southern oklahoma
From STEM Student to Tech Entrepreneur: The Journey of Andon Russell
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker When Andon Russell joined the Chickasaw Nation STEM Academy at age eight, he had no way of knowing…
Snapshot of the Conduit Initiative: A Multi-Pronged Approach to Entrepreneurship
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker There is no single way to build a tech entrepreneurship ecosystem. There is not a simple set of…
From Policy to Innovation: The Role of Water Clusters in Economic Growth
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Water is not only essential for sustaining current needs but also crucial for driving economic growth. In towns…
More Than Just Oil Changes: The Human Touch of Garage on the Go
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Sometimes an opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. And sometimes, if you are like Parker Deliz,…
Behind the Scenes: The Crucial Role of Business Retention and Expansion in Economic Development
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) is at the heart of economic development. Economic development organizations like the Ada…
From the Court to the Sky: How Basketball Taught Two Brothers Entrepreneurial Success
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Basketball is about more than just dribbling, shooting, and passing the ball. It teaches lessons that can be…
Empowering Ada’s Workforce: A Digital Skilling Initiative for Economic Growth
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Workforce Development is crucial to economic development in a community. Businesses cannot function properly, and the possibility for…
Hot Rodders of Tomorrow: Hands on Innovation at Pontotoc Technology Center
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Five high school students stand behind a work bench, their hearts beating with anticipation. They wait for the…
From Coding to Core Values: The Comprehensive World of Lego Robotics
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker When Emily Denney first started teaching at Homer Elementary, she never would have dreamed that her world would…
Building Dreams: Inside Ada’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker After serving in the Navy for ten years and then six years with the Chickasaw Nation, Matt Stephens…