Facebook Developer Circles Boldly Go Where Few Major Tech Companies Have Gone Before — to Oakland
By Kirsten Lundgren, Lead, TechHire Oakland

If you search for “Developer Groups Bay Area,” the result is a long list of product-specific meetups concentrated in downtown San Francisco and Palo Alto. Facebook is setting out to disrupt this landscape. By launching its first North America Developer Circle Program across the Bay in Oakland, the company is engaging a community rich in diverse tech talent, but historically short on resources, access, and information.
Bringing Developer Circles Where They’re Needed Most
The Facebook “Dev Circles” Program is no stranger to working with “emerging” communities of high potential. The program got its start in emerging markets associated with high unemployment and income inequality such as Lagos, Nigeria, Lahore, Pakistan, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Just a hop away from Silicon Valley similar inequity exists in Oakland. Forty-six percent of Oakland households with an income under $20,000 lack access to broadband. The unemployment rate for young adults of color is 22%. And African Americans and Latinos comprise over 55% of the population, but less than 20% of the city’s tech employees.
Aware of this discrepancy, Facebook is committed to leveraging its platforms to support to close the gap.
Going Grassroots to Engage Local Developers
As it has done abroad, Facebook is going grassroots to engage Oakland’s developers. “We have no interest in building a developer community from scratch. We want to be the connective tissue among existing partners already serving our target audience,” says Facebook’s Developer Circles Program Lead, Matthew Terrell.
For this reason, Facebook is connecting to local talent via TechHire Oakland at the Kapor Center for Social Impact, home of inclusive tech done right. We lead Oakland’s role as an Obama White House designated TechHire City and one stop-shop for local residents seeking training, paid internships, apprenticeships, and jobs in emerging tech.
Also by design, Oakland’s Dev Circle is led by two local community ambassadors, who drive customized workshops and hackathons . Among Oakland’s ambassadors is Albrey Brown, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at a local bootcamp, and the Aaron Dolores, founder of a local lifestyle brand that promotes diversity. The duo exudes the city’s ethos and weaves it into their work.
Celebrating Oakland’s Diverse Developer Community:
This authentic Oakland vibe was felt at the Developer Circle launch party. A packed room of diverse developers of all skill levels shared what they hoped to give and gain from the Dev Circle Program:
“I am a Full Stack Software Developer, a hip-hop artist, and producer. Currently working on my own application and seeking help with beta testing.”
“I’m currently full-time hustling for a job as a software developer. So, I hope to be able to network with like-minded folks and level up as an engineer.”
“‘I’m here to help out people who want to learn JavaScript or need some guidance on the technical interview process.”
After intros, expert guest developers previewed potential cutting edge learning topics for new members. This included an introduction to React, the open-source JavaScript library maintained by Facebook, and used by a growing ecosystem of companies to build user interfaces.
What’s Next for Facebook Developer Circles in Oakland?
Facebook, its ambassadors, partners, and members are already prepping exciting plans moving forward. On the horizon is a multi-day train-the-trainer session that will equip local expert developers to teach the skills behind Facebook products such as chat bots to the broader community. Stay tuned for more!
If you’re interested in becoming a member, make sure to join the Oakland chapter’s Facebook group for the latest news and notifications.
For more information on the Kapor Center and its TechHire Oakland talent development intiative, visit: http://www.t2p2oakland.org/ and http://www.kaporcenter.org/.
