36 DEGREES NORTH INCUBATOR

Abbey Marino Briggs, director of programs and partnerships for 36 Degrees North, says it “not only provides space for growing tech startups, but also houses some of Tulsa’s most prominent capital and entrepreneurship resource providers.” The ability to grow a business, just steps away from resources like venture capital firms, accelerators and global entrepreneurship networks, makes the incubator one-of-a-kind.

Amber Buker was introduced to the incubator through venture capitalist Tracy Poole, a managing partner at FortySix Venture Capital, which is one of three capital providers at the incubator. Buker (Choctaw) is the founder and CEO of Totem, the only digital bank by and for Indigenous people. As a tech-based service, Buker’s startup was a perfect fit for the incubator.

The 36 Degrees North Incubator program was established in 2021 and has worked with 48 startups so far. The organization transformed the previously vacant fifth floor of City Hall into a 50,000-square-foot, state-certified incubation space for tech-enabled companies. Partnered with the City of Tulsa, the company has far exceeded the industry average for first-year incubation platforms, reaching 90% capacity in its first year and validating the need for a larger, more consolidated space for its entrepreneurial services.

The incubator program takes three to five years to complete, varying for each individual company. It’s anticipating graduation for its first round of startups in the next couple of years. “(We’ve) seen great value in the colocation of startups that are in different phases of their journey,” Marino Briggs says. “With companies in the idea phase (working) next to startups closing millions of dollars in funding rounds, there is so much opportunity for founder-to-founder mentorship and problem solving.”

For Buker, being part of the incubator increases Totem’s visibility for venture capital firms who don’t already know the startup. “36 Degrees North is raising the profile of Tulsa as a city, which in turns raises us up with it,” she says. “It’s bringing so many people here who would not think to look for tech startups in a market like Oklahoma. We’re not in Silicon Valley, so it can be easy to overlook us because of where we’re located. But having 36 here lends a different level of legitimacy and professionalism to the Tulsa ecosystem so that we can get the attention of VCs that are outside of our walls.”

The 36 Degrees North Incubator serves high-growth, tech-enabled startups with access to in-house programming, venture capital partners, one-on-one mentorship and tax benefits upon completion of the scheduled courses. Throughout, startup founders have access to founder-to-founder sessions, are mentored by Tulsa’s tech ecosystem leaders, are held accountable to company goals and meet regularly with the incubator program director to determine their path to growth. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To review membership options and program requirements, visit 36n.co/ memberships/incubator. TP