OUSD offering Internships

Do you have a work project you haven’t been able to get to? Would you like to have an impact on the professional development of Oakland’s youth? Linked Learning in Oakland Unified School District is transforming education by integrating rigorous academics with career-based learning in professional workplaces. You can help invest in the future of Oakland's workforce by providing a student with exposure to a high-quality work-based learning 5-week summer internship based on interest matching. These 16 and 17-year-old students have been preparing all year to be your interns through the Exploring College and Careers Options (ECCO) program. By hosting an ECCO student intern, you will link their academic learning to career professional learning in your industry.

 

WHAT: 5-week summer internship program (30 hrs per week)

WHEN: June 30th – August 1st

WHERE: Your place of business

(*Students attend a weekly seminar with their supervising teacher for ongoing professional development)

 

 

 

https://docs.google.com/a/ousd.k12.ca.us/forms/d/1KO3GRSdlj9cA32jCIQX2yo3HlpcI8eRQgfBiuescohI/viewform-

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."  - Nelson Mandela

 

Wardrobe for Opportunity- Friday, May 30th

4 Week Money Crash Course

Sign up for  "Make Your Biz Legit" a 4-week webinar that helps crazy smart entrepreneurs  (like you!) create a rock-solid financial routine so they can finally run their business like a boss.

Imagine this.

What if you actually got excited about sitting down to “do your books” every week/month?

What if you knew exactly how to track what comes in and out of your business...in a way that felt easy and fun?

And how awesome would it be if you were finally on top of your business finances (and knew for sure you could afford that vacay in Fiji next month...or that latte this afternoon)?

To sign up, click here!

Bell Investment Advisors Offers Webinar- April 23

“Are You Missing Strategic Benefits from Social Security?”

 

OAKLAND, CA. April 8, 2014 – Bell Investment Advisors, www.bellinvest.com, a Bay Area registered investment advisory firm, announced today they will be conducting a webinar, “Are You Missing Strategic Benefits from Social Security?” on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, 2-2:30 PM PDT. This online event is a part of an ongoing series of webinars that demonstrate the firm’s commitment to providing free educational opportunities to the greater community centered on Bell’s three core services, investment management, financial planning, and career/life coaching.

Laurent Harrison, CFP^®, Investment Advisor, Financial Planner, will present the webinar with Rohan Nayak, CFP^®, Relationship Manager, Financial Planner. The webinar will highlight strategies for getting the most from your Social Security benefits. Topics covered will include how collecting Social Security too early can cost you in lifetime benefits, the pros of applying for spousal benefits, and understanding the ten-year rule when applying for Social Security when you are widowed or divorced. Time will be reserved for Q&A at the end of the presentation.

“We strongly encourage attendees, especially those between the ages of 60 and 70, to join this webinar for important information clarifying how taking Social Security benefits at the optimal age can significantly boost retirement success. It's especially important for those eligible for a spousal benefit for themselves or spouse. It’s very gratifying when we see our clients experience the "aha moment" when they clearly see the benefits of choosing benefits at the right time in their lives.”

–Laurent Harrison, CFP^®

Registration for the April 23 webinar is currently open at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/336585298

 

In addition to the webinar, Bell will host a Lunch and Learn event, “The Art of 1031 Exchanges for Your Real Estate Investments: Leveraging Your Wealth While Deferring Taxes” on April 30, 2014 at their Oakland office. To learn more about the complimentary presentation and lunch, including how to register, visit Bell’s event page: http://www.bellinvest.com/news-events/events. 

An archive of past webinars presented by Bell’s financial advisory team and guest speakers on a range of topics in the fields of wealth management, financial planning and career coaching can be found here: http://www.bellinvest.com/resource-center/webinars.

Bell Investment Advisors, a privately-owned, registered investment advisory firm, managing over $500 million in assets, and in its 24^th year of business, offers investment management, financial planning, and career/life coaching services.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Nancy Isaacs

Bell Investment Advisors

info@bellinvest.com

800-700-0089

 

CASA Annual Breakfast- April 24th

Don't forget to register!

The Bay Area Public Private Partnership Resiliency Initiative (BAPPPRI) Final Workshop

You are invited to attend:

1:00pm registration, 1:30 - 3:30pm workshop

RSVP at: http://bappprifinalworkshop.eventbrite.com

Over the past ten months, the California Resiliency Alliance (CRA) has been working on the Bay Area Public Private Partnership Resiliency Initiative (BAPPPRI) made possible through the support of the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI).

During that time, the CRA has worked with partners at the Offices of Emergency Services in the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County, the City of Oakland, and San Mateo County to conduct outreach, convene private sector partners and produce materials to support sustainable working public-private partnerships. These partnerships are intended to enhance emergency and disaster response and recovery in the Bay Area.

Thanks to all for your participation and help during the course of the project. We would like you to join us in celebrating the completion of this initiative.

At this final BAPPPRI wrap-up workshop, we will unveil and review the support materials guides produced over the course of the project, update you on the progress achieved during the course of the project, and highlight the use of these materials to ongoing public-private partnerships to benefit effective response and recovery to disruptive events and emergencies.

We hope you will join us at 1:30pm on Thursday, May 1 at the Sobrato Center for Non-Profits in Redwood City, CA. Please RSVP at: http://bappprifinalworkshop.eventbrite.com.

We would also like to thank our private sector partners for their support and leadership throughout the course of this project. These include; Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Bay Area Response Coalition (BARCfirst), Business Recovery Managers Association (BRMA), Oakland/East Bay Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), Infragard, The San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber, Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, and San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA).

Live Work Oakland is alive and wants to promote you!

Live Work Oakland is a media site and business development network designed to build and accelerate a diverse and equitable business community in Oakland by providing information and storytelling related to local job creation, economic development, marketing and innovation. We started with support from The Kapor Center for Social Impact and The Knight Foundation, along with the Uptown/Lake Merritt CBD. This spring, we will launch partner memberships and subscriber benefits. If you or your company has interest in accessing our new services contact margaret@liveworkoakland.com.   Share your events, news & promotions with us Have events to promote?  Competitions, seminars, boot camps, hackathons?   Did you get an investment, become acquired, expand?  Tell us all about it.   Do you want to reach Oakland's entrepreneurs & business community?   Send your tips and links to susan@liveworkoakland.com

Small Business Banking Forum- April 24th

NonProfit/Private Sector Partnerships Are Mutually Beneficial

The March 18 NonProfit Roundtable featured two nonprofit/private sector partnerships that are making a difference, both for the corporate partner and the nonprofit partner. After the standard empowered introduction in which attendees shared how their organizations (and companies, for the attendees included both) partnered with a variety of organizations, agencies, companies and government offices, the deeper study commenced.

We started with a definition of “partnership,” specifically noting what kinds of partnerships we weren’t talking about. These included pure funding connections, such as corporate foundation or corporate grants; and corporate volunteer opportunities. Instead, we highlighted different kinds of partnerships.

The first presenter was Wendy Gershow (wendy.gershow@combined.com) of Combined Worksite Solutions (combinedworksite.com). Her company, which is national, had a variety of ways to engage with social benefits organizations and also engage its employees. In fact, Gershow noted that the company’s founder believed in taking care of the community, and further, that the company’s focus was to work with employers and employees to design mutually beneficial paid benefits programs. Like many other companies, Combined Worksite Solutions gives employees paid time off to volunteer, and follows that up with giving to various organizations. The example Gershow featured in her presentation, however, was a recent sales contest. For account executives and benefits specialists who achieved their sales goals over a specific period of time, the company donated a certain amount to Ronald McDonald House, which provides a home-away-from-home to the parents and families of children who are hospitalized with serious illnesses. This incredible idea touched both the sales professionals’ hearts as well as their sense of competition.

Jerry Metzker (jmetzker@biotechpartners.org), co-chair of the NonProfit Roundtable and Development & Marketing Manager of Biotech Partners (biotechpartners.org), then shared the unique relationship that the youth services program has with both Bayer HealthCare (http://biotech.bayerhealthcare.com/locations/berkeley.asp) and the City of Berkeley. Biotech Partners trains and prepares youth from high school through community college certification for work in the biotech/bioscience/health fields. In 1993, Biotech Partners was founded by Bayer and the City of Berkeley when the company wanted to expand its manufacturing and corporate facility in West Berkeley. As part of the Development Agreement, Bayer agreed to a 30-year relationship with Biotech Partners. This unique relationship includes several components: annual funding, paid summer internships and community college positions for students in the program, donations of lab equipment and supplies, hosting a career awareness conference for Biotech Partners’ high school students (and other students in the area), providing office space (including technology and phone), and access to meeting rooms and auditorium.

As the Biotech Partners/Bayer relationship is innovative, unique and expansive, it also provides fodder for other private/public partnerships.

Other partnerships and opportunities shared by attendees included “Jeans Day,” a practice of corporations for employees to participate in donating by contributing $5 when they wear jeans on casual Fridays. Several restaurants in Oakland also invite organizations to host a “Celebrity Bartender.” The guest bartender helps mix and serve drinks, and all the tips go to her/his organization. For both the organization and the restaurant, this means being introduced to an assortment of new customers.

The afternoon meeting concluded with a brief discussion of the benefits that companies or businesses can reap from having relationships with nonprofits. In addition to promotional and outreach opportunities, the benefits include feeling good (scientific studies show that a happy workforce and company is a more productive and profitable one), developing leadership capabilities of staff, participating in training the workforce, civic engagement/crime reduction, and for some companies and even legal benefits.

As the NonProfit Roundtable continues this ongoing conversation, more positives for all, including the community will come to light.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

The next Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 15,2014, from 2:30-4:30pm in the Chamber Boardroom. Please join us for a conversation and networking.

Contacts:
Co-Chair Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD (AMJ@CARDcanhelp.org)
Co-Chair Jerry Metzker, Development & Marketing Manager of Biotech Partners (jmetzker@biotechpartners.org)

Chamber Liaison Nikki Mendez, Membership Director (nikki@oaklandchamber.com)

Oakland Earth Expo- Today April 9th

 

BUILDING A BETTER CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS-TODAY

APRIL 8, 2014 12:30 PM TO 3:30 PM
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY EMPLOYMENT & HUMAN SERVICES OFFICES 1275A HALL AVENUE, RICHMOND, CA

Dear Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce members:

The East Bay EDA, Alameda County SBDC, Contra Costa SBDC, East Bay SCORE and Constant Contact are providing a seminar for construction industry contractors and sub-contractors on April 8, 2014.

More information can be found on the event website at: www.eastbayeda.org/Biz-SeminarConstruction2014.html

Attendees can sign up for a 20 minute, one-on-one consulting session during the networking portion of the event and select the type of counseling advice preferred
Oakland Chamber members with legal, accounting, marketing/business development, financing, or insurance/surety bonding expertise are invited to participate as counselors for up to three contractors or sub-contractors on between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm on April 8th.


Participating counselors will be identified on the event webpage, the Agenda and their contact information will be provided to all attendees.

If any members are interested in participating, please contact Luis on our staff by calling 510.272-3889 or email him at luis@eastbayeda.org.

Minimum wage in Oakland, let your voice be heard

The minimum wage in Oakland is going up. The question is by how much, how soon, and in which jurisdictions? If you want to weigh in and help the Oakland Chamber weigh in, we need you to complete our survey ASAP: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6BZQHGT. We’re requesting all responses be submitted by 5 PM tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8.

If we take no action, the minimum wage in Oakland will soon go from $8 to $12.25/hour. Here’s how: The most likely scenario is that a proposal gathering signatures right now will go on the ballot in November and raise the Oakland minimum wage from the current $8/hour and soon-to-be $9/hour (on July 1, 2014 given state law signed last year) to $12.25/hour. Yes, that’s right, a more than 50% increase in a span of 8 months. No exceptions for interns, tipped employees, small businesses, or priority industries; and from January 1, 2015 on, it goes up based on cost-of-living increases in perpetuity. The proposal also mandates paid sick leave and other labor standards.

Even if, like most people in this region, you believe a higher minimum wage than the current $8/hour is reasonable, is this the best public policy? Ballot box policy-making without any public discussion or debate?

We need to advocate for public discussion and debate of what’s the right minimum wage for Oakland, how fast should we get there, and are there any nuances we should account for with particular industries. To do so, please give us your input TODAY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6BZQHGT. Oh, and simply for filling out the survey, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Starbucks and two other $15 restaurant gift certificates.

 

First time homebuyer lunch and learn seminar presented by Wells Fargo

 

You’re invited
The Corporate Advantage Program® provides convenient, competitively priced home financing options for employees looking to purchase or refinance a home.

Prepare for one of the largest purchases most people make. Learn more about finding, financing and owning a home in today’s real estate market.

• During the presentation you will gain a better understanding of these homebuying basics:

• The benefits and costs of owning a home

• Credit, debit and mortgage qualifying guidelines

• How different kinds of mortgages work

• How to choose a REALTOR® and shop for a home that’s right for you


Date: April 8, 2014
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Oakland Chamber of Commerce Board Room

Tommy T. Nguyen, REO Specialist
Phone: 510-267-1300 ext. 1321
Cell: 415-504-5382 Tommy.T.Nguyen@wellsfargo.com
www.wfhm.com/tommy-nguyen
NMLSR ID 698417

Receive a $500 gift from Wells Fargo - When you close on your home purchase or refinance your mortgage with Wells Fargo, you are eligible to receive a $500 thank you gift through the My Mortgage GiftSM program. Ask your home mortgage consultant for details.1

Karen White, Private Mortgage Banker
Phone:510-446-5142, Cell: 510-418-7156 Karen.L.White@wellsfargo.com
www.KarenLWhite.com
NMLSR ID 745701

1. Eligible individuals can receive the Wells Fargo My Mortgage GiftSM promotion approximately 6 weeks after closing on a new purchase or refinance loan secured by a first mortgage or deed of trust with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, subject to qualification, approval and closing, when identifying themselves as eligible. The My Mortgage GiftSM promotion is not available with any Wells Fargo Three-Step Refinance SYSTEM® program, The Relocation Mortgage ProgramSM or the HOME program. Only one award permitted per new loan. This promotion cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount or rebate. This promotion is void where prohibited, transferable, and subject to change or cancellation with no prior notice. Gifts may constitute taxable income. Federal, state and local taxes, and any use of the gift not otherwise specified in the Terms and Conditions provided at receipt of gift are the sole responsibility of the My Mortgage GiftSM recipient. Please see Terms and Conditions document for more information.


Information is accurate as of date of printing and is subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2012 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801. AS1022781 Expires 6/2014

 

Inside Oakland Breakfast- public safety moving in the right direction

Things do seem to be moving in the right direction, even though we do still have such a long way to go.

Here’s a table that captures some of the stats that were offered up in Friday's Inside Oakland Breakfast as well as those from recent City staff reports that capture the progress vs. the status quo challenges:

 

 

Public Safety: Progress v. Status Quo
Metrics	Progress	Status Quo
Homicides (& Non-Fatal Shootings)	·      Homicides down 28% in 2013; largest drop in 45 years ·     Non-fatal shootings down 16% last year; down 36% first part of this year	·      Multi-year averages for violent crime and homicides are all 3x to 6x state and national averages
Police Staffing & Recruitment	·      612 officers on the street today – a few away from lowest in history ·      47 – largest in history – graduate next week; up to 62 more in a few months ·      46% of officers over the last 4 academies were bilingual	·      Budgeted for 675 in FY14, though estimated need is 850-1,100 ·      5.32 monthly officer attrition ·      Not enough from the community and multilingual (e.g. 8% from Oakland

 

If you really want to delve into the issues…

Ø  Click here for a link to the staff report for the April 8 Public Safety Meeting that City Administrator Blackwell mentioned. This lays out the SAFER program:

ü  Stop violent crime.

ü  Assure school success and invest in prevention.

ü  Fund jobs and promote workforce readiness.

ü  Engage communities and build healthy neighborhoods.

ü  Renew the Oakland Police Department.

 

Ø  Here’s a link to the Tuesday, April 8 meeting agenda – note that this is a Special “in the community” meeting at Oakland Technical High School, though is still at the usual time of 6 PM.

Ø  Join the Chamber’s e-mail list: http://www.oaklandchamber.com/pages/About.

 

Ø  And, of course, plan on attending the biggest annual economic development event in Oakland – April 16: http://business.oaklandchamber.com/events/details/economic-development-summit-2823.

Thanks again to our sponsors Ruth Stroup Insurance Agency and Allied Barton Security Services, and to our speakers, City Administrator Fred Blackwell, Interim Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent, and Amy Roither from Detect All Security & Fire. 

Isaac Kos-Read

Public Affairs Consultant
Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce