I'm a travel blogger, and photographer, recently moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Los Angeles, California with my husband Sen, our cat Shadow, and dog Lumi. Perry spoke with CBS News in a telephone interview Wednesday. , and it has a smaller share of residents with a college degree than the U.S. as a whole. Since 2018, nearly 1,300 talented individuals have joined our ranks, found "home" in Tulsa, and are helping shape one of America's greatest cities. So while I thought there would be more than one interview, it doesnt seem like it, unless visiting is mandatory with an in person interview happening at that time. I applied the day after apps opened and haven't heard back :( will email them. I did not get accepted because I already had plans to move to Tulsa. Nov 14-Notified of semi-finalist status, scheduled interview for Nov 26th via calendly. Just in case anyone is planning on applying: DO NOT TELL THEM YOU ARE OR HAVE PLANS TO MOVE TO TULSA. Absolutely. 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. Bynum addresses attendees at an event tied to the Tulsa Remote program. We've been featured in "My wife and I were looking for a place to raise our son and Tulsa has been a great fit for our family. I remember seeing programs like this a few years back and thought it would be an incredible life experience. Although the groups arent exactly comparable, the idea was that the differences between them provide decent estimates of how Tulsa Remote has affected those involved. They received nearly that many in one day with inquiries from more than 200 countries and . 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 following steps are to check out the city either in person or virtually (I recommend you to check out the city in person for a full experience) and make your final decision if you want to make the move. Tulsa Remote is intended for individuals who reside outside of Oklahoma at the time of application. Tulsa also has a significantly lower cost of living than Los Angeles, so we can focus on our business Evolusenand our passion fortravel photography. . Thats especially true when the program involves attracting outsiders. Born in Rochester, and raised and educated in North Carolina, shes also lived in Atlanta, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. 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. In partnership with the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which is footing the bill, Oklahoma's second-largest city announced an incentive package targeting remote workers to relocate to Tulsa. According to a report published by the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), for every dollar spent on the relocation incentive, $13.77 was generated in local labor income. Hopefully those who come across this post will have better luck. Can I still apply if I just recently moved to Tulsa? Don't just take our word for it. Tulsa offering $10,000 for people to move there - Axios But what makes Tulsa's program unique is its focus on remote workers. They would recommend coming to Tulsa to visit and see if its a good fit before accepting. With Tulsa Remote you get a built-in community, instead of coming here on my own, which was kind of intimidating, says Law. Tulsa Remote Frequently Asked Questions 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 success of local economic development programs requires bridge-building across communities within a city and the involvement of local residents in the planning process. Wear some pants and always make direct eye contact!! This was a program that was right-sized and designed to fill a lot of those gaps, and then scaled in such a way as to have a significant impact on an economy of the size of the Tulsa metro.. Part of the reason why the program has proven so successful is that remote workers in big cities often struggle to find a sense of community. We mailed many items that were not fragile, like cloth, bedding, etc., fit everything else plus our cat and dog into our SUV, and started our trip to Tulsa. The interview process in order to be considered for the grant is fairly standard . Today I have my interview with the Tulsa Remote Program which was one of my selling points for moving to Tulsa. Some of Tulsa's most prominent updates are visible in the city's aesthetics and infrastructure: In the past 10 years, a mix of public and private dollars has helped build the sprawling $465. and our New Incentive Programs for Remote Workers in Bentonville, Tulsa and The program brings remote workers and digital nomads to the community by providing $10,000 grants and numerous community-building opportunities. It was intriguing to see how Black entrepreneurs were building back up Tulsa, as a Black entrepreneur and founder myself, says Law, who was invited to be one of 842 members of Tulsa Remotes 2021 cohort. h._hjSettings={hjid:1812585,hjsv:6}; to the local community at least when housing costs dont rise enough to cancel out those benefits. Parking is plentiful (and widely free!). 36 Degrees North, a dynamic coworking space in Downtown Tulsa, provides a place to get work done and collaborate with other local entrepreneurs and remote workers. If selected for the program, do I have to live downtown? Check out the Visit Tulsa page of our website. "This is about getting people to move to Tulsa," said Matt Fabian, a partner at Massachusetts-based Municipal Market Analytic, in a telephone interview with CBS News on Wednesday. We'll chat online and then meet in person to see if we're a match. (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){ After the pandemic I knew I wasnt going to go back to California, so I was in limbo looking for that next place to call a home base, she says. 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. In my hometown in Wilkinsburg, [part of the Pittsburgh metro area], there were a lot of promises made that the recruitment of tech talent would impact other places besides the city [of Pittsburgh], he said in an interview. We didn't want to take any of the large furniture to Tulsa since we thought it might just be a one-year thing. As a result, Lettieri says Tulsa hasnt suffered from many of the negative consequences associated with a rush of new, well-paid residents, such as a spike in housing prices and rising cost of living. This all happened between Mid October to Early November 2020. 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.. Tomms experience is not unusual. All Rights Reserved. Once youve been accepted into the program and completed the required verification steps, youll receive information about the option to join us in Tulsa for a self-guided or hosted visit. Ive never been to Tulsa and want to visit before I make the move. LET THEM ENTICE YOU WITH THAT GRANT. Were most proud of the fact that weve retained more than 90%, says Stewart. And by attracting remote workers, Tulsa could bring in new residents and income and even plant the seeds of its own knowledge sector. Each community is unique, and has to have a unique set of data that theyre monitoring and working through regularly, says Ben Stewart, the senior program officer at the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which designed and funded the Tulsa Remote program. 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. For applicants that need to transition to remote work from a non-remote position, Tulsa Remote may require confirmation that they are able to work remotely. Much of what our program does is remove the barriers that cause difficulties in individuals settling into a new city quickly, said Bolzle. Bee Law has called many corners of the United States home. Getting to see more of the country is one of our goals for 2021 and beyond. The City of Tulsa and other community organizations lend their support to ensure program participants are fully immersed and engaged in the community. What are some interview tips? Hi, 32-Levels. Did you visit Tulsa? Creatives mold the vibrant culture in Tulsa. Tulsa Remote is intended for individualswho reside outside of Oklahoma at the time of application. The Tulsa Remote program started in 2018, and its core activity is the attraction of talented individuals to Tulsa (Oklahoma) via providing a financial incentive of $10,000 for remote. Tomm and her husband had decided their family needed a change after some personal tragedies. Whats counts as community involvement? When is the earliest people are accepted to move to Tulsa? Tulsa Remote is a case study in how remote work can shift economic development, and it paints a hopeful picture for smaller cities. Yes. Benefits: $10,000 (either via monthly stipends or lump sum if you purchase a home in Tulsa) A free co-working space for three years Exclusive events in Tulsa American Airlines is the city's biggest employer, accounting for 7,000 jobs at its global maintenance and engineering facility, according to a 2017 report from Moody's Investors Service. A chance to 'establish roots' in the community - Fortune The conversation was short and easy. The participants report no decrease in productivity since moving. Not a week goes by without hearing from one city thats thinking of this, everyone from Alaska to Hawaii to Georgia to New York State, he says. We submitted our application for the apartment, put down a deposit, and moved in Mid-May 2021. Remote workers tend to be well paid; theyre in white collar digital and professional occupations, generally speaking, and those tend to come with pretty high salaries, explains Kenan Fikri, EIGs research director. I asked about the next steps, and was told they meet to talk about how many spots are left and decide yes or no on those interviewed for the week. We'll give you some money to help with relocation expenses, a monthly stipend to keep things moving and the rest when you've finished the first year. But there are outstanding questions about the program, too.. Of the nearly 800. I saw an older post in this subreddit about some folks' experience with Tulsa Remote but was wondering if anyone else could weigh in on what the interview process was like? In 2019, Tulsa Remote participants ages ranged from 22 to 64. They would recommend coming to Tulsa to visit and see if it's a good fit before accepting. Even before the pandemic, the program was having great. What are my options? Funding is currently provided by the George Kaiser Family Foundation. Who is the ideal candidate for this program? Its economy specializes in oil and gas, aerospace, and manufacturing. Psst: Our $10,000 grant can now be received as a lump sum upon the purchase of a home! So we planned for a 7-day journey making multiple stops along the way like Zion National Park, Horseshoe Bend, Shiprock, New Mexico, etc. While the Oklahoma state population has increased 14 percent since 2000, Tulsa's population growth has been sluggish, according to Census data. And two new studies suggest the program is working: the participants are experiencing a higher standard of living due to the citys low housing costs, and are engaged in the community. Apparently they only accept those who are interested in moving to Tulsa. Since I had a remote job at the time, we might qualify. Besides receiving much press coverage during its 2018 launch, Bolzle said Tulsa Remote has provided a significant return on investment for Tulsa. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The median home price in Tulsa is $157,20043% below the national average! Nervous about making the move? Tulsa Remote will also give you money to visit before moving, so you can see the apartments in person when you visit. The people in the community all share similar personality traits. A lot of that money stays in the local economy.. Has the arrival of remote workers benefitted the city as a whole? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. In creating Tulsa Remote, Stewart says he was inspired by Teach for America, a non-profit organization that deploys graduates from the countrys top universities to low income communities to teach for two years. I prepared like it was a job interview at some corporation. Thats the logic that leads EIGs models to estimate such a high payoff for Tulsa Remote. The Great Tulsa Remote Worker Experiment - Bloomberg Privacy Policy. During the first nine months we've been in the city, we have already: Joined the state-approved incubator at 36 Degrees North. By signing up, I give Tulsa Remote permission to send me periodic news, marketing and updates. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I am not going to lie; I was worried about safety because research says Tulsa is unsafe. Bee Law [Photo: courtesy of QuirkChat]Beyond the relocation stipend, the program also provides successful applicants with one year of free co-working space, workshops, networking events, and a range of other resources. In July, she and her husband bought a house. Life has not been the same since I first apply for TR and we can't wait to see where it will take us next! Tulsa Remote is a unique recruitment initiative aimed at attracting talented individuals to Tulsa. While we try to accept a wide variety of movers and shakers into our program, we, unfortunately, can't invite everyone. It's not the first time cities and even states have offered cash to entice would-be residents. gtag('js', new Date()); Tulsa Remote introduces these newcomers to others by partnering with local organizations to host regular events and meetups to help these newcomers get better acquainted. The researchers explain that much of the value of the program comes from ongoing contributions to the local economy, after the one-year requirement has expired. Its a win-win.. The interviewer asked a few standard questions like why I wanted to move to Tulsa, questions about my remote job, and if I had any questions or concerns about the city. I feel very a part of Tulsa now, he said. We've designed community building programming, events and meetups to help you engage with the organizations, local nonprofits and individuals that are working to make Tulsa the best it can be. Tulsa was categorized by McKinsey Global Institute's recent Future of Work report as a "stable city" in the "mixed middle," described as having modest postrecession GDP and population growth, a prosperous past but uncertain future, and neither thriving . Also reason for wanting to move to Tulsa. There are even a few Tulsa Remote specials. There is no deadline at this point, but we might close the application at any time, so people should apply now, said Bolzle.