Helping the next generation succeed with BerThaddaeus Bailey, ImpactTulsa

Welcome to Tulsa Talks presented by Tulsa Regional Chamber. I’m your host Tim Landes. 

President Barack Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance in 2014 to build safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color. 

Eight years later, under the purview of ImpactTulsa, Tulsa has accepted the My Brother’s Keeper challenge, with native Tulsan BerThaddaeus Bailey taking the lead.

BerThaddaeus is my guest on this episode. That intro is from a short piece on him in our February issue, which is linked in the show notes. 

I'm thrilled we were able to bring that story to life with this conversation. I had never talked to BerThaddaeus before we chatted over zoom in late January. This is a young man with a sort of unique name, who is wise beyond his years. You’ll hear why I say sort of a unique name shortly. He’s also extremely passionate about helping people.  

I had to remind myself throughout our conversation that he is still in his 20s. Of course when you hear the energy he brings to this conversation and his work drive it makes a bit more sense because he is a really busy person.  

BerThaddaeus was raised in north Tulsa before going to OU and earning a bachelor's in political science followed by an MBA and MPA at the same time. He worked for the state as an analyst in health care and child support for a handful of years while living near OKC, but his new job has brought his focus back home.  

He’s a community activist, nonprofit founder, policy analyst, a consultant and also a motivational speaker. 

I say it at the end of the conversation, and I’ll say it again here: BerThaddaeus is one to watch in the coming years. He’s really smart. He’s compassionate. He’s energetic. And he wants all of his neighbors to succeed.  

Following my conversation with BerThaddaeus, hear a song from Pets. More on that later.  

OK let’s get this going.  

This is Tulsa Talks with BerThaddaeus Bailey. 

In our February issue, Julie Watson writes about a couple of musicians' side project that took off. 

Born in 2019 from a side project of Candy Fly bandmates Matt Baker and Chayton Burleson, Tulsa alternative rock band Pets. has grown into a five-piece ensemble that now includes Jordan Hodges, Michael Davis and Nathan Hairston.  

Like many other creatives, the pandemic meant lots of time for Pets. to make new music. The band has recently started releasing those quarantine-created singles to a rapidly expanding fan base.   

Including this one. Here is Pets. with "Seeing Stars."