Motivating messages from Tulsa Regional Chamber leadership and an Oklahoma senator highlighted Monday’s launch of the Chamber’s annual Tulsa’s NextGEN Talent (TNT) initiative.

TNT pairs college-bound, Black high school students with local companies and provides three weeks of career exploration and experiential learning.

The program’s aim is to retain diverse talent for the Tulsa region and assist companies in expanding their diverse talent pipeline.

“One of the points of this program is to try to open your eyes to a world of opportunity that you and I otherwise would not know,” said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

This year’s TNT cohort – the fourth since the program launched in 2021 – features 30 externs and a five-member executive leadership team. A total of 15 local employers are participating.

Neal worked the room, quizzing externs on their career plans. The theme of his message was clear; take flight wherever you want, but make sure you land in Tulsa. 

“We want you to get educated,” he said. “We want you to get exposed to different opportunities in life.

“You go to college anywhere you want to go to college…But we want you to come back (to Tulsa) and get a job.” 

Also speaking during launch day was Oklahoma Sen. Kevin Matthews, who, along with former Chamber Chair Rose Washington-Jones, CEO of TEDC Creative Capital, helped start TNT. 

“So many of my friends, so many people I went to school with, wanted to move to Atlanta; they wanted to move to LA,” Matthews said. “They wanted to move to Dallas. But guess what, they are moving here to Tulsa. Tulsa is the place to be…

“We are already tremendous. But we are going to be more tremendous when we get you to be the leaders in our community.” 

Matthews urged the externs to connect with their employers.

“To be successful, it takes building relationships,” he said. “So, these employers, these champions, you are going to spend time with, build relationships there. Be worth them hiring you. Be worth them mentoring you. Be worth having an opportunity to be a CEO one day or owner of your own business.”

Rue Ramsey, the Chamber’s vice president of workforce and talent strategies, spoke about TNT’s mission. The externs also met with their employers and exchanged information before attending a business etiquette luncheon at The Summit Club.

“People of color, especially Black people, go away to college and never come back, or leave and go work in other places and never come back,” Ramsey said. “I’m charged with retaining talent, recruiting talent, attracting talent and having basically the talent that we need in our city for our companies to continue to grow and thrive.”