Economics

Entrepreneur Tom Henderson Creates Jobs for Oakland Residents

Published

10 years ago

August 22, 2014

In the current economic struggle where people are vying for jobs, and the unemployment rate remains high, CallSocket is an Oakland company that stands out for its commitment to hiring Oakland residents and providing them with decent pay and health benefits, as well as opportunities to move up in the company.

Owned by entrepreneur Tom Henderson, the company has a staff of 123 employees in its call center, mostly Oakland residents, who handle call-in and call-out campaigns for businesses such as ADT, DeVry University, and others.

The company, which pays $14 an hour and provides Kaiser health coverage, is preparing to hire 50 new employees by September.

“The first priority is to hire Oakland residents,” said Henderson, who runs multiple businesses including CallSocket through his company San Francisco Regional Center (SFRC).

Operating on three floors at the Tribune tower in downtown Oakland, the company provides a creative and positive environment and room for growth for its workers.

When Team Manager Starr Ivery started working at CallSocket in January, she was employed as a customer service agent.

She has a resume packed with experience repairing computers, working for big companies like AT&T and even at the Mayor’s Office when Lionel Wilson was mayor.

However, hard hit by the latest job crisis, she was close to be being homeless when she landed what she has found to be an ideal position at CallSocket.

After three months on the job, she was promoted to her current position as a team manager providing training and support for eight agents.

“Call Socket is like a family. Here you’re allowed to be who you are and you bring your personality to the phone,” Ivery said.

While it’s hard to keep companies in Oakland, she said, it’s good “to find a place like Call Socket that believed in hiring and keeping business in Oakland when everyone is running from here.”

CallSocket is a company that is all about exponential growth, said Sabrina Baptiste-Shepard, Vice President of Human Resources at CallSocket.

“It’s really important when you’re dealing with people who are either underemployed or unemployed, you have to support them in making the transition so they can be successful,” Baptiste-Shepard said.

For more information, visit www.callsocket.com

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Related Topics:CallSocket City of Oakland jobs Oakland Oakland Tribune Tower San Francisco Regional Center SFRC Tom Henderson Tribune Tower

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Business

Black Business Summit Focuses on Equity, Access and Data

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship. Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA), answers questions from concerned entrepreneurs frustrated with a lack of follow-up from the state. January 24, 2024 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, Lost Angeles, Calif. Photo by Solomon O. Smith

By Solomon O. Smith, California Black Media

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship.

Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA) was a guest at the event. He told attendees about his department’s efforts to increase access for Black business owners.

“One thing I’m taking away from this for sure is we’re going to have to do a better job of connecting through your chambers of all these opportunities of billions of dollars that are coming down the pike. I’m honestly disappointed that people don’t know, so we’ll do better,” said Omishakin.

Lueathel Seawood, the president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of San Joaquin County, expressed frustration with obtaining federal contracts for small businesses, and completing the process. She observed that once a small business was certified as DBE, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, there was little help getting to the next step.

Omishakin admitted there is more work to be done to help them complete the process and include them in upcoming projects. However, the high-speed rail system expansion by the California High-Speed Rail Authority has set a goal of 30% participation from small businesses — only 10 percent is set aside for DBE.

The importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in economics was reinforced during the “State of the California Economy” talk led by author and economist Julianne Malveaux, and Anthony Asadullah Samad, Executive Director of the Mervyn Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute (MDAAPEI) at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Assaults on DEI disproportionately affect women of color and Black women, according to Malveaux. When asked what role the loss of DEI might serve in economics, she suggested a more sinister purpose.

“The genesis of all this is anti-blackness. So, your question about how this fits into the economy is economic exclusion, that essentially has been promoted as public policy,” said Malveaux.

The most anticipated speaker at the event was Janice Bryant Howroyd known affectionately to her peers as “JBH.” She is one of the first Black women to run and own a multi-billion-dollar company. Her company ActOne Group, is one of the largest, and most recognized, hiring, staffing and human resources firms in the world. She is the author of “Acting Up” and has a profile on Forbes.

Chairman of the board of directors of the California African American Chamber of Commerce, Timothy Alan Simon, a lawyer and the first Black Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor of California, moderated. They discussed the state of Black entrepreneurship in the country and Howroyd gave advice to other business owners.

“We look to inspire and educate,” said Howroyd. “Inspiration is great but when I’ve got people’s attention, I want to teach them something.”