LOCAL
Ismael Lele, The Oklahoma Eagle
Deputy Mayor Krystal Reyes, Tyrance Billingsley II with BTS, Nvidia’s Michael Boone and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell at Wednesday’s announcement. Photo: Ismael Lele/The Oklahoma Eagle
In its latest effort to make Tulsa an AI-focused economy, Black Tech Street (BTS) announced Wednesday a collaboration with Nvidia, a global technology company based in California.
Dozens of people gathered at the Greenwood Cultural Center Wednesday morning to learn more about the partnership and the role it will play in Black Tech Street’s goal to lead a “rebirthing” of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street as a global competitor in the business sector.
“I look forward to working with Nvidia, our community and eventually our state, to be sure that our city, via historic Greenwood, can be that example to our nation once again, during the most important technological revolution,” said Tyrance Billingsley II, BTS founder and executive director.
Billingsley told The Eagle that Nvidia will grant access to hardware to train AI and help the organization secure federal grants.
“Through BTS, Nvidia is focused on working with the City of Tulsa and its partners to expand community access, education and to accelerate economic growth here in Greenwood and beyond,” Michael Boone, Nvidia’s manager for trustworthy AI product, said. “Innovation is core to the United States’ economic engine, and it’s a central and an essential tenet of scaling total living life.”
The announcement comes as construction is underway on the $10.6 million Greenwood AI Center for Excellence, an entrepreneurial hub in north Tulsa slated to open in 2026.
Recognizing some people fear the idea of AI eliminating their jobs, Billingsley said it’s necessary to steer the technology into a direction that will help Tulsans.
“We have to take it by the horns. We have to partner with the people who are leading the very innovations that’s making these jumps,” Billingsley said. “We have to be on the right side of them and ensure that they get directed the right way.”
Next, he said, Nvidia representatives will visit Greenwood to discuss future developments and hear from the community.
