Congratulations to the 2015 Indie Award Nominees!
To see the 2015 Indie Award winners, click here!
Represents the soul, essence and spirit of Oakland. This business or artist appreciates diversity and creativity, is confident in their individuality and humbly supports their brothers and sisters.
Oakland Soul: Aisha Fukushima Amani Carey Simms Arisa White Be the Change Consulting Beast Oakland Betti Ono Gallery Cafe Gabriela Candice "Antique" Davis D Edward Digital Roots Studio Dr. Wesley Watkins Era Lounge Feelmore Adult Gallery Field Day & Friends Flavors of Oakland Garden House Gingi Allen/The Art of Mothering Jennifer Johns Johnny Lopez Jonez Cain Karen Doolittle Karen Less Kev Choice+ Kymberly Jackson |
Kymm Wilson
Laurel Bookstore Layover Los Rakas Lost and Found Store Mahogany Foster Maya Songbird Naming Gallery New Normal Brewing Nona Brown Oakulture/Eric Arnold Oakland Mural Project* Oaktown Spice Shop Ratka Mira Popovic Robert Bess Robert Trujillo SambaFunk Skin World Wide Starr Saunders stOAKed The New Parkway The Perfect Sidekick Tony Rossi & Sons Florist Tu Tienda Azteca Underground Runway Urban Stitch Boutique Valerie Troutt Vamp Vintage Music & Arts Woody's Café Young Shorty Doowop |
Ripple Effect: A business that supports the local economy by buying supplies and services from other local vendors, creating a “ripple effect” as money circulates within the community.
Angelisse Karol Design Arizmendi Bakery Awaken Café Beulahs Bean Truck Bissap Baobab Oakland Concept Forty Seven DaniBensimon Catering KONO* Leo's Music Club Little Shop Artisan Box Magic Carpet Yoga Mats Mary Weather Merkado Oakland Juice & Co Oakland Makers* Oaklandish OwlNWood Phat Matt's BBQ Resurrect S+S Gastro Grub Catering Seven Salon Shift Local Show & Tell Concept Shop Two Jacks Denim |
Social Changemaker: This socially responsible business or individual incorporates positive social change into their mission, operations, and/or measures of success. They use creative approaches to give back to the community and address economic and environmental issues.
BALLE* Downtown Oakland YMCA* Dr. Crystallee Rene Crain* Free Oakland UP* Get Goes Mobile Café Harborside Health Center HBK CJ Her Resilience Artist Collective Hipline Dance Studio House Kombucha It's Your Move Games & Hobbies Joy Elan Kin Folkz Mamacitas Café Marion and Rose's Workshop Oakland Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine Clinic Paws and Claws Pet Food Store Planting Justice* Phat Beets* Prescott Joseph Center For Community Enhancement Inc.* Regina's Door Revolution Foods+ Sean Sullivan (West End Strategies) The Great Wall of Oakland* The Living Room Project The Town Kitchen Top Ten Social Wear Your Voice Yakub Bey Zach Seal (B Shuttle) |
Innovative Newcomer: A business or artist who started in the last three years that excites and inspires with a creative new idea, perspective, model or solution.
Bergeron's Books Black Medicine Bud Snow Building Robotics Cat Town Café Courtsmith Basketball Industries Educents Eighty4v Fuming Guerilla Productions Green Girl Bakeshop Hack the Hood* HiHAT Oakland Homestead Apothecary Know Yourself Late Nite Art Left Coast Power Yoga Localwise Maple Street Denim Merch Monster Natalie Coblentz Noble Brewer Oakland Certified Oakland Flag Co Oakland Future Trio OakStop Parliament Event Venue Pr3ss Play Poets Present Perfect Wellness Qeyno Labs Quincy Carroll SoleSpace Sonjhai Meggette The Real Oakland Tilde Vintage Tracie Collins Productions Turtle & Hare Umami Mart Underground Runway* Uptima Businesss Bootcamp Viscera Zella's Soulful Kitchen |
Greenie: An environmental champion who works to improve our community through sustainable practices, products or services. This local business or individual reduces waste or consumption, creates green products or provides green services.
Abura-Ya Alouba Arts American Steel Studios B Green 4 Life Back to the Roots+ East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse* Fictilis Green Copy Habitat for Humanity* Hatch Local Hands Soap Company Lotus Cleaning Services Premier Organics Simply Bliss Catering & Events Temescal Farmer's Market/Urban Village Farmers' Market Assoc The Window Lady Tip Top Bike Shop Uptown Juice Company Walrus Why Ha* |
Pillar: A long-established Oakland business or artist with deep roots in the community and long-standing ties to the people, culture and history of The Town. This person or business mentors newbies and is renowned for their contributions to Oakland’s living history.
Bike East Bay* Café Van Kleef Cole Coffee Creative Framing & Gallery David Sturdevant Elliot Schneider Emory Douglas Fentons Creamery Form & Reform Genny's BBQ Geoffrey's Inner Circle Gondola Servizio International Contact Inc Joyce Gordon Gallery+ Kelly's Corner Marcus Book Store Minh Tsai (Hodo Soy) Oakland Museum* Portal Restaurant Sew Images Soul Strategic Urban Development Alliance The Terrace Room Xochitl Guerrero |
Job Creator: An independent business that has a positive effect on the region by consistently providing good jobs for residents of the Bay Area, employs 50 people or more, is socially responsible and/or environmentally sustainable.
Blue Bottle Coffee Community Bank of the Bay Farmer Joe's Marketplace Jabez Enterprise Group Grand Lake Theater Numi Tea Piedmont Grocery Planting Justice* Room 389 Urban Furniture Store VSCO Zachary's Chicago Pizza |
* Nominee is ineligible to win because it holds 501c(3) charitable status or is a not-for-profit entity.
+ Nominee is ineligible to win because s/he/it is a winner within the past four years. Click here to view past winners!
+ Nominee is ineligible to win because s/he/it is a winner within the past four years. Click here to view past winners!