Activism

Marin Green Home Tour Set for October 19-20

Marin’s buildings are responsible for as much as 34% of local greenhouse gas emissions, and both homeowners and renters are encouraged to explore opportunities to make their homes more energy-efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels. The Marin Green Home Tour shines a light on the proven strategies that residents can adopt for healthier, more comfortable homes, smaller energy bills, and improved indoor air quality.

Published

3 years ago

October 15, 2022

Oakland Post

Online event will showcase sustainable building practices

Courtesy of Marin County

Left and right, Marin County residents are working to reduce their carbon footprints. The Marin Green Home Tour, an online event set for Oct. 19-20, will be a prime opportunity to see what “green”-minded neighbors are doing to help the environment and address climate change.

Registration is open now for the virtual tour, which will include 8-minute video tours of 10 homes, plus short presentations by experts, links to relevant businesses, and useful resources. There will be plentiful ideas for new construction, remodels, retrofits, and low-cost, low-tech, DIY solutions for homeowners and renters. The tour will highlight energy features, water conservation strategies, and the use of recycled, repurposed, and sustainable building materials.

Organizers believe the tour is a fun and effective way to inspire neighbors and speed the transition to a more sustainable future. The format relies on neighbor-to-neighbor education and hyperlocal resources. Governments are involved as well; many cities and counties worldwide have set ambitious climate action goals, including the County of Marin.

The virtual tour is organized by a coalition of public agencies, community organizations and individuals, with promotional support from the Marin County Community Development Agency’s Sustainability Team. Other partners include Sustainable Marin, MCE, Bitsa Freeman (Realtor), MarinCAN, Ongaro & Sons, Red Horse Constructors, SunFirst Solar, Bellows Service, Sustainable Novato, Orange Charger, Lucinda Otto (Realtor), SolarCraft Services, Electrify My Home, Soroptomist International, Fairfax Lumber, Marin Realtors, Healthier Dwelling, Kelly Plumbing & Heating, The Switch is On, QuitCarbon, City of Novato, and the towns of Larkspur, Fairfax, and San Anselmo. Sponsorship and donation opportunities are still open.

Stay connected with the Sustainability Team via on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, the event webpage for workshops and community events and the quarterly newsletter. Contact the office via email with questions on our programs or to request more information.

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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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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.