Business

Dozens of minority-owned businesses seek ventures with Jeffco

THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES — About 100 small and minority business owners gathered at the Linn Henley Research Library on Monday for the Jefferson County Purchasing Department’s free seminar for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE). This is the second year the county has held the seminar for small businesses.

Published

7 years ago

May 9, 2019

Oakland Post

By Erica Wright

About 100 small and minority business owners gathered at the Linn Henley Research Library on Monday for the Jefferson County Purchasing Department’s free seminar for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE).

This is the second year the county has held the seminar for small businesses.

“The purpose of this is so disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses can begin to look at doing business with Jefferson County,” said John Henry, chief financial officer for Jefferson County. “The county has not had a proactive approach in the past of welcoming disadvantaged and small businesses to do business with the county, so for the last two years we’ve been making an effort, and will in the future because we want to let people know that the county is open for business.”

Henry said the county’s improved finances “allows us to do a lot more projects and we want those businesses to have the opportunity to compete for those projects.”

DBEs are defined as “majority owned and operated, and controlled by one or more minority groups, including… African-Americans, women, Hispanics, Native Americans and veterans and… the controlling percentage is 51 percent or more of that business entity,” according to the county.

On Monday, business owners were able to meet with members from the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors and the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority (BCIA).

Officials from various county departments were on hand to discuss upcoming projects and share opportunities such as maintenance, repair and operational (MRO) type-bids.

Small business owners, Marvette Owens and Felesha Hubbard, both said they obtained valuable lessons from the seminar.

Owens is owner of M. Owens Investments, a real estate investment business specializing in tax liens and deeds and has been in business for a few months now.

“I heard about the event from Facebook and so I just signed up for it,” said Owens. “I learned how I can get contracts or do things through Jefferson County that I did not know. I learned how to register for those things and the different requirements that I need to fulfill in order to be qualified to bid on a contract.”

Hubbard, who owns Alabama Commercial Maintenance Company, LLC with her husband, David, and the firm does commercial and residential improvements such as painting, pressure washing, tiling, erosion control and minor roof repairs.

Hubbard heard about the event through email.

“This is our first year and we were just DBE certified this year . . . I’ve learned that you need to have your certifications and put time and work into your business because it does take time… if you’re going to be in it long term, it’s going to take dedication, . . . you [have] to continue to get out there and network, market yourself and your company and do your work.”

Dr. Michael Matthews, purchasing agent for Jefferson County said, the goal is to “create an inclusive community from which we can purchase goods and supplies . . . based on what has happened today, I think we are moving in the right direction . . . this is a marathon, not a sprint. After this meeting there is a lot of follow-up type work that we have to do to make sure that everyone stays connected and that everyone gets and stays plugged in.”

Next steps are to have more micro-meetings instead of macro-meetings, such as the seminar, said Matthews.

“For example, we want to reach out to all of the cleaning suppliers, engage them and all of the lawn cutting vendors and engage them. We want to start reaching out to smaller segments and having a more intimate one-on-one meetings as much as possible so they can ask very specific questions that’s relative to their commodity,” said Matthews.

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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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

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1 week 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.