"Eighty to 85% of all the businesses in the state of Oklahoma have nine employees or less, so that sort of nudged me to realize we need to be working with a lot of these smaller businesses.” - Kaycie Craig, WED Consultant
An expanded partnership between Francis Tuttle Technology Center’s Workforce and Economic Development (WED) team, AXIS Powered by Francis Tuttle, and REI Oklahoma is helping drive innovation across the state by equipping startups, small businesses, and professionals with connections, training, and access to resources.
The collaboration connects the WED team’s customized training and leadership development programs with the entrepreneurial support available through AXIS and REI Oklahoma.
AXIS is Francis Tuttle’s state-certified small business incubator, which was established more than a decade ago and is now located on the Danforth Campus. Additionally, AXIS serves the entire district with self-employment training and small business consulting, and these resources are essential to help new businesses thrive.
“If you look at Oklahoma’s most successful companies, they’re all homegrown,” said Cara Evans, director of AXIS. “If you look at the major employers, the major manufacturers, the major industry, they’re all Oklahomans who built those businesses, which means they were all startups at one point.”
REI Oklahoma’s Manager of Business and Entrepreneurial Services, Lakisha Meade, works with clients at every stage. This could be anything from exploring an idea to launching a startup to scaling a business.
“On the resource side, we assist clients one-on-one with training, and a lot of our focus right now is getting them ready to access capital,” Meade explained. “We help with anywhere the client’s at, whether it’s an idea phase or growth stage. We serve the entire state of Oklahoma, and that’s entrepreneurs in any state of business.”
When Meade joined REI Oklahoma about a year ago, she connected with Evans and WED Consultant Kaycie Craig. The three quickly began planning, and two offerings emerged: the “Women Who Mean Business” quarterly breakfasts and monthly “Back to the Basics” workshops.
"Eighty to 85% of all the businesses in the state of Oklahoma have nine employees or less, so that sort of nudged me to realize we need to be working with a lot of these smaller businesses,” Craig said.
The quarterly breakfasts are morning-long sessions that feature speakers and networking. The first two events focused on leadership and marketing, and the third, which is scheduled for Oct. 28 on the Rockwell Campus, will focus on entrepreneur health and wellness. The breakfasts have also included a BAIL team, made up of a banker, accountant, insurance agent, and lawyer, to provide insight and answer participants’ questions.
“Several women found out they were running similar types of businesses, and they’ve been able to collaborate more,” Craig shared. “The feedback has been that it’s allowed opportunity for these women to get together in a safe space, collaborate, and focus on their businesses.”
Meade echoed that she has heard positive feedback, including comments about the sessions being informative and a space where they can openly ask questions and receive advice. One participant, Ashley Skaggs of Henosis Drink Co., told REI Oklahoma: “Attending the Women Who Mean Business breakfast has been immensely beneficial to myself and my business. Going far beyond networking, I’ve learned so much and have been introduced to ample resources that I didn’t know were available. If you’re looking for the next step in your business and are unsure about what that is, you found it.”
The monthly “Back to the Basics” seminar series covers topics for business operations and growth, including staying focused while leading a business, tax strategies, and getting creative with capital.
Evans shared she often hears from people who don’t realize the scope of what Francis Tuttle and CareerTech offer. People think about Francis Tuttle’s full-time programs, but don’t always know about the additional resources available to help people add their skill set, secure capital, complete safety training, and more.
For Francis Tuttle, the collaboration between its WED and AXIS teams and REI Oklahoma also demonstrates the broader role the technology center and Oklahoma CareerTech play in developing the state’s workforce.
“It’s been good for entrepreneurs to see that Francis Tuttle and CareerTech can be a support for them,” Craig said. “After they get their business off and running, they can come back to us, and we can continue to train them.”