Meet our clients: Freedom Makers

Freedom Makers provides virtual assistant services to small business owners, with the services performed by military spouses. Freedom Makers is providing exceptional service to two audiences: business owners who need help managing their bookkeeping, marketing, and client communications (and more!) and military spouses who lack other work opportunities that are as mobile as they are.…

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CDFIs: Persistent Poverty Counties

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) support local economies by investing in under-invested areas. Main Street Launch is proud to be a CDFI serving low-to-moderate income communities in Oakland and San Francisco.   The CDFI Fund identifies counties across the country that experience “persistent poverty” (defined as any county that has had 20% or more of…

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Introducing Shop Oakland Now

Main Street Launch is proud to introduce Shop Oakland Now, an online directory of Oakland small businesses. The site is still in development, and we invite you to use it, share it, and send us your feedback. Our goal is to ensure that all operating Oakland small businesses have an online presence to help new customers…

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Meet our clients: Parle Innovation

For Parle Innovation, innovation drives them and is at the core of their company . In 2013, Mary Parle Shulenberger and her husband Art sought out a loan from Main Street Launch to support and grow their business.   “Technology is a way to advance people’s lives, and while sometimes it has the potential to…

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Oakland Small Business Week

The City of Oakland will mark National Small Business Week (April 29-May 5) with an an exciting week of community events and over 80 educational workshops for Oakland small businesses. The 2018 Small Business Week theme is “Helping Oakland’s Diverse Business Community Thrive.” Entrepreneurs and business owners may choose from sessions at Oakland City Hall…

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