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By Scott Meacham The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you. There is a quote attributed to humorist and philosopher Will Rogers that fits the experiences of the past year and a half (as Will might say) like a lasso around a steer. “The worst thing that happens toRead more

By Scott Meacham Happy New Year! I don’t know if I have ever been so happy to end one year and begin the next. Times remain challenging, but in just the last few weeks, we finally have cause to celebrate. We have a reason to hope that the vaccines that are rolling out will tameRead more

By Scott Meacham The coronavirus pandemic has given whole segments of the economy the opportunity, and yes, even the permission, to do things differently. It is a generational opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to solve big problems for important industries. Over the last few weeks, I have focused on macro implications of the pandemic—entrepreneurial pivots,Read more

By Scott Meacham Of all the perspectives I gained from Oklahoma’s thought leaders on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Oklahoma, the observations and empathy toward children and families, especially those who are more vulnerable, sticks with me the most. This pandemic has forced relentless economic pressure on countless Oklahoma families — from furloughs,Read more

By Scott Meacham The concept of crowdsourcing — leveraging the wisdom and experience of a group to achieve objectives and solve problems — is as ancient as the Bible. Ecclesiastes, the Old Testament book that takes on the hard questions of life complete with “tips,” sums it up in verse 4:9: “Two are better thanRead more

By Scott Meacham Last spring when the pandemic hit, about one in four Oklahoma students did not have internet access at home. Students did not have devices. School districts did not have additional budget for remote learning. Families stretching to cover rent and buy food didn’t have the money for internet fees — and evenRead more

By Scott Meacham Phil Busey, CEO and founder of Delaware Resource Group located in Oklahoma City, leads a company that provides critical training and logistics services for thousands of men and women around the world. DRG is a preeminent, Native American-owned global aerospace defense contractor that provides critical training and logistics services, supporting many ofRead more

By Scott Meacham Connecting with experts across the state on the subject of “first the pandemic, then what,” I am struck that the first thing everyone mentions is the pandemic phenomenon of telecommuting and work-from-home. From scientists at Oklahoma Medical Research, to engineers and software developers at startups like Ten-Nine Technologies, to Oklahoma-based experts inRead more

By Scott Meacham Oklahomans are generous people. We help our neighbors and our communities daily and especially when survival and recovery are at stake—after a horrific act of domestic terrorism, after hundreds of town-leveling tornadoes, and now through a pandemic that is affecting our health and economy. Non-profits are stepping up in amazing ways. ToRead more

By Scott Meacham We can get the national perspective of the pandemic’s current and after-effect on the banking and finance industries from the Wall Street Journal, but to get an Oklahoma banker’s perspective on the industry post-pandemic, I reached out to Darryl Schmidt, CEO of BancFirst. BancFirst is the largest state-chartered bank in Oklahoma withRead more

By Scott Meacham Information technology plays a super-sized role In Oklahoma’s innovation economy. More than half of our TBFP Concept Fund investments and about 44 percent of investments from the Oklahoma Seed Capital Fund have been in IT, software, telecommunication, and internet firms, Brett Kolomyjec, Oklahoma entrepreneur and CEO of Happily, is upbeat about post-pandemicRead more

By Scott Meacham The pandemic’s immediate and expected after-effect on the traditional energy sectors of oil and gas is harsh. However, the outlook is different for battery solutions based on advanced materials. Paige Johnson, founder and CEO of Tulsa-based Ten-Nine Technologies, is a leader in this expanding segment on the continuum of energy alternatives. JohnsonRead more

By Scott Meacham For this third column in my series exploring the long-term impact of the COVID pandemic on the fields of clinical research, I drew on the experience and insight Dr. Stephen M. Prescott, president of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). The pandemic has already been a disruptor with a number of changes thatRead more

By Scott Meacham This second column in our series with Oklahoma thought leaders discussing the short- and long-term effects of the COVID pandemic is a from-the-trenches view of the pandemic’s impact on the medical industry. Dr. Ryan Dennis is an Oklahoma physician, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Linear Health Sciences,Read more

By Scott Meacham This past week, we reopened our offices. For a few weeks, for the safety or our staff and the community, we shuttered our space and worked remotely, although we never really “closed.” Working remotely, we negotiated term sheets, concluded a major funding round for an exciting new Oklahoma startup, and held theRead more

By Scott Meacham Oklahoma is a state that has learned how to live through boom and bust. While we are constantly working to diversify our economy, the sectors of energy, agriculture, and aerospace dominate. With a mix like that, Oklahomans have had to learn how to take a 360 degree view. From tornados to swingsRead more

By Scott Meacham The COVID-19 medical and economic crisis is relentless. Every day more people, locations and institutions are impacted. Scientists and other experts are appropriately realistic. Matters are likely to worsen, at least near-term, before we flatten the curve of infection. Our hearts go out to the sick and their families. We send everlastingRead more

By Scott Meacham We are in unprecedented times. Seemingly overnight, the world has changed, possibly forever. We are dealing with a pandemic disease that has no vaccine or cure. The stock market has lost a third of its value. People are being furloughed and laid off. Many hourly workers can’t pay for their groceries, rentRead more