EOC Case Study









OFFERING BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM TO UPLIFT EAST OAKLAND COMMUNITY

THE CHALLENGE

How might we support EOC launch an inaugural business and entrepreneurship curriculum as part of their Resiliency Hub for vulnerable community members in East Oakland?



This case study is a part of a broader partnership with Salesforce, where Salesforce employees volunteer their time and skills to improve the operations and capacity of nonprofit organizations. 

 

One such nonprofit is the East Oakland Collective (EOC), an organization that aims to improve racial and economic equality in East Oakland.

PARTNER CONTEXT

EOC aims to improve racial and economic equality in East Oakland through programs and projects related to Civic Engagement & Leadership, Economic Empowerment, Homeless Services & Solutions, and COVID-19 relief for some of Oakland’s most vulnerable populations — Black residents and unhoused neighbors.

 

From climate change to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the world is waking up to the urgent need for local resiliency initiatives. Resilience hubs are an emergent phenomenon that have recently taken hold in Toronto, Boston, New Orleans, Oakland, and beyond as cities and community organizations are looking more closely at social infrastructure and community cohesion as a fundamental foundation of “resilience.”

 

Resilience hubs are physical spaces that act as centers for community preparedness, emergency response, and recovery in the face of social and environmental hazards. The emphasis of these spaces, and what distinguishes them, presently, from community centers and other community infrastructure, is that they are community-run and that their emphasis is specifically oriented to hazard response.

THE INNOVATION

Salesforce employees applied a variety of professional skills to build and design a training curriculum. The curriculum supports residents in developing entrepreneurial and business skills to establish independence and additional income. 

 

Throughout the engagement, volunteers:

Volunteer Recommendations & Prototypes

IMPACT

From our Partner

CEO indicated that it feels empowered by the tools and technology needed to make the recommendations provided as part of this engagement.

SALESFORCE EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK

BY THE NUMBERS…

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