BEHIND THE SCENES
MEET AND GREET NAME: Devon Laney AGE: 40 KNOWN AS: New CEO for 36 Degrees North, Tulsa’s “basecamp for entrepreneurs.” Originally from Centre, Alabama, Laney most recently served as CEO of Innovation Depot, a business incubator in Birmingham, Alabama. He also currently serves as the board chairman of the International Business Innovation Association. Laney is the creator of southeastconcerts.com, an online vendor portal for all aspects of live music.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Husband-wife team run successful production company from Tulsa. BY HEATHER KOONTZ
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ue in part to its central locale and competitive talent base, Oklahoma has become an increasingly attractive option for filmmakers. Husband-wife team Duane and Rebecca Fernandez intend to keep it that way. For the Fernandezes, storytelling comes naturally. When they launched their production company, VOKSEE, in 2015, they had already built an impressive network in Los Angeles. But the duo noticed a trend. “Executives wanted to know how to reach people in the middle of the country,” Rebecca says. “Our answer was always the same: ‘Go there and listen.’” Eventually, the team decided to take their own advice. In October 2015, they packed up their production studio and returned to Rebecca’s Oklahoma roots. Now, from their office at East 48th Street and South Lewis Avenue, VOKSEE continues to attract major clients. The Fernandezes have worked on numerous Netflix projects, including a “behind the score” highlight of the soundtrack to the film “Triple Frontier,” which featured per-
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TulsaPeople DECEMBER 2019
cussion from Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, and “The Making of OITNB,” a six-episode look behind the scenes of the hit show “Orange is the New Black.” Additionally, they’ve directed music videos and managed brand identity for a variety of famous entities — from Metric to Aston Martin. “We’ve worked with some of the biggest brands on the planet … all from right here in Tulsa,” Rebecca says. “To say we have the best of both worlds is an understatement.” By creating and managing major projects from their Tulsa headquarters, VOKSEE is paving the way for important changes in the film industry. That’s something the Fernandezes are passionate about. “We want to tell stories from the middle, about the middle,” Duane says. “Our ultimate goal is to film our movies in Tulsa, and we will continuously advocate for others in the industry to do the same.” VOKSEE has numerous projects on the horizon, including two with significant ties to Tulsa. For more information, visit voksee.com. TP
What do you make of the entrepreneurial community in Tulsa? It’s young, but it’s growing. There is a clear sense of progress and energy around entrepreneurship here. In the next three to five years, I expect to see Tulsa’s entrepreneurial community become more diverse, more robust and more recognized nationally. All the ingredients for success are here, so why not Tulsa? What are your first impressions of Tulsa? Any favorite spots? The city really surprised me. I had never been to Tulsa, and since arriving it has been wonderful. It’s a really beautiful area, and much more green than I expected. Gathering Place and Mother Road Market have been favorites so far. The people have been incredibly welcoming and generous, and there is a genuine desire to see the community move forward. So far, I’d sum it up by saying I’ve experienced great people, great food, great neighborhoods and great community. — MADISON SCHULZ
BEHIND THE SCENES: VALERIE WEI-HAAS; MEET AND GREET: GREG BOLLINGER
Duane and Rebecca Fernandez are the owners of production company VOKSEE. Its name is a spin-off of the Danish word vokse, meaning “grow.” Rebecca is from Okemah and Duane is from Los Angeles; they met in Tulsa in 2007.
How will your past experience with innovators inspire your work with entrepreneurs at 36 Degrees North? Having worked with innovators and entrepreneurs for the last 15 years, and being an entrepreneur myself, I believe I have a clear understanding of the unique needs and challenges of growing an entrepreneurial ecosystem. 36 Degrees North is already an incredible foundation and community of entrepreneurs, and the opportunity now is to evolve in how we serve those. Innovation and entrepreneurship are keys to economic development moving forward, and there is no reason Tulsa can’t be recognized as a leader in the space both regionally and nationally.