The Downtown Stockton Alliance (DSA) has received a
$25,000 grant from Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Economic Vitality Grant Program.
The Downtown Alliance is one of ten non-profits in Northern and Central California that are receiving
grants which are to support efforts in stimulating economic growth, generating jobs and enhancing
work force development.
“We are extremely happy to be a recipient of this PG&E grant. The funds will be used to establish a
technology incubator in Downtown Stockton. We have connected with Café Coop, our local
collaborative workspace, who will be the initial hub for this great program facilitating services to new
innovators and emerging businesses,” commented Leandro Vicuna, the Alliance’s CEO.
The incubator is to be a collaborative effort between the City of Stockton’s Economic Development
Department, San Joaquin County Office of Education, San Joaquin Delta College Small Business
Development Center, San Joaquin County Hispanic chamber of Commerce, IT service providers,
legal assistance, and Downtown Stockton Alliance. The Downtown Stockton Alliance will be the lead
agency and coordinate with the partner agencies on office space, business mentoring, legal and tax
advice, funding opportunities, and permitting and technology assistance to entrepreneurs and start-up
businesses in the technology field. In addition to services provided through the technology incubator,
the Alliance will partner with the City of Stockton in assessing the City’s existing technological talent
and infrastructure to further develop business opportunities in Downtown.
Vicuna is hard at work to implement prerogatives of the PG&E grant: “We have already reached out to
local tech businesses such as Verve Networks and PetrosMedia for assistance with this project. We
are also planning to connect with the University of Pacific’s engineering program, as well as existing
incubators to make this initiative into a multi-faceted service that will fill in a gap currently existing in
the San Joaquin County market. Rather than having our local talent commute to Silicon Valley, we
need to give them a reason to stay and help them make a name for themselves.”
An official check presentation ceremony will take place on November 22, 4 pm, at the Café Coop, 235 N. San Joaquin Street, Stockton.