TULSA, Okla. — A workspace in downtown Tulsa designed for small business owners and entrepreneurs touts what it calls a massive milestone.
36 Degrees North announced Friday that in just its first five years, its member companies generated $859.9 million in impact on the local economy.
“I think the most important thing though that we’ve seen year over year over year has been the growth in the sales of these companies, and the growth in the investment of these companies," CEO Devon Laney told 2 News Oklahoma. "Both of those numbers in 2022 were record numbers.”
One of those companies is Zero Health, a low-cost healthcare alternative founded by native Tulsan Jim Millaway.
“We couldn’t be happier with what exists within this community," Millaway said. "We owe them an incredible debt of gratitude for what they’ve done to really turbo-boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”
In its first three years, 36 Degrees North reported 420 members representing more than 200 businesses in more than 40 industries.
In 2022 alone the numbers doubled, according to its annual impact report.
Laney said that’s no coincidence, and that it spells a bright future for Green Country as a whole.
“We’re seeing them move from other communities, peer communities, to come to Tulsa because of the ecosystem, because of the partnerships and because of the support system that’s in place here," Laney said. "They think, ‘if I’m gonna grow a business, Tulsa’s a great place to do it. Why shouldn’t I come to Tulsa?’ and the numbers speak to that.”
Laney also boasts strong diversity in the group’s members across its three downtown locations and online.
42% of members last year were Black, indigenous, or people of color and almost half of members were women.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
