Oakland Youth-Friendly Business Awards: 2013 Winners Announced

June 12, 2013 – Oakland, California – The Oakland Youth-Friendly Business Network (OYFBN) honored winners of the 2013 Oakland Youth-Friendly Business Awards (OYFBA) tonight at the Inner City Advisor’s “ALL IN 2013” event at the Fox Theater in downtown Oakland. This is the second year that the OYFBN has presented these awards to recognize businesses that offer workplace mentorship and other essential career-building opportunities to Oakland youth.
OYFBN received over 60 nominations and awarded awards to one workplace mentor and four businesses. Following are the award categories and recipients of each award.
Workplace Mentor of the Year - Francisco Gomez, Taqueria de Palma
Small Business of the Year - Cook!
Nonprofit of the Year - Urban University / Urban Furniture
Government Agency of the Year - Oakland Public Library
Big Business of the Year - Charles Schwab Bank
Winners were announced during the “ALL IN 2013” event, an annual convening of entrepreneurs hosted by Inner City Advisors.
Nona Lim, award winner and owner of Cook!, says, “I love including youth in my business because they bring a lot of energy, passion and enthusiasm to the workplace.”
“For decades, small business owners have been quietly changing the lives of Oakland's youth by building caring relationships in the context if meaningful work. It is wonderful that we are finally able to honor them publicly for their service,” says Greg Cluster, the Learning Through Internship Coordinator at Met West High School and OYFBN Board Member.
“Internships and mentorship in workplace settings launch young people’s careers and keep them in school. The businesses honored tonight are leading the way in the workplace learning movement,” says Patricia Johnson, Project Chair of OYFBN and Executive Director at Game Theory Academy.
Winners were selected based on the number and substance of nominations by a selection committee of youth from six Oakland schools and organizations. All nominees will receive a window decal to identify their workplace as a youth-friendly business, a certificate of nomination, and a place in the Oakland Youth-Friendly Business Directory.
About the Oakland Youth-Friendly Business Network
The OYFBN is a coalition of organizations and schools with a mission to promote business engagement in the lives of young adults in Oakland. Currently, the board consists of BUILD, Game Theory Academy, Inner City Advisors, Met West High School, the Jonas Family Fund, Oakland Unified School District, SPARK, Workforce Investment Board, Youth Employment Partnership, Youth Uprising, and Youth Seed. Established in 2012, the awards are presented annually by the OYFBN to honor the businesses and individuals who provided exceptional workplace mentorship and opportunities for the advancement Oakland youth.
About “ALL IN 2013”
Inner City Advisor's ALL IN 2013 is the Bay Area's most vibrant and well-attended fundraiser, convening diverse and innovative entrepreneurs, community leaders and philanthropists to help build a Bay Area economy that works for everybody. Enchanting stories, music that makes you vibrate higher, delicious food and good-spirited people are cornerstones of a great evening, and you can expect ALL IN 2013 to deliver a memorable night. In addition to the Oakland Youth-Friendly Business Awards, we will celebrate the Bay Area winners of the 2013 Fortune Magazine Inner City 100 list of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. The annual event also showcases ICA’s broader community economic development efforts to celebrate entrepreneurship, small business success, and reinvestment into local communities. ICA will present the Inner City Impact Awards to the companies and individuals that have a demonstrated track record of giving back to their community, employing inner city residents and engaging in philanthropic efforts. ICA’s ALL IN event has become a marquee engagement in the Bay Area and recognized nationally, such that in 2010, President Bill Clinton delivered a personal address extolling the work of ICA in helping entrepreneurs grow and building thriving communities.