Fearless, innovative, driven and daring. These are the qualities of a disruptor: a business that is willing to take risks to achieve incredible success. In The Disruptors, leading business journalist Sally Percy investigates the stories behind some of the world's most innovative businesses, which took unconventional and trailblazing approaches to overcome the competition and … [More]
ASBA’s GO Program Celebrates the Distribution of $50,000 in Scholarships
The Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) announced the distribution of $50,000 in scholarships to participants in the Growing Opportunities (GO) Program since 2023. This significant investment underscores ASBA's commitment to empowering individuals impacted by the criminal legal system and fostering economic growth through entrepreneurship. "The GO Program scholarship … [More]
ACA Supercharges Support for Arizona Startups
New venture programs launched to scale Arizona Innovation Challenge
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced today plans to scale the highly successful Arizona Innovation Challenge program, helping more Arizona startups find success. Through three new and enhanced venture programs, known as Venture Scale, Venture Raise, and Venture Start, the ACA will extend more one-on-one support to Arizona startups that participate in the Arizona … [More]
Entrepreneurs, Your Time Is Money. Are You Being Too Generous with It?
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve probably done your share of pro bono work: helping a family member or friend, or volunteering to do some work for your child’s school or a favorite charity. You’re happy to help; after all, these projects crop up only occasionally and don’t take up large swathes of time. But what about the pro bono work you do on a regular—even daily—basis? … [More]
Developer Develops Infrastructure Construction Service
Mangat Construction is dedicated to delivering specialized utility services to developers throughout Arizona, including providing comprehensive water systems, sewage facilities and other essential services during the construction process. The company was founded in March, a new enterprise of Glendale-based The Mangat Group. Mangat Construction is one of many companies … [More]
Contractor Builds Up Roofing
United Contracting Group is a commercial and residential general contractor, specializing in roofing and restoration services. Founded in 2020, it has grown in these four years from three employees to more than 40 and serves approximately 1,600 clients annually. Explaining his impetus for founding the company, owner Jarod Huston shares, “As an engineer and career builder, I … [More]
How Entrepreneurship Uplifts Underserved, Diverse Communities
There is no shortage of stories about how entrepreneurship and innovation can spur economic growth under the right conditions, but another intriguing, and often overlooked, characteristic of entrepreneurship is its ability to uplift underserved, diverse communities. In fact, entrepreneurship not only plays a key role in bringing social issues to the forefront, it often … [More]
Plug and Play accelerateAZ Launches New Sustainability Accelerator Program
Plug and Play accelerateAZ, a program of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), celebrated the official launch of the new Sustainability accelerator program that will support the growth of sustainability-focused startups in Arizona. During the event, eight startups pitched as part of the Sustainability accelerator Program Selection Day for the Batch 1 cohort. Arizona Governor … [More]
PrismJet: Jet Owners’ One-Stop Solution
PrismJet offers dynamic aircraft management and charter services with the goal of providing concierge management services with a unique and proactive approach. “Think of PrismJet like a property management company but, instead of investment properties, we take care of every facet of jet ownership, including pilot staffing, accounting, maintenance, trip planning, regulatory … [More]
Max & Ollie: Baseball as a Lifestyle Brand
Max & Ollie began in 2020 with a book, Max & Ollie’s Guide to Baseball, which founder Stephanie Montgomery created to teach kids about our national pastime and share her own love for the game. She has since developed it as a brand for all ages, featuring baseball-themed gifts for kids such as puzzles, blankets and notebooks — which include art from the book, illustrated … [More]
Navigating the Entrepreneurial Landscape: Insights from Valley Leaders
2024 has been predicted to be a year of booming home-based entrepreneurship, so those who want to start their own business aren’t alone. Studies indicate that Gen Z is poised to lead the charge as the most entrepreneurial generation and, according to Wells Fargo, the number of woman-owned businesses has almost doubled in the last few years compared to men. As I step into the … [More]
Greenwood Brewing Taps the Female Beer Market
Greenwood Brewing is a woman-owned and -operated microbrewery with a taproom, brewery and beer garden located in Downtown Phoenix. The company makes more than 20 products in its Downtown Phoenix brewery for consumption in its taproom, restaurants, bars and grocery/retail stores throughout Arizona. Greenwood Brewery’s flagship beers that are distributed statewide include … [More]
Hillside Candle Makes Scents of Memories
Hillside Candle is a candle company focused on fragrance, memories and family. “We offer a carefully curated selection of luxurious scents created from the knowledge my dad gained from his time as head of operations at Yankee Candle,” says co-founder Thomas Hill. In fact, Hill credits his dad as inspiration for starting the company, which they founded in June 2023. The elder … [More]
Accelerator Makes Strategic Move to Boost Healthcare Innovation and Better Support Local Startups
In a strategic move to boost health care innovation and better support local startups, Yoo & Co. Accelerators (YCA) is now co-locating with the Arizona WearTech Applied Research Center, located in Park Central at 3110 N. Central Ave, in Midtown Phoenix within the Phoenix Medical Quarter. Being in the same space allows for YCA, a leading Arizona-based business accelerator … [More]
Jordan’s Corner: Uniquely Inclusive Play Space
Jordan’s Corner is a premier indoor play space located in North Scottsdale designed to create a community where child-led play, inclusion and fun are encouraged, and differences are respected. “Our indoor play space allows young children — from infancy to six years of age — and their caregivers to engage in purposeful play where they can develop new skills, build community and … [More]
The CRUSH Is On for Pickleball
CRUSH is a Scottsdale-based company that offers premium pickleball paddles, backpacks, men’s and women’s apparel, accessories and more, and plans to expand the brand through its coast-to-coast team-building strategies. “In addition, the brand strives to be more than a pickleball company; it’s aiming to create a movement to share joy intentionally through the game and works to … [More]
De Respino Packs Experience into Dispute Resolution
With a passion developed over 36 years of experience in evaluating and litigating complex disputes and the strategic decisions that are required for risk analysis, Laurence J. De Respino, Esq. launched De Respino Dispute Resolution in June 2023 to provide mediation and arbitration services to lawyers and their clients throughout the United States on complex commercial/business … [More]
GoX Wearable Tech Advances Workers’ Safety
GoX Labs provides the world’s most advanced all-in-one enterprise safety solution to prevent future heat, fatigue, musculoskeletal, slips/trips/falls and fitness-related injuries. It was co-founded in 2014 by Joe Hitt, Ph.D., and Bruce Floersheim, Ph.D., P.E. Dr. Hitt, CEO of the company, is a retired, service-disabled army lieutenant colonel who became obsessed with wearable … [More]
