For decades, The University of Tulsa has shaped bold entrepreneurs who are making waves across industries. From local startups to global ventures, UTulsa graduates are redefining success – whether they choose to build their legacies in Tulsa or take their talents elsewhere. Meet three members of the Golden Hurricane family who are strengthening Oklahoma’s economy.
Nathan Garrett moved to Tulsa from Arizona in 2005 after completing U.S. Air Force flight training and joining the Oklahoma Air National Guard. He decided he wanted to pursue a master’s degree and set his sights on UTulsa. He completed his degree in 2011 and co-founded the Tulsa Property Group in 2014.
“I really have this deep sense of attachment to UTulsa,” Garrett said. “There are small class sizes, and the interactions with professors and other students [stand out]. It was transformational.”
Tulsa Property Group is a real estate investment, development, and management firm. They have ventures across the Tulsa metro area.
“We have both the development and the management piece, and we really love that, because we say we’re a people-centric real estate company,” he said. “We are really focused on meeting people’s needs and adding value to the community.”
Mike Payne graduated from UTulsa’s MBA program in 1999. Today, Payne owns a portfolio of manufacturing companies, including its primary, Hill Manufacturing and Fabrication, in the Tulsa metro area.
“The university has such a great and diverse business education through the business college that you’re really prepared to take on business in general, regardless of what niche you studied,” Payne said.
Brie Caywood graduated from UTulsa in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. She founded 1907, an Oklahoma mercantile and newly minted eatery. The store offers Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and Oklahoma-themed goodies alongside custom merchandise for individual customers and local businesses.
“UTulsa gave me the blueprint for building a business,” she said. “I learned how to spot a gap in the market, solve problems creatively, and deliver exceptional customer service. It also taught me to embrace the tough seasons – because every problem has a solution, especially with a little brainstorming and fresh perspective. That perseverance definitely came in handy with 1907.”
In fall 2020, UTulsa’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) was named the Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center among schools with fewer than 7,500 students during the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers’ 2024 conference held at Babson College in Boston. Housed within UTulsa’s Collins College of Business, CIE has also gained national recognition from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) for its role in fostering emerging entrepreneurship. In early 2025, the center was named a finalist for the USASBE Model Emerging Program award. Dedicated to cultivating innovation, commercialization, and venture creation, CIE empowers students, faculty, and alumni to bring their ideas to life. Through its initiatives, the center continues to advance entrepreneurship not only on campus but throughout the broader Tulsa community and beyond.