I do think it had. Remote workers have high-paying jobs, and that income trickles out into Tulsa as they spend it. Were most proud of the fact that weve retained more than 90%, says Stewart. The theory of Tulsa Remote was that with a little enticement, remote workers would be drawn to lower living costs. This major public-private partnership to develop the citys waterfront, the fact that theres a burgeoning art scene, I think Tulsa was positioned well, not just because of its size, but because of the assets and amenities that are here that people just didnt know about previously.. When selected applicants arrive in Tulsa, they get a warm welcome. But what makes Tulsa's program unique is its focus on remote workers. The so-called superstar cities are still winning, both for in-office jobs and even for work-from-home. I was moving either way and was actually already under contract on a house. Absolutely. We created Tulsa Remote to enhance Tulsa's talented and successful workforce community by bringing diverse, bright and driven individuals to the city for community building, collaboration and networking. Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $1,475 Denver, 2 BR Avg. You have full-time remote employment or are self-employed outside of Oklahoma. I should specify it is a remote interview since I'm still stuck in Iowa currently. Tulsa's current economic base is anchored on manufacturing and aerospace. Food, housing, transport, healthcare, etc. "I suspect that they don't want to be subsidizing people who come here and would otherwise be competing for jobs with local people," said Gene Perry, a director of strategy and communications at Tulsa-based Oklahoma Policy Institute. Led by the local George Kaiser Family . Far less congestion than cities like Austin, Atlanta and Dallas. The Tulsa metro area is home to one million people, but its population growth has been slower than many other midsize cities in recent years. Yes, the program involves cutting checks to mostly well-educated, well-paid knowledge workers. Who is the ideal candidate for this program? They do ask about your salary, so dont let that catch you off guard. This was our first time doing a road trip this long. The Tulsa Remote program opened to applicants in November 2018. So if you have a business or a business idea supported by technology or is technology-enabled, then apply to this program as well. This is an important part of the local economic development strategy, and the fact that it was designed and backed by a key local institution, in partnership with other local stakeholders, is a big part of the battle.. We moved to Tulsa Oklahoma with Tulsa Remote! It's a model that would work well for high-income, potentially transient residents like the ones Tulsa Remote may attract who rent rather than own property. Whats counts as community involvement? Much of what our program does is remove the barriers that cause difficulties in individuals settling into a new city quickly, said Bolzle. Any advice for the interview?? People are really kind and genuinely interested in each other in Tulsa too. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The program wants to attract "talented and energetic people" to Tulsa who care about making a difference in their local community . /* Must be below squarespace-headers */(function(){var e='ontouchstart'in window||navigator.msMaxTouchPoints;var t=document.documentElement;if(!e&&t){t.className=t.className.replace(/touch-styles/,'')}})(). Are there any age restrictions to apply for the Tulsa Remote program? Oklahoma is one of the very few states whose cities rely entirely on sales tax for the government operating costs, said Perry. Ask about their family and engage in the excitement about relocating to Tulsa! But what makes Tulsa's program unique is its focus on remote workers. With community workshops, art showings, local fabrication spaces and unique shops, the opportunities to express yourself are endless. You are 18+ years old. Often, this is referred to as working from home or telecommuting.. I do think it had potential to happen.. Space to run, play, climb and slide. In order to be eligible, applicants currently must reside outside of Oklahoma, be 18 years of age or older and can work and live in the United States. / CBS News. We'd love to get you the information and resources you need to take the leap to move to Tulsa. And they estimate every dollar spent on the program creates $13 in economic activity. Nov 14-Notified of semi-finalist status, scheduled interview for Nov 26th via calendly. Sen & I live in Downtown Tulsa, where we can walk to most places. Claire Tomm decided to apply to Tulsa Remote after hearing about it from a friend whod participated. Last September, A Gathering Place came into fruition as an inclusive riverfront parkwith a childrens adventure playground, a skate park, restaurants and gathering spots. No. And as effective as the GKFFs $10,000 stipends have been, its not sustainable to get in a bidding war with other cities to lure workers. Fast Company & Inc 2023 Mansueto Ventures, LLC, Tulsa paid people $10k to move there and work remotely. Aside from the $10,000 disbursed as a house down payment or over time Tulsa Remote members also get assistance with house hunting, access to co-working spaces and weekly social and . Three months after the move, Tomm switched jobs; she now works for a company in Michigan as a UX and design consultant. For more information, please see our Tulsa Remote is an incentive program offering $10,000 to out-of-state remote workers who move to Oklahoma. We saw more and more of those members stay beyond their two years of service, he says. I'd be interested to know who you interviewed with, the kinds of questions they and you asked. I had my semi finalist interview last Thursday. Video interviews are conducted with each finalist selected. Tulsa has unique neighborhoods, a nationally-recognized food scene, world-class music and theatre venues, and one of the best park systems in the country. "Anything they buy in the city, that's helping our economy and tax base," Perry said. Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $2,449 LA, 2 BR Avg. But there are outstanding questions about the program, too.. Should I mention that or instead say that I am thinking about moving to Tulsa but not 100% yet. Individuals must be at least 18 years of age to apply. We didn't want to take any of the large furniture to Tulsa since we thought it might just be a one-year thing. The question is whether Tulsa can continue to attract remote workers when it has to compete with, say, Wichita, Kansas or Omaha, Nebraska. Here are some details of our move and our experience with the program and the city. Its been almost a year since Sen and I moved to Tulsa from Los Angeles, and I am glad to report that we love it here! While the Oklahoma state population has increased 14 percent since 2000, Tulsa's population growth has been sluggish, according to Census data. Dont tell them youre going to move either way lol. And theyre encouraged to get to know the people in their neighborhood and become involved within their communities. To analyze Tulsa Remote, Choudhury surveyed workers who moved as part of the program and compared them to two similar cohorts: those who applied to the program but werent accepted, and those who applied and were accepted but werent able to complete the move for idiosyncratic reasons (like a family member getting sick). !function(c,h,i,m,p){m=c.createElement(h),p=c.getElementsByTagName(h)[0],m.async=1,m.src=i,p.parentNode.insertBefore(m,p)}(document,"script","https://chimpstatic.com/mcjs-connected/js/users/e2a1c94371de8d9fbce37f174/c1afc46532954c025b953796f.js"); Winter is chilly with chances of snow (and winter storm). Either because we all are remote workers or moved away from our home towns, etc. In July, she and her husband bought a house. This includes: currently working with a realtor, in escrow, about to close on your home, have closed on your home, have already purchased a property in Oklahoma, or have signed a lease prior to completing your background check and being formally accepted into the program. Tulsa Remote helped welcome and connect us to the city from the day we arrived. Nationally-recognized restaurants meet local Tulsa flair. Need some desk space to get things done? This means we will be spending at least another year in Tulsa and will be growing our company here in the city. The city is also aiming to become one of the country's largest technology and business hubs. Our mission has always been to attract talented and diverse individuals from across the country to Tulsa and get them connected to the existing community, said Tulsa Remote Executive Director Aaron Bolzle. Gathering Place, Tulsa's 66-acre riverfront park, offers out-of-this-world play structures (plus bar and lounge space for those of us too big for the banana slide). The first step is to apply for Tulsa Remotehere. Those selected for the program must live within Tulsa city limits. The interview process in order to be considered for the grant is fairly standard . Though Remoters have higher paying jobs than the average Tulsa resident, they roughly mirror the citys racial makeup. $10,000 (either via monthly stipends or lump sum if you purchase a home in Tulsa), Opportunity to meet like-minded individuals through the Tulsa Remote community. We've traveled to Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, and Texas and stopped in 16 cities (not counting cities we've visited before moving to Tulsa). If you take the relative anonymity of living in a city like New York or San Francisco, and contrast that with the Tulsa Remote experimentof a place rolling out the red carpet for you and saying in monetary, and more importantly, non monetary ways, how much they value youpeople feel good about that, adds Fikri. Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $1,500 Chicago, 2 BR Avg. Psst: Our $10,000 grant can now be received as a lump sum upon the purchase of a home! Since its founding in 2018, Tulsa Remote has brought nearly 1,300 remote workers to town, and a new study suggests that the investment is paying off. In a recent study, Prithwiraj Choudhury, a professor at Harvard Business School who studies remote work, found that Tulsa Remoters have higher real incomes (after accounting for living costs) than they did before the move likely driven in large part by cheaper housing. With incredibly diverse cuisine, you can't find food this delicious, at prices this affordable, anywhere else. Thats especially true when the program involves attracting outsiders. Tulsa is seeking digital nomads to put their roots down here. Tulsa Remote is a unique recruitment initiative aimed at attracting talented individuals to Tulsa. EIG released another study of remote work. Grab your laptop and take a break with dozens of choices around town. Any individual who is able to work remotely may apply. On top of the cash subsidies, the program, dubbed "Tulsa Remote," comes with a free membership to 36 Degrees North, a. , found that Tulsa Remoters have higher real incomes (after accounting for living costs) than they did before the move likely driven in large part by cheaper housing. If selected for the program, do I have to live in Tulsa? Its a grant of $10,000 over the span of a year plus some other perks. The George Kaiser Family Foundation is funding the program in its entirety and expects to spend somewhere between $250,00 to $500,000 in 2019 on 20 to 25 program recipients, but there's no hard limit to how many the program will welcome. To be considered for the Tulsa Remote program, we ask that applicants meet all four eligibility requirements: You can move to Tulsa within the next 12 months. Tomm now volunteers for a tutoring program called Reading Partners. It is intended for individuals who are already employed outside of Oklahoma and are able to keep their position when relocating to Tulsa. Tulsa is seeking digital nomads to put their roots down here. I got an email asking for a background check and income verification about two weeks after. The median family income was about 80 percent of the national average, according to the study. Google Analytics Browse curated job listings at Tulsa based companies. (this is my favorite! Are there evens or weekly/monthly meetings for the cohort? There are lots of smaller cities that can offer inexpensive housing. This all happened between Mid October to Early November 2020. He adds Tulsa Remotes success is partially owed to the appeal of the city itself, which he describes as a hidden gem, as well as other redevelopment efforts that have been undertaken in recent years. They want to know how you would integrate into Tulsa, what your skills are and to learn more about your personality. No. to the local community at least when housing costs dont rise enough to cancel out those benefits. We'll chat online and then meet in person to see if we're a match. We have a couple of trips out of Oklahoma in the pipeline, so stay tuned for more on that. What should I prepare for? In September 2022, EIG released another study of remote work, this one reporting which cities had the highest share of work done from home. His work at Tulsas Equality Center led to an additional part-time job and helped him meet more members of the community. LET THEM ENTICE YOU WITH THAT GRANT. During the first nine months we've been in the city, we have already: Joined the state-approved incubator at 36 Degrees North. Perry spoke with CBS News in a telephone interview Wednesday. You are not eligible for the program if youre in process of buying a home or renting an apartment. Which makes most of us super open to meeting new people and new like-minded friends. gtag('js', new Date()); In 2019, Tulsa Remote participants ages ranged from 22 to 64. , and it has a smaller share of residents with a college degree than the U.S. as a whole.