2025 Impact Report

Gradient 10 Year Anniversary

Letter from Devon

I am incredibly proud to share our Annual Impact Report with you. In 2025, Gradient reached a defining milestone as we opened the doors to our new home, made possible through years of planning, partnership, and a shared belief in the power of entrepreneurs to shape Tulsa’s future. Transforming a long-vacant historic warehouse into a thriving symbol of Tulsa’s future was only possible because of the dedication, trust, and support of our members and partners.

Today, Gradient operates as America’s sixth-largest innovation and entrepreneurship hub, intentionally bringing our community, resources, and infrastructure together under one roof to accelerate access, expand opportunity, and create the density that fuels innovation and lasting regional impact.

But the building is only the beginning.

In 2025, Gradient came to life in new ways. We expanded programming, hosted hundreds of events, and welcomed thousands of entrepreneurs, founders, remote workers, students, and community members through our doors. From incubator and accelerator cohorts to workshops, mentorship, and large-scale convenings, Gradient became a place where ideas turn into action—and connections turn into opportunity.

The results speak for themselves. Since opening, more than 6,500 individuals have engaged with Gradient’s programs and services, strengthening Tulsa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and expanding access to knowledge, capital, and networks. In 2025 alone, Gradient supported 500 businesses that brought more than 4,000 jobs to Tulsa. The connections made here—between startups and mentors, founders and funders, and innovators and institutions—are what make Gradient truly unique.

At its core, Gradient is about people: entrepreneurs building companies, talent finding opportunity, and a community choosing to grow together. Every conversation in our hallways, every collaboration sparked at an event, and every business supported through our programs helps build a stronger, more resilient Tulsa economy.

None of this happens without you. Your partnership, advocacy, and belief in our mission make this work a reality.

Thank you for believing it was possible in Tulsa. We are just getting started.

T. Devon Laney
President & CEO

Gradient 10 Year Anniversary

A Decade of Innovation

2016

36 Degrees North Basecamp opens in the Tulsa Arts District, creating a new place for Tulsa entrepreneurs to work, connect, and grow. Fun fact: this building came with a history— it was once home to the Universal Ford Motor Company in the 1920’s.

2017

With membership growing quickly, we doubled our footprint and opened Camp II just down the road to make room for growing teams and new ideas. The space was quickly filled with companies that ran the gamut from marketing to trucking logistics to a satellite Microsoft office.

2018

36 Degrees North partnered with Tulsa Remote upon its launch, giving newly relocated remote workers access to inspiring workspace and instant community — a collaboration that fueled Tulsa’s workforce growth and brought new talent, perspectives, and opportunities into the 36°N community.

2019

$238.7 Million Impact
405 Members

It was a landmark year for collaboration and member wins! We supported members in big moments like Holberton School’s launch, FC Tulsa’s rebrand, Black Tech Week Summit, and KiZE energy bars expanding to Walmart and Target nationwide.

2020

$375.5 Million Impact
699 Members

In a year of uncertainty, we stayed agile—supporting essential workers and adapting to a remote-first workforce with flexible membership options. Our members drove real impact: Baker Lewis helped 51 businesses secure over $7M in PPP loans, Food on the Move distributed more than 3M pounds of food, and we partnered with local organizations to launch a Youth Entrepreneurship Academy, mentoring elementary-aged students.

2021

$572.5 Million Impact
1,591 Members

In response to Tulsa’s growing tech ecosystem, we launched the 36°N Incubator—providing wraparound programming, tax incentives, and access to capital for tech companies scaling in Tulsa. As Oklahoma’s largest state-certified technology incubator, we reached full capacity in record time and exceeded industry benchmarks.

2022

$859.9 Million Impact
2,453 Members

Growth defined the year for 36°N and our members. In 2022, we finalized the purchase of the historic OTASCO building and gave members the first look through a VR tour. Founders saw major wins too, with Boddle Learning’s locking in partnership with AT&T and a Forbes 30 Under 30 title, plus Endeavor’s ScaleUp program launching in Tulsa to support female founders.

2023

$1.1 Billion Impact
3,206 Members

As construction began on our new home, our members continued to build across 36°N’s three locations. LearnCraft Spanish launched a new podcast that charted on Apple Podcasts, Imagiread was selected to partner with NASA, and Legacy Letters founder Blake Brewer landed a feature on the Today Show. During this time, 36°N also reached a major milestone—surpassing $1B in economic impact.

2024

$1.43 Billion Impact
3,754 Members

Alongside our community, we celebrated the beginning of a new chapter and our upcoming rebrand to Gradient—a name that reflects the full spectrum of people, perspectives, and industries we serve. In 2024, we also partnered with i2E, The Verge, OCAST, and REI Oklahoma to launch the Oklahoma Commercialization Network, delivering a suite of accessible resources for Oklahoma-based founders.

2025

New building, new name, renewed focus. In January, we unified our community under one roof as Gradient, becoming one of the largest innovation hubs in the nation.

Gradient 10 Year Anniversary

To The Future

Natsukashii, powered by the award-winning chef collective Et Al., opens its first brick-and-mortar location at Gradient, serving homestyle Japanese cuisine and welcoming guests morning, noon, and night.

One of the most exciting things happening at Gradient is the continued growth of our programming. Built around our core pillars, Connect, Start, and Scale, our programs are designed to help you move ideas forward.

This year, we’re expanding even further with new initiatives for our creative community and even more opportunities to grow within the ecosystem.

After a sold-out debut in 2025, CHROMA will return in 2026.

Partnering with local industry leaders, this flagship innovation event brings people together to spark ideas and solutions that will shape the future of business.

Gradient 10 Year Anniversary

Our Impact

Gradient 10 Year Anniversary

Gradient Wins

In our first year, we welcomed 6,751 individual members and guests through the doors of Gradient to connect, learn, and turn ambition into momentum.

Our new event spaces came to life with 476 events and conferences, including Microsoft’s AI Roadshow, MidCon VC Summit, NYU’s Diversity in Business + Entrepreneurship Conference, State of Black Food, Young Smart & Local, and many more.

More than 400 of you showed up for the world’s most legendary ribbon-cutting celebration, culminating in an iconic atrium balloon drop that we’ve been dreaming about since construction began 3 years ago!

CHROMA, Tulsa’s Flagship Innovation Event, launched and sold out—connecting the region’s most innovative companies with global tech leaders and legacy organizations to spark solutions for the future of business.

For the second consecutive year, Gradient hosted Tulsa’s Regional Startup World Cup, drawing record attendance and elevating local founder Anna Cobb to the global finals in San Francisco for a $1M prize.

In its 9th year as Tulsa’s official host of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Gradient earned a #2 national ranking and hosted over 30 events with speakers spanning Microsoft and NVIDIA, local policymakers, award-winning chefs, and business owners.

Gradient launched the Icons + Innovators campaign, partnering with Tulsa-founded legacy companies like Bama Companies, the Hardesty Family Foundation, and McNellie’s Group to spotlight established leaders supporting the next generation of innovators.

Incubator Wins

Incubator graduate, SkinCheck launched its nationwide teledermatology service, reaching 80K+ users and already identifying 12 potential skin cancers. The team has closed $500K in pre-seed funding to accelerate commercialization and scale distribution, and secured a $250K grant from OCAST to advance regulatory readiness and clinical validation.

Incubator graduate, Writesea secured University of Tulsa, Langston University, Arizona State University, Stanford, and Florida A&M as clients, while growing its B2B AI SaaS business by 400% year over year.

VOLT took the global stage at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world’s largest and most influential global event for mobile, connectivity, and technology innovation. They received overwhelming industry response, a prestigious MEFFY Award nomination, and ended the year on a high note by defeating some of the industry’s largest players at the MWC Vegas Pickleball Charity Event.

Boddle Learning was named a Top 24 global startup in the Entrepreneurship World Cup Finals, earning the opportunity to pitch at the Biban Forum in Saudi Arabia while representing the U.S. and advancing its mission to help kids build confidence to learn.

Safety Radar was recognized as the 2025 Most Promising New Venture by the Oklahoma Venture Forum for its AI-driven Live Risk Platform, highlighting the company’s innovation and impact in real-time workplace safety.

Tangram Vision was awarded a NASA Phase II SBIR to enable fully autonomous sensor calibration, advancing lunar navigation for NASA’s Artemis program and supporting a sustained autonomous presence on the Moon.

LearnCraft Spanish surpassed 14 million podcast downloads, built proprietary software used weekly by thousands, and served its 5,000th paying customer while helping users achieve real Spanish fluency through expert coaching and a powerful, structured learning system.

Ballin AI launched the Last Shot program to level the recruiting playing field, using advanced recruiting intelligence to help overlooked Class of 2026 female athletes get evaluated by Division I programs and compete for a $200,000 scholarship opportunity.

iDENTIFY hosted an off-site retreat in Colorado, celebrating a major company milestone and bringing together global team members—many meeting in person for the first time after years of remote collaboration.

Soaak Technologies completed its second U.S. Air Force contract, launched a personalized sound-based app upgrade, expanded clinic operations, and was named a top sleep app of 2025 and 2026 by Tom’s Guide, CNET, WIRED, and The Independent.

Tynrose completed a strategic acquisition and grew the business from $5M to over $25M in just 12 months.

Member Wins

TCC’s Skills Lab received $1M+ from the Oklahoma Workforce Commission to launch at Gradient, expanding its Cyber Skills Center into a fast, job-focused training hub preparing Oklahomans for real-world careers across AI, cyber, and data-driven economy.

Slate Sourdough baked and sold over 20,000 items, turning a small, hands-on idea into a sustainable neighborhood bakery, in the heart of Downtown Tulsa.

SEQTEK earned another Top Places to Work award in 2025 while growing with purpose—boosting revenue by 15%+ and creating 11 new jobs in Tulsa.

Prodigy & Co celebrated 10 years of growth since launching at 36°N in 2016, delivering 1,600+ hours of leadership training and partnering with 36°N / Gradient to host 250+ workshops for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

The Tulsa Fire Department piloted a new drone-based emergency response program, operating its command center here at the Gradient, bringing together public safety, startups, and researchers to improve safety and response times.

In 2025, i2E expanded its support through the Oklahoma Commercialization Network (OCN), partnering with regional leaders like Gradient to meet founders where they are with access to expertise, mentorship, and clear pathways to move ideas forward.