1. • Innovative Ideas Competition
• Up to $15,000 in cash prizes to competitive
proposal
• Collaboration between university, economic
development authority and financial
institutions

2. Success
• Provides local
entrepreneurs an
outlet for funding
• Exposes their story
to the entire region
• In year 2 with
double competitors
from the inaugural
year

3. Origins
• Local Economic
Development
Authority initiated
as an outlet to
fund
entrepreneurs in a
competitive format
• 1st year winners –
artisan goat cheese

4. Collaborations
• Local support
• Collaborations between finance, higher
education, economic development, regional
chambers and SourceLink Tulsa
• Funding thru Innovation Center via an
Economic Development Grant

5. Resource Partner Assistance
• Consistently
promoted the
competition via
emails to the
entire Tulsa region
• Shared the
competition on all
social media
outlets