June/July 2023

HOW ONE OF OKLAHOMA’S FASTEST-GROWING AND LARGEST COMPANIES BUSTED THROUGH THE BILLION-DOLLAR REVENUE MARK AND, THIS YEAR, INTRODUCED ITS FIRST GLOBAL PRODUCT.

OKC'S EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS | THE FUTURE OF VENTURE FUNDING | INFINITY CAPITAL SAILS PAST $1 BILLION

The Rise of Paycom

Twenty-five years ago, Paycom was an idea. Now, it’s an Oklahoma City billion-dollar company consistently posting double-digit annual revenue growth.

Departments

START UP

12 Insight

Growing up in the 405.

14 My Daily Media Diet with Future Point of View founding partner Scott Klososky.

16 Day in the Life with Scott Marsh, partner and director of operations at The Jones Assembly.

18 The Future of … Oklahoma’s venture capital funding.

SWEAT EQUITY

22 Small Business Sci-Lume Labs weaves a sustainable future.

24 Data Dive

Oklahoma’s unemployment numbers.

26 How I Did It

In nity Capital hits $1 billion.

EXIT STRATEGY

54 Inspirations

What inspires Teara Flagg Lander?

55 On Topic

Why is diversity, equity and inclusion important in the workforce?

56 Industry Tools

Hough’s gap prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response box.

38 Top Attorneys

8 Letter from the Editor

Volume 2

Issue 4

On the Cover Paycom, one of Oklahoma's fastest-growing companies, is seeing double-digit revenue growth while adding to OKC's employee base every year.

WE ARE AN EARLY STAGE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM INVESTING IN AMBITIOUS, GROWTH-DRIVEN COMPANIES, DEFINING A NEW GENERATION OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR THE MIDCONTINENT.

WHAT WE OFFER

It’s more than capital. We leverage our team’s deep experience as leaders and innovators to position our portfolio companies for accelerated growth. To date, Cortado Ventures has invested in 35 companies amounting to a total enterprise value of nearly $600 million.

INVESTMENT CRITERIA

FOUNDER LED

Entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that think outside-the-box

OKLAHOMA FOCUSED

Companies operating in sectors that are a natural fit for the Midcontinent

B2B TECH

Companies with disruptive technologies and B2B strategies

SECTOR FOCUSED

Insurtech, Biotech, Aerospace, Fintech, Energy Tech, Ag Tech

GROWTH MINDED

Young companies with a desire to grow fast

CAPITAL EFFICIENT

Companies that leverage tech to scale quickly

PRESIDENT & CEO Jordan Regas jordan.regas@405magazine.com

PUBLISHER Rod Whitson rod.whitson@405business.com

VICE PRESIDENT Kaley Regas kaley@hilltopmediagroup.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kayte Spillman kayte@405business.com

ART DIRECTOR Cadence Ramos cadence.ramos@405magazine.com

COPY EDITOR Evan Musil evan.musil@405magazine.com

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Meagan Matthews meagan@hilltopmediagroup.com

CLIENT COORDINATOR Leesa Neidel production@405magazine.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Charlie Neuenschwander, Logan Walcher

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Emily Grant

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Drew Smith drew.smith@405magazine.com

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kendall Morgan kendall.morgan@405magazine.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Vanda Holland vanda@405business.com

DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Raylee Lewis raylee.lewis@405magazine.com

Growing a More Sophisticated Economy

WHEN WE INTERVIEW the dozens of folks in each issue, themes about OKC always seem to surface. And this time, over and over again, I heard from OKC’s leaders about how Oklahoma’s economy is diversifying, growing and evolving.

In short, it's becoming more sophisticated.

Maybe it’s our age – after all, this glorious state just hit its 100th birthday just a bit more than a decade ago. Maybe it’s our ‘aw-shucks’ attitude that keeps us from shouting about our success. Or maybe we’re grabbing hold of the renaissance we’ve been enjoying and using it to catapult us forward.

Our cover feature is on the incredible growth of Paycom (pg. 29). This now-billion-dollar company’s rapid growth has all the potential to just be beginning. With more than 30% growth last year and similar growth projected this year — and only 5% of the market share — it’s got plenty of runway left to continue to take off. And for Oklahoma, it also represents a diversification of our economy that’s been incredibly tied to commodity industries since statehood.

OKC also is seeing firms like Infinity Capital (pg. 26) enter the investment banking space with an emphasis on education to allow businesses to understand potential options – which is lacking in this market while overserved in bigger markets like Dallas. That’s because of the increased sophistication of Oklahoma businesses, something firms outside the state are realizing when they come calling and firms inside Oklahoma are stepping up to make sure they call first.

But all this growing up is also being matched with some dynamic leaders pushing the diversity, equity and inclusion conversation forward. And, quite frankly, without this component, OKC would still be far behind its competitor cities in the eyes of outsiders. It’s these diversity pioneers like those we feature

on pg. 49 that are making the rest of the nation realize that Oklahoma City is serious about growing up and playing with the big boys.

It’s this cocktail of talent, industry diversification and attention to social and equity issues that you frankly didn’t see in the OKC of a decade or two decades ago. And, it’s this cocktail that will continue to create exponential growth like we’ve seen with Paycom, in the decades to come.

Kayte Spillman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

"The American Dream that we’ve always heard of is essentially an economic one, and it promises equal opportunity. If the employees or the leadership of our Oklahoma companies don’t generally reflect the community at large, it is self-evident that we’re falling short. Through my work, I can tell that the vast majority of OKC companies want to improve, and they are working hard to make good on the American Dream for all our residents."

Bryan Vahlberg Infinity Capital Partners managing partner

“We want business owners around here, specifically in our community, to understand what it means to sell a business. We want them to know what's required to prep to sell a business, how long it might take, what the transition is like. So that continues to be our goal is to grow our business, but we also want to grow the knowledge base of business owners here in town."

David Holt Oklahoma City Mayor

While interviewing, we heard:

START UP

Venturing On

In Oklahoma, venture capital funding has raised $120 million in five years, and the state has more business incubators than ever. So what's next? p.18

Growing Up in the 405

Oklahoma City has grown up a lot during the last several decades, and its businesses have grown up with it.

BY MATT STANSBERRY

I grew up in the 405, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformation of central Oklahoma. It has grown tremendously since my childhood, and the business community has played an enormous role in this growth.

If you’ve been in business very long, you’ve probably heard the phrase “grow or die.” As someone who strongly identifies with the Small Giants Community — a group of like-minded business owners and leaders that are purpose-driven, not profit-driven — I’ve personally had mixed views and even some criticism of this phrase. But ultimately, I believe the statement holds true. (Even for us “Small Giants.”)

And, let's face it, there are many ways to grow, but I’d like to explore some of the most common views on business growth, celebrate the progress of the business community in the 405 and challenge us to grow even more.

Fast growth

“Life is growth. You grow, or you die.” – Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike

First, when we hear about company growth, it is often focused around this idea of “fast growth.” (Or, how quickly can we gain market share?) Although ‘fast’ isn’t the only way to grow, it definitely gets attention, creates momentum and can shift entire industries.

In Oklahoma, I’m not sure there’s a company that understands this better than Paycom. In 2017, Paycom ranked No. 2 on Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies and has been acknowledged as one of the companies with the most consecutive years on the list, right up there with Amazon.

Fast-growth companies can shift industries.

Long-lasting growth

I believe the next most common metric associated with company growth is around overall size blended with staying power. Let’s call this “long-lasting growth.” These long-lasting companies continue to scale through all

seasons — sometimes fast, other times slow and steady, but ultimately long-lasting. And according to a 25-year study done by McKinsey & Company, the business sector overall contributes 72% of the gross domestic product in OECD countries, and corporations with more than $1 billion in revenue account for an increasingly large share of that. It takes companies dedicated to long-lasting growth to sustain that percentage of the GDP each year.

In the 405, we have some great examples of major long-lasting growth companies like Devon, Hobby Lobby and Love’s that continue to make a significant impact on the workforce, their industries and the community.

Long-lasting growth companies can change the landscape of communities.

More ways to grow

However, I believe this is only scratching the surface on how we can look at and measure growth. Companies can use many ways to grow, and it’s not always fast, but it’s clear that the speed at which our world is evolving requires constant assessment of our growth strategies. Leaders at companies have to decide what kind of company they are building and what that requires — More jobs? More locations? More training? More profit? More giving back? More community impact? Regardless of the metric, we must identify how we are to grow, and then pursue it with everything we’ve got. Because, after all:

“If you are not growing, you are dying.” – Tony Robbins

Matt Stansberry founder, CEO and partner of Nominee, a brand consultancy

Oklahoma City's long-lasting and fastgrowing companies help define the city.

RICHARD TANENBAUM HAS AN INTERNAtional reputation as a trailblazer in the world of real estate development. With a portfolio covering more than 9-million square feet of commercial, industrial and residential properties in Oklahoma, he has lifted Gardner-Tanenbaum Holdings (GTH) to unparalleled heights.

“There is a direct correlation between our success and our commitment to the community,” Tanenbaum said. “Oklahoma City is a wonderful place to raise a family, and the amenities in our city have never been better. We have made a strong investment in multi-use properties, like Liberty Creek and OKC 577, where people have easy and affordable access to home, work and retail shopping. The metro has unlimited potential, and we have the honor of helping to make this city’s vision a reality.”

GTH has played a vital role in Oklahoma City’s growth and success for more than 50 years. Working side-by-side with his wife, Glenna, and their two grown children, Richard Tanenbaum is known in his industry as a cutting-edge visionary.

Among GTH’s most impressive projects is Convergence, a mixed-use development currently under construction. Working in conjunction with MAPS 4, Tanenbaum is investing $178-million toward the project to help establish OKC’s Innovation District.

“Our goal is to make Oklahoma City a nicer place to live and work,” said Richard Tanenbaum. “Everyone needs a home, and everyone needs a job. We are dedicated to meeting the needs of Oklahomans by continuously reinvesting in the city we love. Being able to provide these core services to Oklahomans, especially in undeveloped parts of the city, brings us our greatest joy.”

Since 1997, Tanenbaum has completed nearly 50 projects with a cumulative value of more than $500 million, making GTH one of the largest developers in Oklahoma. In 2020, Mr. Tanenbaum negotiated one of the largest commercial real estate transactions in Oklahoma history, selling the Boeing Oklahoma City campus for more than $124.7 million to west coast investors.

My Daily Media Diet

Scott Klososky is the founding partner of Future Point of View, a technology and cybersecurity firm in Oklahoma City he created with his wife 20 years ago. Here, he lobbies for why the '70s classics are still the best, and how he makes use of virtual reality to take walks all over the world.

What newsletter always gets clicked open?

The Download by MIT. It is the best single source of curated technology news.

What podcast do we need to be listening to?

Philosophize This. It is the best podcast I have ever seen that explains 2,000 years of philosophers and their ideas. I found it by searching on Apple Podcasts for “philosophy.” I tried some others and did not like them as much. It is often how I find the right podcasts for me to learn from. I have been listening to it for about two years. It has taken that long to listen to all 170 episodes.

What social accounts or platforms should we be following?

LinkedIn for me. I have it curated with connections at this point, so it is filled with information and ideas on topics I care about — and none that I don’t.

What role does media literacy play in business?

I think in terms of the “river of information” we each build. Some of us do this on purpose and have a high literacy rate for consuming information. Some do not. To be a strong leader, one must have a well-cultivated river of information and the ability to consume it each day. Without this, there is critical information a leader will simply miss each day.

How do you ensure you remain media literate?

I put a lot of conscious effort into this. I do it on purpose and constantly look for new and better sources. I am disciplined about spending a couple of hours a day consuming my river of information.

Where do you get your news first?

I get my news from the Flipboard digital magazines I have configured. Flipboard lets anyone create “magazines” and assign topics to them. This way, I can create one just for AI and go select sources for AI content that they curate. It is pretty easy to do.

What app do you open first in the morning?

The Calm app, for meditation and gratefulness. I have been using the Calm app for almost three years. I open it first because it has an option to put in three things I am grateful for, how I slept, how I feel and a thought of the day. I find that starting out this way helps to get me grounded in a positive mindset right off the bat.

What music should we add to our playlist right now?

I am entranced by the Apple Music ’70s channel. No, it is not because I was a kid back then; it is just some of the best music we have created!

What books are making you think?

Dr. Mark Rego wrote a book titled Frontal Fatigue, and it is the best I have seen to explain what modern life and technology is doing to our brains. Is there any other media you consume that we’ve missed?

I use VR to watch concerts or walk through places in the world I have not seen before. I love the potential of this going forward.

“To be a strong leader, one must have a wellcultivated river of information and the ability to consume it each day. Without this, there is critical information a leader will simply miss each day.”

Day in the Life

Scott Marsh, partner and director of operations at The Jones Assembly, talks Oklahoma-grown beef distribution plans, reviews labor reports and cost of goods overviews before going home for pickup basketball games and time with his wife and 3-year-old daughter.

6 a.m. Wake up, let out our dog, George, and start with the news and overviewing my day. I recap notes from my teams and build out a list of tasks to be accomplished.

8:30 a.m. Enjoy breakfast and coffee at Stitch, across from The Jones Assembly. Check emails, review labor reports, schedules and cost of goods overview. Then I start building strategies for our team around the concerts, events and a new menu rollout.

10:15 a.m. Once we arrive at Sidwell Distribution, Brady shows us the new facility and a presentation on his Oklahoma beef distribution plan. We discuss how we can positively affect Oklahoma farmers, our environment and be leaders in our industry for agricultural inclusion on a large scale.

1:30 p.m. Meet with co-founder Graham Colton to discuss upcoming concerts. We plan our announcement strategy for upcoming shows with Orville Peck, Warren Zeiders, Sylvan Esso, Gogol Bordello and more. Then, we work through offers on acts we hope to land in October through December to close out our concert schedule for the year.

3 p.m. Overview our reservation system with associate managers, flag any VIPs and ensure we are set up for success ahead of opening at 4 p.m.

5 p.m. Check on the kitchen once more to ensure we’re prepared for the evening. Review our covers and busiest times ahead, and watch the orders roll in.

6:30 p.m. Arrive home to an excited English setter and an even more enthusiastic toddler. Change into gym clothes and take our nightly family walk. Enjoy dinner as a family and prepare for Olive’s nighttime routine before saying good night.

10 p.m. Back from the gym, I have a snack and enjoy some quality time with Hannah. We typically watch a current show we’re into or read for a while.

7-8 a.m. My wife, Hannah, and I scramble around the house to get our 3-year-old daughter, Olive, ready for the day before taking her to school at Rainbow Fleet.

9 a.m. My team and I head to Enid to meet with Brady Sidwell of Sidwell Farms and Chisholm Trail Milling. Brady provides our ground beef and stone-milled flour for our baking program, and he has an exciting new venture to show us — Sidwell Distribution.

11 a.m. We head to Enid Brewing, also owned by the Sidwells. They prepare beef cuts for us to try, and we’re also bringing one of their beers to our menu. It’s a symbiotic relationship where they raise grains to create beer and flour, the spent grain from the beer-making process feeds their cattle and it all ends up on our menus.

2:30 p.m. Meet with the kitchen team to sample dishes, quality-check the current menu and discuss a new menu tasting for next week.

4:15 p.m. Sit in preshift meeting, touching base with shift leads and managers. Offer up some words on our culture and crack a few jokes to keep the team light for a busy shift.

6 p.m. Head home. On the way, I call cofounder Brian Bogert to discuss upcoming menu decisions, overview the Sidwell Distribution conversation and plan for an upcoming P&L meeting we have scheduled.

7:30 p.m. It's basketball night, so I head to the gym to play a couple of hours of pickup. The key here is to remind myself I’m much older than my mind thinks, to stretch and not try and keep up with the 20-somethings playing.

11:30 p.m. Hop into bed, check for any time-sensitive emails, set my alarm and grab some much-needed sleep.

The Future of Oklahoma’s Venture Funding

Despite venture funding taking a tumble in 2022 with funding down 35% nationally, Oklahoma is seeing a surge in its growth of venture capital investments, accelerators and incubators in Oklahoma.

AS WITH THE rest of the economy, venture capital funding has seemed shaky — growing then slowing in fits and starts as the world works to recover from the pandemic. However, Oklahoma has seen significant growth in the amount of venture capital investments and the accelerators and incubators supporting startups and entrepreneurs, especially considering the tumultuous larger economy.

In fact, Oklahoma now has more entrepreneurial resources than it ever has, boasting more than 15 incubators or accelerators in the state. And in the last five years alone, venture capital funding has raised $120 million. This dichotomy raises the question: What will the future of Oklahoma’s venture funding look like? Leaders from three venture capital firms serving different entrepreneurial audiences discuss what they believe lies ahead for both their industry and Oklahoma’s role in its growth.

For Oklahoma, what does the future of venture capital investments look like?

BRIGGS: Venture capital in Oklahoma will continue to see progress, limited only by our ability to cooperate as an asset class. Our job as venture capitalists is to identify and support companies to become successful. The more firms that take that work seriously, investing within the state and beyond, the better. The notable examples in Oklahoma are Cortado Ventures and Atento Capital, and the state needs more like them.

MORING: The future for venture capital in Oklahoma is bright. The past three years have seen tremendous growth in venture capital available in Oklahoma. (We estimate from $50 million in assets under management to $300 million.) And we expect that growth to continue. We still have a long way to go to be on par with major tech hubs in terms of capital available per capita. So, Cortado is excited about how an increase in available capital will contribute to the flywheel of building a great tech startup ecosystem. In terms of deals, we see Oklahoma developing as a tech hub for the industries we have particular expertise — energy, life sciences, logistics/aerospace, etc.

How has the national economic downturn impacted venture funding this year?

BRIGGS: Rising interest rates, IPO window open just a pinch and muted M&A in 2023 have deflated startup valuations. Angel funding activity is down considerably. To some, this is a catastrophe, to others a reset to valuations and deal flow levels to pre-pandemic levels. The funding downturn, as in the wake of the financial crisis, made the task to raise capital for emerging fund managers very difficult. Since most of our funds are quite young, only a few were able to raise last year. This year has been a bit brighter.

SPANN: National venture capital investing declined in 2022, but it was still the second-biggest year in history for the industry. Having said that, VC investing declined 53% in the first quarter of 2023. Whether this trend continues throughout the year will depend on various factors, particularly the extent to which inflation declines and whether the economy slides into a recession. A recession typically results in a lower level of traditional venture capital investment, lower startup valuations and exits that take longer to materialize than in the past. As a result, startups often lower the size of their next funding round, which means they will need to operate with more austerity to make the money last. On the other hand, although VC firms are clearly being cautious right now, the industry has no shortage of cash and will likely be ready to increase its rate of investing the minute the economy’s prospects show signs of improvement.

MORING: At the national level, venture capital funding has certainly slowed. However, in the midcontinent, we continue to source and invest in great deals. We see significant benefits from being insulated from the swings of venture activity on the coasts.

What is your venture capital investment forecast for the coming year for Oklahoma? In the next five years?

BRIGGS : Despite the current macroeconomic headwinds, early-stage venture capital is still an attractive area for driving returns across an investor’s portfolio. In Oklahoma, recent state-level and federal incentives have enhanced the weighted return profile for investors. As the growth market valuations settle, the attractive opportunities will survive and surface.

SPANN: The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) has agreed to invest $47 million in four venture capital firms in the state, and those firms must match that money within 24 months in order to receive the investment. Assuming each firm does match OCAST’s investment, that will make a

total of $94 million for those four firms alone to invest in Oklahoma startups. When you consider that those four firms will likely raise additional money beyond the matching funds, both inside and outside the state as Boyd Street Ventures certainly plans to do — and that other Oklahoma venture capital firms that did not receive money from OCAST will also be raising funds, it seems reasonable to expect that total venture capital investment in Oklahoma could run to $150 million or more over the next three or so years.

Oklahoma still has a relatively small venture capital industry, but it is growing, as are the different incubators to support such startups. What is making this industry grow? Why is it just now growing? Is it playing catch up to other states, or is there a reason for the growth now?

SPANN: One big reason for the growth of the startup industry in Oklahoma is the critical mass that has been achieved by numerous business incubators and accelerators in the state, including OU’s Tom Love Innovation Hub, i2E and the Norman Business Development Coalition. What was missing until recently, however, was the means of funding the most promising graduates of those incubator and accelerator programs so their innovative technologies can be commercialized. Our focus at Boyd Street Ventures is to provide not only funding support but de-risking strategic and operational guidance to the startups we invest in so they can scale more quickly and profitably. In fact, we are one of the few venture capital firms with a full-fledged venture studio devoted to providing intensive scaling support to selected startups.

MORING: Entrepreneurial support organizations around the state of Oklahoma have been doing fantastic work for over a decade to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that has easy access to the resources and support that tech entrepreneurs need. We’ve seen tech companies like WeGoLook built and exited in the last 10 years. We’ve also seen multiple incubators, accelerators, coding bootcamps, etc. pop up in the last decade. The last three years of growth in available capital is making all that hard work more visible as entrepreneurs in those programs now have better chances of finding funding in state to grow their businesses.

What is your impression of Oklahoma’s startup community now in comparison to five or 10 years ago?

BRIGGS: We haven’t come back after the pandemic as strong as we were before. We have a lot of work to do.

SPANN: I started my involvement in the Oklahoma startup community in 2015, when efforts

to fund startups were very fragmented. Five to 10 years ago, it was exceedingly difficult for Oklahoma startups to commercialize. No matter how brilliant their innovations might have been, it was almost impossible to secure the funding necessary to take those innovations to market. And the reason is simple: Venture capital firms are the main source of funding for startups, and very few venture capital firms were based in Oklahoma. Moreover, the country’s big venture capital firms are cloistered on the East and West coasts and rarely, if ever, focus on discovering promising startups located in “flyover states” like ours.

What trends are you seeing in venture capital investments? What trends do you think you’ll see moving forward?

SPANN: Our firm’s investment strategy is to focus on five sectors that are not only projected to demonstrate significant long-term growth but are areas where Oklahoma in general and OU in particular have outstanding research capabilities. Those sectors are life sciences, which has taken on added importance in what could be an age of on-

Justin Briggs Biologist and Prime Movers Lab partner

Susan Moring Cortado Ventures principal

going pandemic threats; fintech, consistently the No. 1 sector for venture capital investment; energy tech and climate tech, two sectors that will continue to benefit from growing concerns about global warming; and aerospace/defense, by far Oklahoma’s leading industry and one that growing international tensions will likely make an ever higher priority for our country.

MORING: Artificial intelligence is definitely a hot trend right now. We’re specifically excited about opportunities for AI in industrial sectors like manufacturing. The recent banking crisis will likely lead to the creation of a new batch of innovative fintech companies. We’re also seeing a rise in health tech in the post-COVID-19 era, as telemedicine is no longer just a trend but rather a standard component of the health care system.

What infrastructure needs do venture capital firms have in order to grow funding for startups? What is holding back or slowing down growth in Oklahoma?

SPANN: This is likely stating the obvious, but the single greatest need venture capital firms have is the ability to raise the capital needed to invest in Oklahoma’s most promising startups. Fortunately, there is a great deal of wealth among Oklahoma’s institutional and individual investors, and there are many strong reasons why venture capital investing makes sense for them. Venture capital funds have traditionally generated greater long-term returns than most other investment classes and shown less vulnerability to short-term economic disruptions. In addition, investing in venture capital is by definition an efficient way to increase a portfolio’s diversification. And venture capital funds offer a great enticement for individual investors: They can invest simply by shifting some of their SD-IRA funds, which means they can invest without having to write a check. We and other venture capital firms just need to continue to get the word out about the many advantages of investing in our funds.

MORING: We need to see more venture capital firms created to focus on different industries and stages. A robust venture capital market requires many different kinds of investors at different early stages of company formation and focused on different sectors. As part of this, we are encouraged to see more and more experienced angel investors backing new companies. Lastly, most other states have institutional investors that back emerging venture capital firms. For example, pension funds in Texas have emerging manager programs, investing in VC funds in the early years. This emerging manager allocation is a huge catalyst and a missing piece of financial infrastructure in Oklahoma. The motivation for these institutional investors are returns; often emerging managers outperform as they leverage expertise in new trends.

What are some of the current entrepreneurial resources available that startups might not be aware are available to them?

SPANN: Many startups might not be aware of the accelerator and incubator programs — such as OU’s Tom Love Innovation Hub, i2E and the Norman Economic Development Coalition — that can help them with matters like early-stage technology development, intellectual property protection and proof-of-concept work. And high-potential startups that graduate from such programs or that get to the point of starting the commercialization process on their own could benefit from scaling guidance offered by the BSV venture studio. In addition, startups led by minorities, women and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals should contact the firms that have been designated for investment by OCAST, which places a priority on supporting such startups. In fact, Boyd Street Ventures established the Boyd Street Endowment Fund to support minority-, female- and SEDI-led companies almost a year before receiving the OCAST investment.

MORING: Hosting your business in a state-certified incubator not only provides you with access to resources but also to tremendous state income tax incentives. Community groups like 1 Million Cups and the Oklahoma Venture Forum offer entrepreneurs a place to share about their early-stage companies and get feedback from the community in a low-risk environment. Events like Tech++, the Innovation District’s happy hours and Cortado’s own quarterly Founder Hour offer entrepreneurs a chance to network and learn from others in the tech community.

With increased competition among venture capital investments groups, how do you ensure growth for all players?

BRIGGS: More funds in existence means more opportunities for funding for everyone. The most competitive funds are those that invest conscientiously.

SPANN: Given the wealth of innovative research and development initiatives being pursued at OU and other universities and by other talented, driven entrepreneurs throughout the state, we believe there is ample potential for all of Oklahoma’s current venture capital firms and many more. The key will be to help investors in and outside of Oklahoma appreciate the caliber of the innovation being generated by the state’s most talented entrepreneurs and the many advantages of venture capital investing.

MORING: Oklahoma’s venture ecosystem is still quite young, and we are much more collaborative than competitive. For example, we have one portfolio company in which four different major Oklahoma venture funds are invested together. It’s crucial that we work together, when possible, to get deals done for Oklahoma companies.

James Spann

Boyd Street Ventures founder and managing partner

“Although the venture capital industry may be experiencing a slowdown at the moment, we see no reason why this industry will not continue to be the driving force behind the long-term growth of our economy. Oklahoma was late arriving at the venture capital party, but we are convinced that our state will be a much bigger player in the world of venture capital financing for years to come.”

SWEAT EQUITY

To Infinity

Evan Grace, Infinity Capital managing partner, works with managing partners Chris Lee and Bryan Vahlberg to run the investment bank that recently surpassed $1 billion in completed transactions. p.26

Weaving a Sustainable Future

Sci-Lume Labs is manufacturing fibers that could revolutionize what is used to make clothing and could reduce the industry’s dependence on petroleumbased fibers. And the manufacturing world is noticing: The H&M Foundation named the company as a finalist for its 2023 Global Change Award.

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN PHOTOS BY LOGAN WALCHER

EVERY YEAR, MANUFACTURERS produce more than 100 metric tons of fibers to make clothing.

To put that massive number in context, that’s the equivalent of filling 13 Boeing 747s full of polyester fibers — every hour.

And then this: Consumers dispose of one garbage truck of clothing every second and wear an article of clothing on average seven times.

For Oliver Shafaat, a Caltech postdoctoral scholar and founder and president of Sci-Lume Labs, this was too big an environmental concern to ignore — and one he thought he could solve.

“From the creation, through the use, through the microfiber shedding to the end of life, apparel impacts the world at a massive scale,” he said. “It's just sort of crazy. Like, how do you buy clothes and only wear them seven times? And then you throw them away?”

Shafaat worked in Japan for almost five years as a fiber research and development manager with a Japanese biotech company working on sustainable synthetic fibers and resins. When he and his wife moved back to her hometown in Edmond, Shafaat dived in to solve the problem stateside.

“The question that I was trying to answer is, ‘How can we actually make materials that are circular?” he said. “We need to make sure that when they do end up in the environment, they're not there forever.”

He began by working on a better fiber to make clothes with from the beginning.

“I'm not going to be able to convince people to wear clothes more or just not buy more clothes,” Shafaat said. “But I can try to find new materials that maybe harness the best of the synthetic fibers where they

Sci-Lume Labs founder Oliver Shafaat stands behind plants he is using to test the biodegradability of his invented fiber.

have the same performance and they have the same cost, but also sort of leverage some of biodegradable properties.”

And he did. Sci-Lume created a fiber called bylon, a patent-pending technology where bio-based carbon becomes biodegradable fibers to replace conventional synthetic and natural fibers. And clothing manufacturers are already taking notice: Sci-Lume Labs is on the shortlist for the H&M Foundation Global Change Award 2023. H&M will announce the winners in early June.

“I did not expect it at all,” he said. “I watch these awards, and it’s sort of the who’s who in fashion, fiber and textile apparel startups. So, it’s pretty cool. It also has generated a lot of buzz, which we're trying to capitalize on. Some brands have reached out. And beginning conversations have been very positive so far.”

Clothing waste is just the first problem Shafaat plans to tackle with his fibers. He said he sees applications for his technology in all kinds of moldable plastic uses.

“As a company, what we imagine doing is basically repeating this playbook for other plastic form factors,” he said. “So maybe it's bulk molded parts or maybe it's films or maybe it's packaging. I mean, that's like the big-picture goal of what we want to do.”

“From the creation, through the use, through the microfiber shedding to the end of life, apparel impacts the world at a massive scale.”

—Oliver Shafaat, founder and president of Sci-Lume Labs

Oliver Shafaat examines the strength of the bio-based carbon fiber called bylon.

Sci-Lume Labs bylon

At a Glance: Oklahoma City’s Employment

Oklahoma sits with about a 3% unemployment rate, with Oklahoma City, the counties it occupies and surrounding counties closely matching the state rate. This low unemployment rate is almost a full percentage point below the national average, and most areas — both in Oklahoma and across the nation — are seeing unemployment numbers that rose significantly during the pandemic now fall as COVID recovery continues.

regional unemployment averages

*All data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Data extracted April 2023

OKC unemployment lowest in a decade

Oklahoma City’s unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in more than 10 years, even factoring in the tremendous spike in unemployment caused by the pandemic. Levels have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.

FEBRUARY 2013: 5.2%

FEBRUARY 2023: 3%

SPIKE DURING PANDEMIC, APRIL 2020: 12.5%

GREATER COLLABORATION EQUALS GREATER OPPORTUNITIES

3 Advantages of Tax-Smart Financial Planning

Authored by: Kyle Brownlee, CEO & Senior Wealth Advisor — Wymer Brownlee Wealth Strategies

You may not think twice about the connections between your CPA and wealth advisor — until a situation arises where you could have benefited from their collaboration. That is why it is important to make sure these two key professionals are working together for your maximum benefit in today’s complex tax environment. An accountant will have knowledge about current tax laws, as well as strategies for reducing your taxable income — including deductions and credits that could result in big savings at tax time. Meanwhile, a wealth advisor will be able to provide customized advice on investments that can potentially maximize returns while minimizing risk.

Here are three reasons why strong communication between your CPA and wealth advisor could benefit your finances.

Minimize Capital Gains Tax-Bite

As markets fluctuate and your risk tolerance changes throughout your lifetime, tax-smart financial planning can help ensure your portfolio is performing appropriately. Tax-loss harvesting is an effective technique for reducing capital gains tax liabilities to create long-term growth that can potentially maximize returns while minimizing taxes –a win-win situation. Many wealth advisors will implement tax-loss harvesting strategies at year end, but in times of more intense volatility, it can be implemented more frequently throughout the year.

Collaboration between your CPA and wealth advisor provides a strong approach when it comes to managing this complex process, as each provides specialized expertise integral in achieving success with minimal taxation expense incurred on your behalf.

Identify Opportunities on Your Tax Return

Your wealth advisor can play an important role in helping to optimize your wealth and make sure you’re taking full advantage of all available tax opportunities. A thorough review of your most recent tax return should be conducted at the beginning of a relationship – and each year after – as it reveals invaluable insight into what strategies may best benefit you. Such as, increasing contributions to employer-sponsored retirement plans or creating health savings accounts. In addition, this is key for individuals looking for guidance on how best to use their annual refund or guidance on adjusting withholdings if too much was paid out from prior returns.

Working in tandem, the goal here is to bridge the gap between tax planning and financial planning by these two professionals coming together to build a comprehensive plan for your future.

Increase Tax Efficiency of Your Estate Plan

Working hard during your lifetime paves the way for a secure retirement and gives you the opportunity to pass what you have built to future generations. That is why creating an estate plan is an important step, one that calls upon three trusted experts: wealth advisor, CPA and attorney. Their collaboration ensures any unexpected situations are thoughtfully prepared for, while leaving more of your assets intact – exactly as intended – for those who will benefit from them in time.

Your wealth advisor can serve as an objective third party to communicate plans to other parties, answer questions and mitigate risks of your wealth continuing for future generations. They can advise on gifting strategies and special tax benefits before your passing and routinely remind you to keep beneficiaries up to date. With the tax landscape subject to change in the next year, your financial team should be formulating a plan for the gift tax exemptions set to sunset in 2025.

In 2023, financial services are no longer à la carte. Collaboration should happen on your behalf, and you should not be the one responsible for tying it all together. It is your wealth advisor’s job to ensure you are not missing any valuable opportunities because every financial decision you make ultimately has a tax implication.

MEET KYLE BROWNLEE...

For more information, visit our website at wymerbrownlee.com

...a visionary leader, devoted family man and source of inspiration. As the CEO and Senior Wealth Advisor of Wymer Brownlee Wealth Strategies, he has led the firm from a tax and accounting shop that began in Fairview, Oklahoma, to a holistic wealth management firm with six offices across the state. Kyle leads an integrated team of wealth advisors and tax professionals to offer clients complete and strategic financial advice. The Wymer Brownlee approach helps clients prioritize what matters most by creating financial plans to protect and grow financial resources so they can live the lifestyle they want today while impacting their communities and leaving the legacy they want tomorrow. He can be reached at kyle.brownlee@wymerbrownlee.com or 405.748.4000

Securities are offered through Avantax Investment Services, Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Avantax Advisory Services. Insurance services are offered through an Avantax-affiliated insurance agency.

For Infinity: What’s Beyond

Infinity Capital began a mere seven years ago and recently surpassed more than $1 billion in completed transactions. Strong growth projections continue, as the firm focuses on areas typically underserved by larger out-of-state investment banks.

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN | PHOTOS BY LOGAN WALCHER

INFINITY CAPITAL, THE first full-service investment bank in the Oklahoma City metro area that began in 2016, has seen a five-year revenue compounded annual growth rate of 59%.

To put that massive growth into perspective, that’s more than $1 billion in completed transactions in seven years bringing in about $800 million of capital from out-of-state investors investing in Oklahoma companies or paid to their owners. The firm has closed 34 transactions across a variety of industries in that time, including the largescale sale of Dippin’ Dots to J&J Snack Foods Corp. for $222 million in May 2022.

And, as a firm looking to help business owners execute the sale, transition or expansion of their business, the founders of Infinity Capital say the Oklahoma City market — and the state of Oklahoma — is dramatically underserved, meaning they expect more significant growth in the years to come.

“We've obviously grown a lot in the last five years,” said Chris Lee, managing partner of Infinity Capital Partners. “I think we will continue to probably accelerate the pace of which we grow.”

He said the firm is looking to add staff, expand into different markets and keep pace with the significant growth they’ve seen and expect to see.

“We're still trying to figure out what that looks like when we grow up,” he said. “Whether that's an office in different markets, whether we just have a business development person in different markets, where we have hired staff there, but I think that's on our roadmap to sort of become more of a regional investment bank than just kind of an Oklahoma City investment bank.”

Growing up as Oklahoma City continues to grow up is one of the reasons for their success. Dallas and other cities with more sophisticated economies are saturated with firms similar to Infinity Capital, but the OKC-based firm is calling on clients who never knew the options they provide exist, said managing partner Evan Grace.

“There's a lot of markets we believe, like Oklahoma City, that are underserved from what we provide the business owners,” Grace said. “We have significant traction in these tertiary markets. But that's just almost accidental referrals, and we're going to focus on a strategy to become a regional invest-

Infinity Capital Partners managing partners Evan Grace, Chris Lee and Bryan Vahlberg.

ment bank to continue to serve because we feel like we've carved out a little bit of a niche.”

Being from this part of the country and serving those that are in this part of the country sets this group apart from the New York firms that often find their way in to bid to buy businesses, managing partner Bryan Vahlberg said. Vahlberg said that they not only make sure sure clients know their options, but also that they create the optimal competitive market for their business to earn them the value deserved for their business.

“Our role is to make sure that there are more eyeballs on that deal so that there's competition that increases the value to the sellers,” he said. “That’s Investment Banking 101, but that's what we're doing. That's why we benefit and that's why our clients benefit because all of these eyeballs are competing for these deals, and they all want to not compete for the deals because that's how they get a better deal.”

And, a lot of times, these deals are created that would not have happened because the business owner didn’t know they could create competition of their business.

“And that's been sort of our ethos is primarily educating business owners that you can create competition,” he said. “We can help you create competition. You can do it yourself. It's a very complex process. But we would suggest you obviously talk to us or another advisor like us, so that you are in that competition.”

Another reason for Infinity Capital’s growth is tied to the increase in capital being allocated to private equity, Vahlberg said. In 2000, assets under

management for private equity was less than $700 billion, and now, that figure has grown to $11.71 trillion.

Obviously, that’s a significant increase in capital to invest. Grace said businesses that wouldn’t be on the radar for investors to purchase now are — and they are getting calls they aren’t expecting and need help navigating options.

“So a lot of instances, we're getting a call because that business owner in Ponca City is getting called on directly by a lot of private equity funds,” he said. “Whereas a decade ago, they maybe weren't being called on and so didn't think about selling or they had an idea of what selling could look like. They thought, ‘I'll just sell it to my family.’ But just the more people who are these business owners are getting bombarded with outreach, and so that is spurning conversation. It is a shift in how the universe is investing dollars. Twenty years ago, it was stocks and bonds.”

Increasing investment bank options works to rise all the boats in the private equity tide, Vahlberg said.

“We're just a part of the ecosystem here,” Vahlberg said. “Only part of it. Our job, our hope, is to raise awareness across the ecosystem, because there's different companies in different stages that need to understand this information, to better understand how to go exit their business when it's time whether they're a startup, a growing business, a mature business or a dying or struggling business. They all need to understand what those nuances and capital options are.”

“We're going to focus on a strategy to become a regional investment bank to continue to serve because we feel like we've carved out a little bit of a niche.”

—Evan Grace, managing partner of Infinity Capital

Evan Grace and Bryan Vahlberg play ping pong inside the firm's downtown offices. The partners play a game most days in the office, Grace said.

A REASON, A SEASON, OR A LIFETIME

Rick Karn started his company NetFabric in 2018. One of his biggest goals was to create a company that could help grow the tech talent in Oklahoma City, a market predominately served by firms out of Dallas, St Louis, and Chicago.

“I wanted to bring those IT dollars back to Oklahoma City and invest in the people of Oklahoma,” Rick says. NetFabric is one of the fastest growing Managed Services Provider in the country. Outside of delivering excellent IT outcomes for his customers, their altruistic mission is to bring people in, build them up and send them out into the IT workforce using a tiered educational system. Rick promotes from within for higher level technical roles or helps placing them within the community.

“I treat people like they’re going to be with us for a lifetime,” Rick says. Whether they stay or leave, I’ve invested in my community and helped someone build their career.”

BUILDING BETTER BUSINESS ACUMEN

Rick jokes that he knew right away he didn’t have the business acumen to run his own company. “I interviewed with [Vistage Chair] George, met his group, and immediately knew I would be an idiot if I didn’t join!”

In George’s Vistage group, Rick’s business skills improved and he has gained valuable knowledge in topics such as management philosophies and finance.

He also found the board of directors NetFabric needed. “I get access to all of these people and their great ideas,” Rick says. With different levels of experience, everyone can offer unique perspectives. “I can ask questions to people that have run their business for 30 years or have been in their family business their entire life.”

He also discovered his peer group was a safe space to share personal issues. “Loneliness as a business owner is a real problem. I have plenty of friends, but not many of them understand the unique situations I deal with. Vistage is the cure for that.”

WHY VISTAGE?

Now in his third year as a Vistage member, Rick appreciates the give and take of monthly meetings. Some sessions will provide crucial information, while others are about helping other members of the group.

He has been able to adapt the Vistage issue processing framework to his own company for conflict resolution. When he was a new business owner, advice from seasoned entrepreneurs was invaluable.

“Vistage is one of the reasons we’ve been so successful and grown so fast,” he shares.

• Delivers IT services to small, mid size, and enterprise businesses

• Manages/monitors approx 80,000 devices in 45 countries

• 308% growth over the past three years

Vistage is the world’s leading executive coaching organization for CEOs and senior executives. Today, more than 45,000 members in 36 countries rely on Vistage to help them outperform their competitors. George Glover has been a Vistage Chair since 2016 and currently leads four Vistage peer groups in the OKC Metro.

Learn more at vistage.com/chairs/george.glover and visit with George by calling 405.509.1873.

“Loneliness as a business owner is a real problem. I have plenty of friends, but not many of them understand the unique situations I deal with. Vistage is the cure for that.”

Rick Karn CEO of NetFabric

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN | PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

PAYCOM — one of Oklahoma’s fastest-growing and largest companies — busted through the billion-dollar revenue mark in 2021 and has seen double-digit revenue growth every year for the last six years.

And its growth could only be getting started: The company currently shares only about 5% of the HR software management market, making next year’s growth projections nearly as strong — especially after introducing an international product earlier this year.

t was 1998, and Chad Richison was 27. The Tuttle-raised, University of Central Oklahoma graduate was working for an HR management company in Denver, Colorado, when he sold his house and moved back home to the OKC metro all because he had an idea: He wanted to start an HR software company he believed could change everything about how payroll is handled.

It was a dream started with a cashed-in 401(k), 13 credit cards and a $225,000 SBA loan.

Now, just shy of 25 years later, he’s worth north of $2.2 billion. His company, Paycom Software, cleared $1.375 billion in revenue last year alone, which was a 30% increase in revenue from 2021. Richison is one of Oklahoma’s only six billionaires, and he’s also the youngest.

That’s a heckuva boomerang story.

That late ’90s, pre-smartphone, pre-Wi-Fi-everywhere idea now employs 6,349 people, the majority located at the company’s headquarters in Oklahoma City. It’s an idea that helped diversify Oklahoma City’s economy away from the pillars of oil and gas and into a new area of innovation: tech.

“I could have started this company anywhere, but I chose Oklahoma City because I believed I could get the most traction here due to its strong business environment and talented people,” Richison said.

It’s certainly gained traction — Paycom is a behemoth player in both the Oklahoma economy and the HR and tech industries now. But when Richison started, dial internet was just becoming popular, and the learning curve for clients was steep.

“I sold the first 400 clients myself and for 90% of them, not only was it the first time they had used a web product, it was the first time they had seen the internet,” Richison said.

I SOLD THE FIRST 400 CLIENTS MYSELF AND FOR 90% OF THEM, NOT ONLY WAS IT THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD USED A WEB PRODUCT, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD SEEN THE INTERNET.

— Chad Richison, Paycom founder and CEO

“I would get on my hands and knees to unplug their fax, pop in an AOL or Prodigy diskette, open up Netscape and introduce them to the internet and subsequently our software.”

This get-on-your-hands-and-knees, do-it-yourself approach could categorize the business model of Paycom. From the beginning, Richison’s vision of what Paycom could be included making sure the company developed the infrastructure of what was needed internally. Relying on outside vendors or lengthy supply chains just wouldn’t work. But it was pretty elementary in the beginning.

“I decided I could develop a software where the client would do the inputting and it would all go direct to the printer, and I would use the internet to send the data back and forth,” he said. “I used Lotus Notes and diagramed what I believed a database would look like. Then I created mock versions of what each screen would look like.”

BY THE NUMBERS: THE MASSIVE GROWTH OF PAYCOM

EMPLOYEE GROWTH

Since going public in 2014, the number of Paycom’s total employees have grown sixfold from just tipping 1,000 employees to well more than 6,000 employees across the United States last year, with the vast majority at the company’s headquarters in Oklahoma City.

GOING PUBLIC

Paycom has grown substantially since the company went public in 2014, both in size, scope and reach in the community.

REVENUE EXPLOSION

Paycom saw a 30.29% increase in revenue growth in 2022, reaching $1.375 billion. And that multiplying growth is not new. In 2021, the company saw a 25.44% increase in revenue and reached $1.055 billion in revenue. In the last six years, Paycom saw double-digit revenue growth every year, with three of those six years seeing 30% or greater growth.

For context, Paycom saw $224 million in 2015 but quadrupled that amount by 2021 to hit $1 billion. Paycom is currently forecasting a revenue guidance range of about $1.7 billion for 2023, which would represent almost a 25% revenue growth for this year.

CLIENT GROWTH

From the 400 clients Richison signed himself, Paycom’s client roster has now ballooned to approximately 36,600 clients.

MARKET SHARE

Currently, Paycom only has about 5% of the HR software management market share, which means growth projections can remain strong.

DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH WITH PLENTY OF RUNWAY

aycom’s growth is a story that gets massively more interesting April 21, 2014, when Richison took the company public with a successful initial public offering of an aggregate of 7.6 million shares, which generated net proceeds of $64.3 million.

After that IPO, growth skyrocketed. (See infographic on pages 32-33). Since 2017, Paycom has seen double-digit revenue growth every year, with 30.29% revenue growth last year alone. This year, 25% revenue growth is forecast.

“We are one of the largest and fastest growing providers of human capital management technology in the country, and I am proud of how far we’ve come,” Richison said. “But we still have a long runway for growth with only 5% of the U.S. market using us today.”

5%.

The potential for growth, even considering the current growth rate, is staggering. For Paycom, part of the reason for the growth is because the HR system disrupts the model that previously existed by placing the emphasis on the employee, not the employer.

“I noticed early on that people really didn't have access to their HR information and believed that giving employees access to enter and update their own information was the future,” Richison said. “We believe employees should enter 100% of their information because it originates with them anyway. Employee usage continues to trend higher as more companies embrace our self-service solutions and push ownership of the data out to the employee.”

For Oklahomans, this growth equals jobs. In 2014, Paycom employed 1,021 people. Today, Paycom has multiplied the number of employees by 492.8%. The headquarters on the edge of Oklahoma City continues to outgrow itself. A little more than a decade ago, Paycom’s one building sat at capacity as the company started building out space. This year, it will finish its fifth building currently under construction that can house thousands more in its 330,000 square feet.

“I can say for my 11 years here, we have never had enough room,” said Jason Bodin, Paycom senior director of marketing and PR. “We are always busting at the seams because of our growth. One time early on in my time here, we actually offered our employees ride-sharing, so if you carpool to work with somebody, you actually got a bonus.”

Paycom hasn’t scrimped on the build-out either: A botanical-like courtyard sits in the middle of the main building that houses workers in cubicles. A gymnasium with workout classes, ping pong tables and basketball courts sit adjacent to the office buildings, and a multi-acre park with a walking trail, workout stations and picnic tables flows out behind the employee parking lots.

“Investing in talent is important to us,” Richison said. “Our talent drives our growth, and I am proud of all that we have created together. Investment comes before achievement, and that is certainly the case with our people. This company long ago surpassed anything I could do alone.”

And, Bodin said, employees receive health care at the cost of $1, among other benefits to help bring in and keep talent.

“We do all of that to retain and attract top talent not only from Oklahoma, but we're bringing in talent from all across the U.S. and all across the world,” Bodin said.

This substantial growth has created its own economic ecosystem. For a state that has built itself on the back of commodity industries, Paycom, because of

its industry focus, size and number of employees, has diversified Oklahoma’s economy as it continues to grow, said Cathy O’Connor, former president and CEO of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.

“They're a great example of somebody here locally starting a company and keeping it here and watching it grow,” she said. “Companies like Paycom help us diversify our local economy. It's been a goal for a long time to try to become more diverse as far as industries go, as far as not being so reliant on the oil and gas industry, and we've done a really good job with that. Companies like Paycom really help with that.”

After the creation of The Alliance’s Strategic Investment Program from a general obligation bond passed in 2009, Paycom received funds from the program when the company was looking to initially expand its campus, an example of a public-private partnership that has paid obvious dividends for both parties, O’Connor said.

“We provided them with the money to extend infrastructure out to that campus, and that really has allowed for all of this additional expansion that's happened since then,” she said.

O’Connor also believes Paycom has diversified the types of jobs available in Oklahoma.

“So many of their jobs are in the technology sectors, so they are in software and coding and all kinds of skills that we hadn't had before,” she said. “We hadn’t had an employer of that size here in Oklahoma City that was in that high-tech arena. I think the diversification of our economy has been one of the biggest benefits. It's kind of opened up a whole other sphere for us.”

Justin Goff, a Paycom employee who works with new clients, said the diversification of types of jobs drew him to the company. He has worked at Paycom for more than four years, joining as the company was starting to see significant growth.

“I first moved here when I was 12 or 13,” he said. “And there weren't really a ton of companies like this then. You had the oil and gas companies like the Devons and the Continentals and the Chesapeakes. But I mean, unless you're an engineer or an oil guy, you're not really going to be doing that. So, it's kind of cool to see a company like Paycom that provides so many different opportunities. I know so many people with varying experiences that can come and work for a large company in the middle of Oklahoma City.”

Paycom's fifth building is currently under contruction and due to be completed this year.

OKLAHOMANS HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO LEAVE THE STATE TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TECH SPACE. TECH IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF INVESTMENT AND MANY DISCIPLINED INVESTORS DON'T HAVE THE STOMACH FOR IT, BUT OVER TIME THAT WILL CHANGE. OKLAHOMA IS AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANY TO START A TECH COMPANY. WE ARE DOING OUR PART AND WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO DIVERSIFY THE STATE’S LANDSCAPE.

I MOVED BACK HOME FROM COLORADO TO START PAYCOM. I AM AN OKLAHOMAN.

— Chad Richison, Paycom founder and CEO

From the initial 400 clients Richison signed himself, Paycom’s client roster has now ballooned to approximately 36,600 clients, as of the close of 2022. That means the company stores data for more than 6.5 million people.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum came on as one of Paycom’s first 25 customers in the late ’90s. Kari Watkins, the museum’s executive director, said even then she could see the innovation Paycom would bring to the industry.

“I think it was cutting edge, and it was something that gave each employee a chance to be involved in their own payroll system, and it just seemed to work so much better for us,” she said. “Their growth has been incredible to watch for our city.”

The company joined the S&P 500 in 2019, the same year Fortune magazine listed it sixth on its 100 Fastest Growing companies. And the growth just went international. In April, Paycom launched a product, Global HCM, that will allow it to expand access to users in more than 180 countries in 15 languages and dialects.

That 5% looks like it will tick up.

NAMING ARENAS, GREEN SHOES & GIVING BACK

n mid-March 2020, Kari Watkins shut the doors to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum and canceled the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon for the first time ever due to COVID-19. She was one of the first dominoes in town, she said, to make the call to close.

In the early days of panic and confusion, it was a tough call to make. Funding dollars would be lost, without a doubt. It was the 25th anniversary of the OKC bombing after all. The Saturday morning after she made the decision, Watkins said Richison called her.

“He made a call to me, and I’ll never forget it,” she said. “He said, ‘We’ll make sure you guys are OK. Don’t panic. You’re making the right call.’ It wasn't always the most popular call with some people. But I think it was the right one, and he stepped up and was very generous.”

Richison pledged $1 million to the museum that morning, and Watkins said that amount is just about how much the museum lost because of the closure.

“He puts his money where his mouth is,” she said. “He talks about building community and giving back to the community, and he's done that for us. And I don't take that for granted. And, you know, a million dollars is a lot of money, and he didn't have to do that.”

Marnie Taylor, Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits president and CEO, said once Paycom’s growth was established and strong, Paycom, along with the foundation Richison started — the Richison Family Foundation — “really believed in and understood the importance of being a really good community partner.”

“When they came on, they came on big and bold and worked very hard, I believe, to understand the landscape of nonprofits in Oklahoma City,” Taylor said. “It was important to Chad, and the rest of the leadership team, and they knew it was time to really get involved, really dig in and do the work and make a mark. And they have.”

Richison and Paycom’s philanthropic presence is far-reaching. Most publicly, the former Chesapeake Energy Arena became the Paycom Center in 2021 after Paycom paid an undisclosed amount for a 15-year naming rights agreement. (Chesapeake Energy paid $34 million for a 12-year agreement, for reference.)

(CHAD RICHISON) PUTS HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS. HE TALKS ABOUT BUILDING COMMUNITY AND GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND HE'S DONE THAT FOR US. AND I DON'T TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED.

— Kari Watkins, executive director of

Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

Jason Bodin, Paycom senior director of marketing and PR, and Stephan Moore, executive director at Shiloh Camp, with a donation from Paycom.

Just as notable have been multi-million dollar donations to Richison’s alma mater UCO ($10 million in 2015 and $4 million in 2017, both to the athletic department), the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Homeless Alliance and the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. Paycom gave more than $1.3 million to nonprofits in 2022 through employee and corporate programs alone.

“We step up at $1.50 for every dollar that's given, and sometimes we step up even more than that as an organization,” Bodin said. “And that just shows our employees that we are invested not only in what they're invested in, but outside of that as well.”

But Richison’s most under-the-radar philanthropic work might be the mental health nonprofit he founded in October 2015: the Green Shoe Foundation. The mental health organization provides a five-day retreat focused on childhood relational trauma that’s free to all participants.

“I had achieved almost everything I wanted to in my life and still felt there was more,” Richison said. “As I searched for why I felt the way I did, I identified parts of my background that helped form the person I was, both good and bad. The more I learned, the more I craved.”

Since it began, the foundation has held more than 400 retreats for thousands of people. And 95% of all attendees complete the retreat, Bodin said. In fact, he attended the retreat himself at Richison’s suggestion.

“He planted the seed with me,” Bodin said. “It took about three years for that seed to mature and for me to mature into the realization that I needed to go and work on myself. And for me personally, I can tell you that I am a better father today. Whenever you've gone through Green Shoe, what you learned about yourself enables you to see your children in a completely different way.”

Green Shoe Foundation will open a new, expanded location in Edmond soon.

“Mental health is critical to all health, happiness and success,” Richison said. “I have always found it fascinating that people will work out every day, eat healthy, lift weights, etc. They work out to strengthen their heart, lungs and muscles, yet people neglect the human brain, the most critical organ in our body.”

In addition, Richison has signed Warren Buffet’s The Giving Pledge, a promise by the world’s wealthiest people to dedicate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.

“I want to give to sustainable organizations that create hope and opportunity,” he said. “I’d love for every adult to complete a Green Shoe retreat, which would lift many out of emotional poverty and reconcile generations of systemic trauma for millions. We would break the cycle and future generations wouldn't experience the same fate as their parents, nor would they pass it down to future generations.”

This November marks 25 years of Richison growing his company, helping to diversify Oklahoma’s economy and giving back to the state where he’s from. With the company almost as old as he was when he started, the next 25 years stand to be as impactful as the first.

Paycom entered in a 15-year naming right agreement in 2021 for an undisclosed amount.

TOP

ATTORNEYS

Your Guide to Local Attorneys and Practices

WHEN YOU NEED AN ATTORNEY, YOU WANT SOMEONE WITH a strong reputation and a proven track record. The annual Top Attorneys list provides the names of the 405 area’s attorneys recommended by their colleagues. DataJoe Research conducted an extensive peer-review survey asking established local attorneys to name top practitioners in their particular fields. The 2023 list contains over 250 top attorneys listed alphabetically and sectioned by specialty area.

TOP ATTORNEYS 2023

Summary. To create the list, the magazine contracted DataJoe Research to facilitate an online peer-voting process and Internet research process. DataJoe Research is a software and research company specializing in data collection and verification, and conducts various nominations across the United States on behalf of publishers. To create the list, DataJoe Research facilitated an online peer-voting process. We paired this with an Internet research process to identify success characteristics. DataJoe checked and confi rmed that each published winner had, at time of review, a current, active license status with the appropriate state regulatory board. If we were not able to fi nd evidence of a lawyer's current, active registration with the state regulatory board, that lawyer was excluded from the list. In addition, we checked available public sources to identify lawyers disciplined for an infraction by the state regulatory board. These entities were excluded from the list. Finally, DataJoe presented the tallied result to the magazine for its fi nal review and adjustments.

Final note. We recognize that there are many good lawyers who are not shown in this representative list. This is only a sampling of the huge array of talented professionals within the region. Inclusion in the list is based on the opinions of responding lawyers in the region. We take time and energy to ensure fair voting, although we understand that the results of this survey nomination and Internet research campaign are not an objective metric. We certainly do not discount the fact that many, many good and effective lawyers may not appear on the list.

Disclaimers. DataJoe uses best practices and exercises great care in assembling content for this list. DataJoe does not warrant that the data contained within the list are complete or accurate. DataJoe does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All rights reserved. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without written permission from DataJoe.

ADOPTION LAW

Denielle Williams

Chaney Chaney Law Firm PLLC

Edmond

405-595-1751

Robyn B. Hopkins Hopkins Law & Associates PC

Piedmont

405-373-4792

Rita Jencks Jencks Law Firm PLLC Oklahoma City

405-285-2882

Amy Pepper OU College of Law

Norman 405-325-4699

Courtney L. Schamel

The Law Office of Courtney Lee PLLC Oklahoma City

405-400-9066

Rachel Stoddard Morris Stoddard Morris PLLC Edmond

405-509-6455

Shannon Taylor

Shannon D Taylor Law

Oklahoma City 405-602-8446

Meredith A. Tipton

Blaney Tipton Hiersche & Odom

Oklahoma City

405-235-8445

Melisa L. Van Meter

Van Meter Law Office PC Norman 405-329-2233

Jennifer Yowell Adoption Attorney Jennifer Yowell Oklahoma City 405-615-5150

ANTITRUST LAW

D. Kent Meyers Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-235-7729

Mary H. Tolbert Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-239-6672

APPELLATE LAW

Catherine L. Campbell Phillips Murrah PC Oklahoma City 405-606-4788

Hilary Hudson Clifton Phillips Murrah PC Oklahoma City 405-235-4100

Kate N. Dodoo McAfee & Taft Oklahoma City 405-270-6057

Melissa Hedrick Hedrick Law Firm

Oklahoma City 405-361-7844

Andrew E. Henry

Crowe & Dunlevy

Oklahoma City

405-235-7738

Heather L. Hintz

Phillips Murrah PC

Oklahoma City

405-235-4100

Bryan N.B. King

Fellers Snider Law Firm

Oklahoma City

405-232-0621

Jana L. Knott

Bass Law

El Reno

405-262-4040

Kristin McAdams

Hester Schem Dionisio & Didier Edmond 405-705-5900

Clyde A. Muchmore

Crowe & Dunlevy

Oklahoma City 405-235-7734

Melanie Wilson

Rughani

Crowe & Dunlevy

Oklahoma City 405-235-7714

ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION

Chris Deason Deason Law

Oklahoma City 405-496-9268

Charles E. Geister, III

Hartzog Conger Cason LLP

Oklahoma City 405-996-3356

Joe M. Hampton

Tomlinson McKinstry PC

Oklahoma City 405-702-4346

Jennifer Irish Mediation Works

Edmond 405-285-2776

Kevyn Gray Mattax

Kevyn Gray Mattax

Attorney/Mediator

Oklahoma City

405-943-1965

Linda Morrissey

Dispute Resolution Consultants Inc

Oklahoma City

405-228-0300

ATTORNEYS FOR NON PROFITS

AVIATION J.D. Brown McAfee & Taft Oklahoma City 405-270-6028

Bradley K Donnell McAfee & Taft Oklahoma City 405-552-2308

Maria E. Gonzalez McAfee & Taft Oklahoma City 405-552-2358

Jason C. Hasty

Lytle Soulé & Felty PC Oklahoma City 405-235-7471

J. Robert Kalsu Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-239-6622

Will E. van Egmond Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-239-5415

BANKING AND FINANCIAL

Zane T. Anderson Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-234-3244

Matthew K. Brown McAfee & Taft Oklahoma City 405-552-2304

J. Dillon Curran Conner & Winters LLP Oklahoma City 405-272-5711

Joel W. Harmon Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-239-6637

Jeffrey D. Hassell GableGotwals Oklahoma City 918-595-4823

J. Mark Lovelace Phillips Murrah PC Oklahoma City 405-235-4100

LEGACY

Melvin R. McVay, Jr. Phillips Murrah PC Oklahoma City 405-235-4100

LEGACY

John W. Mee, III Mee Mee Hoge & Epperson Oklahoma City 405-848-9100

Brock Z. Pittman Christensen Law Group PLLC Oklahoma City 405-232-2020

BANKRUPTCY AND WORKOUT

Larry G. Ball Hall Estill Oklahoma City 405-553-2826

Joshua D. Burns Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-239-6681

Daniel V. Carsey Hall Estill Oklahoma City 405-553-2313

Elaine M. Dowling Dowling Law Office Oklahoma City 405-842-8005

George M. Emerson Riggs Abney Neal Turpen Orbison & Lewis Oklahoma City 405-843-9909

William H. Hoch Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-239-6692

Luke Homen Luke Homen Law PLLC Oklahoma City 405-639-2099

Clayton D. Ketter Phillips Murrah PC Oklahoma City 405-606-4792

Stephen J. Moriarty Fellers Snider Law Firm Oklahoma City 405-232-0621

Craig M. Regens GableGotwals Counsel Oklahoma City 405-568-3313

G. Blaine Schwabe, III GableGotwals Counsel Oklahoma City 405-235-5589

Bryson J Williams Munson & McMillin Edmond 405-513-7707

BUSINESS LAW

Grady R. Conrad Grady R. Conrad Klingenberg & Associates PC Oklahoma City 405-236-1985

Gary W. Derrick Derrick & Briggs LLP Oklahoma City 405-235-1900

Ryan J. Duffy Fellers Snider Law Firm Oklahoma City 405-232-0621

Jeri D. Holmes

Nonprofit Solutions PC

Oklahoma City

405-844-2286

Joy Turner

Oklahoma Disability Law

Questions? For research/methodology questions, contact the research team at surveys@datajoe.com.

Harvey D. Ellis, Jr Crowe & Dunlevy Oklahoma City 405-235-7743

Center Inc

Oklahoma City

405-525-7755

Justin L. Pybas Conner & Winters LLP Oklahoma City 405-272-5711

William H. Whitehill, Jr Fellers Snider Law Firm Oklahoma City 405-232-0621

Erick W. Harris UPT Oklahoma City 405-677-6633

Arthur F. Hoge, III

Mee Mee Hoge & Epperson Oklahoma City 405-848-9100

LEGACY

Attorney Profiles

2023

Life’s most difficult situations often require the expertise of an experienced lawyer. From real estate to family turmoil, the legal professionals on the following pages can give you the guidance you need, when you need it most.

Harmonniey Kinchion

THE LAW OFFICES OF HARMONNIEY S. KINCHION, PLLC

armonniey Kinchion unexpectedly started her practice in January 2019 with one client and $250 on a credit card. She didn’t intend to start her own firm, but it’s been the best decision she’s made.

“Since that time, I have focused on serving my community primarily in the family and personal injury law practice areas,” she said. “The firm would not be as successful as it is today without my faith in God, the support of my family, and my clients.”

The firm’s foundation is built on three core principles: customer service, transparency and efficiency. Kinchion was a legal assistant for more than five years, which meant she was often the first point of contact for a client. She learned that having access to the attorney you meet and hire is the most important factor in ensuring client satisfaction. The second is delivering a great result.

“I participate in the most, if not the only, difficult time in a person’s life,” Kinchion said. “The very least I can do is to make sure my client is informed, has access to me, and that I obtain results in their best interests.”

Clients describe her as “intelligent” and as “someone who gets the job done right the first time.”

“She knows what she’s doing, and I trust her every decision,” said one client. “She was right there for me and my son in our time of need. I have and will always continue to recommend her services to others.”

Sykes Law Office, P.C.

ver the past 15 years, Kendall Sykes has practiced law with a focus on results and compassion for her clients. The philosophy at Sykes Law Office, P.C. is, “There’s a time and place for negotiation, but at the end of the day, you need lawyers who are unafraid to take the battle to the courtroom. We are that law firm.”

Sykes is a trial attorney with an extensive background in family law and criminal defense matters.

“Typically when a client comes to us, their world is in turmoil, and it’s our privilege to help them navigate through the uncertainty that comes with litigation,” Sykes said. “From the very first meeting, we work collaboratively to outline options and strategize outcomes based upon the client’s goals or needs.”

Sykes is a past board member of the Oklahoma Guardian ad Litem Institute, a Barrister since 2016 in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Inn of Court, and last year was appointed by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to the Professional Responsibility Tribunal.

Visit Sykes Law Office any day, and you will find her beloved

poodle, Mary, at work with the team. She just turned 18 years old, and according to Sykes, “she has more legal experience than a lot of lawyers!”

Attorney Katie Bourassa, an associate at the firm, worked on the Oklahoma Innocence Project during her third year of law school, and that experience greatly impacted how she approaches criminal cases. She was also an attorney in the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office, where she gained valuable courtroom experience fighting for her clients.

Bourassa then went on to the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, where she worked for the Capital Post-Conviction division. There, she handled death penalty cases on post-conviction, as well as multiple homicide direct appeals. Currently, Bourassa handles all manner of criminal cases, including homicide and DUI cases, as well as expungements. She has defended clients all over the state.

Bourassa’s clients describe her as a straight shooter who also takes the time to weigh options and really listen to them. Her clients say they appreciate her candor, even when it’s tough to hear.

“I fight like hell for them, and they appreciate that,” Bourassa said.

L to R: Katie Bourassa & Kendall Sykes

Grady R. Conrad

KLINGENBERG, CONRAD & ASSOCIATES

The law firm of Klingenberg, Conrad & Associates and the accounting firm of Kenneth W. Klingenberg, C.P.A., P.C. have worked together to serve the diverse needs of their clients in the 405 metro since 1979. The combination of attorneys and CPAs allows the firm to bring substantial legal, accounting and business knowledge to bear for clients.

Attorney Grady R. Conrad has consistently been named one of the top in his field by professional organizations, including being listed as a Super Lawyers rising Star in 2020, 2021 and 2022, 40 Under 40 by Oklahoma Magazine in 2021, Top 10 Under 40 in 2021, 2022 and 2023 by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, and Top Attorney by 405 Magazine in 2022 and 2023. He is past president of the Downtown Exchange Club of Oklahoma City and is the District President for 2023-24. Additionally, Conrad serves as the Treasurer of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Inn of Court. This powerful combination of legal and financial expertise helps clients with issues ranging from civil litigation and estate planning to tax matters, as well as providing litigation support to other attorneys and law firms as financial experts, receivers, special masters and discovery masters.

Johnson & Biscone

James and Emily Biscone are key players at the law firm Johnson & Biscone, founded by their father, Joseph C. Biscone, II, more than 40 years ago.

They, along with attorney Bryce Johnson, share an important goal: helping injured people – especially working people –recover the damages they are entitled to. They help Oklahomans understand what they are facing after an accident or injury and serve as trusted counsel.

“Our firm provides hands-on guidance, putting more than 90 combined years of knowledge, experience and integrity to work for clients. Whether it’s a personal injury, workers’ compensation or Social Security disability case, we go above and beyond to take care of people,” said James J. Biscone.

The entire firm believes everyone deserves the very best representation possible, not just the government and big corporations.

“It’s not just about winning cases,” said Emily Biscone. “We ensure people have the support and care they need to live the best life possible after an injury.”

L to R: James J. and Emily Biscone

330 NORTHWEST 13TH STREET, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73103 | 405.236.1985 | KENKLING.COM

Jacquelyn L. Dill

For 20 years, Jacquelyn L. Dill has practiced law in Oklahoma City and surrounding areas focusing primarily on civil litigation and contracts. She is experienced in helping clients handle residential construction disputes, real estate sales, landowner issues, environmental concerns, contract litigation, business litigation, and business formation and development.

Dill is committed to providing all her clients with excellence, professionalism, honesty, loyalty, and respect and clients praise her excellent communication, subject knowledge, kindness, professionalism, and ability to obtain results.

She graduated in 2003 from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where she received the Nathalie Pierrepont Comfort Scholarship. Dill became a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the same year. She has been awarded the Rising Star and Super Lawyer awards multiple times.

Dill has volunteered on many community and professional boards, including the Oklahoma County Courthouse Access to Justice Clinic and The Caleb Effect Foundation. She is also a 2015 winner of Wheel of Fortune.

Maples, Nix & Diesselhorst

In 2015, two powerhouse law firms merged to form Maples, Nix & Diesselhorst. Both firms had the same goal in mind: to help people across Oklahoma who they or a loved one sustained permanent catastrophic personal injuries or death due to the negligence of another. The firm is focused on making themselves available to clients and standing with them, even after the case is resolved.

Partner Glendell Nix leads the MND medical malpractice team.

Partner Jacob Diesselhorst leads the MND birth injury team. Associate Attorney Cody Roberson works nursing home neglect, birth injury and medical malpractice cases; and Associate Attorney Shea Bracken works birth injury and medical malpractice cases.

Collectively, these four attorneys have more than 85 years of experience, and have been extremely successful in their representation of their fellow Oklahomans who have sustained permanent, catastrophic injuries due to the negligence of another.

L to R: Glendell Nix, Jacob Diesselhorst, Cody Roberson and Shea Bracken

4801 GAILLARDIA PARKWAY, SUITE 150, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73142

DILL LAW FIRM

Hartzog Conger Cason

Hartzog Conger Cason began in 1978 as a three-person firm, and in the over four decades since has built a reputation as one of the most successful and prestigious law firms in Oklahoma.

“Over the past four decades, our firm has grown to be home to more than 40 lawyers, all embodying the core principles of the firm – unwavering commitment to service, unmatched strategies established through focused teams of top experts and unambiguous personal communication with our clients,” said Len Cason.

With the firm’s wide variety of experience in complex transactional, wealth planning, and commercial litigation matters, its clientele has come to rely upon the firm’s expertise, knowledge and resources to consistently produce successful results.

The firm consistently ranks among the leaders in the state in the number and percentage of attorneys recognized by the Best Lawyers, Chambers USA and Super Lawyers.

April Quiroz

Dallas native April Quiroz founded Arnesen Law PLLC in Oklahoma City in 2016. Since inception, the firm zealously represents clients globally and has the privilege of enriching diversity locally here in Oklahoma City.

The firm focuses primarily on immigration law, with clients from a variety of countries, including The Bahamas, Brazil, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, India, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, and South Africa, among others. The firm has also had the distinct opportunity to represent foreign nationals who are members of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma.

Arnesen Law provides personalized, honest, and quality legal representation to each and every one of its clients. Quiroz has worked on both sides of the immigration legal system, which gives her a valuable perspective in determining legal strategy.

“The biggest compliment we receive is that we make the immigration process a whole lot less stressful,” Quiroz said. “We sincerely enjoy providing immigration legal services to our clients and their families.”

ROBERT S. KERR AVENUE, SUITE 1600,

Griffin III Partner

Ashley Powell Partner

T. Scott Spradling Of Counsel

Benjamin K. Davis Of Counsel

James D. Kallstrom Of Counsel

John D. Robertson Partner

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leaders

More and more fast-growing companies are adopting a strategy to cultivate a workplace that is supportive and inclusive to all types of people. In fact, in 2020, companies spent about $7.5 billion on DEI efforts, and that figure is expected to more than double by 2026. In OKC, leaders have emerged to push DEI efforts and conversations forward and many of the best and brightest are featured here.

Methodology: The people selected are featured after being nominated by peers. Editors reviewed the nominations and made selections. Individuals submitted biography information and answered questions, which were used in the formation of the profiles shown. This is not a comprehensive list. It includes only those who were nominated and then selected after an editorial review. Nomination or submission does not guarantee coverage. To qualify, nominees must demonstrate leadership and excellence within their field and the topic discussed.

Jonathan Dodson

Pivot Project co−founder and CEO

Dodson is “committed to joyous disruptions,” he said, in regards to the projects he and his team at Pivot Project undertake — such as the EastPoint development, the future Hamlin Hotel, the Tower Theatre and Beer City Music Hall projects.

“(DEI issues are) important because it allows us to experience joy in a far more robust way than many of us have experienced,” he said. “When we open ourselves up to other people’s stories, passions, pains and perspectives, we become the beneficiary, not the other way around.

“I want people to know that it is a joyously selfish endeavor. With every tough conversation, every glimpse into someone's life, our worldview gets a little bigger and our world more nuanced.”

Mayor David Holt

OKC Mayor and Hall Capital managing director of communications

Mayor Holt, with the OKC city manager, created the first-ever DEI position for Oklahoma City, focused on DEI issues when appointing more than 500 people to various boards and commissions and began the Mayor’s CEO Roundtable for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which had its first meeting in July 2020 and still continues, among other DEI efforts during his fiveyear tenure as mayor.

“This is vitally important to our city’s future,” he said. “It is not sustainable to build a city where any major communities are left out of the decisionmaking process or our economic progress. Diversity, equity and inclusion is not just a moral imperative, it is a matter of basic survival for a community. We’re doing our part in OKC, and we certainly encourage everyone else to join us. But in any case, we’re not stopping in OKC. All people are welcome in OKC.”

Shalynne Jackson

City of Oklahoma City Chief Inclusion and Diversity

O cer

Jackson serves as Oklahoma City’s first chief inclusion and diversity officer.

“We are approaching DEI from the inside out,” she said. “As one of OKC’s largest employers, we understand the great impact our employees can make if they better understand their role in creating a more inclusive workplace and city.

“DEI is good for business because it is good for people. All people deserve psychological safety, recognition, advancement and to be true to themselves.

All people deserve to be valued, respected, seen and heard. And when they are, businesses thrive. We often hear that DEI drives innovation, collaboration and retention, but we rarely discuss other benefits like engagement, loyalty, connections and even physical safety. All of these things positively impact our revenue, customer satisfaction and employee commitment.”

Arvest Bank Oklahoma City Chairman; EVP and Regional Manager for Arvest Banks in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma

Krieger meets every Friday for coffee over Zoom with a group to discuss DEI issues, and Arvest has been the presenting sponsor for the I&D Consortium for the last six years. In addition, the bank has eight associate impact groups for a total of about 1,200 people looking at DEI issues.

“We want to represent the community, the makeup of the community,” he said. “And that only happens with understanding and dialogue and giving people an opportunity to express their views and not be unquestioned about those. It has got to be intentional. That’s first and foremost, it’s got to be sincere and natural. You have some uncomfortable conversations, but that may lead to a better understanding of where people are coming from.”

Cindy Nguyen ACLU of Oklahoma policy director

Previously, Nguyen trained businesses and state agencies on equitable and inclusive policies. Now with the ACLU, she said she holds “elected officials accountable when they make decisions that actively harm marginalized communities in our state.”

“Businesses that value their employees simply perform better and retain talent,” she said. “Employees who see themselves reflected in the company are not only more likely to show up to work but to stay at the organization and recruit others. DEI is not about special treatment for anyone; it’s about just and fair representation that should have happened a long time ago.

“DEI is not something you can check off your list with one training. It is a continuous effort to check our own biases and provide the space for others to grow.”

Jim Roth

Oklahoma City University School of Law dean, law professor and Phillips Murrah Law Firm director and attorney Roth has spent more than 20 years, first as a county commissioner then later as a lawyer and OCU law dean, working with Oklahoma organizations that “advance the human condition,” he said.

“Simply put, all people perform their best (and are happiest) in all ways when they are truly themselves living an honest and authentic life in a supportive environment,” he said. “Oklahoma’s best days will only arrive once we include all people, from all walks of life, no matter how they live, look, love or pray,” he said. “So we need an Oklahoma full of people who live beyond themselves and actually care about their neighbors.”

Brad Krieger

Tony Shinn

Bank of America Oklahoma City president

Shinn, with Bank of America and local partners, delivered a seminar titled The ROI of D&I, which served as a springboard to work with Mayor David Holt on the Mayor’s CEO Roundtable for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Bank of America also has supported the I&D Consortium and helped sponsor the Advancing Oklahoma initiative. Shinn also is a part of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s Inclusive Economics initiative.

“I have raised my hand and asked to have a seat at the table where courageous conversations are taking place around diversity and inclusion, and I think the private sector plays a critical role in this dialogue,” he said. “Throughout my adult life, I have seen firsthand how our community is strengthened by diverse viewpoints, and it makes us more resilient, responsive and adaptive.”

Adam Soltani

Council on American−Islamic Relations, Oklahoma Chapter executive director Soltani has served on the OKC Inclusion and Diversity Consortium and developed a workshop presented to the Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce, LOYAL Oklahoma, and many others entitled What Does Being An Effective Ally Look Like.

“The workforce in Oklahoma and across the country is diversifying at a rapid pace, far faster than ever before in our nation’s history,” he said. “Once we decide to embrace and actively propagate diversity, equity and inclusion, we take the first step toward making the lives of those around us better and, as a result, becoming better people ourselves.”

Heather Zacarias

Western Gateway Elementary head of school

As head of Western Gateway, a dual language school emphasizing language learning alongside global awareness and competency, Zacarias has hired bilingual educators who have language roots in Spanish-speaking countries.

“Oklahoma's future depends on an emphasis on diversity and inclusion,” she said. “If we desire to create organizations that grow and thrive, shouldn't they represent the voices of those they serve? The students in our schools will be leading the future of Oklahoma. When we tell a student that their voice matters and that what they possess inside of them is something that the future is waiting for, it's imperative that they can see themselves in our business owners, our leaders and our educators."

Real-World Discovery

Dr. Jianzhong Lu, Hough Ear Institute research scientist, headed up the research confirming the hypothesis that damaged ear nerve endings can lead to tinnitus, leading to real-world applications for people with hearing issues. p.56

What Inspires Teara Flagg Lander?

Until last month, Teara Flagg Lander was the assistant vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Oklahoma, and now she is the associate vice president of student success at OSU-OKC. Working to provide access to all students is her passion, and self-care, taking time off and leaning into her support system are how she stays motivated to continue helping others.

What inspires you right now?

Wow, I am inspired by our future. I have the opportunity to work with young people on a college campus, and they are so full of life and excitement about their future. I love seeing them in their element and witnessing a sense of fearlessness.

What are your best tips for a work-life balance?

Be in the moment and give priorities time. For example, if your workday is 8-to-5, arrive on time and work on work while you’re there. At home, take time to play with your kids or pets or to do stuff for yourself that is meaningful and recharges your battery.

What's your best self-care advice?

Schedule time for self-care. After I had my first child, I scheduled 15 minutes of self-care daily because I had read about or known so many mothers that never made time for themselves. My solution was to create that time. I have maintained that practice of doing something for myself for at least 15 minutes a day, and it has served me well.

How do you avoid burnout?

I take regular days off about every six weeks. And I also make time for leisure, and I also pay attention to my body. If I am getting sick more often or feeling more tired than usual, I may take a late start or work from home if I can or find other ways to slow down or rest. I also make sure to set boundaries between work and home so that I can be fully present.

How do you stay current in your industry or profession?

I receive several digital journals about higher education trends, DEI trends and student success trends. I am also a member of several industry and profession-based organizations that provide me the opportunity to network, learn and grow in my profession. I also have an industry-specific professional coach that connects me with resources and individuals to support my goals.

What advice do you have for others who want to pursue your professional path?

If you are interested in pursuing a career in DEI, I would suggest gaining a certificate or degree that aligns with DEI or social justice. I would also suggest figuring out which sector you are interested in working in. The role of DEI in higher education looks different than a corporate space, so it is important to do some research. Additionally, DEI is a personal profession, so it is important to assess your biases while you’re doing the work.

What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were getting started?

The landscape of higher education, DEI and student success will always be changing. It is important to remain open-minded and be willing to adapt to said change. Know that sometimes your goals change, and it is OK to pivot in a different direction if your previous plan no longer serves you.

What else inspires you that we've missed?

My wonderfully supportive family! I was born into a family that allowed me to grow, learn, think and explore. I have parents that encouraged me every day to be my best self, and they still do as I have matriculated throughout my career. My chosen/created family with my life partner has been equally fulfilling. Together, he and I have two children and are creating a life that we are both proud of and leave better for our family.

Why is diversity, equity and inclusion important in the workforce?

Dr. Belinda Higgs Hyppolite UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA VICE PRESIDENT OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER

No matter the industry, diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamentally crucial to the workforce of today and tomorrow. Creating inclusive spaces and ensuring that diverse people and perspectives are represented allows for greater creativity and innovation and increases access to diverse communities, which impacts and improves the business's bottom line. Embracing diversity helps ensure that all individuals and viewpoints are represented and included, ultimately helping the workforce and businesses compete in a diverse, global and integrated world.

Companies that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion will benefit from the economic impacts of inclusion, enhanced recruitment and hiring, the retention of diverse staff from historically underrepresented groups and an elevated public reputation.

Joanne Davis

OKLAHOMA CITY BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Diversity, equity and inclusion are very important! I started work at 15. My first job included a majority Black staff with the owner/manager being white. Not sure I would call that diversity. From that point on until I retired, I was often the only Black. As I rose in ranks, I was the only Black in management or one of few in my division. When companies, institutions and/or organizations are intentional about diversity, they draw the best of the best. Representation matters! Women like to see women in organizations to which they may be applying and so do others. They want to see what is possible for them. Equity is, by definition, the quality of being fair and impartial. Fairness and impartiality should be immersed through the pores of any organization to include job interviews, evaluations and/or poor performance. I equate inclusion to acceptance. Acceptance of differences, acknowledgment and respect of who they are and what their differences bring to the whole. It’s being intentional and making sure people are not omitted and/or ensuring their participation.

QK Douglas QKI CONSULTING FOUNDER AND ATTORNEY

It is an interesting question to ask why diversity, equity and inclusion matters in the workplace for me, because I can't think of a way that it doesn't. It is interesting because it almost begs the question as to why there would be a need or justification for a disenfranchised group or individual to feel comfortable in workplaces that have perpetuated unhealthy practices. Research has shown that the more welcoming and robust a company culture is, the more that the company benefits and thrives on the workforce and the environment as a whole.

DEI is not only important but a historical amends to the way work is viewed in this country and the gifts and contributions that are left untapped based on societal bias and systemic discriminatory practices — both obvious and subtle. The rise of quiet quitting and small business ownership/entrepreneurship is a response, in my opinion, to the lack of focus on diverse, inclusive and equitable company cultures and environments. I hope companies are taking note and making genuine adjustments as the workforce and landscape will continue to change drastically from what we've known in amazing ways.

Three leaders discuss why diversity, equity and inclusion matter in Oklahoma’s businesses now and in the future.

Thinking Outside the 'Box'

Scientists at Hough Ear Institute reimagined existing tools to facilitate the study of tinnitus in rats, which has significantly furthered the possible real-world solutions for the condition.

DR. JIANZHONG LU, Hough Ear Institute research scientist, served as the senior researcher utilizing GPIAS – or the gap prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response – box in testing for behavioral evidence of tinnitus and therapeutic response in rats.

After two years of research (thanks to a 2020 OCAST grant) and testing 286 rats, he helped confirm the hypothesis that damaged ear (cochlear) nerve endings can lead to tinnitus, which is now leading to real-world help for people with hearing issues.

“Two years of study proved the hypothesis that nerve injury loss was enough to cause tinnitus,” said Matt West, Hough Ear Institute chief operating officer. “We also established that the drug that we're testing can reinnervate the sensory cells that can regrow those nerve endings.”

Hough scientists modified the existing Kinder System box and innovated on how to incorporate the functionality of the box into the study.

“For us to be able to draw the line between this hypothesis and actually being able to get objective evidence for that, we needed a system that's custom-designed for that,” West said. “So we implemented this in this unique way in this kind of study.”

Because of confirmation of their hypothesis, it is helping further the advancement of a medicine Hough developed that can repair cochlear nerve endings. And, thanks to the FDA’s Expanded Access Program, one patient named Max who was completely homebound because of his tinnitus was treated with the investigational drug and is now able to resume his normal life.

“This helps the clinical pipeline because Jianzhong and Zach (Yokell, Hough research scientist) and others have shown that the drug can help to reinnervate,” West said. “And that correlates with patients like Max.”

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