We're hacking capitalism to fund the resistance.

You don't need to be a revolutionary to work with us, just committed to using your platform for something positive.

I'm Palosanto, the founder of Oakanda. I grew up on the colonizer side of the Bay Area, in scenic Palantir Alto. I've lived in the East Bay since 2020 and fell in love at first sight with Oakland when I moved here in 2025.
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I've experienced more privilege and more adversity than most. Before leaving the mainstream consumer tech industry 10 years ago, I won the startup lottery as an early employee, and then raised over $1 million as the founder of my own startup.

I also overcame an abusive family, lost a sibling to suicide and domestic violence, have experienced housing insecurity and homelessness, and survived multiple episodes of police violence.

I don't care what skin color you are, who you like to make out with, or how many zeros are in your bank account. I care about the quality of your music, your message, and your character.

My goal with Oakanda is to build a new movement uniting artists and activists who are working towards collective liberation. That said, I am deeply inspired by the visionaries of the original Black Panther Party, in particular:
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1) the Panthers' strategic use of fashion to build awareness and a popular movement around socialist principles,

2) the original Rainbow Coalition led by Fred Hampton Sr. in Chicago, which was explicitly anti-racist and called out racism as a by-product of capitalism, and
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3) the original BPP vision in the 10 Demands calling for "people's control of community technology"

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Revolutionary politics aside, every single Oakanda frame is individually numbered, laser-engraved with a unique design, and painted by hand.

We now offer a variety of prescription and custom lenses, as well as custom branded cases and lens cloths.

SEE DIFFERENT™
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ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE