Breakout

Impact of building the most successful remote work relocation program in the world

Remote Community, Wellness & Life-work balance, Scaling a Remote Company

Conference

Running Remote 2024 – Lisbon, April 23, Deep Dive Stage

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Details

A small city in the heartland of the United States, key leaders in Tulsa had a vision for boosting the local economy by attracting remote workers to live and work in the community. While $10,000 cash caught national headlines, the strong emphasis on building a remote work community is what has led to nearly 3,000 remote workers making the move and contributing more than $560 million to the local economy.

In this session, we will explore the innovative community-building strategies and visionary leadership behind Tulsa Remote’s unprecedented successes, as well as important lessons learned along the way and what’s in store for the future of the program and community. Join us as we uncover the pivotal role of remote work and community in revitalizing economies, empowering individuals, and redefining the concept of life-work balance.

Access the slide deck here.

Speakers

Justin Harlan

Managing Director

About

Justin Harlan is the Managing Director of Tulsa Remote, a program honored on Fast Company's prestigious list of World's Most Innovative Companies for 2022, which recognized its unique approach to attracting remote workers to Tulsa and promoting economic development in the city. Under Justin’s leadership Tulsa Remote, the largest relocation incentive program in the U.S., has grown to more than 2,800 members. Publications such as the Harvard Business Review and the Brookings Institute have looked to Tulsa Remote as a prominent example of how remote work attraction programs are reversing the brain drain in smaller U.S. cities and have confirmed the economic impact of the program.

Justin has represented Tulsa Remote at international conferences like Web Summit and Collision Conference, where he has shared the power of the program’s community building efforts and the benefits of remote work. Justin has dedicated his career to educational equity and entrepreneurialism. He previously served as the Senior Executive Director for Reading Partners Tulsa and while there, the organization worked with over 5,000 Tulsa area students, annually engaging over 1,500 community volunteers each program year.

Justin launched his career with Teach For America-Oklahoma when it opened in Tulsa in 2009, and quickly rose through the organization as it expanded across the state. In his various roles, Justin raised more than $7.5 million for Teach For America and secured funding from the State of Oklahoma. He was a founding board member for Collegiate Hall College Prep Charter School in Tulsa.

Justin's passion for promoting community growth and development extends to his personal life as well. He and his wife, Megan, run two fitness studios in Tulsa – Pure Barre South Tulsa and Row House South Tulsa. Justin holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tulsa.