[Top Author Series] Building a Tech-Driven Economy in the Heartland With Nicholas Lalla

Nicholas Lalla is an urbanist and social entrepreneur specializing in economic development and emerging technology. He founded Tulsa Innovation Labs, deploying over $200 million to build northeast Oklahoma’s innovation economy. Previously, Nicholas led Cyber NYC for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, a cybersecurity initiative recognized as “among the nation’s most ambitious” by The New York Times. He is also the author of Reinventing the Heartland, which lays out a bold and pragmatic plan for urban reinvention, showing cities how to reorient their entire civic ecosystems toward inclusive tech-led growth.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [03:47] Nicholas Lalla discusses the origins of Tulsa Innovation Labs
• [07:20] Tulsa’s urgent need for economic diversification
• [11:31] The visionary pitch that redefined Tulsa’s future
• [17:32] Strategies for identifying Tulsa’s unique tech niche
• [21:54] Tips for building a high-performing team to drive innovation
• [28:21] How Tulsa Innovation Labs selected key growth sectors
• [35:59] Nicholas talks about their corporate-first approach to economic development
• [47:53] Lessons from his leadership journey and change management

In this episode…

Many mid-sized American cities struggle to reinvent themselves in a rapidly evolving economy, often clinging to legacy industries while missing out on the opportunities of the tech sector. As traditional economic engines falter, communities risk job losses, brain drain, and long-term stagnation. But how can cities without established tech hubs create thriving innovation ecosystems from scratch and position themselves for sustainable growth?

Nicholas Lalla, an urbanist and social entrepreneur, shares a blueprint for how cities can build tech-driven economies tailored to their unique strengths. Drawing on his experience leading transformative initiatives, he highlights the importance of finding a city’s “tech niche,” using data-driven strategies, and engaging key stakeholders to align around a common vision. He emphasizes a corporate-first approach, encouraging cities to collaborate with existing industries to foster innovation and attract startups that address real market needs. Nicholas also underscores the power of public-private partnerships, strategic fundraising, and the importance of leadership that challenges the status quo while fostering community buy-in.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Nicholas Lalla, Founder of Tulsa Innovation Labs, about building inclusive and tech-driven economies in mid-sized cities. Nicholas discusses his journey from New York City to Tulsa, Oklahoma, how he secured over $200 million in funding, and the strategies he used to define Tulsa’s innovation niche. He also dives into leadership lessons, the importance of stakeholder collaboration, and how cities can create lasting economic impact.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Nicholas Lalla on LinkedIn | Website
• Tulsa Innovation Labs
• Heartland Forward
• Reinventing the Heartland: How One City’s Inclusive Approach to Innovation and Growth Can Revive the American Dream by Nicholas Lalla

Special Mention(s):

• George Kaiser Family Foundation

Related episode(s):

• “EO Tulsa | Real Estate Investment With Mat Zalk of Keyrenter Property Management” on the Inspired Insider Podcast
• “EO Tulsa | The Grind, Trepidation, and Risk of Being a New Entrepreneur With Lisa Riley” on the Inspired Insider Podcast
• “[Top Agency Series & Spot On Series] How to Transition to the Next Generation in a Family Business with David Littlefield and Sam Littlefield of Littlefield Agency” on the Inspired Insider Podcast

Quotable Moments:

• “You can’t build an innovation economy by focusing on problems — you need to unlock opportunities instead.”
• “Every city has untapped assets — it’s about identifying them and building a strategy around their strengths.”
• “I didn’t want Tulsa to copy Silicon Valley — I wanted it to become the best version of itself.”
• “Economic development isn’t about chasing startups, it’s about aligning corporate needs with innovative solutions.”
• “Cities don’t have ten years to figure it out — they need bold action and immediate impact today.”

Action Steps:

1. Identify your city’s tech niche: Conduct a comprehensive asset assessment to uncover industries where your region can lead and grow to ensure economic development strategies are tailored to local strengths, maximizing potential for sustainable growth.
2. Engage key stakeholders early: Involve corporate leaders, universities, and community groups in strategic planning from the start to build local buy-in, fostering partnerships and increasing the likelihood of long-term success.
3. Adopt a data-driven approach to investment: Use rigorous research and market analysis to inform decisions about funding and resource allocation.
4. Prioritize corporate-startup partnerships: Align local startups with established industries to foster innovation and accelerate business growth.
5. Champion inclusive economic growth: Design initiatives that create opportunities across education levels, demographics, and communities.

Episode Transcript

Intro 00:15

You are listening to Inspired Insider with your host, Dr. Jeremy Weisz.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz 00:22

Dr. Jeremy Weisz here founder of inspiredinsider.com where I talk with inspirational entrepreneurs and leaders. Today is no different. I have Nicholas Lalla. You can check him out at Nicholaslalla.com.

We’ll be talking about Tulsainnovationlabs.com his book Reinventing The Heartland. And Nick, before I formally introduce you, I always like to point out other episodes of the podcast people should check out, since this is kind of like Tulsa themed here. I was like looking what other episodes or Tulsa entrepreneurs, right? It’s appropriate.

I had Matt Zalk of Keyrenter Property Management who talked about real estate investment is in. I met him through actually EOE Tulsa had the Lisa Riley. We talked about the grind, the trepidation risk of being a new entrepreneur. Also in Tulsa, of course, and David Littlefield and Sam Littlefield Littlefield Agency. And we talked about how to transition to the next generation in a family business.

So all those Tulsa businesses, entrepreneurs, so people can check those out. Right?

Nicholas Lalla 01:27

I love all the Tulsa connections 100%.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz 01:30

This episode is brought to you by Rise25. At Rise25, we help businesses give to and connect their dream relationships and partnerships. We do this in two ways. One, we help companies launch and run their podcast.

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And basically it’s just we call ourselves the magic elves that run in the background to make it easy for your company to build amazing relationships with those things. So, you know, for me, I’m always looking at ways on how I can give to my best relationships, and I found no better way over the past decade on the podcast and, you know, sending follow-up gifts to people, I want to stay in touch with my universe. You can go to rise25.com to learn more. I’m excited to introduce Nicholas Lalla. I guess Nick, I’m trying to like, how do we categorize you?

Right? An urbanist and social entrepreneur. And Nick works at the intersection of economic development and emerging technology. And really what he does is he partners with cities to build strategies and initiatives that catalyze growth. Okay. He helped found Tulsa Innovation Labs, which is an organization deploying over $200 million to build Northeast Oklahoma’s innovation economy. Previously, he actually led cyber NYC for the New York City Economic Development Corporation and which is a cyber-security initiative. The New York Times called among the nation’s most ambitious. He’s also the author, as I mentioned, of Reinventing the Heartland how one city’s Inclusive Approach to innovation and growth Can Revive the American Dream. Nick, thanks for joining me.

Nicholas Lalla 03:37

Thanks for having me.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz 03:38

I wanted to start with the origin, the origin of Tulsa Innovation Labs.

Nicholas Lalla 03:47

Yeah. So this was 2018, I believe. I was leading the cornerstone initiative of mayor Bill de Blasio’s jobs plan, which you just referenced, an initiative called cyber NYC. This was a $30 million public private investment in New York cyber ecosystem. And we got really good press from New York Times, Wall Street Journal coverage.

And this random philanthropy in Northeast Oklahoma picked up on it. And I got an email, a cold email one day from my company’s president saying, hey, this philanthropy is in town. They would love to talk to you about cyber NYC. And I said, sure. That’s of course, happy to take the conversation.

That’s my job. And they came down to Fi Di and spoke with the George Kaiser Family Foundation. And in that initial conversation they asked, have you ever thought about Tulsa? And, you know, humbly, it was an obvious answer. With that. I was like, you know, to be honest with you, I haven’t thought about Tulsa. I was born and raised in New Orleans. Oklahoma is just a hop, skip and a jump from Louisiana, but had never been to Oklahoma. Didn’t really know where Tulsa was geographically. Thought it was more southwestern than it is.

But was intrigued by that initial conversation which focused on hey, how do we create a cyber investment in Tulsa, Oklahoma? And so I visited the city. It is wonderfully green. It’s just a beautiful town at the base of the Ozarks and met with key stakeholders the philanthropy, civic leaders, real estate developers, university deans and professors, the mayor and his team, chamber of commerce. And realized that a single investment in cyber wasn’t really going to move the needle.

Particularly an investment in an emerging tech cluster like cyber wasn’t really going to change Tulsa’s trajectory. And through a series of conversations and site visits, I ended up pitching the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s board of directors on a vision for tech-led and inclusive growth in the Northeast Oklahoma region, essentially. How do you build a tech economy from scratch? I thought that the city needed to go bigger, bolder, more systems-wide. They needed to find what I call their cities tech niche, those handful of innovation clusters that represent the strongest opportunities for growth.

And GCAF, the foundation said. That sounds like a really good idea. How about you come lead that effort? And so in the fall of 2019, I left my happy little life on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and moved out to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and we spun out Tulsa Innovation Labs just a few months later.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz 07:00

Was there a timeline? And by the way, if anyone’s watching the video or listening to the audio, there’s a video piece and we’re kind of poking around here. Was there a timeline? You know, like they’re telling you, okay, you’re going to move to Tulsa, right? You’re from New York or you’re living in New York, right?

It’s a lot different. What do you what are they saying or thinking the timeline is going to be?

Nicholas Lalla 07:20

That’s a really good question.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz 07:24

For me like oh you’re just going to be there for ten years. I mean I don’t, I don’t know what were you thinking.

Nicholas Lalla 07:30

Yeah. Well and that’s a very good question. And the timeline operates on a few different levels. One level is for me as an individual leader, my career, my professional life, my personal life. I honestly thought that this would be, for Nick, a two-year type of gig where I would stand it up and then leave.

That kind of fit with how I thought I saw my career trajectory playing out. What I realized even in those early days was two things. One is that Tulsa on the one hand, Tulsa didn’t have ten years to get his act together. That there were warning signs already flashing five or so years ago, where key indicators showed Tulsa lagging behind even regional peers. Continuing volatility in its legacy industries.

Oil and gas, the struggle to build any type of entrepreneurial ecosystem, brain drain, etc. and so I didn’t think Tulsa had ten years to get its act together. I knew that I wanted to make a step change in the city’s history. And so for me, the posture that I took as a founder and as a leader and there are pros and cons to this approach, was we’re going to make as much impact and challenge the status quo as quickly as possible, that I really saw this as a two-year type of project. Let’s have the vision, let’s build a strategy, let’s raise a lot of money and start deploying it immediately. At the same time, though, I recognized that to achieve long-term and sustainable outcomes, that this would be a 10 to 25-year project, right?

And so Aligning those different timelines and how I positioned myself as a leader, how I positioned Tulsa Innovation Labs, how we built partnerships, how we built relationships was candidly a little complicated given those competing timelines. Right? I didn’t have five years to make best friends with University President X or politician Y, right? I needed to make fast alliances because I wanted to do big things in a short amount of time, and I sensed an opportunity, both with the foundation’s interest and the Biden administration’s historic investments in place-based economic development.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz 10:36

You know, a couple of things stick out. I do want to dig in. We will dig into I know you talk about in the book your leadership journey. Right. and we will dig into that.

But I want to just it’s really fascinating to me. I want to talk about the pitch. Right. Like you say it kind of casually, but like you’re this is a huge deal. When you’re pitching this thing, this is like going to create a lot of funds and jobs and future, you know, growth for a city.

And then I want to talk about you get it. And what do you do first. Like I wouldn’t even know where to start. I mean, there’s a lot of things like do you get a space, do you get people. So start with the pitch for a second. What do you make sure that you included in the pitch to the foundation that made this, you know, successful? Because without that, nothing else happens?

Nicholas Lalla 11:31

Yeah. So I did a few things. One is I explained my work in New York City. And the importance of. Taking a strategic and data-driven and focused approach to economic development.

Really focusing in on identifying the strongest opportunities for growth-specific industry clusters and then deploying capital vis-a-vis initiatives, projects, programs that stimulate growth and activity in those clusters in a coordinated way. And so for my work in New York, for example, cyber NYC wasn’t a singular or siloed investment. It was a suite of investments that touched academic innovation, that touched workforce development, that touched startups and corporate innovation. And we created in New York an initiative that had that whose, whose individual components interlocked and fed into one another. right?

Talent is fueling startups. A venture fund is fueling the startup. Startups are creating more jobs. They’re partnering with universities to commercialize IP. This is kind of the classic innovation flywheel approach. And so I explained the work that I was doing in New York. And, you know, very quickly kind of reiterated, because they heard it before the warning signs about the region’s economy. Right. And they know and knew that if Tulsa didn’t diversify its economy, didn’t transition from its oil and gas legacy to tech, that they were going to get left behind, right? They knew.

They knew that I didn’t have to, like, press that case too hard. And then the crux of the presentation was let’s find Tulsa’s tech niche. Right. What are those handful of opportunities that represent the strongest opportunities for tech-led and inclusive growth for Tulsa. Right. This isn’t Nick taking what he did in New York and lifting and shifting it to Tulsa. This is finding the city’s own special place in the innovation economy. And it’s based on local assets, existing industries. It builds a bridge to emerging technologies that are adjacent to those legacy industries. They represent opportunities that have that offer a diversity of jobs across a range of educational attainment levels is a good proxy for inclusion.

And those are opportunities that allow the city to lead, not play some supporting role. Right. And I basically said, you know, look and remember the conversation started with cyber. I didn’t say this in so many words, but I was like, let’s actually diligence cyber as an opportunity. Nobody has actually done any type of quantitative study To figure out if cyber is worth investing in in the first place.

And it was based on the idea, the feeling that the University of Tulsa had a really strong and underutilized cyber program, which turned out to be very true. But Nick, as the newcomer, nobody was pointing to studies or data or any hard evidence that that was the case. I was hearing a lot of feelings and hopes and aspirations. And so I basically said, look, we need to conduct an industry cluster strategy that found those kernels of opportunities across the region. And instead of dispersing capital, taking a scattershot approach, which I had heard Tulsa had been doing for quite some time to little results, we needed to go big on a handful of opportunities, raise a lot of money, get that money out the door in a smart and methodical way to build those clusters.

If I’m being really honest with you, and I don’t quite say this in the book, but, you know, you have to remember that this was like five, six years ago. They don’t know me from Adam. I don’t think that it’s I know that it sounded very theoretical to the foundation. Right. And there was no guaranteed promises. It’s not like they wrote a blank check or said, we’re going to commit $100 million to this effort. It was like, okay, that sounds really promising. How about you lead it and we’ll see how it goes. Right. And then the hard work happens after that.

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