JPMorgan Chase Expands The Fellowship Initiative to Oakland 

JPMorgan Chase is bringing The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) to Oakland, extending intensive academic support, college and career readiness, and mentoring to local young men of color to help expand economic opportunity.

Black and Latinx young men face significant barriers to education and employment opportunity, resulting in limited economic mobility. Through this initiative, 40 high school students (Fellows) in Oakland will be paired with a mentor at JPMorgan Chase. Mentors will help the Fellows successfully complete high school by engaging them in academic and project-based learning activities, college and career planning and leadership development opportunities, all with the goal of preparing them for postsecondary pathways. 

“Career and economic opportunities aren’t as readily accessible for everyone and The Fellowship Initiative is critical to helping break down barriers and engage young men of color from low-income communities in taking charge of their futures,” said Miles Warren III, Vice President for Global Philanthropy and Regional Director for TFI West Coast. “This is an opportunity to equip these bright young leaders with the tools and guidance they need to help them succeed long after college.” 

JPMorgan Chase is collaborating with Kingmakers of Oakland, an independent non-profit that supports school districts across the country, to help young men of color succeed by:

• Improving their ability to succeed (knowledge, skills, resources) in high school and college
• Supporting them to explore careers, prepare for the future of work and access postsecondary opportunities
• Cultivating their curiosity, self-discovery, voice, personal agency, civic engagement and leadership through mentoring, professional development and expanded social networks.

“Kingmakers of Oakland is proud to partner with JPMorgan Chase to invest in and support Black and Brown kings in our city. In a moment when we are acknowledging the differential opportunities provided to young people based on their race or zip code, this work with JPMorgan Chase represents an innovative investment approach. An approach that will integrate time, talent and treasure,” said Chris Chatmon, Executive Director at Kingmakers of Oakland. “We’re building deep mutually respectful relationships, providing intimate insight into banking and finance professions and the skills and pathways it takes to achieve them, as well as making commitments to their financial security. We are excited about this initiative and its potential to catalyze positive change in the lives of our kings, their families and communities.”

“These young adults are our future,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “So we’re excited to see JPMorgan Chase invest in them with The Fellowship Initiative that will provide them with college and career readiness tools and mentorship opportunities.”

This initiative is part of JPMorgan Chase’s $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity and invest in career readiness for the next generation of leaders through its New Skills programs. Harnessing the firm’s expertise in business, policy, data and philanthropy, this investment will help provide economic opportunity to underserved communities, especially the Black and Latinx communities.

To celebrate this launch and as a continuation of Black History Month activations, on February 25^th:

• 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PST: JPMorgan Chase will host a virtual panel celebrating TFI’s launch with the Oakland community. Speakers include Kingmakers of Oakland’s Chris Chatmon; Golden State Warriors’ David Kelly, Chief Legal Officer for Business & Basketball; and JPMorgan Chase’s Miles Warren, Debra Langford, Executive Director for Advancing Black Pathways, Melinda Hightower, Executive Director for the Private Bank, and Malgy Blue, Managing Director for Consumer & Community Banking. Click here to RSVP.
• JPMorgan Chase, in partnership with the Golden State Warriors, will work with Kingmakers of Oakland to deliver 2,000 meals from an Oakland-based restaurant to Black and Brown communities in need. This is part of Home Court Assist, a six-month food insecurity program delivering 12,000 meals in total to Bay Area communities from Chase business banking client restaurants.

About The Fellowship Initiative

Founded by JPMorgan Chase in 2010, TFI is a national college and career success program across six U.S. cities, providing comprehensive and hands-on academic, social and emotional support to young men of color in high school from low-income communities. Over the past decade, TFI has matched more than 350 high school Fellows with JPMorgan Chase employees, who serve as mentors for about three years to provide coaching, academic support and leadership development. The program has driven 100 percent admission to college among graduating Fellows.

JPMorgan Chase recently celebrated TFI’s 10^th anniversary with a renewed commitment to improving economic and social outcomes for young men of color from low-income communities. Over the next ten years, TFI is tripling the number of young people it serves to more than 1,000 across several U.S. cities, including Oakland, building on the firm’s commitment to preparing youth for the future of work through its New Skills programs.

"Mentors see the challenges these young men are facing. It's a learning opportunity, and our bankers have gotten an up-close chance to see what young people of color are facing," said Malcolm Johnson, senior banker, Community Development Banking. “There will be even more opportunities for students and our teammates to learn and contribute to the next generation of leaders."

"Being under his wing has been so valuable,” shares Ramon Rachal, TFI 2020 Fellow, referring to his mentor Malcolm Johnson. “He's the same person at work as he is at home. No matter where he is, he shows the same integrity and leadership."

Investing in Oakland

JPMorgan Chase committed $75 million over five years to create economic opportunity for more people and help tackle housing affordability and displacement in the Bay Area as part of the firm’s AdvancingCities initiative.

Through JPMorgan Chase’s ongoing commitment to prepare young people for postsecondary pathways, the firm continues to work with key industry players committed to supporting students in low-moderate income communities, by providing $1 million to Oakland Promise in 2019 to establish financial coaching at student Future Centers. The firm has also donated funds to SEO Scholars and Oakland Promise through the Warriors Community Fund in celebration of JPMorgan Chase’s Corporate Challenge Virtual in San Francisco.

Over the next several years, JPMorgan Chase will continue to work with local partners and direct its Bay Area investments to support four key drivers of inclusive growth: equipping workers with critical job skills, providing capital and expertise that women and minority entrepreneurs need to grow their businesses, investing in new housing models and locally-driven solutions to promoting thriving neighborhoods, and helping families build strong financial futures.

More information about JPMorgan Chase’s investments in the Bay Area can be found here.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.4 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

Media Contact:       

Christina Dello Buono, 201.747.7747, christina.dellobuono@chase.com