Why Oakland?

Why Oakland's a tech start-up game changer. Barbara Grady. December 24, 2014. post

Oakland is becoming a place where tech happens, not on the scale of San Francisco or Silicon Valley, but enough to be a contender when startups figure out where to locate.

At a time when the tech industry is sometimes vilified as elitist and indifferent to the housing needs and community ties of the average Bay Area worker, Oakland may be spearheading a more inclusive chapter in technology industry growth.

This community is working deliberately to ensure that Oakland has – and keeps – the resources talent and vibe that empowers people of color in the innovation economy.

But to start, a company needs seed money from friends and family. Relatively few African Americans and Latinos have wealthy family members and friends with extra money to invest in start-ups compared to their counterparts from white and Asian families.

People in Oakland are mindful of the challenges of society. “We have all these big challenges, mentioned on a national scale, when you talk about crime or education or poverty, but we are also right in the epicenter of technology and we have a direct relationship with all these great companies that are changing the world."