Business

How Oakland’s Courtsmith is Scaling its Business and Local Impact

OAKLAND POST — “As Courtsmith grew, scaling wasn’t just about selling more—it was about building the infrastructure to deliver consistently, with a strong supply chain and production process,” said Courtney Smith, founder of Courtsmith. “We needed the right kind of capital and partners to help us expand without losing the Oakland authenticity that made us who we are.”

Published

3 months ago

August 1, 2026

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With support from ICA Fund and JPMorganChase, founder Courtney Smith is strengthening his supply chain, creating jobs and expanding local production, and positioning the Oakland-born brand for long-term growth

When Courtney Smith founded Courtsmith in Oakland in 2014, he was building more than an athletic apparel company. A lifelong basketball enthusiast, Smith saw an opportunity to create performance wear that reflected the culture of the game—its style, community and sense of belonging.

From the beginning, Courtsmith was rooted in the idea that basketball is not just a sport, but a lifestyle and a community. The brand set out to make athletes look and feel good on and off the court while building partnerships that give athletes a stake in the products and stories they help shape.

“As Courtsmith grew, scaling wasn’t just about selling more—it was about building the infrastructure to deliver consistently, with a strong supply chain and production process,” said Courtney Smith, founder of Courtsmith. “We needed the right kind of capital and partners to help us expand without losing the Oakland authenticity that made us who we are.”

As the company grew, Smith faced a common challenge for small businesses: maintaining quality, reliability and authenticity of products while scaling—and having the resources to do so. The next move was not simply about expansion; it was about building the infrastructure to last.

That is where ICA Fund—a Bay Area impact investor, small business support organization and long-time partner to Courtsmith—came in. ICA’s relationship with Smith began in 2017 through its Growth Strategies advising program, and over time, the organization paired mentorship, technical assistance and capital to help the company grow with intention. More recently, philanthropic support from JPMorganChase helped ICA expand the range of capital products it can offer entrepreneurs like Smith, including options designed for companies that are ready to scale but may not be a fit for traditional debt products or equity investments.

“Too many great businesses stay stuck small without access to fair and flexible capital— ICA Fund’s role is to change that,” said Allison Kelly, CEO of ICA Fund. “With support from JPMorganChase, we’re able to provide founder-friendly financing alongside long-term partnership, giving entrepreneurs the tools they need to grow stronger businesses that create opportunity in their communities.”

The right kind of capital for a new stage of growth

ICA recently provided Courtsmith with a loan to help it buy a local manufacturing business, a major step toward bringing more of its production process closer to home, strengthening its supply chain, reducing costs, continuing its growth and creating local jobs.

The transaction also marked a milestone for ICA: the first time the organization approved capital for a merger-and-acquisition transaction. It reflects a broader expansion of the financing options it offers, supported by JPMorganChase’s American Dream Initiative, which aims, in part, to help power 10 million small businesses—up from seven million today—over the next several years with the capital, coaching, tools and practical policy support they need to thrive. It’s also an example of the kind of tailored support—delivered through trusted local pathways and the firm’s own relationships—that JPMorganChase provides to small businesses in the Bay Area, including our more than 295,000 small business clients.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and Courtsmith’s story shows how access to the right capital at the right time can unlock growth,” said Gwyneth Galbraith, Vice President for Global Philanthropy at JPMorganChase. “By supporting organizations like ICA Fund, we’re helping expand access to the kinds of financing and guidance entrepreneurs need to strengthen operations, create jobs and build lasting businesses across the Bay Area.”

Building with staying power

For small businesses, access to financing that fits their stage of growth can determine whether expansion is sustainable. A one-size-fits-all approach does not always work for companies with distinct cash-flow cycles, customer demand and operational needs. In Courtsmith’s case, the ICA loan gave the company a path to invest in its future while preserving the founder’s vision and control—and reflected the kind of flexible financing JPMorganChase is helping expand through its support of local community and mission-driven lenders.

Courtsmith’s trajectory reflects that momentum. The company reports that revenue grew 259% from 2021 to 2025, while its workforce expanded from four employees in 2017 to 13 in 2025, including growth in full-time roles from one to 11.

Behind those numbers is a company deepening its roots in Oakland through local partnerships, community presence and a model built to last.

“Courtsmith is about Oakland, representing the culture that raised us and creating opportunity for the next generation,” said Smith. “With ICA Fund and JPMorganChase in our corner, we can keep turning that mission into something people can see and feel in our community.”

Courtsmith’s next chapter is still being written, but the path is clearer: a founder-led brand with deeper local production capacity, a stronger supply chain, and a larger role in Oakland’s small business economy.

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Fate of Bay Area Public Transit Hinges on Regional Transit Measure

Voters in five Bay Area counties will decide the fate of a regional sales tax measure on Nov. 3 that could determine the future of local public transportation. If approved, the Regional Transit Measure would implement new sales taxes in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties starting in 2027. The funding aims to address massive financial deficits facing agencies like BART and Muni, providing nearly $1 billion annually to prevent station closures and service cuts. Read more.

Published

6 days ago

October 27, 2026

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By Tanay Gokhale, Bay City News

On Nov. 3, voters in five Bay Area counties will vote on a regional sales tax measure that, if it fails, could prompt local transit agencies to close train stations and cut bus service.

If passed, the Regional Transit Measure, or RTM, will impose a half-cent sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties as well as a one-cent sales tax in San Francisco starting April 2027.

The tax would raise an estimated $980 million annually for 14 years to fund the region’s public transit agencies, which are struggling with massive financial deficits. Revenue would go to BART, Muni, Caltrain, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Bay Ferry, Golden Gate Transit, and other transportation agencies operating in the five counties.

In California, a regional measure for a new sales tax would normally require a two-thirds majority approval if the state Legislature directly places it on a ballot. Transit advocates, however, chose to collect signatures to make the sales tax a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would lower the threshold to a simple majority of votes cast across the five counties.

The RTM received more than 241,000 signatures, exceeding the 186,000-signature threshold required to qualify for the ballot.

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Chase Launches Fraud & Scam Prevention Month

JPMorganChase is launching Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month this November to help consumers protect their personal information and finances. As the holiday season approaches, the nationwide initiative provides education on avoiding sophisticated tactics used by criminals, such as phishing and impersonation scams. The program features free workshops hosted by community managers across the lower 48 states and builds on existing financial wellness efforts that have reached over one million customers. Read more to learn how these new resources and technologies aim to stop financial crimes.

Published

1 week ago

October 25, 2026

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By Sponsored by JPMorganChase

New initiative builds on Chase’s longstanding commitment to fraud and scam prevention education nationwide.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 – Scams can happen to anyone. That’s why Chase is dedicating November to helping consumers protect themselves.

As consumers prepare for the holiday season, criminals are increasingly using sophisticated tactics to pressure people into sending money, sharing personal information and making decisions they’ll later regret.

This November, JPMorganChase is launching Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month, a nationwide consumer education initiative designed to help people recognize common scams, avoid in-the-moment mistakes and better protect their money and personal information during the holiday season.

The initiative builds on Chase’s longstanding efforts to help consumers navigate fraud and scams through education, awareness and community-based programming. Through its financial wellness initiatives, Chase has served more than 1 million customers and continues to host more than 1,000 fraud and scam prevention workshops annually across the country.

Throughout November, Chase Community Managers will host free educational workshops in all lower 48 states, as Chase continues to expand digital resources and consumer awareness efforts focused on helping people spot scams and take practical steps to protect themselves. Programming will address scams commonly seen during the holiday season, including impersonation scams, package delivery phishing attempts, gift card scams, fake online deals and fraudulent charity solicitations.

“Scammers are constantly adapting their tactics, making education and awareness more important than ever,” said Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Consumer Banking at Chase. “For years, JPMorganChase has invested in helping consumers recognize scams, understand warning signs and feel empowered to protect themselves. Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month builds on that commitment by providing practical guidance that can help people make safer decisions during the holiday season.”

Fraud and scam prevention remains a key component of Chase’s broader commitment to consumer financial wellness. Through educational workshops, local partnerships and community outreach, Chase helps communities build financial confidence and stay informed about evolving fraud and scam threats. The firm also works closely with law enforcement to share scam trends and insights and help drive more effective interventions as agencies work to combat financial crime.

Ongoing Fraud and Scam Prevention Efforts

Beyond consumer education, Chase continues to invest in technology, partnerships and customer protections designed to help prevent fraud and scams before they occur.

Scam prevention is embedded throughout the customer experience, from account opening and authentication to payments and customer service interactions. Chase continues to strengthen protections across the customer journey through targeted warnings, risk-based interventions, behavioral science-informed approaches and frontline employee training. These efforts help employees identify potential scams, recognize warning signs and better support customers who may be at risk of fraud or scams.

In addition, the firm continues to invest in next-generation security tools, including expanded use of passkeys and other authentication technologies designed to help defend against phishing, social engineering and account takeover attempts, as well as Trusted Contact Person, which allows customers to designate a trusted adult who may be notified of certain transactions to help guard against potential fraud or financial exploitation.

Earlier this year, JPMorganChase also announced nearly $14 million in philanthropic investments focused on consumer awareness, real-time prevention and victim support.

For more information about Chase’s fraud and scam prevention efforts and tips, visit Chase.com/security and attend a local fraud and scam prevention workshop.

About Chase

Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America with operations worldwide, assets of $5 trillion and $375 billion in stockholders’ equity as of June 30, 2026. Chase serves more than 87 million consumers and 7.5 million small businesses with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: 5,100 branches in 48 states and the District of Columbia, 14,500 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to chase.com.