Built for the Bay: Nearly 400 Students, One Stadium, and a Day in the Trades
On Wednesday, September 23, nearly 400 high school students from across the Bay Area spent the day at Levi's® Stadium. They weren't there for a game. They came to work.
Built for the Bay, presented by Chisel Industries in partnership with the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, was a first for us. It was a full day of hands-on trades work: laying shingles with a nail gun, framing with a pro, measuring and cutting lumber, and hearing straight from the people who do this work every day.
Why We Did It
We've spent the past year in hundreds of conversations with the owners of great trades businesses. Nearly all of them name the same problem: finding the people who will carry the business forward.
Most students never see these careers up close. Built for the Bay put the work, the tools, and the tradespeople in the same room with them.
Nearly 400 students. More than 13 Bay Area companies. One day at Levi's® Stadium.
A Day of Doing
The idea was simple: students should learn by doing. Every table on the expo floor gave them something to pick up, measure, or build.
A panel of tradespeople talked about how they got their start. Keynote speaker Letitia Hanke shared her remarkable story. Sourdough Sam and the 49ers drumline made sure nobody's energy dipped after lunch.
The 49ers Foundation put the day in context. In the heart of Silicon Valley, a lot of the talk is about AI and the tech boom, but none of that happens without infrastructure, and none of that infrastructure gets built without skilled hands.
The Partners Who Showed Up
More than 13 Bay Area companies gave up a busy workday to be there. They see these students as their future workforce. Thank you to everyone who took part, including:
A&F Electric
Bayshore Plumbers
Black Diamond Paver Stones & Landscape, Inc.
Chime Scholars Foundation
Mr. Roofing, Inc.
Paradise Pools
RK Roofing & Construction Inc.
Silicon Valley Clean Energy
What the Students Took Home
This one line from a student has stuck with our team more than anything else from the day:
"There's a lot of people, especially like me, that never got to do this opportunity until now."
That student's dad and many of their family members were carpenters and construction workers. For a lot of students in the room, Built for the Bay was the first time anyone had shown them that path as a real option: a skilled career with room to grow, and a future of their own.
We'll Be Back
Chisel is a partner to the trades: capital, technology, and community. Built for the Bay was the community part in action, putting the next generation in front of the businesses that need them.
Thank you to the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, Levi's® Stadium, every company that made the trip, and every student who picked up a tool. Thank you, Bay Area. We'll be back.
Want to take part in the next Built for the Bay, as a company, a school, or a sponsor? Get in touch.
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