A Forbes magazine initiative focused on leading Black entrepreneurs who landed in Tulsa this week to celebrate Black Wall Street business owners.

The 50 champions of For(bes) the Culture, a subsection of Forbes, arrived in Tulsa on Tuesday to connect with Historic Greenwood’s hottest entrepreneurs.

For(bes) the Culture: Journey to Wealth is an immersive three-day experience dedicated to rejoicing and contemplating the resilience of black business and entrepreneurship.

“The best days of Tulsa are not over,” Black Tech Street founder and CEO Tyrance Billingsley II said at the For(bes) the Culture event Wednesday night. increase.

As a panelist, Billingsley II urged attendees to revitalize business toward solutions for the black community, especially 101 years after the city of Tulsa massacred the wealthiest business district in the nation.

“The best days of Tulsa aren’t over. The best days of Tulsa are right in front of us,” Black Tech Street founder and CEO Tyrance Billingsley II said last night at For(bes) The Culture. spoke at the event. pic.twitter.com/W6mpS1VT6Y

—The Black Wall Street Times (@TheBWSTimes) September 22, 2022

For(bes) the Culture is owned by Forbes and is centered around Black Wall Street.

Each year, For(bes) the Culture nominates 50 champions and successful Black entrepreneurs making an impact in their communities. This week, the FTC 50 Champion flew to Tulsa to tour Black Wall Street and meet a new generation of local leaders looking to rebuild their heritage.

Venita Cooper didn’t grow up in an entrepreneurial family. Her father was a black soldier and her mother was a Korean seamstress. Still, Cooper turned teacher and gained widespread support from the community, and Black became the owner of her Wall Street Silhouette sneakers. She now runs her one of Greenwood’s most sought-after businesses on land that once housed a shoe store before a white mob burned down her 36 square blocks in 1921.

Cooper, one of Wednesday’s panelists, said her community’s connectedness and willingness to support an entrepreneurial ecosystem contributed to her success.

“That’s the Tulsa way,” Cooper told the audience.

Venita Cooper, owner of Silhouette Sneakers & Art, explains why Tulsa is a hidden gem for young black entrepreneurs and creators at our For(bes) The Culture event. pic.twitter.com/NDazLsJT9a

—The Black Wall Street Times (@TheBWSTimes) September 22, 2022

Making Tulsa the Blueprint for Black Entrepreneurs Across America

Between panels, networking events and Game Night, which concludes a three-day experience on Thursday night, the FTC 50 champions experienced the resilient spirit that makes black entrepreneurs in Tulsa unique.

Dougie Roux is an entrepreneur who moved to Tulsa from Houston and joined the Tulsa Remote Program. His Roux, who attended Wednesday’s panel, said he was grateful for the experience.

Roux is focused on creating apps that use data to fund more mobility infrastructure in underserved communities, and the Tulsa community has more support as an entrepreneur than Houston. says it will provide

“I deliberately chose not to participate in certain things that I felt weren’t worth my time to be in Tulsa more and do things like this. to meet,” Roux told The Black Wall Street Times.

When it came to using entrepreneurship to solve community and social problems, former FTC Champion Tyrance Billingsley II encouraged members to contribute to the solutions.

“How can we not only expand on the Tulsa story, but also create a blueprint for what’s happening in Tulsa,” said Billingsley II. “We want to show you what’s possible, but we also want you to offer your creative abilities to solve these problems. That would be great.” think.”