In late September, founders, artists, and community organizers take over venues across Oakland, California for Oakland Tech Week, a seven day citywide festival where technology, art, and music share the same stage. Produced by the artist led nonprofit HiiiWAV, the week runs on a single belief: technology gets built with communities, not on top of them. With more than 80 events spanning responsible AI, startup funding, and live performance, it is one of the most distinctive tech weeks in the country.
What Is Oakland Tech Week?
Oakland Tech Week is a seven day citywide festival of music, art, and technology, produced by the Oakland nonprofit HiiiWAV and dedicated to advancing responsible, equity centered AI and public interest technology in Oakland. It connects founders, investors, technologists, artists, and residents to show Oakland as a place to build, invest, and create.
The premise sets it apart from the start. Most tech weeks are built for founders and funders. This one puts creatives and impact organizations at the center, treating Oakland culture, civic life, and technology as one story told in one place for one week. It follows the familiar city based tech week playbook, which our What Is Tech Week pillar breaks down, but it rewrites the guest list.
When and Where the 2026 Edition Took Place
The second annual edition ran September 27 to October 3, 2026, under the theme “Culture, Code, and Community.” More than 80 events took place at venues across the city, hosted by a coalition of more than 30 Oakland organizations.
The week opened on September 28 with “Responsible Innovation: A Vision for Oakland’s Future” at the Kapor Center, featuring a keynote from Lisa D. Cook of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Other anchor venues included Northeastern University’s Oakland campus, Raimondi Field, and the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, which hosted the closing celebration.
The first edition, held in 2025, drew more than 4,200 participants to more than 40 events with more than 70 speakers and earned a Mayor’s Proclamation. The 2026 edition roughly doubled the programming. Dates for 2027 have not been announced yet; the official schedule lives at oaklandtechweek.com.
Oakland sits directly across the bay from San Francisco, which hosts the much larger founder focused SF Tech Week each year. The two make a natural pairing for anyone planning a Bay Area tech trip, and we cover the San Francisco edition in a separate guide.
Who Produces It and Who Backs It
The producer is HiiiWAV, an artist led 501(c)(3) music organization founded by artists, for artists. Since 2020 it has supported more than 220 artists and helped them raise $4.15 million in capital. Its founder and executive director, Bosko Kante, describes the week as a way to lift up responsible uses of AI and give the community real access, education, and investment around technology.
The City of Oakland is a core partner. Mayor Barbara Lee opened the 2026 edition, framing it as proof that a thriving innovation economy and strong, healthy communities get built together. The Kapor Foundation, led by CEO Allison Scott, co kicked off the week at the Kapor Center and anchors its responsible AI programming. Northeastern University’s Oakland campus serves as co steward, hosting the education convening; its head of partnerships, Carrie Maultsby-Lute, puts it simply: the students learning these tools today will decide how AI serves communities tomorrow.
Sponsors of the 2026 edition included Google for Startups, the Center for AI Safety, the San Francisco Foundation, the Gerbode Foundation, Alameda County, Kaiser Permanente, Omidyar Network, the University of California Office of the President, and the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts.
What Happens Across the Seven Days
The 2026 calendar mixed policy, education, startup programming, and culture from Monday to Saturday.
Monday opened with the Responsible Innovation kickoff at the Kapor Center. Tuesday centered on education: Northeastern University Oakland hosted a convening on ethical computer science and AI education with examples from across California, while OpenOakland ran a civic tech idea a thon in the afternoon and an evening session on AI in the public interest. Business programming included a session on competing for procurement contracts with major Bay Area organizations.
Wednesday brought the Beyond Big Tech panel at the Kapor Center, led by Media Justice and featuring AI researcher Timnit Gebru and organizer Alex Park, on movement building and grassroots organizing. Thursday featured Omidyar Network’s Oak x Tech, with discussions on young people and AI, the future of work, and tech policy featuring Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, plus an evening session introducing an AI matched capital access platform for entrepreneurs.
Friday belonged to founders. Oakland Ballers Founder’s Day at Raimondi Field brought more than 100 investors and founders together with the Ballers organization, Kapor Center Investments, and community funds, including Ballers co founder Paul Freedman. Scholar and author Safiya Noble led a discussion on shifting power in the AI ecosystem the same day.
Saturday closed the week with the San Francisco Foundation’s session on funding community driven tech initiatives, followed by HiiiWAV Fest at the Henry J. Kaiser Center: multidisciplinary hackathons, a community tech fair, and a headlining performance by Bay Area artist entrepreneur E-40 with The Soul Slappers.
Key Themes on the Agenda
Responsible and equity centered AI is the through line. Nearly every track connects back to the question of who benefits from AI and who gets a say in how it is built, from the opening keynote to the grassroots organizing panels.
Education and workforce pathways form the second pillar. The week spotlights initiatives developing talent, from ethical computer science curricula to AI literacy programs, on the premise that preparing the next generation starts in the classroom.
Capital access for mission driven entrepreneurs gets practical fast. Sessions on procurement contracts, an AI matched funding platform, and a founder showcase all point at the same gap: founders outside traditional networks need better routes to money.
Art and culture are infrastructure here, not side programming. By centering creatives alongside technologists and investors, the week argues that music, art, and community life are part of what makes a tech ecosystem work, not decoration around it.
How This Week Differs From Other Tech Weeks
The difference is the guest list. As Bosko Kante puts it, the week is different from other tech weeks because it puts creatives and impact organizations at the center. Founders and investors are welcome, but they share the stage with artists, educators, organizers, and neighbors.
That changes the texture of the whole event. Panels on tech policy sit next to live performances. A founder showcase shares the calendar with a community tech fair. The closing party is a music festival, not an afterparty.
If you want the classic founder focused version of the format, our LA Tech Week guide covers a bigger, more deal driven West Coast scene. But if you believe technology should be built with communities rather than on top of them, Oakland is the week that takes that idea most seriously.
Who Should Attend
Mission driven founders will find investors, procurement leads, and a community that takes impact seriously. Investors get a look at deal flow they will not see at a standard demo day. Artists and creatives get education, access, and a genuine seat at the table rather than a branded side stage. Students and educators plug into AI literacy and computer science programming. Community organizers, small business owners, and policymakers all have dedicated tracks. In short, if you live in Oakland or care about how technology lands in real neighborhoods, the week is built for you.
Final Word
Oakland Tech Week proves a tech week can be about more than startups and term sheets. By centering artists, educators, and neighbors alongside founders and funders, the 2026 edition turned responsible AI from a talking point into a week of real programming across a whole city. Whether you build, fund, create, or organize, it is worth a spot on your calendar. For year round coverage of tech weeks across the country, bookmark our tech event guides and coverage and explore the related guides below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Oakland Tech Week?
Oakland Tech Week is a seven day citywide festival of music, art, and technology in Oakland, California. Produced by the nonprofit HiiiWAV, it advances responsible, equity centered AI and public interest technology through more than 80 events hosted by local organizations.
When is the next Oakland Tech Week?
The 2026 edition ran September 27 to October 3. Dates for the 2027 edition have not been announced yet. Check the official schedule at oaklandtechweek.com for updates as they are published.
Is it free to attend?
Many events are free and open to the community, including the closing HiiiWAV Fest and community hackathons. Each session in the official lineup lists its own time, venue, price, and registration details, so check the event you want before you go.
Who organizes Oakland Tech Week, and how can I attend the next edition?
Oakland Tech Week is produced by HiiiWAV, an artist led 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with the City of Oakland as a core partner. To attend the next edition, check oaklandtechweek.com for updates: dates for the 2027 edition have not been announced yet, and each event in the official lineup lists its own registration details.
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