S . . . P . . . A . . . C . . . E
Let’s talk about it. Who has it?
In the bay area, very few conversations happen without a mention of ‘space’. The booming tech industry has contributed to the growing density of the area due making space a scarcity and displacing residents and businesses. The imbalance between jobs, housing, and transportation exacerbates these issues. The proximity to jobs is declining in urban areas, especially in high-poverty and majority-minority neighborhoods, according to this SPUR report. For an organization wanting to stay in Oakland, the average cost of an office space for a team of six is $4000/month. As an organization needing to mature beyond a home workspace or cafe, but without enough capital to spend on rent- this is a very real barrier to growth.
At the Kapor Center, we welcome the tech industry the right way…we focus on including our local residents, sharing wealth, and serving the underserved.
The Kapor Center’s Innovation Lab, iLab Oakland, provides space and resources to grow organizations built by people we believe in fostering the inclusive positive change we want to see in our communities.
The iLab hosts a mix of innovators in Oakland — from startups to community organizations to city officials. By bringing all of these people into one space- we create a place where mission oriented individuals can organically discover opportunities to collaborate and utilize the resources offered by the Kapor Center and Oakland as a whole.
Non-profits have an opportunity to build tech skills and an agile startup mentality, while startups can learn from the mission orientation mentality of nonprofits and build impact around their solutions.
The collaboration model relies on our pillars of selection- where we seek early-stage organizations led by underrepresented founders with a commitment to underrepresented communities, tech, and Oakland.
Some alum from the program include: Project Include, AI4ALL, HingeTo, and Glassbreakers.
Our 3rd cohort of“Innovators in Residence”consists of 6 Community organizations/nonprofits, 6 Prototype stage startup teams & one public service partner:
Notifica under United We Dream is developing an app to prepare people against deportation and currently working to collaborate with local partners to integrate this solution in Oakland
Toybox enables kids to 3D print their own toys using an app. We are working to bring these 3D printers to public spaces in Oakland
City of Oakland is represented by Jose Corona to proactively connect iLab inclusive tech ecosystem services to City of Oakland needs
Wine & Bowties is an Oakland-based arts & culture publication, elevating Bay Area artists
Concrn is developing an app training community members and dispatching them to respond to community crisis- currently piloting in the Tenderloin, looking to expand to the Oakland community
Resoltz is reimaging online personal fitness. They are partnering with Oakland Community colleges to pilot their solution.
Literator is advancing equity in the classroom with online literacy curriculum support. They are currently piloting the solution with Oakland Unified School District
Trippie, founded by an Oakland native, is creating an app for easy airport navigation
Tequitable is a platform to innovatively address issues of bias, harassment, and discrimination in the workplace. A Kapor Capital portfolio company, Tequitable is growing their business in Oakland.
TechHire Oakland is the city wide cross sector collective of 30 partner organizations who guide and train underrepresented East Bay residents of color to rewarding careers in tech
Deckstr is a virtual business card platform, supporting in-person connection looking to grow their business in Oakland
Mission Bit is providing coding courses targeted towards limited access students in the Bay Area including target schools in Oakland
Black & Brown Founders is an organization providing community, education and access to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, partnering with Oakland Startup Network to create a local entrepreneurship summit.
Check out our website for more information and stay tuned for more details!