Neil Terry is a partner with Orcutt Winslow, a locally founded architectural and interior design firm with offices also in Nashville and Dallas/Ft. Worth. He primarily oversees the firm’s Senior Living studio, which he expanded to serve a national market. He is proud of the number of state veterans homes that Orcutt Winslow has been honored to design, winning its 12th home … [More]
2021: A Year in Transition — What is on the Horizon for the West Valley?
As Covid vaccines continue to roll out and restrictions are lifted by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, CEOs are facing pressure to make decisions about when and how professionals will return to office work. Reports say that by mid-summer, a good portion of the working-age population should be vaccinated, which will play a significant role in how and when employees go back to … [More]
West Valley Freeways Pave Way For More Economic Growth
The West Valley has become a driving force for economic growth in Arizona, and the region is staying in the fast lane with development along five hot business corridors. Its proximity to California ports and strategic connections to Mexico and the CANAMEX Corridor historically have provided the West Valley with the ability to attract companies and workforce talent — but now, … [More]
Spring 2021 President’s Message
We’re fortunate when it comes to our members at the Arizona Technology Council. Beyond being our supporters through dues and sponsorships, many have become our partners in a number of initiatives that ultimately benefit the entire technology community here. But there is one member in particular that often is the first to respond when we have an idea or just need a hand. And … [More]
Change Agents
Giving of yourself for something bigger than yourself. That mindset is alive and well among a group of individuals working quietly behind the scenes with a single mission in mind: to ensure Arizona’s competitiveness to accelerate technology-related policy and legislation, thus affecting positively the growth and development of a vibrant technology state. These are members … [More]
10 Years – and Counting
Anyone with a 10-year-old daughter or son probably has heard this reaction when the child walks into the room: “(He/she) has grown so big — and so fast!” Jeremy Babendure can relate. When he set out to pull together an entire state for a celebration of science and technology with the inaugural SciTech Festival in February 2012, Babendure was just hoping some people would … [More]
New Vice President for Southern Arizona
Karla Morales has been named the Arizona Technology Council’s new vice president to oversee all operations for the Southern Arizona regional office. In this role, Morales will lead an expansion plan in the region, including recruiting members, securing sponsorships and supporting events through underwriting from member organizations. She also will serve as the liaison to the … [More]
Two Corporate Leaders Added to Council Board
Mike Stewart, vice president of Advanced Technology Engineering, Honeywell Aerospace, and Amit Bhandari, vice president of Strategic Relationships, Solugenix, are the newest members of the Arizona Technology Council’s board of directors after being elected to three-year terms at the Council’s quarterly board meeting in January. At Honeywell Aerospace, Stewart uses his … [More]
Healthy Start
As the rebuilding of the Arizona economy begins, small businesses and startups likely are looking for ways to provide more generous overall compensation packages to their employees, a critical factor in helping technology companies attract and retain top talent. The Arizona Technology Council’s association health plan (AHP) formed in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield … [More]
Reaching Out
Staying in touch with members whose operations stretch across the state has been critical to the Arizona Technology Council since its start. Through a series of communication methods, including April’s release of the annual report, members and others have been informed about developments not only of the Council but issues affecting the state’s technology industry as a whole. … [More]
Yes, Some Good News
At the end of a year seemingly filled with bad news from various sectors, there was some good news to report in the fourth quarter of 2020 by Arizona’s technology ecosystem. Data in the latest quarterly Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report from the Arizona Technology Council revealed a 29% jump in STEM job postings in December 2020 vs. December 2019 and a 4.3% growth in … [More]
A Message from Jean Briese, President
I just returned from my first business trip since our world was shattered by the pandemic. It was, in many ways, just another business trip. But in other ways, it was so much more. I was meeting with a small group of international leaders. The goal: to inspire these leaders to break barriers. The pandemic has created so many new barriers. We began our time together with a … [More]
Why I Should Have Known the Name of My Banker
It was a great idea. But then … the Great Recession. Houses and neighborhoods popped up everywhere. Freeways lengthened; highways expanded. Pharmacies, grocery stores and hospitals burst into existence. Demands arose for more schools, fire departments and roads. In the early 2000s, a record influx of families swelled the East Valley. The economy boomed as business owners … [More]
4 Marketing Pillars to Grow Your Online Sales in 2021
Nearly 150 million people shopped online for the first time in the pandemic, according to an eMarketer report last year from “Insider Intelligence” (emarketer.com/content/global-ecommerce-2020), and it is predicted that the number of ecommerce buyers will only continue to rise. So much so that some industry insiders are dubbing 2021 as “The Year of Add To Cart.” With all … [More]
7 Things to Do in the Post-Pandemic World to Grow Your Business
We are still in the midst of challenging and fast-evolving times. Over the past months, we’ve all learned how to survive and thrive amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty. As a woman business owner and former corporate executive, I’ve lived through several volatile eras and a massive influx in technology-based changes. Although the pandemic is radically … [More]
3 Dangerous Mistakes Women Make that Lead to Burnout
Women from all over the world contact me sharing the struggles of their daily lives. Inevitably, they use these three words to describe how they feel about their life: stress, overwhelm and burnout. After years of working with female professionals and talking to tens of thousands of women about what specifically stresses them out, I’ve identified the three dangerous mistakes … [More]
Tempe Chamber Announces 2021 Leadership Speaker Series
The Tempe Chamber’s Women in Business Council, in partnership with presenting sponsor BD Becton Dickinson, is pleased to announce the 2021 Speaker Series: Lessons for Life & Leadership. The four live sessions will take place weekly through an online platform starting Friday, January 22nd at 9 a.m., with the final program on February 12th. This series consists of four … [More]
A Letter from the CEO
2020 was truly an unforeseen year for business and the health and safety of our community. Many of us have been through different kinds of natural disasters, but the depth of what a global pandemic can do was unlike anything we had ever experienced. As the year has ended, it is essential to reflect on its impact on our community, and the outlook for 2021. Looking Back on … [More]
