Bancorp 34, Inc., the holding company of Bank 34, and CBOA Financial, Inc., the holding company of Commerce Bank of Arizona, today jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement to combine and form the second largest bank headquartered in Arizona. Under the terms of the definitive merger agreement, Commerce shareholders will receive 0.24 shares of BCTF common … [More]
The Future Role of Social Media in Finance
The idea in my book that information is the product comes from the work of sociologists from the early days of social media, including Yochai Benkler, Charles Leadbeater and Clay Shirky, who predicted that the economy would increasingly become a participatory one (Benkler, 2007). Clay Shirky introduced the concept of “mass amateurization,” where platforms turned consumers … [More]
Bryan Guest Promoted to Regional President at First Interstate Bank
Bryan Guest has been promoted to President of the Mountain Desert Region for First Interstate Bank. In this role, Guest will oversee First Interstate’s branch network in Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. Guest will play a key leadership role in developing and maintaining client relationships, promoting the Bank within the communities it serves, and actively carrying out the … [More]
Merger to Expand Arizona Franchise with Acquisition of Canyon Community Bank
CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. and Canyon Bancorporation, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which CrossFirst and Canyon will consummate a business combination transaction resulting in the mergers of Canyon with and into CrossFirst and Canyon’s bank subsidiary, Canyon Community Bank, N.A., merging with and into CrossFirst’s bank … [More]
Credit Union Partners to Better Serve Arizona’s Black and African-American Communities
OneAZ Credit Union remains committed to its mission to improve the lives of all Arizonans. To better support and engage with the African-American and Black community, OneAZ Credit Union has partnered with KAHARRIS & CO. LLC, a consulting firm that helps organizations integrate with communities and develop impactful relationships. Kristen Harris, the founder of KAHARRIS … [More]
Bank Receives Top Ranking from J.D. Powers for Third Year, Celebrates 60 Years
FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks with a focus on “banking for good,” received the highest customer satisfaction ranking for the Southwest Region in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. This is the third year in a row the bank earned the study’s top rating across six states. “60 years ago, we started FirstBank with a … [More]
Credit Union Becomes Official ASU Retail Banking Partner
Desert Financial Credit Union will expand its current partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) to become the university’s official retail banking partner on April 12, 2023. With the retail banking partnership in place, Desert Financial will be the exclusive provider of ASU-branded debit and credit cards and will run all on-campus bank branches and ATMs at ASU’s … [More]
5 Small Business Payment Options for Your Growing Business
For small business owners, one of the most critical aspects of running a successful business is having a reliable and efficient payment system. (FYI: Your opening was what’s called a “dangling participle.” I corrected the grammar here, and worked with it in your second usage.) Payment options are an important aspect of financial management, and choosing the right ones can … [More]
SVB Collapse Impacts Arizona Entrepreneurs
The recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) created major buzz and worry in the eyes of many entrepreneurs. It was one of the largest bank failures since the Great Recession, and Silicon Valley Bank was the bank of choice for many venture capitalists and startups. The bank, which had significant relationships with venture-backed companies and had a strong reputation for … [More]
Thermal Management Climate Tech Co. Secures $14.1M Equity Investment for Innovation, Expansion, Talent Development, and Supply Chain Logistics
Air2O, a global leader in advanced thermal management solutions to mission critical environments and an Innovative Climatic Technologies (ICT) company, announced a $14.1 million investment from EREN Groupe in its equity as well as in assets giving access to its capital. This investment will help Air2O accelerate Innovation, Expansion, Talent Development, and Supply Chain … [More]
Drone Delivery Startup Closes $4M in Pre-Seed Money and Partners for Initial Deliveries in Greater Phoenix
Flyby Robotics, the end-to-end drone automation and delivery company, announced that they have raised $4M in pre-seed investment funding. The round was led by MaC Venture Capital, with participation from Weekend Fund, Anthemis, and Evening Fund. Other strategic investors include Naval Ravikant, (Co-Founder of AngelList); Balaji Srinivasan, (Finance and former CTO of Coinbase); … [More]
Nikola Announces $100M Public Offering of Common Stock
Nikola Corporation announced that it has commenced an SEC-registered underwritten public offering of up to $100.0 million of shares of its common stock, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses. Nikola expects to grant the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $15.0 million of shares of its common stock at the … [More]
BofA Names New Phoenix President, Past President to Retire
Bank of America has named Scott Vanderpool president of Bank of America Phoenix. The company also announced that widely known business leader Benito Almanza plans to retire April 6 after 45 years of service with the company and 22 years as Phoenix and Arizona president. As Phoenix president, Vanderpool assumes the responsibilities for connecting Bank of … [More]
First-Citizens Bank of Raleigh, NC, to Assume All Deposits and Loans of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) entered into a purchase and assumption agreement for all deposits and loans of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, National Association, by First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, Raleigh, North Carolina. The 17 former branches of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, National Association, will open as First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company … [More]
Grant Funding Available for Small, Food-Related Businesses in Phoenix
The City of Phoenix is offering grants to small, food-related businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts. Applications are now open for the Food Systems Transformation Grant, which is part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded Phoenix Resilient Food System Initiative. The Office of Environmental Programs has $800,000 … [More]
EN NEGOCIOS: 5 Consejos para Desarrollar un Plan de Negocios Sólido que le Ayudará a Obtener Capital
Comenzar un pequeño negocio es un gran paso y obtener capital es esencial para su éxito. Un sólido plan de negocios es un componente clave para asegurar el financiamiento que necesita para hacer crecer su negocio y alcanzar sus objetivos. Ya sea que esté buscando un préstamo de un banco, una inversión de una firma de capital de riesgo o financiamiento colectivo de inversores … [More]
5 Tips to Develop a Strong Business Plan that Will Help You Obtain Capital
Starting a small business is a big step and obtaining capital is essential to its success. A strong business plan is a key component in securing the funding you need to grow your business and reach your goals. Whether you are seeking a loan from a bank, investment from a venture capital firm or crowdfunding from individual investors, a well-crafted business plan will help you … [More]
Five Teams in Arizona Named to the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams List
UBS Wealth Management USA announced that five of the firm’s financial advisor teams in Arizona have been named to the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams list for 2023. Three of the five teams are based in Phoenix, and two are in Tucson. "Our advisor teams develop lasting relationships with clients by listening to and understanding their priorities and … [More]
