Thanks to the many dedicated volunteer work of high school students from Oakland (Tech Health Academy, Tech Key club, College Track, Oakland High, Skyline, Farwest) and even Lafayette (Acalanes High) and San Jose (Lynbrook and Newark High), the event was a success. And of course a big shot out to the big sponsors that made it happen (The City of Oakland, Whole Foods Market, Geico, Sports Basement, Oakland Raiders, Waste Management, Alameda County Medical Center, East Bay Front Runners & Walkers, Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders, and Lones+Wright Gis and Mapping, Avanti, East Bay Express, American Medical Response, KGO, Flyscooters, 96.5 Koit, CIM, Kaiser, See Jane Run, GreenLayer, Miller, Fox 2, Clif Bar, TV 36, Powerade, a Corrigan Sports Event, Sunshine Rafting).

A white-collar business executive, a blue-collar auto mechanic, and a green-collar wind turbine technician—the new green economy is changing everything. Enter the green-collar work force. As the United States bids farewell to the carbon-based economy and welcomes the new green economy, the possibilities for America’s economic future seem endless. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California sees the emerging new green economy as an opportunity to help end poverty in America.

CalCEF is a $30 million nonprofit venture capital fund formed in 2004 to accelerate the development of promising early-stage clean energy technologies. The Fund arises from the California electricity crisis and the ensuing bankruptcy settlement negotiated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). CalCEF dedicates its capital to entrepreneurs that are developing technology or products that could benefit the region, the state of California, and the clean energy transition broadly. To date, CalCEF has operated as a fund-of-funds in partnership with private investors, leveraging its funds in a broad pool of investable capital.