Microsoft and Black Tech Street have opened the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a new technology hub focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and workforce development. The lab is located inside the GEM building in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood district, an area long associated with the legacy of Black Wall Street.
Black Tech Street is a Tulsa-based organization focused on rebuilding Greenwood as a modern technology and innovation hub centered on AI, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. The group’s mission is closely tied to the history of the once-thriving Black Wall Street business district that was destroyed during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
While the initiative is rooted in Greenwood’s history and Black economic empowerment, the lab itself is being positioned as a broader collaborative technology hub for startups, researchers, educators, enterprises, and public-sector organizations working on real-world AI and cybersecurity projects.
The project is tied to the larger Greenwood AI Center of Excellence initiative, which itself is connected to Tulsa’s growing ambitions around AI and autonomous systems. In 2024, Tulsa earned designation as a Federal Tech Hub focused on advanced autonomy technologies such as robotics, drones, and intelligent mobility systems. Tulsa’s Tech Hubs coalition later secured $51 million in federal funding, with $10.6 million allocated specifically to the Greenwood AI Center of Excellence.
According to the announcement, the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab was designed and will be operated by Black Tech Street in partnership with Microsoft and SeedAI. The facility is meant to bring together startups, enterprises, researchers, government organizations, and technology partners to collaborate on AI projects and real-world deployments.
The initiative is split into two major components. The first is ASPIRE, short for AI Societal Program for Innovation, Research, and Education, which focuses on AI literacy, workforce development, and technology education. The second is the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab itself, where organizations can work alongside Microsoft engineers and researchers on AI-powered solutions.
Initial work at the lab will focus on startup and enterprise innovation, critical infrastructure security, autonomous systems, and responsible AI development. Microsoft says the facility will provide access to advanced AI and cybersecurity technologies while also serving as a collaborative engineering environment.
“This grand opening represents a culmination of years of work and collaboration of several different partners. The GEM building is precious to the Greenwood community, so for Black Tech Street HQ and this Microsoft Lab to be housed in it, across from the Middle School I attended and be focused on making this community a leader in the most impactful technology in human history, AI, means more than I can put into words,” said Tyrance Billingsley II, Founder and CEO of Black Tech Street and the Greenwood AI Center of Excellence.
“The United States will need a model to look for how to catalyze impactful and community focused AI innovation as it looks to lead the world on this new frontier. Tulsa looks forward to being that example,” Billingsley added.
Michael Salazar, General Manager of the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab at Microsoft, also commented on the opening.
“The Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab represents an opportunity to bring together founders, researchers, technologists, and community partners to responsibly develop and deploy technologies that can create real-world impact — from helping startups scale and strengthening critical infrastructure resilience to advancing world-class AI and cybersecurity innovation,” said Salazar.
“This moment in technology is moving incredibly quickly, and Microsoft believes it is important that innovation be paired with security, trust, and broad opportunity. We are proud to work alongside Black Tech Street, Tulsa Innovation Labs, and an exceptional group of partners to help build a model for how communities can harness emerging technologies to empower people and organizations to achieve more,” he added.
The lab is already attracting additional corporate participation. Microsoft and Black Tech Street announced plans to collaborate with Lumen Technologies on applied AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, and community engagement initiatives connected to the facility.
“The AI era will be defined not just by the technology, but by the communities that shape how it’s built and used. As The Trusted Network for AI and a regional employer, Lumen looks forward to collaborating on contributing to community initiatives emerging from the Co-Innovation Lab anchored in Greenwood, helping turn AI ambition into real-world impact,” said Sean Alexander, SVP Connected Ecosystem at Lumen Technologies.
Microsoft is also working with Tulsa Public Schools through its Elevate program to support educator AI training, student certification pathways, and Copilot-powered administrative workflows.
Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols praised the project as an investment in innovation and workforce development rooted in one of the country’s most historically important communities.
“Black Tech Street is helping position Tulsa as a city that is not just preparing for the future, but helping shape it,” said Nichols. “The opening of the Greenwood Cyber & AI Lab is a powerful investment in innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development rooted in one of the most historically significant communities in our country.”
There is no shortage of AI labs being announced lately, but this one stands out because it combines federal funding, corporate backing, workforce development, and historical significance into one project. Microsoft clearly sees Tulsa as more than just a flyover city in the AI era, and Black Tech Street is trying to ensure Greenwood has a seat at the table as artificial intelligence reshapes the economy.
