CA Proposition 15 could bring millions to Oakland Schools, new burdens to businesses, tax assessors

The Elmhurst School campus that Elmhurst Community Prep currently shares with Alliance Academy

Voters will decide next month whether to approve a ballot measure which could provide a windfall for schools and local governments, but a far greater burden on businesses and tax assessors.  The existing property tax law is governed by a 1978 ballot measure, Proposition 13, which significantly limited state property taxes. But the new measure,…

Read More

In Oakland, women take the lead as Airbnb hosts

Cynthia Mackey, a 56-year-old self-employed digital marketer, loves to talk about Airbnb. She laughs and smiles, growing excited as she talks about the joy that comes from opening up her home in Oakland’s Adams Point to a world of strangers. Mackey started hosting for Airbnb, an online international marketplace for booking accommodations, in July, 2013.…

Read More

Video rental, antiques, shoe repair: Old-fashioned shops struggle to hang on

A glimpse to an aisle at the Video Room in Piedmont Ave. on Friday December 2, 2016. (Yesica Prado/Oakland North)

A big red house stands in the middle of Telegraph Avenue, two blocks from the Berkeley border with Oakland. It resembles Santa’s workshop: fun, colorful and packed with a massive amount of “stuff.” The building is two stories high and even on a normal day, found objects hang all over the property. From giant drive-thru Jack in the Box signs, to headless mannequins, vintage Victorian furniture or small quirky ceramic figurines, James Cross, the owner of the Antique Centre has it all—hidden somewhere in a corner of his store.

Read More

Latinx Tech offers mentorship to new Latino entrepreneurs

Visitors discuss their business ideas at the Latinx Tech Conference in Oakland. Photo by Craig Hickerson.

Facing a crowd of over 100 people, Nilton J. Serva, a 19 year-old Latino entrepreneur, pitched his idea for an app that connects career mentors with Latinos and Latinas. An audible “Wow!” was heard from the audience as a teammate showed a mock-up of the simple, elegant app on the screen with sections for career credentials, a profile photo and ratings.

Read More

Health tech companies leaving Mission Bay for downtown Oakland, citing lower rent

View of downtown Oakland.

Biotech companies, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and physicians’ group Brown & Toland to downtown Oakland, are moving to downtown Oakland. The city, already home to health giants like Kaiser Permanente and household products maker Clorox Co., offers a more attractive price points with easy access to transit, according to biotech companies making the move to Oakland.

Read More