innovative ways,” said Ma when she first announced the webinar series.

During the upcoming briefing, the leaders will also share information about how CalSavers, a free individual retirement account (IRA) for small business employers, can help small business owners rehire employees laid off due to the pandemic.

They will also talk about the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant’s reopening. That program, valued at more than $2 billion, has been providing grants of up to $25,000 to small businesses and non-profits across the state.

California is home to 4.1 million small businesses, representing over 99% of all businesses in the state and employing nearly half of the state’s total workforce. About 1.2 million of them (29%) are minority-owned.

In June, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited two Black-owned small businesses in Oakland to spread the gospel about the California Comeback Plan, which Ma intends to also do during the webinar.

“This isn’t all about dollars and cents. This is about magical moments. This is about communities,” Newsom said, speaking of supporting Black businesses while he was standing in front of Graffiti Pizza in Oakland. “Small businesses are about communities.”

According to the June 2020 report by ZIPPIA, titled the “Most Supportive States for Black Businesses,” California ranked No. 4 before the onset of the pandemic. But those numbers fell in the first half 2020 after being impacted by a sluggish economy that is now looking to rebound more than a year later.

Topics up for discussion during the webinar will include the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program and when to apply; the Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program and the California Venues Grant Program (both new); and CalSavers, a free workplace-based retirement program.

A question-and-answer session will follow the discussions.

The California Comeback Plan was designed to provide support for small businesses to recover from the pandemic. The plan invests an additional $1.5 billion in COVID-19 relief grants – bringing the total to $4 billion. That amount represents the largest small business grant program in the country.

Earlier this year, Newsom delivered immediate relief to small businesses, including a historic $6.2 billion tax cut for businesses — the largest state small business tax cut in the history of the United States, according to the governor’s office.

“When you talk about California roaring back you can’t come roaring about unless small businesses are fully back,” Newsom said during his Oakland visit.

For information and the webinar hosted by Small Business Majority, visit https://smallbusinessmajority.org/events

Christy Price

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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

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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.