PartnerTulsa Welcomes Tyler Duncan to the Board of Trustees

We’re thrilled to announce Tyler Duncan as the newest member of the PartnerTulsa Board of Trustees.. A small business owner and community advocate, he brings valuable insight into how entrepreneurship, equity and local investment can help shape Tulsa’s future. In this month’s Trustee highlight, Tyler shares his journey as a small business owner and the values that guide his commitment to community-led growth.

Could you share a bit about your background and the professional journey that brought you to where you are today?

I believe that small business can be a point of growth for a community through its hiring, benefits, and investment in local businesses. Starting my own business in Tulsa allows me to draw national funds through online sales and place them right here in our own backyard. The effectiveness of a business is greater when you see those decisions through the lens of the community we’re impacting, and I believe PartnerTulsa has the ability to position itself as that community-led entity who protects the interests of all its citizens, not just a few. Basically, I make coffee and I think we’re only as strong as how we treat the most marginalized in our community.

What motivated you to join the PartnerTulsa Board, and what impact do you hope to make as a Trustee?

I’ve always wanted to see Tulsa invest in communities that have incurred systemic disinvestment, and PartnerTulsa has the power to right a history of wrongs the city has engaged in. Through the lens of urban design, compassion, empathy, and community engagement, I believe PartnerTulsa can begin to lift people up.

From your perspective as a small business owner, what do you see as Tulsa’s greatest competitive advantage?

The cost of living in Tulsa is lower than most other cities our size in the nation. Without the impediment of high living costs, we can be a bastion for equity across the nation. We’re also central to the largest tribes in the nation, and have partnerships with them. Moving forward hand-in-hand instead of competing with resources means that we can make more lives better, longer. The city (and especially the state) have a long way to go to promote equity in voting rights, ownership, wealth access, and opportunities for resources, but Tulsa can be and is a great city who is taking those steps now.

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are considering starting or growing a business in Tulsa?

You’re not alone! Build a support network, always ask questions, and always be teachable. No one is an island, and remember that you can’t do everything everywhere all at once. So many of us have tried and failed, and so many more have never even been given the chance to try. It’s a powerful thing to be responsible for little joy like dreams.

When you think about Tulsa, is there a particular place that captures the spirit of the city for you? What makes it special?

I think the community north of I-244/412 best captures the spirit of the Tulsa I know and love. It’s a community who prioritizes knowing their neighbors instead of building more fences and it’s a community who prides itself on taking care of each other. It’s a community who holds each other accountable and who has stood the test of time, built resilience stronger than any other community I’ve ever seen, and who will rise up and become the leader in what true community-led development looks like. It’s not about money as much as it is about helping each other because when we all win, we all win.