City of Oakland to Host The 2nd National Convening of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance

Oakland, Here We Come! City of Oakland to Host the UMA's 2nd National Convening Oakland will be the host of the Second National Convening of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance (UMA) this fall. Each year, the UMA convenes member organizations from across the country for a two-day conference and collaboration session. This meeting enables manufacturers and economic development professionals from all over the U.S. to come together to share best practices, learn from each other’s efforts, innovate and amplify their voice in the national policy discussion. Exchanging ideas on how urban manufacturing can reduce chronic unemployment and regain its foothold in dense urban areas are key goals of the UMA. Through this annual collaboration, the participants seek to strengthen their local economies, create jobs and revitalize their cities. “Oakland is home to a growing array of urban manufacturers, ranging from individual artisan workshops all the way up to state-of-the-art aircraft engine production,” Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said. “These businesses spark new ideas and create high-quality jobs. Our city’s renaissance makes it a perfect host for the UMA, and we welcome the innovation and excitement they will bring.” Kate Sofis, executive director of SFMade and co-founder of the UMA says "SFMade is pleased to co-host, with the City of Oakland, the Second National Convening of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance, which will bring together organizations from around the country, all working on growing their own local manufacturing communities.” This year’s convening is sponsored by Citi Community Development and The Kauffman Foundation and will take place on October 3-4. Oakland was selected out of a number of cities because according to Bethany Betzler, UMA Advisory Board Member and Project Manager at the Detroit Creative Corridor Center, “Oakland demonstrates the variety of assets and challenges existent across the varying U.S. cities that our members represent. Convening in Oakland means that we can marvel in the city’s urban manufacturing successes while simultaneously putting our heads together to develop solutions to challenges many cities share.” For the full press release, click here.