Establishing a business designed to strengthen community, not bank accounts, can be daunting. Eager entrepreneurs may see family and friends scatter when approached with ideas, logistics and money concerns. The competition for funding can be ferocious as investors look for companies with ballooning profit potential.

The next generation of Oakland's social entrepreneurs got a boost this weekend: Seven youth teams won $1000 each as seed capital for their mission-driven ventures. This was the first Bay Area round of Youth Venture funding from Ashoka, a global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs

These prizes were awarded in a March 6 event where each team presented. Oakland Local was there, and interviewed several of the young entrepreneurs. Watch our video...