(Photos by Mike Aldax) Wesley Alexander, CEO of CoBiz Richmond giving a tour of the new 9,000 square foot working space and business incubator.

It's taken many years and much work, but RCF Connects (Richmond Community Foundation) is happy to announce that Contra Costa's new 9,000 square foot co-working and business incubator will have its grand opening on November 6, 2019 at 5:00PM!

CoBiz Richmond is a hyper-modern business center providing cutting-edge technologies and collaborative spaces designed to support small businesses, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and freelance innovators and creators...the lifeblood of what makes the Bay Area so great.

With Richmond, California becoming a base for start-up entrepreneurs, CoBiz's entire mission is to encourage small business development, create pathways to economic self-sufficiency and bring vibrancy to our community. Located adjacent to Richmond BART Station, Amtrack Richmond Station and just a few blocks from the new Richmond to San Francisco Ferry service, it is ideal for remote workers and casual commuters. CoBiz is doing its part to fighting traffic congestion on the I-80 corridor by allowing Contra Costa and North Bay residents an option to work closer to home while providing convenient commute options to attend meetings in San Francisco, Oakland or Silicon Valley.

Of special note - CoBiz Richmond will also directly address the unique challenges faced by women and minority-owned businesses.  There are speaker's series, business pitch competitions, hacking events and business mixers already scheduled for the near future. 

CoBiz Richmond operates in partnership with RCF Connects (formerly Richmond Community Foundation), Richmond Main Street, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, and Richmond Chamber of Commerce.

This project received initial seed funding from the Chevron Richmond Refinery’s eQuip Richmond initiative, a multi-year $10 million investment funding social capital and wealth building strategies that transform the quality of life and economic self-sufficiency across Richmond communities.

Visit CoBiz Richmond's website http://cobizrichmond.com for more information.

Our first meeting is Thursday, October 31, 2019 from around 9:00AM to 11:00AM at RYSE Center, 205 41st Street @ MacDonald in Richmond, California. Future meetings will be held across the county.

Kelly Robinson will serve in the role of facilitator. Kelly will help co-create space to recognize and appreciate community strengths and bring into focus the work that the group wants to do around race and equity.

Many of the nonprofit organizations, government representatives, and community groups that we invited have confirmed. Community members are an essential presence and are strongly encouraged to attend. In gratitude, a small stipend is available to help reduce transportation costs. Target gift cards of $30 will be available at the meeting.

Please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested.

 We plan to host gatherings at different locations across Contra Costa County, and future meetings can be held at different times that work for the group.

Please consider joining us to get to know one another and create a vision for how to have important conversations around race and equity.

Light Breakfast

Wheelchair Accessible Space

For Spanish interpretation, RSVP by October 28th

Please RSVP and share dietary restrictions or other access needs with Joni at 510-234-1200 x 314 or  jpodschun@richmondcf.org.

RCF Connects is honored to be supporting this work in the community with all of you, and especially grateful for the input and leadership of Bay Point Partnership, Safe Return Project, Healthy Richmond, Ensuring Opportunity Campaign to End Poverty and many others, in early visioning and planning.

Learn more about these series of events by contacting Joni Podschun, Director of Community Engagement & Collaboration JPodschun@richmondcf.org or call 510-234-1200 x 314

Scholarship Opportunities: We are pleased to offer a discounted tuition of $500 (just $55 per day) for Contra Costa-based residents and stakeholders. Tuition for participants from other Bay Area counties is the regular rate of $1,075. Tuition includes breakfast, lunch, and materials for each day of the program.

A limited number of scholarships are available. Please contact Khammany Mathavongsy to inquire about scholarship opportunities.

Richmond Housing Renovation Program is doing the impossible.  The program is truly impacting the Richmond, CA community by taking blighted, abandoned properties across the City of Richmond and turning them into sparkling, beautiful homes HGTV-style. But, what's even more impossible is that the program is offering these properties to first-time homebuyers who had almost lost all hope of ever owning their own home in today's unaffordable Bay Area real estate market.

In the last four years, the Richmond Housing Renovation Program has impacted twenty-two properties in the Richmond, California community.  This year, RHRP completed (either renovated or rebuilt) and sold ten properties offering them to first-time homeowners who previously found it challenging to own in this current inflated real estate market. 

But our most important work is taking five properties through the probate process, houses that sat abandoned for years within the probate system, and freeing them to be purchased, refurbished, loved and used for their intended purpose . . . homes for people in the community.

Some of the highlights for the Richmond Housing Renovation Program for 2019:

Our most recent house sold is at 621 5th Street sold to a young first-time homebuyer.  He is excited to now be a homeowner in the neighborhood he grew up in.  On that same street, we also are renovating 671 5th Street.  It's a neighborhood we are proud to help restore as historically we know that this is the street that Baseball legend Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green grew up on.

The house on 355 South 15th street (pictured above) is finished but has not sold yet. It is a charming 2 bedroom, 1 bath that we acquired through the probate process and is currently available for the next first-time homebuyer ready to be a homeowner. When this property sells, Richmond Housing Renovation Program will have a press event to present the keys to the new homeowners. The regional director of the EPA will be one of our speakers at the event as this is the first one that we completed with EPA brownfield funds.

We are currently refurbishing 2111 Grant Avenue.  Construction is on track for this property and when completed it will be a 4-bedroom 2.5 bath home with an attached garage, perfect for a large, growing family.

Construction is on track for 801 Cutting Blvd.  This property is special because it is the first multi-family home we are offering.  The two-unit home, both with 3-bedrooms and 2-baths will allow a first-time homebuyer an opportunity to live in one of the units and rent the other unit to help pay the mortgage. 

We have completed our permitting on 406 B. Street and met with City Hall on Monday, October 21 to pull the permits for construction.  Our Title 24 documentation, the last step, was approved. 

Currently, six properties are being renovated/built and will be offered to individuals that have completed our first-time homeowner's training.  To be eligible to purchase one of our renovated homes in the future, ask about the First-Time Homebuying Workshops at SparkPoint Contra Costa (510) 779-3200 or The Neighborhood Housing Services of the East Bay (510) 237-6459.

We were honored to receive recognition of our work and its contribution to not only the City of Richmond but to Contra Costa County as a whole.   Our housing program received recognition from Sustainable Contra Costa at their 11th Annual Awards Gala on Tuesday, September 17, 2019.  Sustainable Contra Costa celebrates local individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions and commitment to a healthy environment, economy, and society - so that Contra Costa remains a wonderful place for generations to come. Richmond Housing Renovation Program received recognition from both the County of Contra Costa and the California State Assembly.

Learn more about Richmond Housing Renovation Program from James Becker, CEO JBecker @richmondcf.org or call 510-234-1200 x 303

To learn more about our End of Year Campaign, please contact Stacey Street, Chief Operations Officer at SStreet@RichmondCF.org or call 510-234-1200 x 302