15 Weeks in Tulsa: What W.E. Build Taught Me About Building Orijin

In August, I landed in Tulsa questioning everything. I started 2025 scattered across the globe, genuinely unsure if we even wanted to keep going with Orijin. Eight months later, someone handed me an opportunity: a 15-week accelerator designed for women like me.

Week one hit hard. We sat in circles sharing what shaped us, exposing ourselves to strangers who would become our people. It was vulnerable and intense and exactly what I didn't know I needed.

Tulsa Surprised Me

I expected cowboy hats. I found a city rebuilding itself with intention. I learned about Black Wall Street and witnessed where Madame C.J. Walker's beauty supply store once stood before the massacre destroyed it all. There's something about being in a place with that history while building something new that puts everything in perspective.

The cohort became family. They pushed me, held me, and reminded me what's possible when you stop performing and just show up.

October: Momentum

Flo made her first visit to Tulsa in October. That month was all about momentum. Finally executing instead of just planning. Putting action behind the words. Applying everything this program taught me about articulating who Orijin is, why we exist, where we're going.

November 6: Demo Day

I stood on stage and pitched Orijin as "care that feels like home." Fifteen weeks of work condensed into five minutes. The pitch itself felt aligned and purposeful. As if I was finally following the path meant for me.

What's Next

We're not leaving Tulsa yet. Four of us are opening The Beauty Collective, a retail experience in the heart of Greenwood. Our first brick-and-mortar. A beauty shop that runs through February, proving that what we built here can scale.

Beyond that, Orijin is piloting new discovery channels. You might find us soon at a college campus, boutique hotel, or airport near you. We're building distribution that prioritizes experience over transaction.

This program gave me more than business tools. It gave me clarity. Community. Proof that when you stop pretending you have all the answers and do the work anyway, things start moving.

Grateful doesn't even cover it.

ti bo (kisses),
Ko