The Founder

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.

Our Facilitating 501 (C) (3) Charitable non-profit

The full resources of our facilitating non-profit with a Youth Centered Job Creation mission is available to our grocery store effort.

Store Management
Our supermarket will be managed by a strong store management team consisting of a store manager and two assistant store managers. The store founder C. Edward Brown who is an MBA will select and hire the store manager with two assistant managers with grocery expertise; all operating under the close oversight of the founder C. Edward Brown who is an MBA with a background in banking at the Senior Assistant Vice-president level with oversight of managers in charge of various operations. Our founder also has past business ownership and management experience with strong people management and customer service skills and with proven skills in budgeting and budget variance analysis which will enable early detection and adjustment for any ensuing financial difficulties in order to keep the supermarket profitable. In addition, we have budgeted to hire consulting as needed.

Professional Services
Legal services – Our Business Attorney of record is William A. Taylor with the law firm of William A. Taylor, Attorney, Taylor, Goins & Stallwotrh LLP.

CPA Services – Our chosen CPA firm is Grant & Smith LLP, Certified Public Accounts.

Consultant(s) – While the CityEast Markets Inc. team has an appreciable level of business and finance experience; even small business ownership among the team members, it realizes it's team's shortcomings in grocery business experience and expertise and as such; in addition to hiring highly qualified grocery store management, plans are to hire grocery store consulting expertise as needed to include grocery store start-up consulting. Further CityEast Markets Inc. is looking for opportunities to bring volunteer grocery expertise aboard in a volunteer advisory capacity.