Leadership Notes: Entrepreneurship key to growth

Photo: Steve Johnson

To grow our economy and set the stage for long-term growth, it is absolutely vital that we keep filling the pipeline with new ideas, innovation and new companies with growth potential.

Entrepreneurship is the most complicated and delicate practice in economic development because new companies and new ideas require a support system that nurtures their success. And Oklahoma City’s support system continues to grow.

The announcement that gener8tor, a nationally ranked startup business accelerator, is coming to our market is significant. Their national network of support will give companies in their program here access we have not been able to provide before.

Related: New startup accelerator announced in Oklahoma City

Each time we add to our entrepreneurial ecosystem, it grows stronger, and it takes all the pieces – the co-working spaces, the pre-accelerators, the training programs, the venture capital, the networking activities and more – to create the dynamic environment that catalyzes company creation and job growth.

When you look at our largest and our fastest-growing companies in Oklahoma City, you will see that the list is dominated by companies who got their start right here in central Oklahoma. These companies started with a great idea and an entrepreneur dedicated to making it happen. Enhancing our ecosystem is how we show them our dedication. I congratulate the partners on this accomplishment, and I want to thank everyone that is involved in this work in our city. You are each playing an important role in securing our city’s economic future for years to come.

This story originally appeared in the June 2021 edition of The Point.