Published on March 4th, 2019 | by Darren Paltrowitz
0A Look At How You Can Earn $10,000 & Other Perks By Moving To Tulsa, Oklahoma For A Year
One of the 50 largest cities in the United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma reportedly has a population of over 400,000 people. Founded well over 150 years ago, the initial success of Tulsa was based on the oil industry. However, Tulsa has become more of a “college town” over the last 10 years, not only being the site of multiple universities but also innovative and burgeoning arts and culinary scenes.
Tulsa Remote is a new project of the George Kaiser Family Foundation — “GKFF,” for short — that has been making headlines nationwide. This week the GKFF announced that it has selected over 100 remote workers to participate in Tulsa Remote program, which offers a $10,000 grant and additional benefits to eligible applicants who agree to move to and work remotely from Tulsa, Oklahoma for at least a year. The first group of participants will arrive in Tulsa as early as mid-March 2019.
Said Ken Levit, executive director of George Kaiser Family Foundation: “The magnitude of the response to the program idea has been almost overwhelming. We encountered hundreds, practically thousands, of remarkable people who were enthusiastic about moving to Tulsa and making an impact here and building out their careers and their lives.” Continued the GKFF’s Levit: “We originally expected to have a few hundred applicants and to select a few dozen. We are delighted to expand the program significantly in its first year due to the enormous interest and are looking forward to welcoming around a hundred new Tulsans, often their families as well, over the next year. We hope Tulsa proves to be an energizing and fulfilling hometown place for all of them.”
Added Aaron Bolzle, executive director of Tulsa Remote, which attracted 10,000+ applications representing all U.S. states and territories and 150+ countries: “With so many applicants, we were able to select extremely talented individuals who have a strong desire to impact the communities in which they live… It’s exciting to funnel all of their energy into the Tulsa community.”
Elizabeth Saunders, program director, chief of staff and instructor for the Innovation Acceleration Group at UC Berkeley — and also a 2019 Tulsa Remote candidate — weighed in about the program: “While $10,000 might have gotten my attention, it was the opportunity to connect to a city developing and investing in creative ways to not just attract talent but actively integrate them in to the community that compelled me to apply for Tulsa Remote… I’m excited to move to Tulsa and start building relationships with the community and other participants.”
The selected participants currently reside in more than two dozen U.S. states and are at varying points in their careers, from recent college graduates to individuals with decades of work experience. Each $10,000 grant will be distributed over the course of a year to participants; the program is fully funded by the GKFF in partnership with The City of Tulsa and other community organizations. Funding aside, Tulsa Remote program participants will also have access to regular community meet-ups and a free co-working space for the year at 36 Degrees North, Tulsa’s basecamp for entrepreneurs. More information about this innovative program can be found online at www.TulsaRemote.com.