Oakland, California, April 3, 2025 – The 12th annual East Bay Innovation Awards garnered an impressive crowd of more than 500 attendees at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center on Thursday, March 27. For a second year at the new venue, the event known as “the Academy Awards of the East Bay” did not disappoint in showcasing the most groundbreaking companies and organizations from across Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Presented by PG&E, the event drew a notable list of elected officials, representatives from foreign consulates, and community and business leaders.
The evening welcomed a total of 22 finalists in competitive categories that included catalyst, community impact, manufacturing, and technology. These finalists were chosen by groups of industry experts in December 2024 from a pool of over 100 applicants. This year, the competitive categories were simplified with multiple awardees in each group. The two legacy awardees, announced in December, highlighted the event’s regional impact by honoring the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
The ceremony began with a reflective introduction by multi-talented voice actor Joy Ofodu, who set the stage for an exciting evening. Guests were welcomed by Oakland’s Interim Mayor, Kevin Jenkins, who spoke about the city’s role as a hub for innovation and community. Bringing it home for the rest of the night was Emmy Award-winning Journalist Gia Vang of NBC Bay Area, who brought grace and intention to every accolade. The program included a special award for Southwest Airlines as an Innovator in Transportation – East Bay Anchor. This was presented by the Port of Oakland and accepted by Southwest COO Andrew Watterson. All awardees received certificates of recognition from California State Treasurer Fiona Ma.
In total, the ceremony awarded 15 unique innovators. From creating sustainable asphalt and concrete and designing and building better batteries to finding and unleashing new energy sources and providing essential lifelines and skills to young people and adults to realize their full potential, the finalists and awardees reflected the diverse spirit of innovation in the East Bay. “This year showed yet again how our region continues to be a driving hub for groundbreaking new companies and industries,” said Stephen Baiter, executive director. “The East Bay also has incredible community-based organizations, like the food banks, that our region needs to support as we work through these uncertain times.”
The 2025 East Bay Innovation awardees are:
Legacy
Alameda County Community Food Bank
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Innovator in Transportation – East Bay Anchor
Southwest Airlines
Catalyst
Activate Berkeley (Berkeley)
Youth ALIVE! (Oakland)
Community Impact
AC Transit (Oakland)
Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School (Oakland)
Diablo Valley College’s Industrial Automation and Robotics Program (Pleasant Hill)
RCF Connects (Richmond)
Manufacturing
Argent Materials (Oakland)
Bloom Energy (Fremont)
Calitho (Concord)
Technology
AsparaGlue (Berkeley)
Coreshell Technologies (San Leandro)
Endiatx (Hayward)
The event photos are linked here (Credit: Malcolm Wallace for East Bay EDA). You can download the press release here.