News from the Ada Jobs Foundation
Helping Entrepreneurs One Workshop at a Time: Lauri Rowe and QuickBooks for Small Businesses
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Entrepreneurs tend to be filled with passion and big ideas. They have found a solution to a problem they see in the world, and they barrel ahead, excited for their new venture. However, in their enthusiasm to start a business, entrepreneurs...
Hunter Cook: Technology, Entrepreneurship, and the Written Word
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Hunter Cook started writing when he was seven years old. At first, he wanted to write comic books, but then he realized he couldn’t draw. He started writing his first novel at 14, but scrapped it after a year because, as Cook says, “It was bad.”...
Empowering Native Artists: FAME App Brings Innovation to First American E-Commerce
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Entrepreneurs are problem solvers. They are constantly striving for solutions to issues they see in the world or in their own lives. In the case of Richard and Jennifer Chance, this entrepreneurial spirit has led them to multiple ventures,...
Learn, Connect, and Grow: 2025 Workshops for Aspiring and Current Business Owners
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker A new year brings new possibilities, and, at the Ada Jobs Foundation, it also brings a new round of programming and workshops. As the local Economic Development Organization, the Ada Jobs Foundation actively works to provide opportunities for...
Making a BIG Impact in a Small Town: Over a Million Dollars Invested with the Business Improvement Grant
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker All over Oklahoma, and the country, downtowns are disappearing. It is not uncommon to travel through a small town and see once bustling Main Streets abandoned— buildings crumbling and property owners boarding up windows. Not only does this leave...
Ada Jobs Foundation Looks Ahead: A Vision for Growth and Collaboration in 2025
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker As we begin 2025, the team at the Ada Jobs Foundation (AJF) eagerly awaits the developments in the coming year. While each year holds new possibilities, this year, in particular, is exciting because of a change in leadership. Carol Ervin took the...
Conduit Coders Make History: National Champions in Youth Coding League
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Friday, December 13th , marked the end of another season for the Conduit Coders, the Youth Coding League team that the Ada Jobs Foundation supports with the help of the Build to Scale grant. In their third season, the Conduit Coders continue to...
Grind and Shine: Kaibree Flood’s Journey from Student to Entrepreneurial Storyteller
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Sometimes it is the unexpected moments in life that can lead to new and surprising journeys. In the case of Kaibree Flood, the unexpected was a three-hour course that she needed for her minor in Mass Communications. She discovered during her last...
Exploring Data Democracy: Vinayak Mitty on AI, Machine Learning, and Empowering Businesses
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker A little over a year ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Vinayak Mitty, the Director of Data Science for LegalShield. We discussed his path to data science and how machine learning and AI can transform industries. At the time, Mitty was...
Conduit Startup Showcase: Celebrating Entrepreneurship and Community Innovation
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Anticipation filled the air as fifteen entrepreneurs, representing nine different projects, prepared to present and compete for cash prizes. November 7th had finally arrived, and it was time for the Conduit Startup Showcase, a pitch competition...
An Interview with Carol Ervin, President and CEO of the Ada Jobs Foundation
On October 21st, Carol Ervin joined the Ada Jobs Foundation as their new President and CEO. Ervin, who has already done great things in Atoka, Bartlesville, and McAlester, is excited to bring her wealth of economic development experience to Ada. I had a chance to sit...
Oka Camp: A Day of Learning, Reflection, and Connection at the Blue River
The rapids are a soft constant clatter The trees are starting to remember it's fall All the plants are leaning into the water almost to hear its wise advice Two damselflies landed on my finger, adopting me into their home I remember I'm part of their world too --Reece...
Harnessing the Strengths of Rural Education: ECU’s Innovative Approach
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker No two schools are the same. One of the greatest differentiators between school districts is that of the urban versus rural divide. Each school is going to face their own challenges, but the hurdles that rural school districts face are unique to...
Collaborative Water Monitoring Initiative Launched with G2G Grant
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker The Ada Jobs Foundation (AJF) is requesting submissions for qualified vendors or applicants to take part in a groundbreaking new water project. You can access the RFQ, or Request for Qualifications, at the following link: RFQ. This document...
From Streams to Solutions: Kimberly Elkin’s Mission to Protect Our Watersheds
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Kimberly Elkin is passionate about the environment. In fact, she was born on Earth Day. She wants to improve our freshwater ecosystems, but she also wants to educate the public so they can be a part of this movement as well. She knows that things...