Hii! My name is Jade Le and I am the creative director, owner, social media department, HR department and HBIC (head bitch in charge) of Lemonade51o.

Lemonade51o started with three stickers and a dream to pay off my student loans. I was born and raised in the Bay Area and a alum of Laney Community College and Mills College in Oakland. I graduated with a major in Sociology and minor in education and went on to sub in schools in Oakland, San Leandro and San Lorenzo. After subbing for about 2 years, I had the honor of working as a community organizer with La Familia as the Equity Initiatives Program Manager. I worked full time while growing Lemonade51o for about 5 years before taking the risk of giving Lemonade 100% of my time and energy.

I create the things I do because I love my home and am constantly inspired by it's community, culture and consciousness. There is nothing like knowing there are people out there that love the Bay as much as I do.

If you got love for the Bay, I got something for you.

Campaign Statement:

I couldn’t be more excited to use my expertise as a softball player, entrepreneur and community organizer to help the Oakland Ballers grow in the greater Bay Area. I am ready to provide a young, local, player perspective on what the Ballers could do to increase community engagement, improve the overall guest experience and evolve in the pioneer league.

My time on the field and experience in the community makes me confident that I can advocate on behalf of the Ballers community, the players and our stakeholders. I worked as a community organizer for La Familia, a non-profit organization focused on providing free, high quality services to low-income residents in the Bay Area for 3 years. I started as a youth coordinator and became a program manager which tasked me with the responsibility of overseeing the Equity Initiatives department, training community organizers and advocating on behalf of community members to City Councils and other local governing boards. This role taught me the ins and outs of grassroots organizing which included practices that engaged community members to gain insights, build relationships and strengthen civic engagement in an identified area. All things that I know would make me a valuable asset as a board member. 

After my time with La Familia, I took a side hustle of mine and made it my full time job. Lemonade51o is a Bay Area based brand that highlights the love I have for the Bay Area through stickers, clothing and other accessories. Over the years, I’ve created a respected brand and a community of over 7,000 individuals by vending at community events like Oktoberfest, sharing my story online and being myself. 

I am passionate about the things I care about and it shows by how I run my business and how I show up in the community. I am committed to approaching a position on the Ballers board with the same energy, love and passion I do with everything else in my life.

I am ecstatic to share more about myself with the Ballers community and be given the opportunity to grow with the organization.

Top 3 priorities for Oakland Ballers if elected:

• Increase community engagement in Oakland by 50% and outside of Oakland by 30% 

• Develop a 5 year Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic plan that outlines organizational policies, procedures and practices

• Identify stadium improvements and areas of growth to enhance overall experience for players, visitors, and guest teams
  

What aspects of the org require the most improvement and why:

From an outsider's perspective, I’d love to learn more about the outreach efforts outside of Oakland and further into the East Bay. Through small conversations with folks, I’ve learned that many still don’t know who the Ballers are. 

How would you plan to engage with fellow shareholders and fans:

• I believe community meetings should be held bi-annually with shareholders, fans and players to provide updates, gather input and share feedback. Additionally, a marketing and outreach team should be created (or grown) to utilize the power of social media, improve presence at in person events and build relationships with local organizations. 

• I can personally commit to being available at a set amount of games prior to start time and at a number of community events to hear directly from fans and community members

What initiatives would you propose to strengthen the connection between the team and the community?

I’ve drafted 4 initiatives that I believe would strengthen the connection between the team and community,

1. Create a community assessment that would be surveyed every 2 - 5 years. This assessment would help the organization understand what the community believes would strengthen the Ballers presence  as a new sports team in Oakland. Questions would cover topics such as community wants, the affordability of tickets, the accessibility to/from games, baseball opportunities for youth in Oakland and understanding what a team in the pioneer league means for Oakland.

2. Develop a marketing/outreach team and strategy dedicated to engaging with community members through tabling, canvassing, presentations with local orgs and schools, and being present at events. Players, board members and stakeholders would have the responsibility of being present at least twice throughout the year at these events. 

3. Identify how baseball is currently present in Oakland and how the organization can support the development of baseball leagues, training camps, and scouting opportunities for local high schools 

4. Continue to collaborate with local artists and creatives regarding on marketing strategies, exclusive merch, and theme nights

I've shared some of the big questions I think people want answers too. If you'd like to read more, click the button below to be taken to a google doc with the rest of my answers.