Social Equity Technical Assistance Program
An OU education will help your business thrive. You will benefit from a strong education that prepares you to compete with a grant from the City of Oakland’s cannabis equity program.
Oaksterdam University Certifications are recognized and trusted worldwide, providing students with multiple career paths and networking opportunities. Oaksterdam alumni will find themselves prepared to mitigate risks, become self-directed, and be better able to leverage the opportunities presented by the City of Oakland’s cannabis equity program.
These programs are suitable for legacy operators to ensure regulatory compliance and industry best practices and are vital if you are planning to enter the cannabis industry.
Oaksterdam now offers one-on-one expert coaching, which is professional consulting sponsored by the City of Oakland to help you through tough situations, develop strategic plans, and build your best team.
- Exploratory: Define your business model.
- Planning: Help creating your business plan.
- Operational: You are open or operating.
If you are a verified equity applicant, check your inbox (and spam folder) for instructions, or email [email protected] to sign up or get more information. Read more here about the technical assistance 1:1 coaches.
Step 1
Fill out the Oakland Equity Status Verification Form on this page to get verified for free Oaksterdam University programs, and gain access to the GRASS Electives.
Step 2
Register below for a free programs created specifically for Oakland Equity Verified Applicants. Complete one of these GRASS Electives to qualify for grants or loans from the City of Oakland.
How do I become a VERIFIED EQUITY APPLICANT (VEA)?
Verified Equity Applicants are individuals who have applied for a cannabis permit in the City of Oakland and have been verified by the City Administrator’s office as Qualified Equity Applicants. The permit does not have to be issued for an applicant to apply for technical assistance (TA). Gaining Resources to Achieve Sustainable Success (GRASS) webinars are available to all Oakland-Verified Equity Applicants (VEAs)
How do I begin the Oakland application process?
If you are not yet a VEA with the City of Oakland, click here to become an Equity Applicant or Incubator.
To qualify for grants, you must have begun the loan/grant underwriting process with Elevate Impact.
How do I begin the loan/grant underwriting process?
*** If you are a VEA but have not yet applied for grant money, please submit your Equity Grant Application with Elevate Impact Oakland to become a Verified Equity Grant Approved Applicant, eligible for free Oaksterdam University Programs.
How Do I Receive Any Loan or Grant from the City of Oakland - New Educational Elective Requirement?
Each time that an Oakland Verified Equity Applicant (“VEA”) applies for a new or follow-on Equity Grant or Loan, the VEA will be required to take an Oaksterdam elective course or webinar and pass a quiz to show completion. The GRASS Elective or Webinar is offered free to the VEA and allows you to pinpoint areas of interest or drill down to fill particular knowledge gaps. Electives are self-paced courses that you can complete anytime at your convenience, including recorded Webinars.
How Do I Take an Oaksterdam Certification Program for Free?
Oaksterdam Certification Programs are free for Oakland Verified Equity Grant Approved Applicants. To get verified as an Equity Applicant with the city of Oakland and enroll in programs with Oaksterdam University, please fill out this form.
OU Certification Programs are built and taught by some of the industry’s most experienced and respected cultivators, business owners, and advocates. Recognized industry-wide for our trailblazing academic environment, OU continues to set the standard for cannabis training. This curriculum is designed to give you the most extensive education available for the cannabis industry.
Course Types:
We have different certification courses to accommodate work and personal schedules and individual learning preferences.
- Self-Paced: Get certified by studying where and when you want. The curriculum includes text, videos, and a library of resources.
- 1:1 Coaching: Get personal coaching over zoom or phone from our experts who will help you navigate your business concerns and help you identify strategy and resources.
An Oaksterdam education will help your business thrive, and you can benefit from strong training that prepares you to mitigate risk and be competitive. Oaksterdam University Certifications are recognized and trusted worldwide, providing you with multiple career paths and networking opportunities. Oaksterdam alumni are prepared to become self-directed, and better able to leverage the opportunities presented by the City of Oakland Cannabis Race and Equity Program. These programs are suitable for legacy operators to ensure regulatory compliance and industry best practices. This knowledge is vital if you are planning to enter the cannabis industry. Thanks to the contribution of the City of Oakland for making this project possible.
GRASS Webinars
Finance for Cannabis Businesses
Finance for Cannabis Businesses defines what finance is and discusses why cannabis finance is so different. The two major funding sources – debt and equity – are presented, including their major differences. The presenter also identifies a few different sources for each. Financial metrics are explored, and their vital role in understanding a company’s financial health is spotlighted. Tips for controlling finances and free and low-cost options for learning more about finance are provided.
Subject Matter Expert: Andrea Unsworth
Cannabis Industry Supply Chain
This webinar overviews the ecosystem of firms that make up the cannabis supply chain, from cultivation and manufacturing to distribution and retail. After identifying the different types of licensed businesses and defining their business models, the subject matter expert will highlight how regulations affect businesses in the supply chain. This introductory course will uncover why and how the movement of cannabis is recorded in the California “Track and Trace” system.
Subject Matter Expert: Natalie Darves, MBA
Transitioning to an Annual License ⋅.
The role of provisional licenses and how they differ from annual licenses is explored, along with the compliance requirements that must be met to receive an annual license. Application fees and state and local equity fee waivers will be presented, spotlighting the rules and regulations that guide equity-specific provisional licensing. The function of renewals with annual licensure will be examined in addition to the specific needs, by license type, required to transition from provisional to annual licensure.
Subject Matter Expert: Lauren Vazquez, JD
Advanced Security
- Identify the most common risks and liabilities associated with serious security incidents, such as burglaries and robberies.
- Evaluate the costs and benefits of additional security measures, such as upgraded video surveillance systems and additional guards.
- Explore the pros and cons of having armed guards on-site at a licensed cannabis business.
- Recognize the exclusions and policy requirements that often prevent cannabis operators from filing a successful insurance claim after a security incident.
- Understand the importance of negotiating vendor contracts.
Subject Matter Expert: Chris Eggers, Private Security Consultant
Talk to an Advisor
Questions? Not sure about something? We’re here to help.
[email protected]
Learn More about your Technical Assistance Providers
Oaksterdam University’s faculty comprises more than 150 professionals, entrepreneurs, academics, and subject-matter experts who have educated more than 80,000 alumni from over 100 countries. The OU team’s qualifications, experience, and dedication encompass professional and ethical industry leaders from all fields of expertise.
- Shared Ethical Approach to the servicing of the cannabis industry. Oaksterdam only selects businesses and trade organizations for collaboration with the shared core competency to educate on the science of the plant, promote regulatory compliance, and support and uplift equity and legacy operators within the cannabis space.
- Diversity within the company leadership and staff ensures that Oaksterdam reflects the full diversity of the community. Oaksterdam prioritizes working with small businesses in local communities.
- Demonstrated Expertise and capacity to serve. Oaksterdam has unparalleled global trust.
OU consistently searches for diverse and experienced subcontractors in the compliant cannabis sector. Oaksterdam works with subcontractors considered exceptional in their area of expertise and endeavors. We prioritize selecting subcontractors who are local or have completed previous projects with us to develop and deploy an effective strategy to satisfy the needs of participants.
Oakland Social Equity Logistical Support Services
Technical Assistance Services Available
Local Coaches will be providing direct Logistical Support to the Equity Applicant operators in collaboration with Oakland Equity Collective, Tulip & Oak, and other vetted subject matter experts.
Please fill out the Needs Assessment Survey to begin these services.
Oakland Equity Collective, founded by Adolph Ward, works in collaboration with The City of Oakland to help social equity cannabis brand emerge and evolve by providing production time in manufacturing space, white label service, distribution and sales channels and experienced industry advisors.
Tulip & Oak was founded by Andrea Unsworth, who has been directly involved in the California Cannabis Social Equity scene since its inception in 2016. She has continued to focus on projects that positively effect those negatively effected by the war on drugs. Tulip & Oak partners with Oaksterdam University to provide coaching available to Oakland Social Equity operators.