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Kapor Foundation Commits to $1M to Boost Tech and Digital Career Paths in East Oakland


OAKLAND, Calif., July 26th, 2024 — Today, Kapor Foundation announced a multi-year $1M commitment to help fund holistic, inclusive tech and digital career pathways in East Oakland. This significant investment aims to bridge capacity gaps and provide local talent with opportunities to pursue meaningful education and high-growth careers,  addressing the high risk of automation-driven skill displacement, low education attainment, and low earning potential that has characterized the region in past decades.  

“Oakland’s K-12 and post secondary pathways have been chronically disconnected due to systemic disinvestment in East Oakland, leaving young adults at high risk and without incentivized support,” said Kirsten Lundgren, Director of Economic and Workforce Initiatives, Kapor Foundation. “ We are excited to collaborate with East Oakland Youth Development Center and Rise East to embed, implement, and scale rigorous and meaningful tech career pathways and Computer Science education approaches into young adult programs to help East Oakland talent thrive in a digital era.” 

The funding will support the Rise East initiative’s Learn & Grow Pillar, led by members of the Initiative’s 40×40 Council, the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) and the Brotherhood of Elders of Network (BOEN). This Initiative uses a collective impact approach to enhance career exploration opportunities for youth and young adults in Deep East Oakland. Despite numerous job training and internship programs in Oakland, alignment and capacity issues often prevent overlooked young adults from accessing meaningful career and learning opportunities in emerging fields. To address this, EOYDC is collaborating with impactful Black and Brown-led community-based organizations (CBOs) and employers to create career exploration programs for youth (ages 14-26) that reduce redundancies, address inequities, and offer culturally resonant support across a number of pathways, particularly those in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). 

“Too often, our young people are forced to settle for jobs that do not match their potential or passions,” said Selena Wilson, CEO of East Oakland Youth Development Center. “With this philanthropic support, we can create meaningful career pathways that not only provide economic stability but also empower our youth to pursue their dreams and contribute to the vibrant future of East Oakland.”

This multi-year funding will go towards establishing: 

  • Culturally relevant, compensated STEAM Internships:  Expand STEAM internships for youth (ages 17-26) focused on technology, arts, cultural preservation, and community health sciences. Interns will receive a $5K stipend, professional development, wraparound services, and participate in enrichment activities. 
  • Fellowships for CS Educators: Launch a Computer Science Instructional Fellowship designed for fellows to learn best practices for teaching computer science to middle school students and prepare for teaching roles.
  • Annual Employer Summit: An annual summit engaging employers across various industries to align around developing a local talent pipeline, offering panels and workshops, and securing additional culturally resonant STEAM internship opportunities. 
  • Middle School STEAM Education Pipeline Building:  Offer a Computer Science Innovate program for middle schoolers to prepare them for future internship opportunities, centered on computational thinking principles.

“Kapor Foundation’s commitment brings us one step closer to our goal of raising $50 million for the Rise East initiative,” said Melanie Moore, CEO of Oakland Thrives. “We are proud to support the collaborative efforts of the 40×40 Council – investing in housing, education and job opportunities, and neighborhood revitalization to increase access to opportunity in East Oakland. We know that when the Black community in East Oakland rises, all of Oakland rises.”

The Kapor Foundation, EOYDC, and Rise East call upon aligned members of the funding community concerned with building a more equitable technology ecosystem to join us in this collaboration. 

About Kapor Foundation

The Kapor Foundation works at the intersection of racial equity and technology by removing barriers in order to make the technology ecosystem more diverse, inclusive, and impactful for communities of color. The Kapor Foundation is a recognized leader in the movement to transform the technology ecosystem by expanding access to computer science education and tech pathways, conducting research on disparities in the technology pipeline, supporting nonprofit organizations and initiatives, and investing in gap-closing startups and entrepreneurs. For more information on the Kapor Foundation and the Kapor family of organizations, SMASH and Kapor Capital, visit www.kaporcenter.org. 

About East Oakland Youth Development Center 

East Oakland Youth Development Center is an East Oakland based non-profit whose mission is to nurture the holistic development of youth from kindergarten into adulthood so that they can live a life of prosperity, integrity, and purpose. EOYDC leads the Learn and Grow Pillar of the Rise East Initiative ensuring that youth and young adults in East Oakland have an enriching, holistic educational journey, connected with the supports, experiences, and personalized pathways needed to thrive and contribute their gifts to the world. For more information about EOYDC, visit www.eoydc.org.

About Rise East 

Rise East is a collective impact effort guided by a comprehensive 10-year plan. 

This effort grew out of a community-led vision to develop a Black Cultural Zone in East Oakland. For more than 10 years, community leaders in East Oakland have done the groundwork to bring this vision to life. The Rise East plan identifies core investable strategies that will accelerate this work over the next 10 years. Key to this place-based strategy is deep partnership and collaboration between community based organizations, community members, public and private sector institutions, along with philanthropy. For more information about Rise East, visit www.riseeast.org.