Can't touch this! Bay Area's MC Hammer lends support to new Richmond business incubator

RICHMOND, Calif. (KGO) -- ABC7 News is focused on building a Better Bay Area. That including efforts to nurture ideas and innovation with small business and tech entrepreneurs. They now have a new space to create and it's all happening in downtown Richmond.

It's called COBIZ, a 9,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art co-working space and business incubator.

CEO Wesley Alexander is calling all entrepreneurs.

"A lot of great things are happening in Richmond but it's been in isolation, now people have a hub to meet other like-minded people and build on what they're doing," said Alexander.

"I'm not the star of the show tonight, Wesley is and Richmond is," said M.C. Hammer.

Recording artist turned tech entrepreneur MC Hammer is lending his support to the space. He says, when it comes to innovation, you can't touch this.

"COBIZ can be a great place for folks to come surrounded by an environment that nurtures and supports entrepreneurship," said M.C. Hammer.

Richmond Author Tamara Shiloh now has a space to record podcasts. She'll also teach classes here.

"This is going to be our little Silicon Valley in this space," said Shiloh.

The project is funded by a grant from Chevron. The mayor says this project and others are helping to revitalize downtown Richmond.

"Two or three years from now when someone asks, when did downtown Richmond turn around? You can say this is it, you were here," said Richmond Mayor Tom Butt.