Young, Smart and Local 2025

Young, Smart, and Local (YSL) is a national network dedicated to best practice around talent attraction, growth, and retention. The YSL conference brings together leaders from economic development, higher education, business, government, and community organizations. With over 1,000 network members and 250+ professionals in attendance each year, the YSL conference is a vibrant hub for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and actionable insights. This year's conference will run from October 20-22 in Tulsa, OK. All Early Bird Tickets will end on August 30 and will switch to $475 per ticket for the conference up until the week before the conference.
Tulsa is renowned for its rich history, from being the home of Route 66 and Black Wall Street to its vibrant immigrant communities. It is also deeply rooted in a strong tribal history, as the city sits on the land of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), and Osage nations. Above all, Tulsa is celebrated for its unique ability to cultivate a strong sense of community for its residents.

Conference highlights include keynote and breakout sessions focused on:

• The future of work: how cities, businesses, and talent are reimagining work
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in growing cities
• National trends, forecasts, and best practices in attraction, retention, and development
• Benchmarking and measuring the impact of talent initiatives
  The conference will kick off on October 20 at 4pm.
  Day 2 of the conference will continue on October 21 from 8 am - 5pm.
  Day 3 will conclude the conference from 8 am - 2pm.
  One ticket covers the cost of the entire conference. There are no individual day tickets available at this time.
  If you are interested in being a speaker, please apply here.

Info: Join us for a special panel for opening night! There will be appetizers and drinks available as we meet at the Hardesty Arts Center in Downtown Tulsa, OK.

Info: This day will be full of content to grow yourself as a professional - speakers and additional information will be announced in May. This event will take place at Gradient, Tulsa's Innovation Hub. Breakfast and Lunch is provided.

Info: Join us to network and mingle during this happy hour! Drinks and light snacks are provided.

Info: Join us for the final day of conference content. Breakfast and lunch will be served before we send you back to your city to make a difference in Talent Attraction & Retention for your region.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Gradient: Tulsa's Hub for Innovation, 12 North Cheyenne Avenue, Tulsa, United States