About East Bay EDA

The East Bay Economic Development Alliance is the regional voice and networking resource for strengthening the economy, building the workforce, and enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay.

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Who We Are

Founded in 1990, the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) was born out of the recognition by top leaders of the need to work together and tackle shared challenges. Today, East Bay EDA is a 150+ member organization that serves as the regional voice and networking resource for strengthening the economy, building the workforce and enhancing the quality of life in the East Bay. We are a cross-sector, public-private partnership that promotes strategic economic development throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

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Regional-Minded

Supporting East Bay economic development efforts to tackle issues that extend beyond city boundaries

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Deeply-Rooted

Independent nonprofit with more than 30 years of serving the region

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Cross Sector

Private, public and nonprofit leadership network to strengthen and promote the East Bay

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Business Connector

Convener of high-quality networking events, educational panels and professional mixers

East Bay EDA has convened diverse networks of business, government, and community leaders who embrace the extraordinary value of our region as an unrivaled place to live, work, and do business.

What We Do

Through our public-private partnership, we advocate for regional, state, and federal investments and policies that sustain and support economic development activities. We provide timely information, data, and thought leadership around critical topics. We facilitate high-level networking opportunities between public and private sector leaders. Learn more about our focus areas.

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Experiences & Tours

Host of immersive tours and experiences highlighting our region’s innovation ecosystem and legacy industries

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Networking & Events

The East Bay Innovation Awards, the Annual Economic Outlook & Membership Meeting, timely webinars and more

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Policy & Advocacy

Raise awareness and collaborate with elected officials on regional economic development issues

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Regional Research

Publisher of original research, including Resilient East Bay, East Bay Forward, and the East Bay Economic Outlook

We provide our members with opportunities to connect on a regional level. From immersive tours to webinars, events, and publication of original research, we strive to keep our network connected, informed, and engaged.

Our Story

Our 30+ years of advocacy and convening spans regional and economic development areas that include land use and infrastructure, workforce development, and international trade. Through our innovative network, we have worked with business, community, and government to tackle shared challenges and promote East Bay investment.

1990

Founding

The East Bay Economic Development Alliance (formerly the Economic Development Alliance for Business) was founded by top leaders in the East Bay region to work together and tackle shared challenges.

1991

Port Dredging

Resolved the Port of Oakland channel dredging impasse by convening and building consensus among fishermen, conservation groups, shipping interests, and others to use spoils from dredging the channel to a depth of 42 feet to create wetlands.

1992

Bayer in Berkeley

Helped Miles Inc./Cutter Biological, a Bayer subsidiary, obtain a precedent-setting 30-year development agreement with the City of Berkeley, saving 650 jobs and generating hundreds of millions in new investment. The facility is now Bayer’s worldwide headquarters for biologics.

1995

Permit Assistance

Worked closely with Cal/EPA and other local partners to create the first Permit Assistance Center in the state, with continuous efforts to improve collaboration between business and regulatory agencies. One-stop permitting centers operating in the East Bay are an outgrowth of this effort.

1998

Trade Delegations

Initiated a series of international business retention and marketing trade missions that eventually included Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China.

2003

Regional Transportation

Convened key regional stakeholders to mitigate the Port of Oakland’s congestion impact on regional transportation corridors. This effort resulted in recommendations for relocation options for transportation and distribution facilities supporting the Port.

2009

Railway Expansion

Held discussions with Union Pacific to share the East Bay’s logistical needs, resulting in expanded tunnels in the Sierra Nevada to enable service by double-stacked rail cars and reduce delays caused by avalanches.

2009

Bayer Workforce

Worked with three cities and the state to include Bayer’s facilities in Oakland’s Enterprise Zone, creating a $10 million incentive package that prevented Bayer from moving manufacturing out of the state, saving more than $100 million in investment and 1,400 jobs.

2010

NUMMI Workforce

Worked with cross-sector stakeholders to mitigate impacts on companies and local and regional supply chains, and supported more than 4,700 people who lost jobs as a result of the closure of the New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont.

2011

Building on our Assets

Published Building on our Assets report to provide a playbook for emerging from the Great Recession, which exacted a heavy toll on the East Bay economy. The housing bubble and ensuing financial crisis contributed to the region’s loss of one out of every ten jobs since 2007.

2012

Port Growth

Continued support for dredging the Port of Oakland to a depth of 50 feet, enabling the newest and largest container ships to make deliveries directly from Asia and shorten the supply chain, increasing the region’s competitiveness.

2013

East Bay Innovation Awards

East Bay EDA hosts the first-annual East Bay Innovation Awards, an annual event designed to showcase East Bay innovation across diverse business and organizational sectors.

2013

Economic Outlook

Published the first Economic Outlook Report to track the state of the East Bay economy. This report and research presentation continued for over a decade, keeping the region informed on key metrics and followed by additional special reports.

2016

Contra Costa County

Continued expansion throughout the region, adding most Contra Costa County cities and the county itself to its membership base, helping to cement the organization’s profile across the region.

2020

Pandemic Response

Administered $10M+ Alameda County CARES Small Business Grant Program at the request of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and ten Alameda County cities that added matching funds to assist small businesses in response to the economic, health, and safety impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021

East Bay Forward

Convened over 100 strategic advisory committee members, composed of business, municipal, and nonprofit leaders to shape and inform East Bay Forward, a regional economic blueprint with recommendations for regional economic recovery.

2022

Small Business Recovery

Administered over $11 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the Alameda County Small Business Recovery Grant Program, authorized by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The program addressed the economic impacts of the pandemic and supported recovery efforts.

2022

Resilient East Bay

Launched Resilient East Bay, a website designed as a resource to support the region’s key innovation industries: biomedical, clean tech, electronics, food and beverage, and transportation. These industries span 3,500 businesses, 150,000 jobs, and contribute over $40.7 billion in GRP.

Through the Years

Members

We are a cross-sector, public-private partnership that promotes strategic economic development throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We convene diverse networks of businesses, local government, and community leaders who embrace the extraordinary value of our region as an unrivaled place to live, work, and do business.

Our Members