Techbridge is proud to call the vibrant and growing city of Oakland our home. Sandwiched between the Coliseum and the airport, East Oakland and the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional shoreline, we have a sense of place here at Techbridge. With nine of our schools based in Oakland where we run our after-school programs, we have an authentic attachment and belonging to the community we serve.
Living and working in Oakland, I feel very lucky to be a part of such a diverse and beautiful city. Growing up in the Bay Area, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to so many different cultures and ways of life. From attending the Dia de los Muertos festival in the Fruitvale District to strolling down Broadway for Art Murmur, I have experienced and learned so much from the people and communities of Oakland. Working for Techbridge has given me an opportunity to give back to communities that have given me so much.
As I drive to work in the morning, I drive through East Oakland, where some of our after-school programs are located, pass by the Coliseum and Oracle Arena – the homes of the Oakland A’s, Raiders and Golden State Warriors, and arrive at the Techbridge office right by the Oakland Airport. During my lunch breaks, I sometimes take a walk down to the MLK Shoreline on the San Leandro Bay and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. At the end of my work day with Techbridge, I drive down the shoreline a couple miles to Tidewater Boating Center to coach middle and high school girls’ rowing with Oakland Strokes, another nonprofit that serves the Oakland community.
Oakland is a city of many great opportunities as well as great challenges. In recent years, Oakland has been making great strides in creating a more vibrant and engaging city culture, but as with any large city it is also a place where systemic social issues have been hard to change. Techbridge hopes that as Oakland continues to grow as a city, our work through our outreach and after-school programs will help make a difference in some of the underserved communities of Oakland.