The story of one heartland city’s efforts to reinvent itself is a powerful example of the change America needs.

In January of 2019, Nicholas Lalla made his first visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to consider working on an economic development project he had been invited to lead. Listening to Tulsans talk about racism, poverty, and trauma, the need for redevelopment, and the city’s broader desire to change economic course inspired him to accept the role and found Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL). In Reinventing the Heartland, Lalla shows how cities that have been left out of America’s innovation system can grow their own vibrant tech ecosystems while at the same time building a more inclusive economy that generates good jobs for the twenty-first century.

Over the course of four years, TIL built the first tech-led economic development strategy in Tulsa’s history and raised over $200 million in capital that it is now in the process of deploying through multiple initiatives. This success has spurred new investments and is helping the city transition from its oil and gas legacy to tech. This now stands as a massive, city-wide endeavor—the first time in American history a city has dedicated itself in such a concerted way to becoming a player in the innovation economy. This multi-pronged approach is explained through the context of Tulsa, but other cities are explored as well, proving that Tulsa is not an outlier, but a leader.

Reinventing the Heartland lays out a bold and pragmatic plan for achieving this kind of vision for any city. Each chapter covers a core plank of the action plan, which, in turn, engages timely issues affecting American society at large—from the pros and cons of remote work to the political consequences of the urban-rural divide to the need for America to stay competitive in an increasingly dangerous international scene. Lalla provides the path forward for America, not just in Tulsa, but across the Heartland and in any city ready to embrace the future.

Book Information
ISBN 9781400249008
Author Nicholas Lalla
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint HarperCollins Leadership
Publisher HarperCollins Focus