Who We Are

  • The mission of Eastside Rise is to promote prosperous neighborhoods and economic opportunity in East Tulsa. 

  • Eastside Rise envisions an East Tulsa that has strong and diverse neighborhoods, where residents have a sense of belonging, pride in their community, and pathways for upward mobility.  

    • Preserving the authenticity and community identity of East Tulsa’s culturally diverse population. 

    • Protecting East Tulsa residents from displacement and predatory development practices.  

    • Engaging a diverse group of neighbors, property-owners, and business-owners to develop priorities and programs appropriate for East Tulsa. 

    • Supporting commercial and residential development appropriate for our neighborhoods. 

    • Fostering a culture of excellence and inclusion that values local residents and neighbors.  

Growth is happening rapidly in East Tulsa. With a thriving commercial core in the Global District (21st and Garnett), it’s crucial to also invest in the surrounding neighborhoods in order to create a thriving community for both residents and business owners.  

As a result of engagement with community members and business owners, Eastside Rise was launched in 2024 as a resident-led community development corporation. We focus on the four neighborhoods surrounding the Global District: Cooper, Columbus, Disney, and Magic Circle. 

In our first year, we launched a naturalization program, hosted a fall festival, initiated plans to build East Tulsa’s first small business center, and conducted outreach in our key neighborhoods. 

In 2025, we continued our naturalization program, hosted multiple community events, including a Fall Festival and Egg Hunt, launched a homeowner repair program, brought together 20+ neighbors for a community leadership program, and purchased a portion of Plaza Santa Cecilia for the future Eastside Business Center. 

In 2026, we will begin executing our three-year strategic plan, focused on community voice, economic opportunity, and high-quality, affordable housing. 

What We Do

Community voice 

In order to achieve success in our neighborhoods, we have to build meaningful opportunities for residents to influence our programming. In 2025, we are launching The Neighborhood Network in partnership with Tulsa Global District. This 8-week civic engagement program will provide leadership opportunities for local residents, as well as an opportunity to decide how to invest $20,000 in their neighborhood. We are also working on building a Community Council and creating more capacity for Neighborhood Associations. 

Economic Development 

We have purchased 15,000 square feet to create the first small business incubator in East Tulsa, located at Plaza Santa Cecilia. This project, which is still in the planning/design phase, will bring together partners in the entrepreneurial support ecosystem to invest in our local entrepreneurs. We are also working on building strong relationships to developers, economic development organizations, and workforce partners to create meaningful opportunities in East Tulsa. 

Safe and Affordable Housing 

A neighborhood can’t thrive without safe and affordable housing for all residents. In 2025, we are launching a homeowner repair program that will provide up to $10,000 in emergency repair grants to local homeowners. We are also building partnerships to provide more resources for current and future homeowners, working on a rental assistance program, and investigating future investments in affordable housing. 

Who We Serve

We focus on the neighborhoods surrounding the Global District: Cooper, Magic Circle, Columbus, and Disney. 

As some of the most diverse neighborhoods in Tulsa, we are committed to the inclusion and celebration of both longstanding and new neighbors. These neighborhoods were built in the mid-late 1960s, with most of the houses being single family homes. This neighborhood originally served primarily as housing for families of people who worked at the airport. In the late 1990s, shifting demographics led to an increase in the number of Hispanic/Latino owned businesses in the Global District, starting with El Mercadito in 1996.  

Now, we see a diverse mix of races/ethnicities, ages, and other demographics in these neighborhoods. As a neighborhood with many young families, we have six schools within our boundaries: Cooper Elementary, Disney Elementary, Dolores Huerta Elementary, Peary Elementary, East Central Middle School, and East Central High School. 

Currently, 71% of our residents are some race/ethnicity other than white, and 48% speak a language other than English. The average median age is 28.7 years, and the average median income is $51,000.