Bay Area

“IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT.”

First Officer Rollins, a.k.a. Earvie Rollins Jr., 30 years old, was born and raised in Richmond, California. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 2011. He was reared in the Baptist church and is currently a musician at the St. John MBC in Richmond. Officer Rollins took the necessary steps to acquire his license and started flight instruction in 2017 out of Livermore Municipal Airport at ATP Flight School. He obtained his FAA Flight Instructor Certificate and his FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate.

Published

3 years ago

March 28, 2023

Oakland Post

First Officer Rollins is currently flying the Boeing 737 for a major legacy airline. Photo Credit: JaQuetta Miller.

By Evelyn Rollins McDonald

All his life he has had an interest in flying airplanes. He recalls at the age of 14, his dad took him to an aviation convention in Las Vegas. They would sit at the departure end of runways and watch planes land and take off. He also recalls his aunt living near the Travis Air Force Base where he loved to visit her so he could go spotting.

Officer Rollins took the necessary steps to acquire his license and started flight instruction in 2017 out of Livermore Municipal Airport at ATP Flight School. He obtained his FAA Flight Instructor Certificate and his FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate.

He began instructing in 2018, out of Oakland International Airport, teaching numerous people how to fly from zero experience to “somewhat” experience. After gaining 500 hours he became marketable for entry level aviation jobs. He then applied to an aerial survey company.

Flying for an aerial survey company, he encountered many opportunities and developed tons of aviation skills. At Aperture Aviation, he flew the Cessna 206 and had the privilege of traveling every other week around the United States and parts of Canada. Aperture Aviation specializes in the capture of high-quality aerial imagery throughout the U.S.

After two years of training with the aerial survey company he learned that there was a job opening for a First Officer position by a private charter company. He applied and flew to Dallas, Texas for the interview. After interviewing, he was offered the job. He later learned that the company had received over 150 online applications, conducted over 30 interviews, and only selected nine applicants. Fortunately, he was one of the nine. After being employed with the private charter company after six months he was blessed with the opportunity to upgrade to captain.

First Officer Rollins is currently flying the Boeing 737 for a major legacy airline.

First Officer Rollins gives God all the credit for his success. He has a deep and abiding faith. His favorite scripture is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.” He also credits his father, family, friends and church family as the best support system ever. He will also remember his dad saying: “Earvie, if another man can do it, you can do it too.” And that quote sticks with him to this day, especially when he feels overwhelmed or challenged.

First Officer Rollins states: “the main thing is, you can do whatever your heart desires! I’m a witness of this, if you would’ve asked me prior to 2017, if I could become a commercial pilot? I would’ve said no, due to thinking small minded. However, now I can say that in 2018, I turned my dream into a vision and today it’s reality. I made the dream into a vision, now it’s a reality. “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” – Habakkuk 2:2

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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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

3 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.