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Young Black innovators in Oakland learn to build AI tools to help the community
Summary by The San Francisco Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Velena Jones , NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC)
· July 24, 2026
· 2 min read
Photo: NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) · view original
Young Black innovators in Oakland are putting artificial intelligence to work for their community. Kids as young as 11 spent the summer learning to build AI-powered apps designed to solve real neighborhood problems that were important to them. For six weeks, 26 young Black men from 11 to 25 in Ki...
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The San Francisco Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting Velena Jones, NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 24, 2026 Indexed here Jul 25, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway Kids as young as 11 spent the summer learning to build AI-powered apps designed to solve real neighborhood problems that were important to them.
Why this matters in The San Francisco
The Kingmakers of Oakland program's focus on building AI tools to address community issues has significant implications for the city's efforts to bridge the tech gap and promote social equity. By empowering young Black innovators to create solutions tailored to their neighborhood's specific needs, the program has the potential to drive meaningful change in areas such as education and immigrant rights. The fact that these young developers are tackling issues like the resource gap between public and private schools and creating tools for immigrants to report ICE activity demonstrates a deep understanding of the community's challenges. As these young innovators showcase their apps to technology leaders, it will be important to see how their ideas are received and supported, and whether they can secure the resources and partnerships needed to bring their projects to scale. The program's success could also inform broader initiatives to increase diversity in the tech industry and ensure that emerging technologies are harnessed to benefit all members of the community.
About this story
Original reporting by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) . The San Francisco surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local ·
Published: July 24, 2026 ·
Source: NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) ·
Reading time: 2 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Young Black innovators in Oakland are putting artificial intelligence to work for their community. Kids as young as 11 spent the summer learning to build AI-powered apps designed to solve real neighborhood problems that were important to them. For six weeks, 26 young Black men from 11 to 25 in Ki...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 24, 2026 by NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC) and curated for The San Francisco readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Velena Jones at NBC Bay Area (KNTV, NBC). To learn more about how The San Francisco selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The San Francisco, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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