C. Edward "Ed" Brown MBA,
Founder & CEO

A career in banking & finance
management. Owned two small businesses. Developed and launched a Produce Market. Over five years volunteering with the City of Oakland. Twice elected Chairman of Community Policing.

Richard J. Kerbavaz,
M.D., Chairman of the Board

Is an award winning, Board Certified Otolaryngologist (ENT) with Alta Bates Medical Group, Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation HMO Network, and Sutter Medical Network in Oakland. As a member of the community and a medical professional, Dr. Kerbavaz has a deep understanding and genuine concern for the health and well-being of those residing in economically depressed, urban communities, and is dedicated to resolving the “Food Desert” problem.

Eddie Lankford,
Advisor & Board Member, Grocery Store Operations

Eddie Lankford is a very resourceful board member. He spearheaded an effort that transformed our grocery operational expertise team into a team with over 50 years of grocery operational expertise. He is also very active in our effort to sell our supermarket stock to raise working capital. He attended Laney College, Oakland California where he majored in Media Communications. He has eight years of work experience with Safeway in various General Merchandising capacities and 20 years of videography work experience. He is currently a self-employed Videographer.

Leal Charonaut,
Architect & Engineer,
Advisor

Specializes in retail architecture with 15 years of retail architectural experience. Currently provides pro-bono architectural advice for the building of the Supermarket. A strong advocate for community based, community serving retail businesses in East Oakland.

Advisory Board Member for Grocery Store Management
(Name withheld to protect current employment)

Over 25 years of grocery management.

Highly qualified in supervision/management. Resourceful critical thinker and problem solver.  College educated at University of San Francisco. 15 years of grocery management experience at Safeway. Headed team that developed Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market into a comfortable neighborhood market setting for customers. In addition, was General Manager of Food and Beverage at Culver Hotel.

Advisory Board Member for Grocery Store Management
(Name withheld to protect current employment)

35 years of Grocery Management experience

15 Years with Safeway. 20 years as general manager of an Oakland community grocery store that is found to be comparable to our planned store. Advisor has a BA with California teaching credentials.

Advisor has always encouraged and pledged support for our supermarket for the good it will do for Oakland and our grocery underserved East Oakland community. I recently worked with advisor to develop staffing requirements for our unique meat department operation that duplicates the same at the store he currently manages and contributes to his store’s unique branding.

Brand establishment will be one of our greater challenges and we look forward to working this advisor to establish the best brand possible for our supermarket.

General Manager with Stock Options and Two Assistants

To be hired. The General Manager will be offered an ownership stock option. He or she will be highly qualified and experienced in Supermarket management. Our Team member Dave Green who is himself highly qualified and experience in supermarket management and retail management at the regional level has assured me that he is prepared to introduce us to well qualified prospective General Managers. The General Manager will be chosen early and will be brought aboard to join the team at the beginning of the operations planning stage, which includes staffing and equipment selection.

Grocery Store Start-up Consulting

$81,000 in start-up cost allocated for Grocery Store start-up consulting.

This team has voluntarily given almost $300,000.00 in non- refundable donations to cover the developmental cost of opening or supermarket. This project is truly a “Labor Love” to help an Oakland low income urban community Our supermarket with plans for franchises beyond the first supermarket, would put the community on a path to (1) eliminate a devastating “Food Desert in the community that results in a hospitalization for food related illnesses such as heart failure, obesity and diabetes three times the county rate (2). It would be the maiden community based community serving retail that would put the community on a path to implementation of the six major retail community saving business listed in the chart below and beyond.  

For a list of existing household consumer expenditures for our targeted East Oakland community and to read a letter of support from Oakland mayor Schaff for our supermarket and our non-profit's Youth Employment program.

CityEast Markets maybe only the fourth Black owned supermarket in all of the U.S. an lifts all of Oakland; both nationally and locally