Following the recent finalization of two new rules aimed at closing gaps in capital access for America’s small business owners, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced streamlined lender procedures and other details on implementation. "The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that small businesses are the drivers of our economy, and that to participate in … [More]
EN NEGOCIOS: Lleva tu Negocio al Siguiente Nivel: 5 Consejos para Financiar tu Sueño Empresarial
Al iniciar un nuevo negocio, es un viaje emocionante, pero también puede ser desafiante cuando se trata de encontrar los fondos necesarios para hacer realidad su empresa. Puede tener una gran idea, un plan de negocio sólido y una visión clara de lo que desea lograr, pero sin los fondos necesarios, puede resultar difícil convertir esa visión en una realidad. Exploraremos … [More]
Get Your Business Off the Ground: 5 Tips to Fund Your Dream
Starting a new business is an exciting journey, but it can also be challenging when it comes to finding the funds to get your venture off the ground. You may have a great idea, a solid business plan and a clear vision of what you want to achieve but, without the necessary funds, it can be difficult to turn that vision into a reality. We will explore five tips to help you … [More]
Banks Combine to Create the Largest Community Bank Headquartered in Arizona
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]
