Jaylen Brown Introduces OaklandXChange To Support Black-Owned Businesses

The Boston Celtics player has a similar program in Boston, BostonXChange

Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown has announced the latest initiative to support Black-owned businesses in the Oakland, California, community.

Copying the success of another program started by the Celtic champion, OaklandXChange was launched in California after Brown initiated a similar initiative in Boston, BostonXChange (BXC), where he has created opportunities for Black entrepreneurs on the East Coast.

According to Sports Illustrated, during NBA All-Star Weekend, Brown introduced the project at a Hall of Fame Luncheon in San Francisco. He stated that he is bringing this program to the Bay Area to expand the chances for Black-owned businesses to thrive as the ones that have done so in the Boston area.

Jaylen Brown announces a new business district and incubator program as part of his Xchange fund in a speech at a community luncheon at Oakstop in Oakland pic.twitter.com/kZwpd0HYEM

— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 14, 2025

“I’m very excited to announce that we are shedding light on what’s going on in Oakland,” Brown said. “We don’t want things to be forgotten about, me using my platform to continue to bring awareness, continue to bring light and attention to Oakland, because we know what happens when it’s forgotten about.”

Brown is doing this in collaboration with the JLH Fund. They will provide underrepresented creators in Oakland with $100,000 in grant funding while giving them access to workspaces and business services that have been valued at over $150,000. Along with that, people and businesses that participate in OaklandXChange will also benefit by being offered three years of coaching. They will also be assisted in launching projects in various fields, including design, arts, media, entertainment, fashion, and culinary arts. This will help the organization meet its goal to empower visionaries and help their businesses thrive, creating sustainable economic growth in Black communities.

This initiative is being done with the assistance of Dallas Mavericks and former NBA player Jason Kidd.

When the initiative was first announced in August 2024, it was revealed that it aimed to create $5 billion in net worth for historically marginalized communities in the Oakland area.