In partnership with Oklahoma-based nonprofit 1050 Forward, the Thriving Cities Lab began work in 2025 with two Oklahoma micropolitans – cities with populations between ten and fifty thousand – Stillwater and Muskogee, Oklahoma.
The Thriving Cities Lab held an initial convening with leaders from all six Civic Endowments in Muskogee, Oklahoma in October, 2025. It was fitting that the meeting took place in the conference room of Port Muskogee, as the city’s inland port has become an economic development powerhouse in recent years, driving industrial growth and related development in the city. Along with this growth has come a renewed sense of energy and hope after a period of significant struggle. The convening and a follow up survey both confirmed the recent progress and the widely shared sense that there remains important work to be done in the city across its demographic and geographic ranges.
Our liaisons, Muskogee’s 1050 Forward Fellows, chose youth engagement as their focus area and we designed our survey and structured our Phase 1 Report with the young people of Muskogee in mind.
Our work in Muskogee would not have been possible without the help of 1050 Forward Fellows Eric Wells (project liaison), Earnie Gilder, Keith Harlin, and Kimberly Williams. The project received financial support from the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Williams & Flora Hewlett Foundation. We were brought to Muskogee and benefited from ongoing assistance and the generous wisdom of 1050 Forward leaders Joy Hofmeister and Brigette Zorn.
You can read the Muskogee Thriving Project Phase One Report here (pdf).