Tulsa Innovation Labs

We’re hiring at Tulsa Innovation Labs – and I’m especially excited about this opportunity! We’re looking for a?Director of Industry and Corporate Relationships?to join our team. This critical role reports directly to me and will lead our engagement with national and international corporations across our core industries—energy, advanced air mobility, and advanced manufacturing. The focus??Building high-impact partnerships?that drive capital access, workforce development, and infrastructure initiatives. Success isn’t about the quantity of relationships—it’s about the?strategic value and real-world outcomes these collaborations create for TIL and the Tulsa region. I’m searching for a?dynamic, trusted leader?who: ? Understands complex industry dynamics ? Can navigate corporate structures with ease ? Translates strategic insights into meaningful opportunities If you (or someone you know) are ready to shape the future of innovation in Tulsa, I’d love to hear from you.?Learn more and apply below: https://lnkd.in/gVpTG-SH #energy #advancedairmobility #advancedmanufacturing #economicdevelopment #aerospace

?? Building Skills for the Future: Tulsa Tech’s Advanced Mobility Program Tulsa Tech is preparing the next generation of our workforce for careers in advanced mobility with hands-on training that translates directly into real-world skills and opportunities. We’re proud to support this program, ensuring more Tulsans can access the technical training needed to step into career pathways in this growing field! Learn more about the program: https://lnkd.in/gtb9Dx5e #TulsaTechHub #AdvancedMobility #WorkforceDevelopment #TulsaInnovationLabs

Just finished up representing Tulsa Innovation Labs on a live podcast at SXSW sponsored by the Lumina Foundation and moderated by CivicLab's Dakota Pawlicki. Thanks to Alisa Miller of Pluralytics AI and Julie Schell of The University of Texas at Austin for bringing all the great insight! AI isn’t just another tool—it’s fundamentally reshaping how we learn, work, and build careers. Entry-level jobs are disappearing.?AI can handle tasks that used to be stepping stones—legal research, junior graphic design, financial analysis. Without these roles, what’s the value of a bachelor’s degree? Universities are at a crossroads.?AI-powered tutors personalize learning better than large lecture halls. If AI can teach more effectively, do we still need the traditional classroom model? The return of apprenticeships??If companies can’t rely on entry-level hires, they may need to train talent in-house—reviving something closer to the old guild system. And here’s a thought:?Everything is derivative.?AI challenges our very idea of “original work.” The knowledge in my head wasn’t there at birth—I learned it from others. If all creation builds on what came before, does “plagiarism” even make sense in the AI age? The world of education and work is shifting fast. What happens next? #SXSW #AI #HigherEd #FutureOfWork #LifelongLearning #EducationInnovation

Oklahoma startups — Are you looking to tap into national security and defense tech markets? Apply today for a two-week bootcamp in Tulsa, June 2-13, hosted by Catalyst Accelerator Colorado Springs and the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute at The University of Tulsa! The program will help position your business for success in partnering with the public sector. Cost will be subsidized for selected participants. Spots for this opportunity are limited! Apply before March 19:?https://lnkd.in/gcJ4fPTb

Thanks to the Lumina Foundation I am excited to represent Tulsa Innovation Labs at SXSW in Austin next week. Along with Alisa Miller of Pluralytics AI, Julie Schell at the The University of Texas at Austin, and Dakota Pawlicki of CivicLab, we're talking about "AI is Unable to Outpace Higher Education" - a thought provoking discussion of the impact of AI on higher education. If you're at #SXSW, join us in the audience in the Podcast Lounge at SXSW Expo in the Convention Center on March 11 at 11:30 AM Central! Film & TV, Interactive, Music, and Platinum badges all welcome. #TeamTulsa #AIStrategy #HigherEducation #Workforce #GoodJobs https://lnkd.in/gCh2pXxb

Providing actionable insights at the network level just got a lot easier in Tulsa. Last week, we had the privilege of presenting our performance management framework that will enable participants in Tulsa's tech hub to make the most of their program information. Going beyond federal reporting requirements and duplicative reporting systems, this single streamlined system will support service delivery organizations not only with compliance, but also with program improvement and story telling. Can't wait to see the work that we can do together Tyrance Billingsley II, Jamey Jacob, Laura A. Latta, Ph.D., Libby Ediger, Rose Gamble, Dave Rowland, Pete Selden, Ed.D., John Hale, Kristopher Copeland, Delia Kimbrel, David Keely, Craig Mahaney, Karen Pennington, Aaron Bean, Jessica England, MBA. In tandem with our research on Tulsa's industrial and workforce landscape, this information will identify and subsequently unlock new opportunities and avenues through which Tulsa's Tech Hub can evolve and adapt programming to industry needs while ensuring an accessible economy for Tulsa's workforce. Big shout out to Jennifer Hankins, MaryBeth DeWitt, Tiffany Henley, Caragan Tillman, John McDonald, Tori Burris, Chad Raduege, Hayden Hinchey, Jake Cronin, Gabriel Torianyk, Vincent Sanders, Kian Kamas, CEcD, Abby Merz, Richard Mitchell, Lawrence Ganti, Drew Kincius, David Tran, Malachi Blankenship, Nile Dixon, Shanese Slaton, and the countless other main characters that contribute such valuable skills and work ethic to this project. Ensuring the performance of Tech Hubs begins with building research, technology, and reporting systems through which boots-on-the-ground service delivery organizations can convert program information into insights that leadership can take specific and timely actions on. The future is bright folks, and its lit by the great work done by Tulsans, with Tulsans, for Tulsans, and supported by our nation's public agencies. Tulsa Innovation Labs

"We are not launching a new tech initiative; we are architecting the new world." Incredibly powerful and true words that capture the vision behind the Greenwood AI/AS Center of Excellence. Congratulations to Tyrance Billingsley II, Black Tech Street, and Microsoft on an inspiring community kickoff event! Tulsa’s Tech Hub will be home to a community-driven AI fluency and innovation program — setting a national standard for how AI can be integrated in society to stabilize and drive opportunity for individuals, businesses and the community at large. We’re proud to support visionary leaders like Tyrance Billingsley II as they shape the future of our city. #TulsaTechHub #AI #Innovation #BlackTechStreet

??APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED! ???? ? There's still time to apply for our upcoming Boot Camp in partnership with Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute at The University of Tulsa! We've extended the deadline until March 19th. Learn more and apply at: https://lnkd.in/giKkFWM5 Shae Thomas I Allison Boothe I Alex Webb I Dawn Conley I Catalyst Campus, Colorado Springs I David Keely I Ryan M. I Adrienne Yandell I Rose Gamble I Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute at The University of Tulsa #innovate #collaborate #techsolutions #BootCamp #CatalystAccelerator #OklahomaCyberInnovationInstitute

Investing locally to drive innovation globally ?? At the Milken Institute 2025 Finance Forum, Tulsa Innovation Labs Managing Director Jennifer Hankins represented our region on a panel about Incentivizing Investment in Innovative Critical and Emerging Technologies. The panel explored what’s working to attract tech investment and where opportunities remain. Jennifer highlights Tulsa’s success in driving innovation through public-private partnerships and coalition building around a shared vision, which has helped attract capital, accelerate emerging industries and create new economic opportunities for the region. Watch the full discussion: https://lnkd.in/gV_yVts3 #InnovationEconomy #TulsaInnovationLabs #MIGlobal #Investment

At the 2025 Finance Forum today, our "Incentivizing Investment in Innovative Critical and Emerging Technologies" panel examined what is currently working for technology investment incentivization and what more can be done.?Participants included: - Karen Kornbluh, Senior Advisor, Milken Institute - Doug Arent, Executive Director, NREL Foundation; Emeritus NREL; Distinguished Fellow, World Economic Forum; Global Fellow CGEP, Columbia University - Jennifer Hankins, Managing Director, Tulsa Innovation Labs - Jigar Shah, Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute - Maggie Switek, Senior Director, Research, Milken Institute Watch the session replay here: https://lnkd.in/gV_yVts3 #MIGlobal #Leadership #Investment #Finance