The Tulsa Regional Chamber’s HR Forum hit the road for its third and final gathering of the year.

About 20 attendees participated Thursday in a bus tour providing a firsthand look at a George Kaiser Family Foundation initiative called InvestNorth.

InvestNorth is a collaborative effort to drive transformational opportunities in historically Black, north Tulsa neighborhoods.

Titled “Cultivating Tulsa Talent: Community Involvement in Workforce Development,” the Chamber’s field trip took participants through neighborhoods to showcase efforts that have a direct impact on workforce development and talent retention.

By 2035, InvestNorth wants to double the number of north Tulsa families earning a living wage through investments in housing, community wellness, youth development and wealth creation.

“Traditionally, when you think about philanthropy, it’s this idea of poverty alleviation,” said GKFF Senior Program Officer Brandon Oldham, who led the tour. “But our work at InvestNorth centers on wealth creation. How are we expanding these pathways to prosperity for these residents?

“Typically, when we hear the term ‘north Tulsa,’ we have a negative connotation. So, we created these tours as an opportunity to grapple with that perspective, see what’s truly there, learn about the history and context of the community, and look at the bright spots that are there right now, as well as paint a picture and show where things are going.”

Accompanying Oldham Thursday were GKFF program managers Amber Guipttons and Tangela Ekhoff, as well as program associate Kelsi Burrell.

Attendees drove by Big Bertha, a tall hill at Gilcrease Expressway and L.L. Tisdale Parkway that has gained a cult following as a neighborhood exercise spot.

As the bus navigated the area, Oldham talked about the challenges of an initiative as large as InvestNorth.

“It’s been the blocking and tackling and getting on the same page,” he said. “We’ve been bringing out 30 partners to a quarterly conversation around what are our shared goals. What are our shared outcomes? What are the strengths that each organization has that we can lean upon?”

Oldham said about half a billion dollars is being invested into the area.

Among the successes is 36N, which, at about $216 million, is the largest investment in affordable housing in the city’s history.

Located at 36th Street North and Peoria Ave., property once occupied by Comanche Park Apartments, 36N calls for the construction of 545 units over the next five years.

The development also is expected to include green spaces, an urban farm, a neighborhood grocery store, and continued work on the Flat Rock Creek Urban Wilderness Area.

Bus riders also visited the GKFF-backed Peoria-Mohawk Business Park. Home to Muncie Power Products, the 100-acre industrial area could add up to 2,000 new jobs once it fills with tenants.

“We are deeply incentivizing (businesses) to come,” Oldham said. “The thing that we are asking of them is that they are good community partners, that they are willing to work with workforce partners and hire from the neighborhood.

“We’ve also partnered with Tulsa Tech to handle any training needs that they would have, which would minimize the need for residents to have to leave the neighborhood, making everything as walkable as possible.”