Unleashing Potential: How Kastle Jones is Shaping Tulsa’s Tech Scene

Kastle Jones is at the heart of Tulsa’s innovation surge, leading the charge at Tulsa Innovation Labs’ Rose Rock Bridge energy incubator. His work is transforming the tech ecosystem, driving entrepreneurship and fueling breakthroughs in the energy sector. From nurturing local talent to forging powerful partnerships, Kastle’s leadership is making waves in our community.

Can you describe your role with Rose Rock Bridge and Tulsa Innovation Labs, and explain how these organizations are supporting emerging technologies within the energy sector?

My role at Tulsa Innovation Labs is to build and support programs that catalyze capital and entrepreneurship in the Tulsa region. I also lead the Tulsa-based non-profit start-up incubator, Rose Rock Bridge (RRB). RRB is focused on attracting and developing breakthrough energy technologies in Tulsa. RRB partners with leading corporations to identify white-space opportunities with high-growth potential in our region. We curate and support technologies that address innovation priority areas focused on our strongest industry, creating jobs through innovation and entrepreneurship. We break down barriers to entrepreneurship by offering non-dilutive funding, office space in Tulsa, business support services, and access to local customers for promising companies.

Rose Rock Bridge recently hosted an Energy Showcase, highlighting 15 startups from around the U.S. that are developing groundbreaking energy and sustainability solutions. Can you share more about how the process worked, and what’s next?

Our showcase brought in 15 of the most cutting-edge, early-stage energy technologies in the U.S. We conducted extensive due diligence to narrow our selection down to these 15 top startups, all of which came to Tulsa for our Showcase. These startups have strategic applications within our local corporate base and present incredible investment opportunities. In many cases, RRB was the first to identify the growth potential of these companies and give them an opportunity to pitch for commercialization support. Our Advisory Board selected four of the 15 startups to receive $100,000 and full RRB support services in Tulsa, and 67% of the cohort received pilot testing support from Rose Rock Bridge partners. This underscores the effectiveness of the Rose Rock Bridge model and highlights our commitment to advancing breakthrough technologies through targeted commercialization efforts.

How does Rose Rock Bridge collaborate with local businesses and educational institutions to enhance the development of innovative energy technologies?

What benefits do these partnerships bring to the community and the industry?
We collaborate with local businesses to identify innovation priority areas where we can develop technology and support entrepreneurs to solve industry pain points. Startups need willing customers and access to capital to grow, which is why we work backward from industry and investment insights to identify technologies and aspiring entrepreneurs with the best chance to scale up in our region. Our local businesses are typically the first to pilot and invest in the startups we support. Our local academic institutions are also critical to our success. We leverage their talent, research and development, and lab facilities to establish an organic pipeline of technologies in the region.

Tulsa has received a lot of attention lately for its growth in the Tech sector. How does business innovation support overall economic development and opportunities for Tulsans?

Innovation offers an endless supply of new job opportunities. We are focused on developing areas of the tech sector where we have existing assets and an outsized advantage relative to other regions. We aim to create an entrepreneurial community around these assets, leading to successful entrepreneurs and anchor institutions. This, in turn, leads to new hires, mentors, and successful investments, which reinforces the entrepreneurial community. The innovation support from Rose Rock Bridge is the collective force needed to start spinning the flywheel of tech-led economic development.

You’ve lived and studied abroad. What stands out about Tulsa, and what’s your favorite local spot?

The most unique thing about Tulsa is how freely everyone gives their time. It’s also our greatest strength; I’m bullish on Tulsa’s future because we punch above our weight in terms of time spent on innovation and community improvement. I’m eternally grateful for all the time people in Tulsa have invested in me over the years. My favorite spot in town is our Rose Rock Bridge office, but I also love the Gathering Place. I like to think we’re building the Gathering Place of emerging technologies.