launch, bringing more opportunity to grow the area’s technology workforce. ENTREPRENEUR SURVEY John Steinbeck said “...to find where you are going, you must know where you are.” That was the goal of the inaugural Oklahoma City Startup Census completed this year. This first count provided initial benchmarks in OKC’s overall performance and illustrated factors that influence the area’s ability to meet its desired goal as a top entrepreneurial destination. The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber partnered with the University of Oklahoma’s Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth (I-CCEW) to prepare the assessment that will guide city leaders in fostering a growing entrepreneurial economy into the future. The Startup Census included responses from 126 regional startups. The survey is planned annually so city leadership can track improvement and spot gaps in resources. The census provides a better understanding of what type of businesses have been launched, who is founding them and how they are funded. Studying the emerging trends from this survey will spark new initiatives, give direction to future programming, and catalyze involvement in building an ecosystem where Oklahoma City’s entrepreneurs can grow and thrive. The survey revealed two major gaps for the community to focus on helping continue Oklahoma City’s momentum as an entrepreneurial hub: access to capital and the need for an inclusive environment for founders from more diverse backgrounds. CROWDLENDING PROGRAM PROVIDES VITAL STARTUP DOLLARS Providing access to capital for underserved small businesses is the goal of a new program being created in a partnership between the City of Oklahoma City, Progress OKC and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Oklahoma City’s participation was facilitated through the National League of Cities’ City Innovation Ecosystems program. Oklahoma City has joined a cohort of 30 other cities to address 10 issues of innovation, with each city choosing to execute one program that would make a difference to their ecosystem.
The Oklahoma City Startup Census showed that access to first capital is difficult. A micro-lending program can get a great idea over this significant hurdle. Kiva U.S. was chosen as the platform best suited for OKC’s needs. Kiva U.S. is an international nonprofit that has been facilitating crowdlending for 15 years internationally, and for five years in the U.S. The organization has users who have lent more than $2 million to other small businesses. Kiva U.S. provides the program and platform. Local management of the program – called the Kiva Hub – will be executed by Progress OKC, a local community development corporation. They will facilitate crowdlending, provide professional management of the OKC effort and market the program locally. All loans on Kiva are matched, and the City of Oklahoma City committed $100,000 to start Oklahoma City’s matching fund, along with funds for administrating the program. The Inasmuch Foundation also made a two-year $100,000 commitment to the project and the Oklahoma City Black Justice Fund of the Arnall Foundation committed another $15,000.
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The Greater Oklahoma City region’s growth is dependent on two critical factors: a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and a continued infusion of human capital. The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber is focused on both of these fronts with a program that doesn’t just contemplate one avenue for talent development but recognizes the need for stronger home-grown talent, as well as finding new ways to support and grow new companies. CONNECTING RESOURCES AND ENTREPRENEURS The Chamber and Francis Tuttle Technology Center partnered in 2020 to bring Startup Space’s Launch OKC Metro app to the city’s growing entrepreneurial community. The Launch OKC Metro platform is helping connect entrepreneurs with those resources that will give them a better chance at sustained success. Launch Metro OKC went live in August and was built to service every aspect of the entrepreneur ecosystem. Users can find everything from educational content, connections with mentors, community discussions, events calendars and a lot more. One of the most appealing aspects of Launch Metro OKC is that it is absolutely free to users. Users can access it through a mobile app or on a desktop via Startup Space.
CULTIVATING CODERS The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber launched a pilot program over the summer to help area students have an opportunity to learn the important skill of computer coding. The free eight-week virtual training camp for students from ages15-18 was presented by Cultivating Coders for students at Millwood Public Schools and Metro Tech Academy’s Springlake campus. Cultivating Coders is a New Mexico-based organization that works with low-income and underserved populations. For the camp, students were given a laptop to participate in the program where they learned web application development fundamentals and technical training. Rural Sourcing, an Atlanta-based company with a developmental center in Oklahoma City, partnered with the Chamber in bringing Cultivating Coders to the OKC market and plans to serve as a hiring partner for graduates of the program. Camp graduates could be at the start of a career path that’s filled with opportunities for the students. Software developer positions are expected to increase 21% by 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Following the pilot in the summer, a second class for young adults was planned for a January 2021
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