Carolyn Johnson

Carolyn is Chief Executive Officer, Black Cultural Zone. Before that, she was a business instructor at the College of Alameda and Associate Director of Commercial Real Estate at the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC). With EBALDC, she leads a nonprofit community development organization building healthy, vibrant and safe neighborhoods in Oakland and the greater East Bay. They develop and manage high quality affordable apartments and homes, retail spaces for local small businesses and community centers, while fostering increased economic opportunities for low-income families and individuals. These comprehensive programs help families and individuals begin a path toward financially security and access the resources they need to lead healthy, stable and fulfilling lives.

As a Business Advisor and Trainer with over twenty years of experience in small business management and finance, she develops effective business plans to guide them to exceed break-even in the early and emerging stage(s) of their business and achieve profitability in the expansion phase of their business.  She also provides comprehensive loan packaging services as well as strategic and tactical advisory services. She also facilitates the Simple Steps to Business Success course at Women’s Initiative, is a lecturer in the Peralta Community College District on the topics of Small Business Management, Business Communications, Business Law and Salesmanship; and is a certified trainer for the NxLevel Business curriculum for start-up, micro- , expansion and green businesses.  She offers a comprehensive array of private business topic workshops through various business, professional, government and community organizations.