Jana serves as the Tulsa Experience Manager for Conquest Cyber. Originally from a college town in Oklahoma, Jana moved to Tulsa with her spouse and children to be near family and pursue opportunities that have led her into a new career in the tech field.
Meet Jana
Jana serves as the Tulsa Experience Manager for Conquest Cyber.
Originally from a college town in Oklahoma, Jana moved to Tulsa with her spouse and children to be near family and pursue opportunities that have led her into a new career in the tech field.
How did you land in Tulsa?
I grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and I always loved Tulsa. When I got married, my husband's family was living in Tulsa, so we came here for about eight years. We moved back to Stillwater for a while, but we always wanted to get back. When the opportunity arose, we came back again to Tulsa, this time with our three children. We now live in South Tulsa.
How did you find your way into your current role?
Before I joined Conquest Cyber, I worked for Clarion Events as the administrative assistant for the CFO. I do not have a technology background, and tech is a totally new industry for me. But a former coworker of mine went to work with inTulsa, and she let me know about the open position at Conquest Cyber. The company is launching their Tulsa office, and so they wanted my help. I started working with them part-time initially, getting the actual build-out of their office and operations going in the Philtower Building. I was able to go full-time with them in the middle of January 2023.
What’s a typical day in your role look like?
Right now, we're doing the build-out of the company’s Tulsa office. Day to day, I'm managing the contractor, I'm picking out and purchasing furniture, and we're getting the office set up. We have phase one, which is our security operation center, up and running. Now, we're finishing up our conference room area where we will be able to entertain customers.
What’s it like working in the tech field?
It's exciting to be here at Conquest Cyber. I see a lot of opportunity. As an experienced manager, I'm going to build relationships and create a bridge between us and the local colleges. I’ll be helping to launch and manage our internship program locally, which I see a lot of future for, because Tulsa is really growing in this area. Cybersecurity degrees and careers are really catching on here. It’s going to be a really fun opportunity for me to launch that program and build it. Our headquarters is in Nashville, and they've got a great internship program. So we're not reinventing the wheel. We're just going to bring it here to Tulsa.
What do you enjoy most about the company culture at Conquest Cyber?
I'm learning something new every day. Entering the cyber industry, when you've not been in it before, is such a challenge. But the company has training modules that I so appreciate. They've just been so welcoming and understanding and open to training me. It's a culture of growth and teamwork Whatever it takes to accomplish the mission of cyber resiliency is what we're going to do. I've loved that and appreciated that.
Also, I've had the opportunity to meet our CEO when he’s visited Tulsa. I've always appreciated leaders who don't ask things of people that they wouldn't do themselves. Our CEO is a boots on the ground person. He's doing the tough stuff, right along with everybody else. I appreciate that about his leadership.
What was it like working with inTulsa to find your new role?
Well, honestly, I wasn't searching for a job. But one of my former coworkers went to work with inTulsa. She was somebody I always respected and loved working with. I had coffee with her to learn about what she was doing. inTulsa is doing great things for the city, and it was so fun watching my former coworker get engaged and have a heart for growing Tulsa. So, I mentioned to her that for the right opportunity, I would be open to change. When the opportunity at Conquest Cyber came up, she felt like it a fit for me.
I worked with inTulsa to prep for the initial interviews, and when they introduced me to the people at Conquest, they were great. The inTulsa team checked in with me and made sure the process was smooth, and they were wonderful.
And now you’re working with inTulsa to fill open roles. How has that experience been beneficial?
The team at inTulsa makes this finding top talent easier. Having had the experience of being someone they recruited, I know their process. They do a great job of vetting people prior to introducing them to us. So I have confidence in them. The people at inTulsa do the follow-up, and they truly care. They want to make sure that they get the right person in the right place. They're very passionate about that.
What do you enjoy most about living in Tulsa?
I just think it's a beautiful city. The history that Tulsa has to offer is impressive. I work downtown in the Philtower Building, where I'm right in the middle of a lot of the history, and people come and tour the building and are in awe of its beauty. That’s something to be proud of.
Also, I've appreciated raising my children in Tulsa. There are a number of schools to choose from. And because of social media, my children have friends all over the city. It’s a great way for them to be connected to others. They go to the Gathering Place. They have friends who come to Tulsa to visit, and they're so proud to take them around and do fun things.
What are some of your favorite things to do in Tulsa?
I'm an outdoors person, so I love going to the Gathering Place. I've run countless miles along the river on Riverside. I think Oktoberfest is always a fun, unique thing to Tulsa. The Tulsa Drillers baseball games are always fun. ONEOK Stadium is a fun environment, and they do a great job of making attending a baseball game with the family entertaining. We like to grab some pizza across the street from the stadium at Elgin Park before we go to the game.
What would you tell people who are thinking about moving here?
You won't regret moving here! I would just say, do it. Tulsa is a growing city, but it's got a small-town feel. Everybody's so friendly. And we have so many fun things to offer. There's so much opportunity. So, come! We’d love to have you.
