Sean Sullivan has been an advocate for the LGBTQ community and the Oakland small business community for 15 years. He and his partner Richard Fuentes saw an opportunity to create a gathering place open seven days per week, specifically focused on serving LGBTQ people and Uptown. From that combination of passion and opportunity, The Port…
In 2016, in partnership with Wells Fargo’s Diverse Community Capital fund, Main Street Launch developed some additional programs and services specifically designed to support African American small business owners in Oakland and San Francisco. This program is lead by Robert Lattimore, Senior Vice President. One element is our Entrepreneur in Residence Program. Our Entrepreneurs…
Veteran Launch is an affiliate of Main Street Launch. Veteran Launch’s mission to to increase the number of successful new veteran businesses and reduce the number of veteran business failures relating to financing. Veteran Launch is now also working to help connect veterans with employers. Learn more at www.veteranlaunch.org. Veteran Launch’s Yulee Newsome is…
Jen Garrido is a lifelong entrepreneur, always creating work and opportunities for herself. When the recession hit her fine art business was impacted, so Jen had to get creative about other ways to make money. “Jenny Pennywood produces home textiles that mix patterns and design, but can all be used together. Her combination…
OBDC Small Business Finance believes that our unique partnerships and staff expertise are critical components to connecting our borrowers to the funding, education, and relationships they need to thrive. This year continues to be full of exciting new partnerships and staff contributions…
Katie Taylor, Main Street’s Assistant Vice President – Communications, interviews Maopepe “Mao” Gaoteote. Mao has over ten years of lending experience in wholesale and Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. Click here for Mao’s bio. In what ways do you think Main Street Launch brings value to our communities? Aside from our ability to deploy capital,…
Electric Bicycle Superstore started as Len Rodgers’ hobby. When he formalized his business, building electric bicycles and converting conventional bicycles, he needed capital for inventory and for his storefront. “’The process took a great deal of involvement and paper work, but it forced me to look at the numbers and make some decisions…
We’re thrilled to share Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)’s post about Main Street Launch’s support of Brown Sugar Kitchen, a long-time client. Brown Sugar Kitchen is a staple of West Oakland and a destination eatery (some Golden State Warriors players recently took a picture during their meal there). Main Street Launch has been a proud…
On Wednesday, May 11, Main Street Launch and Veteran Launch hosted a networking event for our small business clients to connect with each other and with our team. The event was hosted at our offices by our Oakland-based Veteran Launch client Noble Brewer. Noble Brewer, owned by Claude Burns, is the world’s first homebrew subscription…
Cafe Santana, owned by Richard Santana offers empanadas, bagels, and more, but for Richard and his team, it’s all about the coffee. The roast onsite in small batches, so their customers can walk out with a warm bag of roasted coffee beans on demand. Check out an excerpt from Cafe Santana’s profile: “Opening the…
