From humble beginnings to becoming a leader in precision manufacturing, the Billings discuss the challenges they’ve overcome, the values that drive their company, and how they continue to invest in people, technology, and community.

As part of our October spotlight on Oklahoma manufacturers, this episode shines a light on the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit that keeps our state moving forward.

Tune in for insights on leadership, innovation, and building a legacy in Oklahoma.

From supporting high-growth startups to creating high-paying jobs and attracting national investment, OCAST is powering scalable success across the state.

🎧 Tune in to hear how innovation is shaping Oklahoma’s next big chapter—and why it’s not optional, it’s essential.

They highlight the Oklahoma Commercialization Network (OCN) and the involvement of universities, investors, and global partners. The episode celebrates Oklahoma’s growing national and global presence, emphasizing a spirit of innovation, inclusivity, and optimism for the state’s entrepreneurial future.

Timestamps:

Introduction & Setting the Stage (00:00:00) Live from the Global Entrepreneurship Congress; overview of Oklahoma’s unique entrepreneurial ecosystem and collaboration.

Oklahoma Commercialization Network (OCEAN) Launch (00:01:27) Introduction of OCEAN, its partners, and its mission to connect founders, investors, and policymakers statewide.

Gradient’s Impact in Tulsa (00:03:30) Description of Gradient’s innovation hub, economic impact, partnerships, and support programs for entrepreneurs at all stages.

The Verge OKC’s Offerings (00:05:35) Overview of The Verge’s coworking, incubator, accelerator, and university partnerships in Oklahoma City.

Mentorship, Advisors, and University Connections (00:06:27) Discussion of mentorship, legal resources, and student involvement through university partnerships.

Community Development & Philanthropy (00:07:32) Role of foundations like Inasmuch in supporting entrepreneurship and community development in Oklahoma City.

Venture Capital & Accelerator Partners (00:08:12) List of VCs, accelerators, and financial supporters involved with Gradient and The Verge.

Acast’s Unique Role & Statewide Programs (00:09:29) Acast’s direct programs, matching grants, and STEM intern industry program for Oklahoma startups.

Expanding Talent Pipeline & Student Opportunities (00:10:42) Expansion of internship eligibility to career tech students and the importance of growing local talent.

Prototype & Manufacturing Support (00:12:06) Resources like Inventors Assistance Service and Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance for prototyping and manufacturing help.

Federal Funding & SBIR Programs (00:12:40) OK Catalyst’s support for federal SBIR awards and an example of dual-use technology commercialization.

Rural Innovation & Farm Bureau Accelerators (00:14:00) Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s rural accelerator programs and partnerships supporting rural entrepreneurs.

Venture Capital Funds & Rural Funding (00:15:08) Explanation of Oklahoma’s fund of funds, rural-specific VC, and loan programs for startups.

Resource Directories & Where to Find Help (00:16:31) Websites and directories for finding entrepreneurial resources across Oklahoma.

The Future of Innovation in Oklahoma (00:17:00) Speakers’ visions for Oklahoma’s future: AI, tech hubs, collaborative spirit, and growing national recognition.

Boomerang Oklahomans & Quality of Life (00:19:41) Return of former residents, affordable living, and new cultural and tech developments in Oklahoma.

Global & National Partnerships (00:21:22) Involvement of major brands like Microsoft and Google in Oklahoma’s innovation ecosystem.

Closing Remarks (00:21:41) Oklahoma’s bright future on the global stage; invitation to join the state’s innovation journey.

The conversation also honors pioneering founders, including those behind You Need A Budget and Next Thought. Together, they challenge misconceptions about Oklahoma, highlighting the state’s supportive, humble, and rapidly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, making an impact locally and globally.

Timestamps:

Introduction and Oklahoma Innovation Misconceptions (00:00:00) The hosts introduce themselves, the podcast, and discuss the misconception that Oklahoma lacks innovation.

Founder-First Philosophy and Unique Oklahoma Founders (00:01:04) Discussion of Brad Feld’s “founder first” approach and a prompt to highlight unique Oklahoma founders.

Cube Nexus: Organizing Spatial Data (00:01:34) Wade introduces Cube Nexus, a company that organizes spatial data for better decision-making.

AR/VR and Spatial Data Applications (00:03:01) Kristen discusses the importance of spatial data in AR/VR and how Cube Nexus addresses integration challenges.

Startup World Cup Regional and Apricot Eye (00:03:31) Kristen highlights Gradient hosting the Startup World Cup and introduces Apricot Eye, an AI-driven healthcare startup.

Apricot Eye’s Impact on Home Hospice Care (00:03:56) Details on Apricot Eye’s AI solution for home hospice, improving nurse efficiency and patient care.

Ecosystem Collaboration and Talent Development (00:06:10) Kristen describes collaboration in the Oklahoma startup ecosystem and talent development through programs like OK Coders.

Encouragement to Explore More Oklahoma Startups (00:06:41) Jennifer encourages listeners to explore more Oklahoma startups via the Innovate That podcast.

Highlighting OG Oklahoma Startups: You Need a Budget (00:07:10) Wade discusses “You Need a Budget” (YNAB), an Oklahoma-based remote-first company with a large following.

YNAB’s Growth and Remote Work Culture (00:08:13) Further details on YNAB’s growth, remote work history, and its supportive community at Gradient.

Oklahoma’s Humble OGs and Ken Parker (00:09:39) Kristen highlights Ken Parker, founder of Next Thought, as an influential but humble Oklahoma tech leader.

Ken Parker’s Community Engagement and AI in Education (00:10:10) Details on Ken Parker’s work in AI for education and his deep community involvement.

Oklahoma Humility and Closing Remarks (00:11:27) Reflection on Oklahoma’s humble culture and encouragement to discover more local startup stories.

They highlight the state’s historic inventions, community-driven support for startups, and strategic focus on sectors like energy, aviation, and life sciences. The episode showcases how collaboration between urban and rural communities, and organizations like Gradient and The Verge, are positioning Oklahoma as a welcoming, innovative hub for entrepreneurs locally and globally.

Timestamps:

Oklahoma’s Innovation Legacy (00:00:00)

Host introduces the episode, Oklahoma’s history of innovation, and notable inventions from the state.

Tulsa’s Gradient and Local Entrepreneurship (00:01:36)

Wade Dunn discusses Gradient’s historic building, Tulsa’s entrepreneurial legacy, and Oklahoma’s tech contributions.

Oklahoma City’s Community Resilience (00:03:21)

Kristen Garcia shares about The Verge’s new location, the Oklahoma City bombing’s impact, and community support for businesses.

Building Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (00:05:03)

Speakers discuss making entrepreneurship accessible, inviting diverse founders, and fostering community across Oklahoma.

Rural Entrepreneurship and Statewide Success Stories (00:06:03)

Highlighting rural innovation, statewide business growth, and examples like Sonic, QuikTrip, and Love’s.

Oklahoma’s Strategic Innovation Pillars (00:07:38)

Overview of Oklahoma’s focus areas: aviation, life sciences, and oil and gas, and their impact on the state’s economy.

Energy Innovation and Accelerator Programs (00:09:13)

Gradient’s role in energy sector innovation, accelerator programs, and Oklahoma’s unique support for energy startups.

Entrepreneurs as Global Diplomats (00:10:59)

Entrepreneurs’ global impact, success stories like Synthetics, and Oklahoma’s supportive ecosystem for tech and energy.

Conference Reflections and Global Connections (00:12:47)

Takeaways from the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, shared challenges, and the importance of entrepreneurship for communities.

Episode Wrap-Up (00:13:03)

Host summarizes key insights and closes the special edition episode.

Together, they discuss Oklahoma’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem, share insights from the global event, and address common misconceptions about innovation in their state. Highlighting collaboration, community, and global connections, the episode showcases Oklahoma’s emergence as a vibrant hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, ready to compete on the world stage.

This episode explores how Oklahoma is making waves nationally in entrepreneurship and startup support. Tune in as these leaders discuss capital access, founder momentum, and what it takes to build thriving ecosystems from the ground up.

Introduction to the Podcast and Guests (00:00:00) Hosts introduce the special episode, the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, and guests Wade Dunn and Kristin Garcia.

Gradient Innovation Hub Overview (00:00:25)

Wade Dunn describes his role and explains Gradient’s mission, facilities, and partnerships in Tulsa.

The Verge Innovation Hub Overview (00:01:01)

Kristin Garcia introduces The Verge, its services, and its role in Oklahoma City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Oklahoma at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (00:01:34)

Discussion about Oklahoma’s presence at the Congress and its comparison to global innovation ecosystems.

Reflections on Oklahoma’s Global Standing (00:01:55)

Wade shares his impressions of Oklahoma’s progress and challenges compared to other global ecosystems.

Global Entrepreneurship Week and International Connections (00:02:57)

Kristin discusses her role in Global Entrepreneurship Week and the value of international networking.

Misconceptions About Oklahoma and Innovation (00:03:46)

The hosts discuss common misconceptions about Oklahoma, using sports analogies and recent events.

Changing Perceptions Through Entrepreneurship (00:04:50)

Kristin shares experiences of representing Oklahoma at national events and surprising others with the state’s innovation.

Personal Surprises and Growth in Oklahoma (00:06:02)

Wade and Kristin reflect on their initial misconceptions and the innovative reality they discovered in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s Tech and Startup Success Stories (00:07:07)

Wade highlights the diversity and success of tech startups in Oklahoma, emphasizing their growth and impact.

Native Oklahoman’s Perspective on State’s Reputation (00:07:59)

The host shares personal experiences with outsiders’ perceptions and the opportunity to showcase Oklahoma’s broader achievements.

Founded by five engineers in Switzerland, WindShape is redefining drone testing by recreating real-world weather conditions like wind, rain, and lightning in a controlled environment—helping validate performance and safety like never before.

AJ Rosenthal joins Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell to discuss how a question from his young son led to he and business partner Warren Gieck pursuing bioInformatics and launching their company General Genomics, Inc. 

However, Water4, an Oklahoma nonprofit has made it its mission to make those statistics a thing of the past. Water 4 believes that this crisis cannot be solved with charity alone, but rather action, education, and implementation of clean water standards on the ground in these affected areas. That’s why they take the solution to the communities affected and partner with them to maintain their own clean water systems which helps to create a water infrastructure that is sustainable. And they do this with parts manufactured in Oklahoma City. 

Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell talks with CEO and President of Water 4, Matt Hangen to learn more.  Its quite a story of how a local nonprofit is using innovation to change the world and give people in other countries a chance at entrepreneurship. 

We are also happy to announce our new sponsor, The Oklahoma Business Roundtable. This great organization has partnered with OCAST to bring you this episode. Thank you for listening!