Trade and Technology as Strategy for Economic Growth

Silicon Valley technology fever hit the Bay Area in the early 2000’s. Like every other Bay Area city, Oakland was hungry to enjoy the economic benefits of a growing tech and innovation ecosystem. Where to begin?

Oakland’s economy does enjoy one undeniable advantage: its central, west coast location and multi-modal transportation access. With both a seaport and airport, the City of Oakland needed a focal point to market its trade activities.

Creation of a physical Bay Area World Trade Center in Oakland became a priority of incoming Mayor Ron Dellums (2007-2011) economic platform.

Synopsis

2002 – 2011
Oakland, CA

Client: 

  • Community & Economic Development Agency (CEDA), City of Oakland, CA 

  • City of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums

Key Stakeholders:

  • Growing and relocating technology companies

  • Job seekers, Entrepreneurs & Skill Development 

  • Bay Area World Trade Center & World Trade Center Assn. (WTCA)

  • Real estate industry investors, owners & support services

  • Port of Oakland and City of Oakland

  • Entrepreneurs and Business Support Organizations

Product:

  • Business Retention, Attraction, Expansion support for technology and international trade-related companies. 

  • Co-create positive Oakland branding and media campaigns with marketing staff.

  • Drive development of Bay Area World Trade Showcase Center in Oakland, a physical showcase and international portal to Silicon Valley. This initiative was part of Mayor Dellums's economic development platform, 2007-2011.

Role:

  • International Trade and Technology Specialist

  • Advisor to Bay Area World Trade Center Board of Directors

  • Economic and Trade Development Advisor to McKinsey Group, in its role as consultant to Mayor Dellums

  • Co-Founder, InOak, later TwoPointOakland (2.Oak)

HISTORY

More than 99% of all Northern California containerized goods move through the Port of Oakland. Additionally, Oakland International Airport serves over 8 million passengers (about half the population of New York) annually, and 140.3 million pounds of air cargo (2021). The subject of building a physical, landmark World Trade Center to boost Oakland’s international trade opportunities became part of the Honorable Ronald Dellums’ 2005 mayoral campaign. 

Simultaneously, Silicon Valley tech fever had finally reached the City of Oakland. However, Oakland lacked the broadband infrastructure to grow internet access throughout the city. The alliance of Economic Development, IT, Public Safety, and other staff prepared the City to apply for grant funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to build a physical city-wide fiber-optic network.

Acosta’s work brought the two economic growth goals together:

  • creation of an Oakland-based technology and innovation ecosystem designed to attract, retain and expand business opportunities and investment'; and

  • development of a physical World Trade Showcase Center – a physical and virtual showplace for Bay Area arts, innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship for export to the world

The success of Acosta’s targeted technology economic development efforts are reaping results: today, Oakland is home to growing tech-based companies like Pandora Internet Radio, Mosaic, Marqeta, VSCO, Comfy (Siemens), Integral.

Outcomes:

Technology

Significant success with business expansion, attraction, and retention, creating an economic development pivot toward technology sector support. 

  • Development of PPP (public private partnerships) to rebrand Oakland as destination for tech and innovation companies. Initiative launched as InOak, then rebranded as TwoPointOakland. 

  • Alignment of Economic Development Strategy with I.T. Dept. to pursue 2010 grant & partnership opportunities 1) ARRA infrastructure grants; 2) partnership with Google to build fiber optic infrastructure.

  • Biggest personal disappointment: ARRA grants and Google partnerships went to cities other than Oakland. 

  • Development of Best Practices Highlight Wireless Broadband Feasibility Study for the City of Oakland (2010): provides a roadmap for Oakland that focuses on developing point-to-point wireless internet connection systems rather than built-in fiber due to Oakland’s size and its basic connectivity needs. 

  • Oakland finally adopts a Fiber Optic Network Master Plan in 2015. 

Trade

Technology:

BEAR: Business Expansion, Attraction, Retention

Advise and guide City management and elected officials regarding City economic development best practices and broadband infrastructure investment priorities. Specific areas of responsibility included:

  • Technology (industry & infrastructure trends)

  • Workforce Development

  • Inter-Department collaboration and project development

  • Entrepreneurship Development / Economic Gardening

Serve as principal City facilitator for Business Expansion, Attraction and Retention cases, including real estate investment, across all Oakland office space. 

TECH & INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

  • Develop relationships with key businesses, real estate industry, technology, and infrastructure experts, enabling development of tech and innovation ecosystem and inter-agency collaboration.

  • Co-Founder of InOak, later TwoPointOakland (2.Oak).

  • Co-led development and production of the original 2011 and 2012 Oakland Tech & Innovation Awards sponsored by 2.Oak. https://news.theregistrysf.com/2-oakland-announces-2012-tech-innovator-award-winners/

PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Rebranding Oakland as a great place to do business in tech required a unique collaboration. The result? InOak, later rebranded TwoPointOakland (2.Oak), was created through a unique partnership designed to rebrand Oakland as a thriving tech and innovation community. Co-development partners included:

Trade:

BAY AREA WORLD TRADE CENTER

  • Served as principal City facilitator for international economic development driven activity for Oakland. Primary activity focused on developing a physical WTC site in the City of Oakland, supporting incoming Mayor Ronald Dellum’s economic development priorities.

  • Development activities included meetings with the World Trade Center Assn. in New York (grateful for your kind guidance, Bob DiChiara!), and potential public partners in China, including Kunshan, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dalian.

  • Advisor to the Logistics & International Trade cohort as part of the “Oakland Partnership” (2006-2008). This was one of several cohorts developed under the leadership of Mayor Dellums and Oakland Chamber of Commerce, guided by the McKinsey Group, focused on developing collaborative strategies to grow Oakland’s economy and workforce readiness.

  • Prepared and presented the development proposal to build a Bay Area World Trade Center at the shuttered Kaiser Auditorium by Lake Merritt. The City Council approved a competing proposal to build a library, unfunded, at this location. The library was never built.

GALLERY

“The very foundation of our nation’s economy is predicated on the health, growth, and vitality of our local communities.... Economics should not drive you out of the community.”

- The Honorable Ronald V. Dellums, U.S. Congressperson (1971-1999) 


Want to learn more about this case study?