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S.F. Black Wallstreet Hosts Black Print Gala

The ‘Black Print’ Juneteenth Gala highlighted the success of S.F. Black entrepreneurs and small businesses. An upscale affair, community members showed up in their best couture and were serenaded by soul jazz saxophonist Shawn Raiford. During the program a fireside chat included former NBA player for the Warriors, Baron Davis.

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2024

Carla Thomas

At the San Francisco Black Wall Street Foundation's Black Print gala at the SF Conservatory, Susan Brown, Willie Brown Foundation, podcaster Kimberly Caldwell, and Majeid Crawford of SF Bloc. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

On Friday, June 14, the San Francisco Black Wall Street Foundation hosted their annual Black and Gold Gala at the San Francisco Conservatory at One Sansome St. in San Francisco.

Majeid Crawford, CEO of SF BLOC graciously hosted Susan Brown of the Willie Brown Foundation, podcaster Kim Caldwell, publicist Jackie Wright, and author Dr. Tyree L. Robinson at his organization’s table.

Guests dined on chicken, salmon and gourmet desserts. A performance by entertainer Joe led the audience to sing along to his greatest hits during a full-fledged video and light show.

Guests also had the opportunity to strike a pose behind a glass enclosure bearing VOGUE on it. Each photograph taken inside the enclosure resembled being on the front cover of an issue of Vogue magazine. The palatial setting also featured a high-end bar area and sitting area with DJ Shell Heart. The gala was catered by Tease Southern Kitchen.

Chassity Gantt, employed by Code Tenderloin, said she had a great time and reunited with mentors in her life. Robinson shared two new books he authored in 2023, and Jackie Wright shared her day with Mario Van Peebles at Channel 2 and Channel 7 on social media.

Crawford was happy to bring community advocates and leaders together in honor of deserving awardees and the great work of Black Wall Street.

SF Black Wall Street Foundation was established in 2021 to ensure that Black San Franciscans are fully represented and included in the city’s economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.

SF Black Wall Street provides advocacy, strategic partnerships, and culturally relevant programming to ensure Black San Franciscans receive investments, technical support, and access to sustainable opportunities.

The organization created the Black Millionaire Development Program with support from the Human Rights Commission, the Dream Keeper Initiative, and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

The Black Millionaire Development Program assists owners of start-ups and established micro-ventures with business planning, licensing, setting up systems and processes, and networking to increase the likelihood of success.

The program aims to increase the number of microbusinesses in the Black community, stabilize existing micro-businesses, connect business owners to service providers, increase networking and support among participating entrepreneurs, and increase the number of nontraditional business owners. Since launching, the BMDP’s mission has been to strengthen the Black entrepreneurial ecosystem in San Francisco one entrepreneur at a time.

“The Black Millionaire Development Program (BMDP)’s mission is to level the playing field for current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to grow or
start their businesses.

“This Juneteenth, we are honoring the spirit of our ancestors by unapologetically reclaiming space, pursuing joy, investing in our healing, fighting for justice, and financial freedom,” said co-director Tinisch Hollins with co-director Gwen Brown.

Carla Thomas

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Activism

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

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

Posts by 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.