An Oklahoma native, Marinn had plans to pursue a career in physics before opting to take a different direction. She is now drawing on her skills in data analytics, math, and research to provide business consulting services at R Cubed.

How did you land in Tulsa?

We moved to Tulsa when I was two years old. I went to local schools, and once I graduated high school, I planned to go to the University of Oklahoma (in Norman, OK), but my mom encouraged me to check out the University of Tulsa. I drove around the TU campus and fell in love with it. It’s so gorgeous!  

In college, I majored in physics, with a minor in math. I was going to get a PhD in physics and do research in a field like quantum computing, which was super interesting. But in the end, I realized I didn’t want to go back to school. 

Where did you start in your career?

After college, I got hired at the Oklahoma State University Medical School in the psychiatry department as a data analyst. The professors there did a lot of research. It was so fascinating, looking at opioid overdoses, substance abuse rates, mental health rates across the state, and adverse childhood experiences.

From there, I moved to The Williams Companies in downtown Tulsa for a short-term contract position in oil and gas. I was doing paid analytics there too—safety analytics and compliance. It was very interesting. I loved working downtown in the heart of Tulsa, going to all these different places for lunch. There were so many places to explore!

How did you find out about your new role?

When the Williams contract position ended, I applied for new jobs including one at R Cubed Consulting. Donna from inTulsa reached out to me via LinkedIn—she’s the best! When I talked to her and R Cubed, it just felt like the right move. Working from home also felt like the right time. Once you work from home, it is life-changing!

What was it like working with inTulsa to land your role?

I loved working with Donna. She was fantastic. Though we connected on LinkedIn, we got the opportunity to meet in person before I started for my role. It was phenomenal. This was the first position I had that required multiple rounds of interviews. During the process, Donna reached out and talked to make sure the position was the right fit.

Then I had an interview with two tech guys, and it was great. They’re absolutely fantastic. We were laughing by the end of it. Then I met with the founders. In each of the interviews, I just had a sense of familiarity. Everyone was laughing, and we all connected. You don’t always get that in interviews. That’s ultimately why I decided to come to R Cubed—it felt right.

What is the company culture like at R Cubed?

It is so unique because there is no physical office, so everyone’s spread out. There are a few of us in Tulsa, and we get together occasionally. I love that when we have company-wide events, everyone has come to Tulsa. It’s great. It’s so cool that everyone is all over the world. I can hop on a call with people from Seattle, Los Angeles, and Egypt—that just absolutely blows my mind.

What’s a typical day in your role like?

I work for R Cubed as a consultant for clients on the analytics side. For one client, a biotech company, I did mostly financial reporting and dashboard building, plus some graphic design. But it’s so different for every client, as they have completely different needs. For another client, I did just straightforward financial reporting. They knew what they wanted.

Now I’m working on a project for Cruise, a company that does autonomous vehicles (like automated taxis). You meet so many people with so many amazing ideas in consulting. Working for Cruise, I’ve been much more on the business side, making commodity code listings and other business tasks. I’m really enjoying it.

What’s the best part of your role?

I enjoy the variety. I am ADHD, which I think of as a superpower. I can be hyper-focused on things. I really like the ability to bounce back and forth between different things. 

I also love being able to meet new people. For example, one of my coworkers is from Egypt and he told me about going scuba diving in the Red Sea. That’s just mind-blowing. One of our clients is opening a new location in Munich—wow! I’m from Oklahoma, born and raised, and I’m talking with all these people who are all over the world on a daily basis. It’s really cool.

What do you enjoy most about living in Tulsa?

The food! I love the food in Tulsa. We have great food. One place I always recommend is Lone Wolf. Just go in with an open mind. Also, I love the cajun food at Nola’s. There are so many artistic restaurants coming up now. Then there’s The Hemingway—it’s a high-end restaurant, perfect for a nice night out. Everything is so good. I love that there is so much variety in Tulsa.

I love going to coffee shops. I love the Gathering Place. I love all the speakeasies here. And I love that there’s a growing music scene that’s growing. 

How would you describe Tulsa to someone who has never been there?

I’d tell them about South Tulsa. I’ve lived there a while now, and I love it. I love going for walks there. It is nice and quiet. It’s another center of culture, restaurants and activities beyond downtown Tulsa. And there’s a sense of wildlife here. We have a giant pond in our neighborhood, so we have swans, herons, purple martens and other birds that migrate through here. You can easily sit and bird watch. I love it.

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