ESO Ventures INC

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770 Canyon Oaks Drive Oakland
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ESO provides Black and Brown communities with the confidence, competence, and capital to take their early-stage business idea to the next level through entrepreneurship.

Mission

ESO is committed to uplifting not only entrepreneurs with a fully-developed idea, but also people who are willing to grow, create, and become change agents in their community.​Based in East Oakland, we’re addressing economic, racial, and gender gaps through the work and success of the next thousands of ESO Entrepreneurs because we know entrepreneurship is the way.

Storytelling

1. With Capital provided to this entrepreneur they were able to pay down predatory debt with a high interest rate, start a business savings and sustain two full time employees.

2. The incubator offered to one returning citizen woman allowed for her to scale her business and turn her food truck into a brick and mortar food hall; co-working space for other caterers and food based businesses

Our Impact (2022)

225 individuals served

5 training programs or workshops offered

4 funding partners

Use the icons to explore our impact metrics.

Access to Capital

Providing entrepreneurs capital in order to start and/or grow their business. (i.e. direct lending or grant programs for small businesses)

Removal of Barriers

Providing support to entrepreneurs to empower them and become more educated business owners (i.e. general business support, training in accessing procurement).

  • 19 Total number of loans awarded

  • $1,500,000 Total dollar amount of loans dispersed

  • 80 Total number of grants awarded

  • $125,000 Total amout of grants dispersed

  • 50 Total number of individual (1:1) technical assistance sessions conducted

  • 200 Total number of hours spent providing technical assistance

Type of Organization

  • Business Incubator

Locations Served

  • California

Key Programs and Initiatives

  • 1:1 Coaching

Types of Offerings

  • 1 to 1 business advising
  • Accelerator
  • Advisory/Consulting Services
  • Business incubation
  • Mentoring/coaching
  • Cohort Training Programs
  • Entrepreneurial Training
  • Financing
  • Technical Assistance
  • Workshops

Program Delivery

  • Virtual

Members of the Black Community Served

  • Immigrants
  • Returning Citizens/Formerly incarcerated
  • Women

Locations of Members of the Black Community Served

  • Low to moderate income areas
  • Urban areas
  • Low-income areas

Targeted Entrepreneur Segments

  • Transportation & Logistics
  • Real Estate Rental and Leasing
  • Management
  • Administrative and Support and Waste
  • Educational Services
  • Arts
  • Accommodation & Food Services
  • Ecommerce

Business Stage

  • Scale Up : a business that already validated its product in a market and has proven sustainable.

  • Start Up : a young business that is just beginning to develop and determine a market fit.

  • Stay Up : a business that has determined its market fit, but its product/service has not been validated nor has it achieved sustainability.

Cost of Programs

  • The costs are offset by a public-private partnership with community colleges and other philanthropic sources.