After managing the devastating impact the COVID-19 response has had on business, including the labyrinth of forgivable and non-forgivable government loans, businesses are now tasked with formulating a strategy for restarting the bulk of their operations. With that comes the perilous task of returning employees from furloughs, posting jobs, and changing the job functions for … [More]
Zoom – A Great Solution … If Set Up Properly!
Many folks, including myself, are utilizing the Zoom platform for web conferencing as more and more employers are urging their employees to work from home and minimize leaving their houses to come to the office. But, as with all things these days, every great solution comes with its challenges and learning curves ... and Zoom is no different. Many users are sending out alerts … [More]
Culture and the New Normal
Jimmy Dean of Jimmy Dean Sausage said, “You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust the sails to reach your destination.” What is happening during the pandemic may not be comfortable nor immediately welcomed by many of us. We have had to adapt to something that we did not see coming, may not entirely understand, and have little control over. A Black Swan. … [More]
COVID-19 – The Tsunami that Hit Corporate Leadership
First comes the ground-shaking tremors. Then, the aftershocks. In Fukushima, it was the shifting of the tectonic plates, a tsunami, and then a nuclear meltdown. In America right now, and globally, it’s COVID-19. But the result is the same. Lives lost. Businesses vanquished. Cities turned into ghost towns. Having witnessed the earthquake that brought Japan to its knees on … [More]
Submitted Your Loan? What Are Your Next Steps? Here’s the Checklist You Need!
If you already applied for the PPP and got approved, here is what you can do: Set up a new bank account & keep track of your funds. Remember, 75% goes to payroll and 25% on utilities and rent. Track how you spent it, what you spent it on, and when you spent. Apply for forgiveness when the time comes. File your 2019 taxes; the deadline has been deferred … [More]
Connect through Global Chamber to Grow in 2020
As vice president of member services at Global Chamber®, I have the pleasure to lead our activities to connect members across metros and borders with new clients, investors, opportunities and trusted resources as they look to expand worldwide. Connecting the right people at the right time, and “in time,” is an essential part of growth. We create many opportunities for members … [More]
Adding Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the Connecting Process
Global Chamber® has partnered with Gazelle.ai based in Montreal, Canada, to facilitate international trade and investment for our members. Gazelle.ai’s AI-enabled sales intelligence platform is now being used by Global Chamber as part of our daily “warm connections” process to research companies and industries on behalf of members worldwide, and then to make just the right … [More]
International State of the PHX Metro 2020
How is the metropolitan Phoenix region doing with international business? That’s the question we answer annually with our International State of the Metro, held in metro regions around the world — and in Metro Phoenix annually since 2007, predating Global Chamber®! Many metro areas are hot for business, meaning that companies are thriving, growing and continuing to arrive … [More]
Chapter Spotlight: Global Chamber San Antonio
We regularly host Young Global Business Leaders in San Antonio, Texas, in collaboration with the Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program managed locally by San Antonio Council for International Visitors (SACIV). I would like to thank everyone for their time, energy and efforts to make these visits successful and rewarding! For the recent visit shown … [More]
Global Business Innovation Summit Wrap-up
We held a fast-paced and interactive discussion on growing the global business innovation ecosystem in metro Phoenix, from technology to talent, exporting, financing, logistics and more. The event featured 20 keynote speakers along with panels and groups of attendees connecting through breakouts and report-backs. The event supports the region to develop a stronger foundation … [More]
Life in the Age of Corona
Gabriel García Márquez wrote in his renowned novel, Love in the Time of Cholera, that “wisdom comes to us when it can no longer do any good.” Indeed, the coronavirus has presented the global community with such a dilemma. The world has been so reliant on its sourcing from China that the disease has put major markets on a standstill as China shuts its door to the world and vice … [More]
President’s Message
Arizona’s technology industry is thankful to have a leader like Sen. Kyrsten Sinema working hard in Washington to address some of the most pressing issues Arizonans … no, make that all Americans face today. This goes double for her recent announcement that she and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi together will take up the matter of net neutrality to advance a bipartisan, … [More]
Incentives for Innovation
Keeping the lights on today and even tomorrow. For a small business, achieving such a simple goal signals to the owner that there is a chance of making it past the early stage in the life cycle. But financial results of participants in Arizona’s Small Business Capital Investment Incentive Program offer the hope for small business owners to do more than just make it. Companies … [More]
Top Talent On Board
Two CEOs of their organizations and two vice presidents for their companies are the newest members of the Arizona Technology Council board of directors after being elected unanimously to serve three-year terms at the quarterly board meeting in January. “This group of dynamic leaders has worked in Arizona’s technology community for many years and knows what it takes to advance … [More]
Mini-themes Are Part of Magazine’s Move to Blog
Bio. Fintech. Energy. Smart Cities. Those are just a few of the themes that have been covered recently in TechConnect, the magazine launched by the Arizona Technology Council nearly 15 years ago to cover the state’s science and technology industry. But it’s time to hit the reset button. The Council and its publishing partner, the Arizona Commerce Authority, are transitioning … [More]
Strong Start
Think of the one thing that an organization ideally wants more than anything to complete its biggest project. Most would say “plenty of time” is that precious must-have. So, when a team charged with launching the Arizona Technology Council’s new association health plan (AHP) — the first health program specifically designed for small technology employers in the state — received … [More]
Rivalries on Hold
Who would have guessed that science could trump sports rivalries when it came to Arizona universities actually getting along in the same space? Instead of heated competition, the annual Connect2STEM event at The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix was the scene where representatives from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University joined their … [More]
System Support
An idea that’s good for Safford might be good for Globe. And it might even be perfect for Chinle. But without the right network to share that idea, it might just stay in Safford — or miss the opportunity to get even better with feedback from others. This is an example of a scenario that the Arizona Technology Council and others supporting a STEM ecosystem are trying to … [More]
