REINVENTING THE HEARTLAND How One Citys Inclusive Approach to Innovation and Growth Can Revive the American Dream

In a voice full of optimism and Midwestern "can-do" spirit, narrator Dan Bittner recounts how a midsized Midwest city transformed itself into an economic juggernaut. Until recently, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was largely dependent on the energy sector: gas and oil. In 2020, with his founding of Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL), urbanist and social entrepreneur Nicholas Lalla set out to diversify the city's economy, turning it into a world-class 21st-century tech-savvy enterprise. In this audiobook he explains how businesses, higher education, and local governments can retool to attract the best inventors, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. Throughout, Bittner's tone reflects Lalla's personal mission: motivating communities to offer people not just jobs, but thriving futures. B.P. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2025]