The Invest in Youth Summit, sponsored by My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and other organizations, was held Thursday at the Oakland Convention Center, convening hundreds of boys and men of color between the ages of 18 and 29 for a day of opportunity and engagement. 

The summit provided attendees a chance to interview with over 600 employers and participate in interactive, career-building workshops around topics including social media responsibility, entrepreneurship, and mentorship.

Also available were community resources such as health services, legal support, financial advising, and re-entry support were available.

Oakland participant Briana Franklin, 23, said, “This summit is really awesome and inspiring. Its good to see so many businesses and organizations reaching out to the community.”

Volunteer Yahru Baruti, a social worker from Alameda County Health Department, showed young men how to properly tie a necktie. He said he felt assisting at the summit was an extension of his work at the Juvenile Justice Center.

Oakland resident Aquan Markee, 22, came seeking a career in the aerospace industry: He was excited to make contacts and have five interviews.

Co-hosting the summit were the California Endowment, California Executives’ Alliance, City of Oakland, Ford Foundation, James Irvine Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Career Summit partners included Bay Area Council, LeadersUp, PolicyLink and Urban Strategies Council. Participating cities included East Palo Alto, Oakland, Richmond and San Francisco.

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