“Healthcare has moved beyond being a perk and is now a foundational part of an employee’s financial security,” observes Casey Strunk, president of Strunk Insurance Group. While employers may frame it as a recruiting and retention tool, he finds employees experience it as protection against catastrophic financial risk when a serious medical event occurs. In fact, … [More]
The Business Case for Slowing Down: How Intentional Pauses Strengthen Strategy and Growth
From capital allocation to AI adoption, thoughtful leaders are finding that measured decisions outperform reactive ones. In business, speed signals confidence. Leaders respond to emails within minutes, approve deals in real time and implement new technology before competitors schedule a demo. Fast action projects authority. But in 2026, as Arizona companies navigate AI … [More]
OOROO Is Auto Care with Heart
How OOROO Auto built a culture of community impact
When OOROO Auto opened its first shop in 2014, it wasn’t simply entering the automotive repair market, it was challenging the norms of an industry long plagued by mistrust. Founder and CEO Jeff Artzi had spent years leading a 100store automotive repair business, gaining a clear view of what he calls “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of the field: the good being the opportunity … [More]
Restarting the Leadership Journey
Leadership is a journey of continuous growth
“Each day is an opportunity to lead with more purpose, more positivity, and more impact than the day before.” —Jon Gordon in The Power of Positive Leadership Leadership is often described as a climb — an upward trajectory marked by promotions, influence and expanding responsibility. Yet for many leaders, there comes a moment when progress stalls, enthusiasm fades or the weight … [More]
Data Centers in the Desert: W(h)ater You Worried About?
Water stewardship is increasingly important in evaluating projects long-term
As data center development expands across the Phoenix region, questions about water use have moved quickly from engineering discussions to the center of public conversation. For an industry built on reliability and efficiency, the challenge is clear: How can digital infrastructure scale responsibly in one of the most water-conscious regions in the United States? Few topics … [More]
Strategies to Help Your Workforce Maximize Their Healthcare Benefits in 2026
Start with understanding the employee population
As a new year begins, employers have an opportunity to empower their workforce to live healthier lives and to make more informed healthcare decisions. Data shows 1 in 4 employees reported knowing little to nothing about their employer-sponsored benefits, a gap that can lead to higher costs and worse health outcomes for both employees and organizations. Understanding the … [More]
Why Arizona Companies Are Turning to ESOPs
Employee stock ownership plans transform business transitions from endpoints into evolutions
Across Arizona, closely held companies are rethinking how — and to whom — they will eventually sell. Common M&A paths don’t always align with the complex goals of founders, families and management teams, especially when legacy, culture and continuity are chief concerns. In response, more local businesses are embracing employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) as transition … [More]
The Changing Face of Funding
Governmental cuts, policy change influence philanthropic support
Ever-tightening government funds and rollbacks to longstanding social programs continue to impact millions of Americans — with job losses and, in many cases, diminished access to vital programs and services. Nonprofits are on the frontlines, filling in many of these service gaps, but they’re doing so with fewer governmental grants, less capital and a revolving door of policy … [More]
Joseph Crivello and Jet OUT Redefine Private Aviation
Founder and CEO, Crivello built his model around familiarity, continuity and accountability
Before Joseph Crivello built a private aviation company, he built the case for one. Managing flight operations for a rapidly growing commercial real estate firm gave him a front-row seat to what private aviation could deliver, and where it fell short. In 2011, Crivello joined Phoenix Investors, which at the time held a small portfolio of retail commercial real estate. Working … [More]
Artificial Intelligence Is Powerful – But It Cannot Replace a Lawyer’s Judgment
What happens at the intersection of law, strategy, risk management and human dynamics?
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the practice of law. From drafting contracts to analyzing discovery, AI tools can complete in minutes what once took hours. For businesses under pressure to move quickly and control costs, the appeal is obvious. But as powerful as these tools are, they cannot replace one essential component of legal representation: professional … [More]
AIAEC Opens Regulatory Bottleneck in Land-Use Development
AIAEC builds technology for the people who “design, develop and build the world,” says founder and CEO Ali Fakih. Founded in Arizona, the company helps architects, engineers, developers, construction teams and real estate professionals get clear zoning and regulatory answers faster, reducing time spent on manual research and avoiding costly delays early in development across … [More]
Jetstream Venture Fund Founded with Access in Mind
An investment fund recently launched in Scottsdale lowers the barriers to VC-style investing while also fueling the Valley's burgeoning med-tech industry. The Jetstream Venture Fund offers something rare: a way for professionals to access private company equity through a regulated, integrity-driven investment structure. The fund is founded by the team at Xcellerant Ventures in … [More]
Beyond the Bottom Line: Navigating the Future of Pharmacy Benefits
Across the U.S., rising rates of chronic illness, obesity and mental health concerns have made it clear that our healthcare system must evolve. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, currently 42% of adults are obese, 60% live with at least one chronic condition and 40% live with two or more. Life expectancy now lags behind other developed nations by six … [More]
How Rapid Drone Is Turning Aerial Intelligence into Operational Strategy
When a police commander can see an unfolding scene before officers arrive, or a utility executive can detect infrastructure stress before failure, the advantage is not the drone. It is the decision. Phoenix-based Rapid Drone has built its business around that distinction. As organizations face pressure to move faster, operate leaner and reduce risk, Rapid Drone does not sell … [More]
What Happens when Memory Can’t Keep Up
With increasing demand, rising memory costs are showing up in everyday products
As manufacturers steer more memory capacity toward AI data centers, customers in other parts of the market are starting to feel the effects. Supply is getting tighter, long-term commitments are harder to secure and some buyers are being forced to plan around uncertainty. Demand is rising quickly, but new supply isn’t keeping pace. Much of the industry’s investment is going … [More]
Semiconductor Seminar in Arizona Tries to Answer What Comes Next
Global Semiconductor Hub, a semiconductor seminar held in Arizona, brought together industry leaders to discuss what comes next for AI, and much of the conversation focused less on software and more on the hardware needed to support it. Arizona Commerce Authority President and CEO Sandra Watson opened the program, placing the discussion in the context of the state’s growing … [More]
Manufacturing Growth Spurs Need for Real Estate, Housing Development in Phoenix
A defining feature of the post-COVID-19 economy has been a broad push to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. For decades, leveraging inexpensive overseas labor was viewed as a smart business strategy. However, the pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of overreliance on global supply chains. Add rising geopolitical uncertainty and increasing offshore production … [More]
Retail Project to Serve Surging Growth in West Valley
Diversified Partners, one of Arizona’s leading real estate brokerage and development firms, recently unveiled plans for a new commercial retail development at the southeast corner of 99th Avenue and Indian School Road, just west of Loop 101 in Phoenix, to serve a rapidly expanding trade area. Located near major employment and entertainment drivers, the development is designed … [More]
