As an i2E Fellow, I get to participate in Intern OKC, part of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s Greater Grads program. Intern OKC highlights the benefits of living and working in the Oklahoma City region, fosters peer networking and provides resources to help students transition from college to career through a series of luncheons over the summer.
The theme of last week’s Intern OKC Luncheon was Innovate OKC. Daniel Maloney, CEO of Oklahoma City-based PinLeague, was one of the speakers. I was particularly interested to hear his perspective because his company is a client of i2E.
Mr. Maloney’s theme for the day was Crazy Innovative, even encouraging us to take out our smartphones and tweet during the speech with the hashtag #CrazyOKC. Daniel explained Crazy Innovative as an idea that you have to think a little crazy, and out of the box, in order to innovate and grow a business, or even your career. He challenged us to be #CrazyOKC and try to start making a difference, even in our internships, saying, “The world rewards ‘doers.’ Just having the idea isn’t enough.”
Like the other speakers showcased by the program, Mr. Maloney showed us how there is plenty of opportunity here in OKC to innovate. With four Fortune 500 companies, over 50 tech startups, and other successful companies in the United States looking to expand into Oklahoma City, it is the perfect place to be Crazy.
