In April 2014, Kenny Stuckey, an Army veteran, decided that he wanted to launch a food truck in order to be independent and to create something of his own. He and his partner Bill Voget began to research how to start a business, specifically a food truck, while selling chicken on street corners in Oakland…
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This article is written by Benjamin Pimentel and originally appeared on NerdWallet and is shared with with permission. Len Rogers’ business, the Electric Bicycle Super Store, was growing fast — so fast that he decided to move into a much bigger space. It seemed like a necessary step in expanding his operations, but he didn’t realize that…
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Our offices are closed on Monday in recognition of President’s Day. Still known as “Washington’s Birthday”, this year it falls on George Washington’s actual day of birth (February 22). On this day off, we want to share the virtues of taking time off for entrepreneurs. Taking breaks is critically important to sustaining our mental…
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After dedicating 15 years of his life to cooking, Brandon Jew felt conflicted about his love for Chinese food and his frustration with how Americans view Chinese food. Mister Jiu’s was born to preserve the tradition of Chinese cuisine and to showcase a contemporary take with San Francisco food values: small farm, organic, and seasonal…
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In 2016 Main Street Launch and Northern California Community Loan Fund (NCCLF) announced our partnership called PRO Oakland. Together, we are offering expert advising to small businesses (advising through Main Street Launch) and nonprofits (advising through NCCLF), entities poised to be impacted by the construction of the East Bay Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT). This…
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