Recognizing that the jobs of the future are rooted in a thriving innovation economy, Tulsa Innovation Labs LLC (TIL) was founded to develop a city-wide strategy that positions Tulsa as a tech hub and leader in the future of work.
Through a diverse coalition of public and private partners, led by George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), TIL is creating economic development programs that seek to make Tulsa the nation’s most inclusive tech community.
TIL was founded to bring strategic focus to Tulsa’s economic development activities with a data-driven approach. We have worked with global consulting firm McKinsey & Company to identify specific tech clusters with high-growth opportunities.
Big things require a shared vision and collective action. We involve industry leaders in each phase of our work to ensure that programs meet business needs and match entrepreneurs, students, and jobseekers with opportunities to succeed.
To position Tulsa as a tech hub and leader in the future of work, TIL will deploy capital through high-impact economic development programs, targeted at specific industries.
To create long-term and sustainable opportunities for Tulsans, TIL focuses on growing from the inside out by building local capacity and developing local talent.
We make the business case for inclusivity and diversity in our tech community. TIL’s programs build bridges to all of Tulsa’s neighborhoods, opening up new sources of talent and innovation that will benefit the entire ecosystem.
Jan – Jun 2020
TIL explored several tech clusters to identify the best opportunities for Tulsa’s long-term economic future, ultimately landing on the following focus areas:
Jun – Dec 2020
In close collaboration with key stakeholders, we will translate our industry analyses into a suite of new programming. These high-impact programs will be curated to catalyze growth in priority industries and will:
Jan – Dec 2020
We are seeking to build partnerships with a variety of companies and organizations who can benefit, operate, or support our programs and add value to the Tulsa ecosystem, such as:
Opened in January 2020, the Holberton School is an intensive two-year coding academy that, at scale, will graduate 500 software engineers each year at its Tulsa campus. Through income share agreements, students do not pay up-front tuition and are incentivized to work in Tulsa upon graduation.
Learn MoreThe fellowship is a collaboration between the University of Tulsa’s renowned cyber program and Team8, a Tel Aviv-based cyber venture creation firm. The fellowship supports 10 PhD students each year, with the aim of developing academic research into new cyber-related companies. The inaugural cohort begins September 2020.
Learn MoreTulsa is a blue sky of opportunity for anyone looking to start up a company or access quality tech talent. The city’s tech scene is young and there is a significant amount of capital eager to invest in groundbreaking work. Now is the time to become involved, while the city is on the ascent and looking to launch big projects with transformative impact.
Tulsa has many of the ingredients needed to become a tech hub. Tulsa is a growing hotspot for tech startups, small businesses, and nonprofits and is anchored by leading aviation, cyber, energy, and healthcare companies. As innovation moves more into America’s heartland, Tulsa is positioned for success.
Hear what others are saying about Tulsa:
Forbes: The 10 Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs
Inc.: The 50 Best U.S. Cities for Starting a Business in 2020
USA Today: The Best US Cities for Small Businesses
Tripadvisor: Top 25 Emerging Destinations in the World (only U.S. city to make the list)
Building an inclusive tech community requires broad-based support, and we want to work with all who are interested. There will be many ways to benefit and contribute, especially as we establish a full suite of programs.