No. If selected for the program, do I have to live in Tulsa? Rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber, and delivery services such as Grubhub and DoorDash, are not considered full-time remote employment. 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. The Oklahoma city is the focal point of Tulsa Remote, a program offering a $10,000 grant and additional incentives to selected participants to move and work remotely from Tulsa for a year. From free coworking space to inspiring educational experiences, our program is designed to make you feel at home from your first day here. GKFF says it works hard to ensure that Remoters will be active in and connected to local communities, and it considers these factors when screening applicants. If anyone has any questions hit me up happy to answer. How did that go? While the monetary incentive helps put Tulsa on the map for remote workers, they believe the program has been successful in keeping them in town by providing a level of support they wouldnt enjoy elsewhere. Less like a job interview, more like a first date. Our ideal candidate is open to calling Tulsa their home long-term and meets our core eligibility requirements: Full-time remote employment or self-employed outside Oklahoma. Tulsa Mayor G.T. A lot of that money stays in the local economy.. The Tulsa Remote program opened to applicants in November 2018. Sen & I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Los Angeles, California, in May 2021 with theTulsa Remote(TR). Led by the local George Kaiser Family . We were still hesitant since we'd never even been to Oklahoma. And, perhaps most importantly, how many remote workers want to move in the first place? 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.. I do think it had. Remote workers have high-paying jobs, and that income trickles out into Tulsa as they spend it. Hopefully those who come across this post will have better luck. Heres how it worked out. Its a grant of $10,000 over the span of a year plus some other perks. Just be yourself, we are pretty nice around here despite what you might have heard. I am super curious about the program and process for those chosen to interview. Housing in Tulsa costs about one fifth the price of housing in Los Angeles or New York. One of the other biggest perks is that there is NO traffic; the worst traffic would be just a 5 minutes delay. "They need warm bodies.". No. "Tulsa is most definitely on the come up, and the opportunity to build my company here alongside an incredible community of passionate individuals has been amazing,". The program brings remote workers and digital nomads to the community by providing $10,000 grants and numerous community-building opportunities. Bynum addresses attendees at an event tied to the Tulsa Remote program. That just didnt happen. Any individual who is able to work remotely may apply. By signing up, I give Tulsa Remote permission to send me periodic news, marketing and updates. The City of Tulsa and other community organizations lend their support to ensure program participants are fully immersed and engaged in the community. So if you ask me who should apply for Tulsa Remote, I will tell you it's for those who are open to moving away from their home and making new friends. Are there any age restrictions to apply for the Tulsa Remote program? Since I had a remote job at the time, we might qualify. Thats what helped me get in, Thank you for the advice! As long as the program continues to have a positive impact on the community, we will continue it.. The so-called superstar cities are still winning, both for in-office jobs and even for work-from-home. In other words, if you get a job in Tulsa, you don't qualify for the cash. That kind of thing. With the pandemic easing, work-from-home declining, and some companies pushing for a return to the office, Tulsas main competition might not be Wichita and Omaha but New York and Chicago. 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. How Tulsa is Helping Remote Workers: An Interview with Dustin Curzon of 36 Degrees North Cobot The leading management software for coworking spaces worldwide, trusted by coworking spaces, office hubs, and flexible workspaces of all sizes to grow and manage their communities. I way overthought the interview. 2021 Tulsa Remote. But it is likely less regressive than the all-too-common strategy of cutting taxes to lure corporations. During the first nine months we've been in the city, we have already: Joined the state-approved incubator at 36 Degrees North. MailChimp Pop-up Need some desk space to get things done? All told, Tulsa Remote is estimated to have contributed $62 million in new labor income to the local economy in 2021. In Tulsa, an 8.517 percent sales tax, one of the highest in the nation, funds the city's operating budget, he explained. Good luck and when it works out for you.Congratulations and welcome to Tulsa. Tulsa Remote provides resources to help finalists discover and secure suitable housing before they move to Tulsa, including a new housing portal. Just in case anyone is planning on applying: DO NOT TELL THEM YOU ARE OR HAVE PLANS TO MOVE TO TULSA. However, what really has made Tulsa "fantastic" for me, is how well . 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. var message="Function Disabled! h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)}; We shouldnt underestimate how important the pure signaling alone is; thats certainly a big part of it, says Lettieri. Thats the logic that leads EIGs models to estimate such a high payoff for Tulsa Remote. Its economy specializes in oil and gas, aerospace, and manufacturing. The goal is to reach at least 250. and our No. I applied the day apps open and was notified yesterday I am semi finalist. And by attracting remote workers, Tulsa could bring in new residents and income and even plant the seeds of its own knowledge sector. They also have to relocate to Tulsa within a year of being accepted into the program, plus commit to living in Tulsa for at least that same amount of time. In July, she and her husband bought a house. Space to run, play, climb and slide. Tulsa is seeking digital nomads to put their roots down here. Selected as part of the inaugural cohort of Endeavor's Heartland ScaleUp. Tulsa's 30+ entertainment and residential districts offer diverse landscapes and inclusive communities for you to find the perfect place for inspiration. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Better binge watch your favorite shows before you get here. Levit expects the first cohort will touch down in Tulsa in early 2019. Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $2,248 San Diego, 2 BR Avg. 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. Launched in November 2019 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Tulsa Remote program paid out-of-state residents $10,000 to pickup and move to Tulsa. Launched in November 2018, the program aims at attracting individuals who already. In 2020, as more Americas were given the opportunity to work remotely in the wake of the pandemic, that number jumped to 50,000. In September 2022, EIG released another study of remote work, this one reporting which cities had the highest share of work done from home. 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. Those who are interested in moving to Tulsa and hold a full-time remote job based outside of Oklahoma can apply for this program. The question is whether Tulsa can continue to attract remote workers when it has to compete with, say, Wichita, Kansas or Omaha, Nebraska. Burlington, Vermont, rolled out a similar program in June and all Alaskans are eligible for payouts via the state's Permanent Reserve Fund. What was your final outcome? Last year, while researching the Tulsa Massacre, Law came across an ad for a program called Tulsa Remote, which enticed remote workers and entrepreneurs to the mid-sized Oklahoman city with a $10,000 relocation stipend. Additionally, they must be working remotely full-time or self-employed. You are not eligible for the program if youre in process of buying a home or renting an apartment. It was definitely fun to see all the sights but very troublesome with all of our stuff in the car. Sen & I've met so many interesting individuals in the Tulsa Remote community and are great friends with many of them. We'll chat online and then meet in person to see if we're a match. I feel very a part of Tulsa now, he said. Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $2,415 Portland, 2 BR Avg. Individuals from outside the U.S. are eligible to apply, so long as they are permanent residents who possess a green card. The study also found that for every two household members brought to Tulsa through the program, one new local job was created. h._hjSettings={hjid:1812585,hjsv:6}; Tulsa is not the only city that offers remote workers cash in exchange for taking up residence, but researchers warn not every city stands to enjoy the same economic benefits in return. We moved to Tulsa Oklahoma with Tulsa Remote! Over two years, about 500 people have moved to Tulsa under the program, Ben Stewart, the executive director, told me. 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. To make your move easier we've curated the best local apartments, centered around our thriving remote community at the heart of Tulsa. We finally went in mid-March 2021 and spent six days in Tulsa to check out the city and to apartment hunt. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. (To its credit, GKFF has other programs focused on poverty alleviation, racial equity, and job creation in Tulsa.). 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. Getting to see more of the country is one of our goals for 2021 and beyond. The Tulsa Remote program, however, is not necessarily the right program for all cities hoping to attract highly paid remote workers. What should I prepare for? 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. But LA is not bad in my personal experience, and I've lived there for over 20 years. I work remotely for an Oklahoma-based company. According to the study, the average annual income of program members is nearly $105,000. 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 . Anyone can schedule a Guided Tour at their convenience. As we considered why Tulsa has been successful, I think its a lot of the place-making attributes that the foundation and the city have been focussed on over the last decade or so, he says. Remote Work Program Opportunity lives in Tulsa. Jared Lindzon is a freelance journalist and public speaker born, raised and based in Toronto, Canada. "So many people share with us that they're attracted to potentially moving here, especially from people in more expensive cities," wrote Levit in an email to CBS News on Wednesday. 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.. Theyre really big on what you are able to bring to the community. Instead they received more than 10,000 in the first 90 days. 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. 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. Don't just take our word for it. The city's population was 401,800 in 2017, a 2.2 percent increase from 2000. They believe that Tulsa Remotes selection process, which intentionally seeks out talent that is needed but otherwise lacking in the city, is what ultimately drives its success. I started to get envious, she said. Tulsa Remote is a one-year program designed to attract remote workers from around the country by paying them to move to and work from Tulsa for at least 12 months. It was one of the most widely publicized bids by a city to become a hub for remote work and so far, its succeeding, according to two recent studies of the program. We've been here for almost nine months, and we've loved it so far! Multiple calls to a Tulsa spokesperson were not immediately returned. I found out that I was accepted and just needed to move within the next 12 months the following week. Born in Rochester, and raised and educated in North Carolina, shes also lived in Atlanta, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. The George Kaiser Family Foundation created the Tulsa Remote program as a way to lure tech workers from around the country to Tulsa. So any community involvement is what they want to hear. Yes. Sen & I had planned to move around the country via Airbnb (month-long stays), the plan was paused due to the pandemic, but planning and researching it is half the fun. The initiative resulted in getting than 10,000 applications from over 150 countries. The catch is that you have to work somewhere else. For more information, please see our No Right Clicks Looking for a job? On top of the cash subsidies, the program, dubbed "Tulsa Remote," comes with a free membership to 36 Degrees North, a co-working space in the city, which ordinarily charges members $149 per month or more. 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. Those selected for the program must live within Tulsa city limits. The standard answer is that knowledge-sector jobs that can be done remotely are high-paying and tend to have. Hidden Gems in Greater Palm Springs for Your Photographic Adventure! Tulsa Remote is a case study in how remote work can shift economic development, and it paints a hopeful picture for smaller cities. The Oklahoma city is the focal point of Tulsa Remote, a program offering a $10,000 grant and additional incentives to selected . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Tulsa Remote is intended for individuals who reside outside of Oklahoma at the time of application. 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). The idea is that some may eventually start their own businesses and permanently relocate to Tulsa, according to Ken Levit, executive director of the George Kaiser Family Foundation. Andre Perry, a researcher at Brookings who studies urban development and inequality, supports the basic idea of attracting knowledge workers but cautions that it doesnt always deliver. Since 2018, the Tulsa Remote program has offered remote workers moving to Tulsa $10,000 in cash, a desk at a local co-working space, and help finding housing. Tulsa Remote was estimated to add $62 million in new local earnings in 2021 $51.3 million directly attributable to relocated remote workers and $10.7 million from the employment boost . And if you're selected, you'll have to relocate to Tulsa within the calendar year. Wear some pants and always make direct eye contact!! Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $1,475 Denver, 2 BR Avg. According to a report published by the. along the same lines in 2018 and its success will ensure that it isnt the last. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Over the last four years, more than 2,000 people have moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma because of Tulsa Remote, a program sponsored by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) that pays remote workers $10,000 to move. A second analysis by the Economic Innovation Group, a think tank, estimated Tulsa Remotes effect on the citys economy using standard models of economic development. Your a Midwesterner. The theory of Tulsa Remote was that with a little enticement, remote workers would be drawn to lower living costs. Any advice for the interview?? Events relating to Tulsa Remote program extends to events to help participants get to know their [+] communities better. . Tulsa's current economic base is anchored on manufacturing and aerospace. 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. What are my options? Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $2,111 DC, 2 BR Avg. The remote workers who moved to Tulsa have a higher standard of living than they had before, theyre engaged in their new community, and most plan to stay. Simply just be yourself! Theyre also more likely to report engagement in their local community. You are 18+ years old. Grab your laptop and take a break with dozens of choices around town. I use apartments.com. 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. You have full-time remote employment or are self-employed outside of Oklahoma. Because the people in the city were super welcoming everywhere we went. It means that if you are open to making new friends or joining a new community of like-minded individuals then this is for you. It is intended for individuals who are already employed outside of Oklahoma and are able to keep their position when relocating to Tulsa. I dont think people are going to make a permanent life decision, or even a medium term one, based on a relatively small financial incentive, says Lettieri. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. $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. In the first cohort, 90% stayed past the first year. Food, housing, transport, healthcare, etc. 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.. Tulsa also has a significantly lower cost of living than Los Angeles, so we can focus on our business Evolusenand our passion fortravel photography. I haven't heard anything bad about it yet other than it's tough to get accepted. Who is the ideal candidate for this program? Our consideration for moving to Tulsa is 100% because of the Tulsa Remote Program! I got an email asking for a background check and income verification about two weeks after. But there are challenges for other cities looking to copy the model. 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. What was your example? As well as things are going so far, Tulsa Remote raises a big question that crops up in any plan to attract new companies or industries: Why not just give the money to Tulsas existing citizens? Claire Tomm decided to apply to Tulsa Remote after hearing about it from a friend whod participated. What Our Members Are Saying Tulsa has seen unparalleled investments to public space for a city of its size. We have a couple of trips out of Oklahoma in the pipeline, so stay tuned for more on that. He said yes, I applied, and the rest was history. Even so, the report is good news for Tulsa Remote, and Choudhury thinks theres a simple reason why the programs participants are more involved. Creatives mold the vibrant culture in Tulsa. Its a win-win.. It doesn't mean you have to be an extrovert since I am an introvert myself, and there are many introverts in the community. r.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+h._hjSettings.hjsv; The answer seems to be they have more time to do almost everything, he said in an interview, because they spend less time commuting. Transcript. They are spending some of that time volunteering in the local community. to the local community at least when housing costs dont rise enough to cancel out those benefits. But Tulsa Remote's backers anticipate some of the participants won't be remote workers forever. 2 BR Avg. No. But what makes Tulsa's program unique is its focus on remote workers. Thats especially true when the program involves attracting outsiders. 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. Tulsa Remote also compares favorably to one of the other staples of local development: Cutting taxes to attract companies. Recommended for you Cobot en espaol gtag('config', 'UA-115877007-1'); The interview process in order to be considered for the grant is fairly standard . 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. 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. Tulsa Remote participants were more likely to say they intend to stay where they currently live than the candidates who were accepted but didnt end up moving. Fast Company & Inc 2023 Mansueto Ventures, LLC, Tulsa paid people $10k to move there and work remotely. Google Analytics I am not going to lie; I was worried about safety because research says Tulsa is unsafe. Like others have mentioned, talk about community involvement, what youre passionate about and what you can contribute to the community. Rent - $658 Tulsa vs. $1,500 Chicago, 2 BR Avg. We are planning to live in Tulsa proper. Sen and I didn't visit Tulsa right away. This is a BETA experience. What kind of things did they ask? LET THEM ENTICE YOU WITH THAT GRANT. Individuals must be at least 18 years of age to apply. Lindzon's writing focuses on the future of work and talent as it relates to technological innovation, as well as entrepreneurship, technology, politics, sports and music. 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