Crowe Dunlevy is pleased to announce the inaugural Tulsa event of our Aviation Leaders in Oklahoma Flight & Technology, or “ALOFT” initiative, an industry-focused forum highlighting the strength and future of our state’s aviation, aerospace, and unmanned systems ecosystem.
The ALOFT initiative brings together industry executives, innovators, academic partners, policymakers, and economic development leaders to discuss trends shaping Oklahoma’s aviation future – including workforce, technology innovation, advanced air mobility, and emerging UAS applications.
The inaugural Tulsa event takes place Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Gradient.
The agenda for the October 1st event is as follows:
- 8:00-8:30am: Registration/Breakfast
- 8:30am: Welcome + Senator James Lankford video + Erran Persely Intro
- 8:35am: Opening Remarks – Erran Persley, Director of Economic Development, City of Tulsa
- 8:40am: Keynote Address Dr. Jamey Jacob, Executive Director, Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE)
- 9:10am: BREAK
- 9:20am: Mark White, Managing Partner at Prairie Crest Capital, CEO at ShieldIO, Inc. & Executive Chairman at EnCor Industries
- 9:50am: Kenny Statton, CEO & Founder, MST Manufacturing
- 10:20am: BREAK
- 10:30am: Panel
- Moderator: Kristina Wadley, Associate Director – Programs, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST)
- Jeremy Fernandez, Industry Consortium Manager, OSU’s LaunchPad Center for Advanced Air Mobility
- Jim Vasher, General Manager – Space Test Center, Agile Space Industries
- Kim Wilmes – Senior Vice President of Economic Development for Tulsa’s Future, Tulsa Regional Chamber
- 11:45am BREAK/LUNCH
- 12:00noon: Lunch Keynote (fireside chat): Bobby Healy, Founder, Manna Air Delivery (Devon Laney, President & CEO, Gradient – interviewer)
- 12:55: Closing Remarks
Event registration opens on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
