Mayor Quan joins organization’s leaders as the construction kickoff begins
(Oakland, CA) – Last night, dozens gathered as the Kapor Center for Social Impact broke ground in its new headquarters in Oakland at 2148 Broadway.
“We have waited a long time and are proud to make this big investment in Oakland and its future,” stated Mitchell Kapor, co-chair of the Kapor Center and Partner atKapor Capital. “We want our work to be grounded in this city with its rich tradition and history and a level of diversity that is high even for the Bay area. We will not just be here physically, but will be an active part of the community and this building will be a big part of that.”
Built in 1923, the final renovated space will boast nearly 45,000 square feet and will house the Kapor Center, theLevel Playing Field Institute, as well as several non-profit organizations and businesses.
“We are going to work closely together across the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to diversify the tech ecosystem and to plug all of the leaks in the leaky pipeline that lead to the awful numbers we have all seen from the big Silicon Valley companies,” stated Freada Kapor Klein, co-chair of the Kapor Center and Partner at Kapor Capital.
Former NAACP President and new Partner at Kapor Capital Benjamin Todd Jealous remarked, “When you look across that bridge, you know that on the other side of the bridge there are not one but typically ten startups that are trying to solve the problems of the rich in that town. We aim to make sure that Oakland becomes the place that is the center of solving the problems for the rest of us.” He continued, “As Oakland becomes more tech, we want to make sure that tech becomes more Oakland.”
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan joined the groundbreaking ceremony and praised the work the Kapors have done at the intersection of tech and social impact. “What the Kapors have been doing is opening up the dream at a level that people had not thought if with investments.”
Award-winning Bay Area architect Anne Fougeron has designed the renovated space. The building is scheduled for completion in Fall 2015.