Get Involved

We're shaping the future of industry in the Tulsa region, but our potential isn't complete without you.

We are a tech-led economic development organization securing Tulsa’s leadership in industries of the future and ensuring Tulsa remains a vibrant and influential hub of job creation and community engagement. Find out how you fit in.

How We Work

We connect resources, people & ideas

Tulsa is ready to be a global hub for advanced technology. Regional expertise in key industries, including aerospace and defense, energy, and manufacturing give us substantial advantages, and we are joining with partners across industries to leverage the resulting investment and capabilities to create thriving industries, jobs, and opportunities.

Capital

Connections

Contracts

Solutions

Resources

Leaders

Developers

Entrepreneurs

Engineers

People

Aerospace

Manufacturing

Energy

Defense

Ideas

Who We Are

Our Bold Vision

The Tulsa region has all the ingredients for a world-class innovation hub. At Tulsa Innovation Labs, we are taking big swings to make sure that our industries and communities thrive today and in the future. If you have the same vision, we want to find out how you fit in.

Be part of transforming possibilities into realities
How To Get Involved

We get you here

Whether you are a startup, an established business, an institution of higher learning, or a leader in the community, we get you here. Our partners make our work possible.
 Learn how you can be a part of it. Connect with one of our team members dedicated to partnerships and outreach. They’ll help get you where you need to be, which is right here.

Tulsa Innovation Labs

For Local and National Businesses

We expand funding options for new and existing businesses, deepen commercialization pathways, create employer-driven workforce development programs, and identify innovation areas to scale new technology in legacy industries.

Connect with Clay
Tulsa Innovation Labs

For Higher Education Institutions

We build workforce development programs that prepare talent for the jobs of tomorrow by aligning training with industry needs and incorporating non-traditional providers and pathways.

Connect with Simba
Tulsa Innovation Labs

For Community Organizations

We help align shared goals and resources across partner organizations to maximize regional impact and promote excitement in our community for Tulsa’s future.

Connect with Abisoye
Tulsa Innovation Labs

For Government Entities

We promote American innovation and national security, and partner with government entities to understand the impacts of policy, funding and contracts. Our work grows the innovation-driven economy in the heartland, bringing new jobs and revitalizing our communities.

Connect with Chase
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For Government Entities

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For Community Organizations

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For Higher Education Institutions

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For Local and National Businesses

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Simba Gandari

For Higher Education Institutions

As director of higher education relationships, Simba works with our local education providers to explore innovative ways to train the talent of tomorrow. Simba brings more than a decade of experience in education, nonprofits and corporate social responsibility to the team. His most recent role with Harvard's Project on Workforce included a research project on the use of technology and labor market information in Community Colleges. A proud alum of Piedmont Technical College, Simba is a mover and shaker with a wealth of experience ready to serve the Tulsa community.

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Malichi Blankenship

For Capital + Entrepreneurship

As director of capital and entrepreneurship, Malachi oversees our programs and initiatives that support a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. Malachi is a seasoned founder, investor and managing partner at ACT House and ACT Ventures, where he’s helped raise over $5M to support founders. With a focus on SaaS, digital health and more, he’s worked across Oklahoma’s startup ecosystem—from investing at i2E to co-founding a hospitality tech startup. He holds a degree and MBA from The University of Tulsa and is an active angel investor, community volunteer and mentor.

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Shanese Slaton

For Place + Infrastructure

As director of place and infrastructure, Shanese oversees our work with partners in the realm of physical assets, traditional infrastructure and innovation-focused facilities that drive growth in our region. Prior to joining TIL, Shanese was the State Manager of Community Relations at Oklahoma Natural Gas, building relationships within communities and supporting local nonprofits. She has managed projects for 36 Degrees North, Mother Road Market, and MidAmerica Industrial Park, focusing on community engagement and space activation. Shanese is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and serves on the boards of River Parks Authority, NAIOP, and First Tee of Tulsa.

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Marybeth Dewitt

Head of Operations

MaryBeth is the Head of Operations at Tulsa Innovation Labs. A change agent with more than 25 years of experience as a strategy and operations executive, MaryBeth has been integral to business initiatives that have resulted in significant revenue increases and operational efficiencies in both for-profit and non-profit environments. She has led multimillion dollar portfolios, utilizing her business expertise to launch new business startups in global environments. Before joining Tulsa Innovation Labs, MaryBeth worked as director of special projects for inTulsa, a non-profit dedicated to creating access to careers for Tulsans. MaryBeth holds a master’s degree of business administration from The University of Tulsa.

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Louie Napoleone

For Local Businesses

As director of local business relationships, Louie helps us engage local corporations and businesses to expand our partnerships in capital, entrepreneurship, talent, workforce, and infrastructure. Louie brings more than a decade of experience and a dynamic background in business, economic development, and strategic storytelling to the team. Working across various industries, he is adept in building and fostering strong relationships with diverse stakeholders. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York.

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John McDonald

Head of Strategy & Initiatives

John is the Head of Strategy & Initiatives at Tulsa Innovation Labs, responsible for overseeing all strategic engagements, partnerships and programs that the organization works on. He has more than 30 years of experience as an organization builder and entrepreneur. Before joining Tulsa Innovation Labs, he helped create and served as the managing entrepreneur of NEXT Studios, one of America’s first Benefit (B) Corporation innovation studios. He was founder and CEO of ClearObject, the fastest-growing technology company in Indiana for five years in a row, which successfully exited to private equity in 2019. Prior to that, John served as CEO of Chicago-based startup CloudOne, and at IBM he led technical sales for their software development tools product line. He is a native of Indianapolis and holds degrees in software development and computer information technology from Purdue University.

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Jennifer Hankins

Managing Director

Jenn is the managing director of Tulsa Innovation Labs. She joined the founding TIL team in January 2020 and brings more than 10 years of direct economic development experience to the organization. Working to convene stakeholders across multiple industries, she is responsible for setting TIL’s strategic direction, organizational mission, and most importantly, is responsible for leading a dynamic and high-performing team and the broad portfolio of work currently underway. Prior to joining Tulsa Innovation Labs, Jennifer was the vice president of Entrepreneurship and Small Business at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, where she helped grow the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem and managed the Chamber’s business incubator for high-growth startups. Jennifer also served as manager of business retention and expansion on the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development team. Prior to her time in Oklahoma, Jennifer worked in the Kansas City region for the Wyandotte Economic Development Council as investor relations coordinator and for Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph as development manager. She is a native of Kansas City, Missouri and holds a Bachelor of Political Science degree from Oklahoma State University.

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Lawrence Ganti

For Workforce + Talent

As director of workforce and talent and leader of the workforce intermediary, Lawrence oversees our efforts to build a regional talent pipeline driven by direct employer feedback and data. Lawrence is a senior operator with 30 years of experience leading organizations across the globe through transformations, transitions, and scale-ups. He has been a divisional CEO for Merck, where he led a team of 6,000 employees to deliver more than $2.5b in revenues. He has held leadership roles in Sales, Marketing, and Manufacturing with additional direct oversight for Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology. Lawrence has also been the CEO of multiple start-ups across Advanced Manufacturing, Cyber-AI Software, and Agri-Tech. As the President of SiO2 Material Science, he led the scale up of 5 automated manufacturing sites under the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed Initiative, deploying $250 million of US Department of Defense funding for Covid-19 response. Throughout his career, Lawrence has raised over $1.2 billion from Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Government Grants. He has lived and run organizations in North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. Lawrence is the Entrepreneurial Leader in Residence at the World’s Leading educator for entrepreneurship – Babson College and is a Lead Mentor at Techstars and a Mentor at Endeavor. Lawrence calls Tulsa his home, where he aims to be a connector and facilitator in developing Tulsa into a future hub for Autonomous Systems, Cyber Security, Energy Tech, and Advanced Manufacturing.

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Chase Beasley

For Government Entities

As director of government affairs, Chase leads efforts to align public policy, economic development, and industry partnerships to position Tulsa as a hub for innovation and emerging technologies. With nearly a decade of experience in aerospace, workforce development, and government relations—including key roles at American Airlines—Chase has been instrumental in shaping policies that support workforce growth and economic expansion. He holds an Executive MBA in Aerospace and Defense and a BBA in Economics, Finance, and Energy Management from the University of Oklahoma.

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Abisoye Ajayi

For Community Organizations

As director of community relationships, Abisoye leads outreach and collaboration with key community partners ranging from nonprofits and associations to K-12 organizations and special interest groups. Abisoye is a visionary leader who has dedicated her career to driving social innovation and digital inclusion in communities. She brings over a decade of experience in creating opportunities for underserved communities, and her innovative approach to economic and social development has established her as a recognized trailblazer in technology-driven transformation. Abisoye founded Pearls Africa Foundation, pioneering one of the region's first tech boot camps focused on empowering young girls and women. Under her leadership, the foundation has transformed lives through technology education, hands-on projects, and collaborative learning experiences. Her strategic acumen in building partnerships with US consulates, government bodies, financial institutions, and UN agencies significantly amplified the foundation's reach, and highlights her ability to forge strategic partnerships to achieve aligned goals.

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