Business incubator for Tulsa immigrant startups

“I was so excited,” she said. “It’s always great news for the whole community when something like this comes in. It just brings a breath of fresh air to the community.”

Navarro and his family, who are originally from Mexico, have owned 2000 HNC (Homeopathic Natural Center), a natural herb and vitamin store in Plaza Santa Cecilia in the Tulsa Global District near 21st Street and Garnet Road, for 23 years.

It will house the state’s first small business incubator targeting immigrant communities.

Construction is expected to begin this summer, with an opening scheduled for the end of the year.

Navarro said her family has a long-standing business here, but will likely support other potential entrepreneurs rather than take advantage of the incubator opportunity directly.

But she said she would encourage her children to consider it when they are older.

“We’ve already talked about it with them. They’re really excited about this… and hope this will help them in the future,” she said.

The incubator is being launched by Tulsa County, the City of Tulsa and the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

The city invested $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the incubator, and Tulsa County contributed $120,000 in ARPA funds. GKFF contributed $1.4 million to the project through Elevate East, a new program that funds a series of initiatives to uplift families and improve neighborhoods in East Tulsa.

“Elevate East is committed to working with community members to create opportunities for families to grow,” said Ken Levitt, executive director of GKFF.

“This incubator not only fosters the prosperity of local businesses, but also provides valuable resources to immigrant entrepreneurs and increases economic opportunity for all. We are excited to see the renovation of Plaza Santa Cecilia, an important building, and are grateful for the public-private partnership that supports this catalytic investment.”

The Tulsa Global District is the city’s most culturally diverse community, with more than 80 languages ​​spoken and 25 countries represented, including Mexican and Central American, Vietnamese and Hmong communities.

The incubator will be approximately 15,000 square feet and feature a “robust” program of support for starting and expanding immigrant businesses, a community space to host workshops and classes, and an international market theme for immigrant entrepreneurs to test. It is planned to function as a hub with retail space and other facilities. The city said in a news release that it plans to sell its products.

Many immigrant entrepreneurs often need help managing their resources properly, including how to form a limited liability company, obtain permits, and obtain capital.

A new community development corporation, the Immigrant Community Development Corporation, will manage the incubator.

The development organization aims to acquire and manage properties in East Tulsa that support revitalization and create an environment that fosters new wealth-building opportunities for nearby residents.

GH2 is the architect of this project.