The 2025 Guide to Tulsa’s Top Events for Entrepreneurs and Innovators.

Why Business Events Matter (Especially in Tulsa)

In a remote-first, always-online world, the value of in-person connection is rising, not shrinking. Business events offer more than just name tags and free drinks. They’re where deals are made, ideas take shape, and collisions happen that can change the course of your business.

Tulsa’s entrepreneurial community is collaborative, not competitive. Events here aren't about posturing they’re about building. They offer rare access to funders, founders, mentors, and makers who are shaping the region’s future. Whether you’re new to the scene or deeply embedded, attending the right events keeps your energy high, your knowledge current, and your network strong.

Tulsa’s Top Events for Entrepreneurs & Innovators in 2025

‍

CORE Pre‑Accelerator

Sept 8th - November 17th
A full-throttle, 10-week journey powered by CO.STARTERS and Gradient, designed to take your business from concept to traction. You’ll be immersed in a tight-knit cohort of ambitious founders, guided by seasoned mentors, and challenged to validate your market, refine your story, and build momentum. If you're ready to go all-in, CORE sets the stage for your next big leap.
Learn more

Starters Bootcamp

Date TBA
Think of it as a startup sprint: one powerful day filled with breakout sessions, rapid feedback loops, and peer energy that hits like rocket fuel. You’ll solidify your vision, surface key assumptions, and walk away with an action playbook—ready to execute and energized to grow. No fluff. Just high-impact progress.
Learn more

Startup Grind Tulsa

Monthly Meetup
Candid stories. Tactical insights. Real-world advice. Startup Grind is where Tulsa’s founders drop truth bombs, about overcoming failure, scaling teams, and pivoting under pressure. It’s not just a talk; it’s a masterclass hosted by the people living it. Walk in curious; leave armed with the playbook.
Learn more

Builders + Backers Idea Accelerator

TBA
Part accelerator, part community, all impact. Builders + Backers is where early-stage ideas find resources, strategy, and real grant funding. Tulsa’s co-pilot in this regional push, backed by Heartland Forward, provides access to coaches, coalition partners, and an energized cohort. Get mentored. Get funded. Get moving.

Learn more

Startup World Cup – Oklahoma Regional

June 13, 2025
The ultimate test of grit: local startups pitch their heart out for a shot at a $1M prize on the global stage. With heavyweights like Pegasus Tech Ventures judging, this competition isn’t just fierce, it’s transformational. Expect sharp pitches, big insights, and an electric atmosphere as innovation goes head-to-head.
Learn more

Chroma Summit

August 22, 2025

‍Gradient’s premier one-day extravaganza, where strategy meets creativity, and founders crash into corporates to collide and innovate. Expect inspirational keynotes, hands-on workshops, high-stakes pitch sessions, and the kind of networking that changes trajectories. Bold ideas, bigger impact.
Learn more

Oklahoma IT Symposium

August 20 - 21, 2025
The annual summit for IT decision-makers, this is where tech leaders convene, compare notes, and forecast the future. Expect roundtables on cybersecurity, cloud strategy deep dives, and high-level keynotes from CIOs pushing the envelope. For IT pros, this is your planning session for the year ahead.
Learn more

‍

Tulsa Women’s Business Social

September 19, 2025
A vibrant evening celebrating women in business, this isn’t your typical mixer. It’s a carefully curated space where women founders find inspiration, form alliances, and fuel growth. Expect powerful conversations, peer mentorship, and a boost of confidence that stays long after the night ends.
Learn more

Tulsa Tech Week

September 22–27, 2025
A full week of TECH-LED TULSA takeover! Hackathons, product demos, fireside chats with CTOs, and innovation labs, that’s just the beginning. It’s designed for anyone who eats, sleeps, and breathes technology: developers, founders, VC scouts, and ecosystem builders. Join the energy. Learn from the best. Connect with the future.
Learn more

Global Entrepreneurship Week

November 17–22, 2025
Six days of non-stop entrepreneurial magic: immersive workshops, powerhouse panels, pitch battles, and networking galore. It’s Tulsa’s biggest entrepreneurial showcase and a global tent where founders, funders, and innovators connect, learn, and collaborate. Plug in and amplify your ecosystem.
Learn more

‍

Want more: Monthly Meetups Worth Mentioning

Tulsa Area Techlahoma (Techlahoma Foundation)

A cornerstone of Tulsa’s tech ecosystem—hosting regular user groups, coding workshops, hackathons, and community networking events. Open to developers, IT pros, students, and startup enthusiasts.
Learn more

Tulsa Web Devs

This group brings web technologists together monthly to deep dive into technical topics, frontend frameworks, backend tools, PWAs, accessibility, and more. A supportive space for high-level collaboration.
Learn more

Tulsa Agile Practitioners (Lean Coffee)

Hosted at Gradient: a monthly Lean Coffee meetup driven entirely by attendee topics. Agile pros come to share war stories, frameworks, and growth experiences.
Learn more

Tulsa Women’s Business Breakfast

Quarterly
Gradient hosts a woman centered breakfast series spotlighting women-owned businesses and featuring inspiring speakers, hands-on panels, and high-impact networking. A momentum-building event for female founders—registered attendees walk away motivated and connected. Visit joingradient.com/events for dates
Learn more

1 Million Cups – Tulsa

Monthly (2nd Wednesday)
Gradient hosts this local chapter of the national program where two early-stage founders each month share their stories, pitching their highs and lows to a supportive peer group and collecting real-world feedback. It’s honest, insightful, and open to anyone in Tulsa’s startup ecosystem.  Visit joingradient.com/events for dates
Learn more

Conclusion

Tulsa isn’t just keeping up, it’s leading. From pitch nights to founder forums, every event on this list is a window into a community that’s actively building the future of work, tech, design, and more. Gradient is proud to be a part of that movement, and this guide is our way of keeping you connected to the heart of it.

‍