Meet our Clients: Manifesta
At the end of 2013, three entrepreneurs opened Manifesta. The entrepreneurs, Lindsay Barnhardt, K.C. Lutes, and Mireya Albarra, knew that they wanted to open a hair salon, but they also wanted to serve the community.
This Holiday Season #shoplocal and #shopsmall
The majority of people who live and work in Oakland and San Francisco work for small companies and organizations. It’s important as we get closer to a big shopping season to make active choices about where you put your dollars. Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies, but they also invest heavily…
Happy PRIDE Month!
Main Street Launch is proud to support LGBT-owned small businesses. A report from NGLCC (National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce) shows that the U.S. has an estimated 1.4 million LGBT-owned small businesses that create/sustain 33,000 jobs and contribute $1.7 trillion to the economy. Not surprising, California has the highest number of certified LGBTBEs (LGBT…
Meet our clients: Four Star Seafood
Adrian Hoffman and Ismael Macias always wanted to make fresh and quality seafood available to restaurant chefs like them in the Bay Area. In 2015, they founded Four Star Seafood to offer a more direct service: getting freshly caught seafood from fishermen to restaurant kitchens within 24 hours! Now, Four Star Seafood is a boutique…
Shop Local This Holiday Season
This post was originally posted on our blog on November 23, 2016. We hope you’ll join us in #shoppingsmall this holiday season, too! This holiday season, we’re thrilled to be celebrating with our loved ones, and we hope you are too. While you think about your holiday shopping, consider #shoppingsmall to support your neighbors…
Meet our clients: Fair Game
Fair Game is a video game store located in Sacramento that offers retro games, old consoles, collector items, and much more. Terry Watts, a marine corp veteran, runs the store with enthusiasm that connects with the customers. He has formed a great relationship with his community, and he is enhancing his reach by engaging in…
Meet our clients: Alicia K Designs
Alicia K Designs is a boutique full-service event design and production company that turns weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings into extraordinary events. Founded by Alicia herself, she works with clients to cater to their needs, whether they need hands on help planning the entire event or if they are looking for help on a…
Meet our clients: Las Marianas Food Truck
Rosa Martin, the owner of Las Marianas Food Truck, started out as a brick and mortar restaurant, but as rent prices increased, she turned to Main Street Launch for additional capital to open a food truck instead. This became one of Oakland’s first Guatemalan food trucks, and Rosa serves delicious Guatemalan and Mexican favorites throughout…
Back to School
Main Street Launch’s Intern – Development & Fundraising Brooke Solomon offers some local options for back to school shopping and errands. Visit our client map to find more local businesses to support. Summer vacation is quickly coming to an end after a season of heat, kids, and no homework. As the students head back…
See Construction? Go Shopping!
OBDC is fortunate to work with cities to help small businesses launch, grow, and succeed. One major obstacle to business survival is construction. Construction keeps traffic away (foot traffic, cars, everyone!). Instead of avoiding construction, when you see it, go shopping.