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Hi, I’m Emmanuel Singh — founder of couchdate, a Community Space and HiFi bar that’s been a hub for Brown & Black arts and culture in Oakland for the past six years.
This year we've hosted over 200 artists, welcomed more than 5,000 guests, and in just the past month, our social media content reached over 200,000 views. We've achieved an incredible amount of success bootstrapping this project, but that's not sustainable. That's not how you create a future.
We've been offered a beautiful new space in Temescal - a safer, more supportive location with room to grow. I want to do this sustainably this time.
Our Goal: Raise $30k in 1 month
Here’s what that gets us:
• ✅ First and last month’s rent + deposit
• ✅ Moving costs + essential utilities
• ✅ A small cushion for the transition period
Our stretch goal is $50k. The people of Oakland deserve safe, beautiful third spaces - and every dollar goes to building that together. If we can't raise the money (or get close to that number), we're going to take the next year off.
Why are we moving?
couchdate’s current location is owned by the City of Oakland. On May 6th, while I was unloading groceries into the space, a shooting happened right in front of our doors. A bullet ricocheted off my car. Thankfully, none of our team was hurt — but two others were injured.
We reached out for help. The City did nothing. Instead, that same month, they raised our rent and fined us for hosting an artist showcase.
We love Oakland. We want to stay in Oakland. We’ve had offers from other cities — Richmond, Sacramento, even San Francisco — but this Temescal location is our chance to continue serving our home - Oakland.
Our mission has always been to provide Oakland with safe, beautiful, culturally affirming third spaces. Intimate spaces where artists can shine and people can connect.
If you’ve ever met a friend at couchdate, performed here, laughed here, or just felt seen here — we’re asking you to invest in the future of this community.
Thank you for believing in us, showing up, and keeping couchdate alive all these years. We're looking forward to this next chapter together.
Love,
Emmanuel Singh
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Interested in Long-Term Investment?
If you’re someone looking to support couchdate beyond a donation — via an investment, partnership, or shared ownership conversation — please reach out to me directly. We’re very open to sustainable, values-aligned growth.
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Organizer
