What Oakstop does

Oakstop is a Black-owned, for-profit social enterprise founded in Oakland, California by Trevor Parham, operating four coworking, meeting, and event venues in the Downtown Oakland corridor (1721 Broadway, 2323 Broadway, 1740 Telegraph Ave, and 1736 Franklin St with the California Ballroom). The company provides a tiered workspace product ranging from $15 day passes to $2,000+/month private offices, plus 17 meeting and event rooms priced from $30–$300/hr, mail service, and rotating art exhibitions. Underlying technology is entirely third-party SaaS: Cobot for membership management, TripleSeat for event booking, Exhibbit for the 2021-launched Shape of Blackness virtual exhibition, Eventbrite for ticketing, and Givebutter for donations. There is no proprietary platform; the company's differentiation is real estate curation, cultural programming, and community integration rather than technology.

Oakstop monetizes through a mix of recurring subscriptions (coworking memberships, dedicated desks, private offices, mail service) and transactional revenue (meeting room and event space rentals, day passes). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the company website and walk-in traffic, supplemented by community-led growth through The Oakstop Effect, a three-pillar program encompassing Workforce Development (cohorts of 20, $25+/hr wages, 36-month stock ownership pathway), Entrepreneur Ecosystems (peer support for Black and BIPOC small business owners), and Creative Economy (gallery programming supporting 50+ local artists). Partnerships with the City of Oakland, the Oakland Black Business Fund (co-founded by Parham), and the Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity anchor the mission-driven positioning. Customer segments span individual freelancers and remote workers, BIPOC entrepreneurs and artists, workforce development participants (including returning citizens and former foster youth), and corporate/social event organizers, with no large enterprise anchors reported.

Name

Oakstop

Legal name

Oakstop

Website

https://oakstop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Oakstop is a Black-owned social enterprise operating four coworking, meeting, and event venues in Downtown Oakland. It serves freelancers, BIPOC entrepreneurs, artists, and event organizers, combining commercial workspace with workforce development, entrepreneur support, and creative economy programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coworking and Event Space Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers (THAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Coworking space services
• Event venue rentals
• Private office leasing
• Shared workspace memberships
• Art gallery exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Coworking Memberships: Monthly subscription memberships for open coworking, dedicated desks, and private offices. Plans range from $50/month for basic 2-day/week access to $800+/month for private offices with 24/7 access, mail service, and meeting room hours included.
2. Day Passes: Single-day access passes for drop-in coworking at $15/day, allowing access to common spaces, wifi, printing, coffee, and tea.
3. Meeting Room Rentals: Hourly rentals of meeting rooms ranging from $30-100/hr depending on room size and amenities. Includes various spaces from small conference rooms to larger meeting suites.
4. Event Space Rentals: Hourly and booking-based rentals for event spaces including galleries, ballrooms, and the Broadway Event Hall. Rates range from $125-300/hr for various venues.
5. Mail Service: Monthly subscription mail service for receiving business or personal mail at Oakstop locations. Plans range from $20-30/month depending on contract length (12-month to 3-month cycles).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Oakstop operates four coworking, meeting, and event space locations in Downtown Oakland, providing day passes, open coworking memberships, dedicated desks, private offices, mail services, and a portfolio of 17+ meeting and event venues. The company layers a community impact platform, The Oakstop Effect, delivering workforce development, entrepreneur ecosystem support, and a creative economy program focused on Black and BIPOC communities. Oakstop also runs rotating art exhibitions and virtual gallery experiences across its venues.

Product overview

Oakstop is a social enterprise providing workspace, meeting/event space, and creative/gallery space to entrepreneurs and communities of color in Oakland, CA. The offering consists of a unified coworking and event space platform with multiple integrated services: (1) Workspace services including Day Passes, Open Coworking memberships, Dedicated Desks, and Private Offices; (2) Meeting and Event Spaces available for hourly rental including various-sized meeting rooms and large event halls; (3) Add-on services including Mail Service and complimentary Coffee & Tea; and (4) The Oakstop Effect community programs encompassing Workforce Development, Entrepreneur Ecosystems, and Creative Economy initiatives. The company operates four locations in Downtown Oakland (1721 Broadway, 2323 Broadway, 1740 Telegraph Ave, and 1736 Franklin St) offering both in-person physical spaces and virtual offerings such as The Shape of Blackness exhibition on the Exhibbit platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oakstop Effect: A place-based ecosystem program focusing on workforce development, entrepreneur ecosystems, and creative economy to increase economic mobility for communities of color.
• Oakland Black Business Fund
• California Ballroom

Products and services

• Day Passes Drop-in day passes providing single-day access to Oakstop's coworking areas including WiFi, printing, coffee, and tea, available between 8am-8pm. For individuals and freelancers who want to try the space before joining.
• Open Coworking Memberships Monthly subscription memberships providing access to common areas with flexible plans ranging from 2 days/week at $50/mo to 24/7 access at $175/mo. Includes WiFi, printing, coffee, and tea. For freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs.
• Dedicated Desks Assigned workstation with lockable file cabinet and highback task chair, including 4–12 meeting room hours per month. Plans range from $250/mo (5 days/week) to $400/mo (24/7 access). For professionals needing an established workspace.
• Private Offices Furnished private office spaces with 24/7 access, mail service, desks and chairs, and 12 included monthly meeting room hours. Rates from $800+/mo (Small) to $2,000+/mo (Large). For teams and small businesses needing a traditional office environment.
• Mail Service Monthly mailing address and package receiving service for members and non-members. Mail is signed for, notification sent, and items stored in dedicated slots. Plans range from $20/mo (12-month) to $30/mo (3-month). For businesses and individuals needing a virtual office or mailing address.
• Meeting Room Rentals Hourly rentals of 9+ meeting rooms ranging from 200 sq ft ($30/hr Parker Suite) to 1,000 sq ft ($100/hr California Meeting Lounge), with capacities for 4-30 seated guests. Includes Smart TVs, whiteboards, and modular tables. For businesses, teams, and professionals hosting meetings, workshops, or video production.
• Event Space Rentals Hourly and booking-based rentals of 8+ large event venues from 1,000 sq ft ($125/hr Telegraph Gallery Suite) to 5,000 sq ft ($300/hr California Ballroom), accommodating up to 600 standing. Includes stages, kitchens, A/V packages, and roofdeck options. For corporate events, weddings, conferences, concerts, and community gatherings.
• Art Exhibitions and Gallery Space Rotating art exhibitions showcasing emerging artists with social and cultural messages across multiple gallery spaces. All artwork is for sale. For artists seeking exhibition opportunities and collectors interested in BIPOC art.
• Workforce Development Program (The Oakstop Effect) Culturally relevant workforce development program for Black working-age adults (18-64), including returning citizens and former foster youth. Provides living wages ($25+/hr starting, pathway to $50+/hr), job skills training, career coaching, and partial stock ownership eligibility after 36 months. Cohorts of 20 employees. For job seekers from underserved communities.
• Entrepreneur Ecosystems Program (The Oakstop Effect) Program providing entrepreneurs of color with tailored support networks and peer-to-peer business services through Oakstop's place-based ecosystem in Downtown Oakland. Includes physical workspace access, community connection, and access to capital via the Oakland Black Business Fund. For small businesses operating for at least one year.
• Creative Economy Program (The Oakstop Effect) Arts programming preserving Oakland's local culture by producing exhibitions and providing professional development for 50+ local artists, arts organizations, and movements. Services support monetization and sustainability of cultural practices. For BIPOC artists seeking professional development and exhibition opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants earn $25+/hr starting wage with pathway to $50+/hr
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of OaklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakstop partnered with the City of Oakland to host Mayor Barbara Lee's Economic Development convening, bringing business owners, community leaders, and artists together to shape an inclusive, creative, and community-rooted economic strategy for Oakland.
• Atlantic Fellows for Racial EquitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Shape of Blackness exhibition was supported by a grant from the Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity, a program exploring intersection of African culture with technology and contemporary Blackness.
• Moses Coffee HouseminorOthersLocal coffee vendor providing coffee service for Oakstop coworking spaces and events.
• Sip to Live Herbal TeaminorOthersLocal herbal tea vendor providing tea service for Oakstop coworking spaces and events.
• Oakland Black Business FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakstop co-founded the Oakland Black Business Fund, a Black-led grantmaking program providing capital, technical assistance, and growth strategy to Black businesses in Oakland, California.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Spaces (IWG): International flexible workspace brand under IWG (parent of Regus) offering coworking, offices, and meeting rooms globally. Overlaps with Oakstop's flexible workspace and meeting room offerings as part of a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Peerspace: Online marketplace for hourly rentals of unique event and meeting spaces. Overlaps with Oakstop's event space rental business (broadway Event Hall, California Ballroom, gallery suites) but operates as a marketplace rather than direct operator.
• Novel Coworking: Affordable coworking operator acquiring and operating underutilized office buildings in second-tier US cities. Comparable in operating multiple coworking locations with private offices, dedicated desks, and shared workspace, though without Oakstop's mission-driven and event-space focus.
• Galvanize: Coworking and education hybrid serving tech professionals and entrepreneurs with workspace, coding bootcamps, and event programming. Comparable to Oakstop in combining workspace with entrepreneur-focused programming and event hosting.

Direct peers

• WeWork: The largest global coworking and flexible office operator, offering coworking memberships, dedicated desks, private offices, and event space. Operates the same core product categories as Oakstop but at significantly greater scale.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused coworking and innovation spaces serving social entrepreneurs and mission-driven organizations. Closely comparable to Oakstop's social enterprise model combining workspace with entrepreneur support programming.
• The Wing: Mission-driven coworking and community space focused on women and underrepresented professionals. Comparable to Oakstop in combining workspace with community programming and a values-driven brand, though oriented toward a different demographic.
• Workbar: Regional coworking operator with multiple locations, offering coworking memberships, dedicated desks, private offices, and meeting room rentals. Operates a similar product mix to Oakstop with comparable community-oriented positioning.
• Convene: Premium operator of coworking, meeting, and event spaces with a hospitality-driven model. Closely comparable to Oakstop in combining flexible workspace with high-end event venues (ballrooms, meeting suites), and serving corporate and social event organizers alongside member tenants.
• Industrious: National coworking and flexible office operator offering private offices, meeting rooms, and event spaces with a hospitality-oriented experience. Directly comparable to Oakstop's mix of dedicated desks, private offices, and meeting/event room rentals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oakstop_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC33b2wqGcXHZuyMLiWw2Szw
• Facebookfacebook.com/oakstop
• Instagraminstagram.com/oakstop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oakstop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oakstop