Microsoft and Black Tech Street officially opened the doors to the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab on May 21, 2026, inside the historic Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton building in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The facility represents a bold step toward democratizing access to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity training, and autonomous systems technology, while honoring the legacy of the Greenwood District—once known as Black Wall Street before the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

The lab is the latest milestone in the Greenwood Digital Alliance, a partnership forged in 2022 between Microsoft and Black Tech Street to transform the historic neighborhood into a national hub for Black-led tech innovation. By embedding a state-of-the-art learning environment directly in North Tulsa, the collaborators aim to close the digital skills gap that has long hindered economic mobility for underrepresented communities.

A Lab Built on Legacy

The Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton building itself carries deep historical significance. Originally opened as Moton Hospital in 1927, it was one of the few Black-owned and operated medical facilities in the region during the Jim Crow era. After decades of neglect, the structure has been revitalized through community-driven investment, now housing the lab alongside small business incubators and co-working spaces.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Microsoft President Brad Smith emphasized the symbolic weight of the location. “Every line of code written here, every AI model trained, every security threat detected honors the resilience of the families who rebuilt Greenwood after the devastation of 1921,” he said. “This lab is about reclaiming a future that was stolen.”

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Spanning over 5,000 square feet, the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab boasts a modern, flexible layout designed to support multiple learning modalities. Workstations equipped with high-performance GPUs enable machine learning model training, while dedicated cybersecurity pods simulate real-world attack and defense scenarios using Microsoft Sentinel and Azure Logic Apps.

A dedicated “Autonomy Alley” features robotics kits, drone programming stations, and a small-scale smart city sandbox where students can experiment with IoT sensors and edge computing. All hardware is connected to a local Azure Stack HCI cluster, providing low-latency access to cloud resources even during network outages.

Interactive digital whiteboards and video conferencing systems allow remote mentors from Microsoft’s global employee base to lead workshops without travel. The lab also includes a quiet zone for self-paced learning, a collaboration lounge with communal screens, and an esports corner to attract younger learners through gaming-related tech pathways.

Focus on AI, Cybersecurity, and Autonomy

Three pillars define the lab’s curriculum: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and autonomous systems.

Artificial Intelligence tracks cover foundational concepts like supervised and unsupervised learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. Advanced modules guide participants through building and deploying custom Copilot extensions, training small language models with responsible AI guardrails, and using Azure Machine Learning to automate data pipelines. Microsoft’s AI for Good team will offer specialized workshops on using generative AI to address community challenges, from local food deserts to public safety analytics.

Cybersecurity training ranges from basic hygiene—password management and phishing awareness—to hands-on penetration testing and incident response. The lab doubles as a CyberPatriot training center, preparing K-12 students for the Air Force Association’s national youth cyber defense competition. In partnership with the Oklahoma Cybersecurity Center for Excellence, adult learners can earn industry-recognized certifications such as CompTIA Security+ and Certified Ethical Hacker at no cost.

Autonomous Systems education introduces participants to the mechanics behind self-driving vehicles, delivery drones, and smart infrastructure. Using Microsoft’s Project AirSim and Bonsai, students simulate autonomous navigation and reinforcement learning scenarios. Physical drone kits from DJI and ground robots from TurtleBot let learners test their code on real hardware, while a monthly “Autonomy Showcase” invites local startups to demo their latest projects and offer mentorship.

Empowering the Next Generation: K-12 AI Readiness

A cornerstone of the lab’s mission is early exposure to tech career pathways. Starting in summer 2026, the facility will host free AI Readiness Camps for Tulsa Public Schools students in grades 5 through 12. Each weeklong camp blends unplugged computational thinking activities with guided experiences using Microsoft’s Minecraft Education AI worlds and to MakeCode platform.

High school juniors and seniors can enroll in a yearlong “Tech Scholars” program that includes dual enrollment at Tulsa Community College, earning them credit toward an associate’s degree in cybersecurity or data science. The Scholars also receive a refurbished Surface laptop, a Microsoft certification exam voucher, and a guaranteed interview for an internship at one of the partner tech firms in the Greenwood District.

For elementary-aged children, the lab hosts Saturday “Family Code Days” where parents and guardians learn alongside their kids, demystifying technology and building technical confidence across generations. Each session ends with a guest speaker from a Microsoft employee resource group, providing relatable role models who share their own journeys into tech.

Workforce Development and Skilling

Adult learners aren’t left behind. The lab partners with local workforce boards, Goodwill Industries, and Tulsa’s Second Chance Center to offer accelerated bootcamps for in-demand roles such as SOC analyst, AI technician, and drone pilot. Microsoft’s LinkedIn Learning and GitHub Learning Lab curricula are integrated into the bootcamps, and completers receive job placement assistance through the Microsoft Leap apprenticeship program.

Uniquely, the lab will pilot a “Cybersecurity Apprenticeship for Returning Citizens” program, providing formerly incarcerated individuals with the networking, Linux, and cloud skills needed to qualify for entry-level security operations center positions. The state of Oklahoma has pledged to cover certification fees for participants who complete the program, and Microsoft has committed to reserving 10 seats in its own SOC intern pool for program graduates.

The Greenwood Digital Alliance

The lab is the physical manifestation of the Greenwood Digital Alliance, a multiyear initiative that began with Microsoft’s $1 million cash grant and technology donations in 2022. The Alliance’s ambitious goal is to make the Greenwood District a top-ten Black-founded tech hub by 2030, measured by startup density, venture capital raised, and tech employment rates.

Already, the Alliance has attracted satellite offices from fintech, healthtech, and clean energy companies, with the promise of an AI-skilled local workforce. The lab’s proximity to the new Tulsa Remote coworking center and the Cushing Innovation District creates a continuous pipeline from training to employment. Black Tech Street CEO Tyrance Billingsley envisions a future where “a kid from North Tulsa can learn Python in the lab on Monday, intern at a AI startup on Tuesday, and launch their own company by Friday.”

Microsoft’s Broader Commitment

The Tulsa lab fits into Microsoft’s broader Corporate Responsibility strategy, which includes a goal to help 25 million people worldwide acquire digital skills by 2030. It also advances the company’s Racial Equity Initiative, which pledged $150 million to strengthen Black and African American communities and double the number of Black and African American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders at Microsoft by 2025.

Windows users benefit directly from such investments. As AI becomes embedded into the operating system through features like Windows Copilot and AI-powered search, the skills gaps addressed by labs like Greenwood’s will determine who can fully participate in the digital economy. By nurturing a diverse talent pipeline, Microsoft ensures that the Windows ecosystem reflects the needs and perspectives of all users—not just those in traditional tech hubs.

Community Impact and Reactions

Local educators and community leaders have already praised the lab’s potential. “Our students have dreams but often lack the tools to realize them,” said Deborah Gist, superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools. “With the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab, those tools are now in their own backyard. It’s a game-changer for college and career readiness.”

Parents attending the open house expressed both excitement and relief. “I always worried my son would get lost in the system—now he’s talking about building robots and working at Microsoft,” said Tanya Nicholson, a North Tulsa resident. “This lab gives him a path I never knew existed.”

The facility’s economic ripple effects are already being felt. Two nearby coffee shops have extended their hours to accommodate the influx of lab visitors, and a local bookstore has added a “Tech Trailblazers” section curated by Black Tech Street. A shuttle service now connects the lab to downtown Tulsa and the University of Tulsa campus, removing transportation barriers for participants.

Looking Ahead

In the coming months, the lab plans to launch a statewide “Hack the Gap” tour, bringing portable cybersecurity kits to rural Oklahoma schools that lack permanent lab infrastructure. Microsoft has also committed to rotating sets of HoloLens 2 devices through the lab, enabling mixed-reality training for advanced manufacturer roles and remote surgical assistance—fields where Oklahoma faces severe talent shortages.

Longer-term, Billingsley and Smith announced the formation of a Greenwood Investment Fund, a venture capital vehicle that will provide seed funding to startups founded by lab alumni. The fund’s first close is expected in Q4 2026, with anchors including Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund and the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

As AI and autonomous systems reshape the global economy, the Greenwood Cyber + AI Lab stands as proof that historical injustices don’t have to dictate future opportunities. By meeting students where they are, with the tools and mentors they deserve, Microsoft and Black Tech Street are not just building a lab—they’re rebuilding a community’s path to prosperity.