“Silicon Valley is hostile to diversity,” says Slack’s Leslie Miley
Original article/video by Cyrus Farivar – Ars Technica WATCH THE VIDEO Leslie Miley, the director of engineering at Slack, challenged an audience that historically has benefited from white privilege (including yours truly) to extend it to others, like women and minorities. “Extending is not making room at the table—it’s giving up your place at […]
Raising Capital as a Minority Entrepreneur
Original article by Devin Dixon – People of Color in Tech One of my favorite movies is Ratatouille because of it parallels to what it’s like being a minorty entrepreneur. One of the quotes from the film describes Anton Ego’s epiphany: “Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist *can* come from […]
Oakland Economy, Tech in Oakland
Salesforce expands $22.5M education investments to Oakland
Original article by Kate Conger (@kateconger) – TechCrunch Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of the San Francisco-based cloud computing company, is expanding its education funding from its home city to Oakland. The foundation will invest $2.5 million into Oakland public schools this year and pour $6 million into San Francisco’s schools, bringing its total contribution to […]
Anti-Eviction Mapping Project
Original Listing: FuncheapSF Time: Friday, September 9, 2016 – 6:00 pm to 9:00 am Location: East Side Arts Alliance 2277 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606 Cost: FREE Join the anti-eviction mapping project and tenants together for a night of food, music, conversation, and insurgent art. The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project reports back on a year of displacement data […]
Public health problems in Oakland linked to housing crisis
Original article by Rachel Swan – SF Gate The high cost of housing has created a public health crisis in Oakland, Dr. Muntu Davis, head of the Alameda County Public Health Department, said during a news conference at Oakland City Hall on Tuesday. Hypertension and asthma rates are increasing as residents grapple with increased rents and lack of […]
Oakland tech hub fights for diversity
Original article by Jessica Guynn – USA Today OAKLAND — Just miles yet a world away from Silicon Valley is a budding tech hub where talk of racial inequality is as common as talk of stock options. This is by design. Entrepreneurs and community activists here are working to turn Oakland into a national model for re-engineering the tech […]
Oakland’s office market is now fuller than San Francisco’s
Original article by Roland Li – San Francisco Business Times Oakland’s central business district office vacancy rate plunged to 4.6 percent in the fourth quarter, down from 12.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014, as dozens of companies migrated from San Francisco, according to preliminary data from brokerage Avison Young. During the same period, San […]
Oakland Culture, Oakland Economy
Oakland on the verge of change (video)
Original video/article by Roland Li and Todd Johnson – San Francisco Business Times Here’s a look at some of the neighborhoods that have been at the forefront of development, and a glimpse into Oakland may look like in the coming years. Oakland is on the verge of change, with over 7,000 residential units approved in […]
As Tech Firms Come to Oakland, so do Hopes of Racial Diversity
Original article by Pendarvis Harshaw – Youth Radio Adan Faudoa, 24, grew up in the Bay Area, near Silicon Valley, but he didn’t always think he’d be a tech guy. His dad had other plans for him. “As a kid, my dad was a big gear head,” Faudoa says, “so, he was pushing me in […]