Tatyana Slavova always knew she wanted to get into venture capital. But it took the war in her home country of Ukraine to convince her to seek opportunities in the U.S.
Slavova, who holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in accounting and auditing from Odessa State Economics University in Ukraine, had her life turned upside down when Russia invaded in early 2022. When the first line of Russian forces was just 125 miles from Slavova’s home, she began looking for opportunities to escape. “When the war started, since it was very dangerous . . . I made a decision that I had to relocate,” said Slavova, who was working as a business development manager for an international telecom company at the time.
While seeking safe harbor and career opportunities in the U.S., Slavova, who declined to give her age, applied to the inTulsa Visa Network, a program that helps approved candidates and their families resettle in Tulsa, Oklahoma, aiding in both the immigration process and job search. About two months after applying in August, she was on her way to Tulsa.
“[The visa initiative] was largely created to combine elements of humanitarianism [with] ways to drive the economy here in Tulsa by bringing top-tier talent from all over the world,” says Stan Khrapak, who leads the inTulsa Visa Network.
The program, which launched in June 2022, has four areas of support: legal, relocation, resettlement, and job placement. “The first one is very important,” he says. “We have a partnership with a law firm . . . [that] helps build up a legal framework to bring people into the U.S. and to help them live and work legally from Tulsa.”
The newcomers arrive under a humanitarian parole visa; the program also works with H1 visa holders. Candidates must speak proficient English and have a strong motivation for relocating to Tulsa, Khrapak said.
The initiative is one of several from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which is based in Tulsa, to bring more tech-led economic development opportunities to the community. GKFF also runs Tulsa Remote, a program that launched in 2018 and offers remote workers $10,000 to relocate to the city for at least a year, as well Tulsa Innovation Labs, a tech-led economic development organization.
To date, 13 people from Ukraine and India have been accepted through the inTulsa Visa initiative, some with their families. Officials hope to relocate another 10 to 15 people with humanitarian visas and 20 to 30 H-1B visa holders to Tulsa in 2023, said Khrapak, who himself moved to Tulsa in 2019 as part of the Tulsa Remote program.
In the humanitarian parole category, the inTulsa Visa Network is able to support Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans, Khrapak said. To participate, eligible people must have a supporter in the United States, undergo security vetting, and meet specific eligibility criteria, among other requirements. One important distinction between the humanitarian visa and others is that the candidate must have a sponsor, something inTulsa provides, Khrapak said.
Slavova was accepted into inTulsa in the fall of 2022, which began an arduous two-day journey with the support of the program’s travel services. Shortly after her departure, Odessa’s energy grid was attacked by Russian missiles and much of the city’s population was left without heat or electricity in the cold winter months.
Once she arrived in Oklahoma in October 2022, she was greeted at the airport by members of Atento Capital, a Tulsa-based venture capital firm where she’d already been accepted as an investment associate, as well as the inTulsa teams. It was “this family feeling,” she says.
At Atento, Slavova works closely with the investment team to identify and evaluate potential investment opportunities; she also works with the portfolio companies to help them grow.
Besides a job, housing is another important factor for newcomers. Once people arrive in Tulsa with the program, they receive housing support for up to three months and are connected with a local organization called the American Dream Center, which works with immigrants.
Slavova said everything was in the details; the organizers went so far as to ask whether she preferred coffee or tea at her new apartment. Along the way, she has also learned which events she likes to attend and which groups she might join. Slavova said she enjoys the tech community and going to music shows and art events, comparing the city of Tulsa to a speakeasy.
“It’s not advertised, and there’s no sign outside. To the casual passerby, it’s just another unassuming building. But to those in the know, this place is a hidden gem, just like the speakeasy bars of the Prohibition era,” she says.
In her first few months in Tulsa, Slavova has taken advantage of exploring the city. “I love the individualism of American people,” she said. “Having this freedom of self expression, no judgment, this is what I definitely love.”
Khrapak said Tulsa has a history of bringing international people into the community.
“In 2021, Tulsa welcomed over 800 Afghan nationals,” he said, adding that it was made possible by the collaboration of Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, YWCA Tulsa, and B’nai Emunah Synagogue. “The inTulsa Visa Network hopes to continue driving the internationalization of our city to strengthen our economy, diversify our workforce, and provide a welcoming environment.”
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