Greg Hodge, CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network, breaks ground on a health center for East Oakland youth

Community and civic leaders participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the building that will become the Young People's Wellness Center on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. Credit: Ashley McBride/The Oaklandside

The Oaklandside recently highlighted a major milestone for the East Oakland community — the groundbreaking of a new health center designed specifically for local youth. At the heart of this visionary project is Greg Hodge, CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network and a Class of 2000 LeaderSpring Center alum.

The upcoming wellness center represents far more than a building — it’s a promise to nurture the health, healing, and leadership of young people in East Oakland. Guided by Hodge’s deep commitment to community and equity, the project aims to address long-standing health disparities and provide culturally responsive care rooted in the voices and experiences of the youth it will serve.

Greg’s leadership is a powerful reflection of what our alumni continue to model: sustained, community-rooted leadership that creates lasting change. His work reminds us how the values cultivated through our fellowship continue to ripple outward — transforming not only organizations, but entire communities.

Learn more about Brotherhood of Elders Network: https://brotherhoodofelders.net/