How is it already DAY 4 of PHX Startup Week?! Today's session topics include conversations with health innovators, founders Chris Ronzio and Park Howell, and how you can build an authentic brand. If you're joining virtually, make sure you have the Whova app downloaded or you can login from your desktop. More event details can be found here. We hope day 4 brings you knowledge … [More]
invisionAZ and StartUpAZ Announce Final Block of EmergeAZ Fast II Grant Awardees
invisionAZ and StartupAZ announce the final block of EmergeAZ Fast II Grant awardees. In partnership with Governor Doug Ducey, $1.5 million had been allocated to the EmergeAZ Fast II Grant to provide resources to Arizona entrepreneurs and startups with emerging technologies designed to address current and future economic, health, or societal challenges. “In just a few … [More]
SBA Launches T.H.R.I.V.E., Executive Level Business Training for Entrepreneurs Ready to Maximize their Full Potential
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America’s 32.5 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, announced the launch of T.H.R.I.V.E. (Train, Hope, Rise, Innovate, Venture, Elevate), a reimagined training program for small business leaders, formerly known as Emerging Leaders. “T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined initiative will … [More]
Arizona’s Instituto Appoints Former Fellow Shelley Jackson as Its First Executive Director
Instituto, the progressive BIPOC-led, Arizona accelerator and incubator, announced Shelley Jackson as its new executive director. Jackson will lead the organization in fulfilling its mission of equipping low-income and communities of color with the finances, tools, and support they need to build political infrastructure and power. “We must empower and uplift low-income … [More]
Caribou: Childcare & Community
Taking to heart the advice, “Create a product that people need,” Dinali de Silva and Jordan Kong founded Caribou last year to provide “reliable childcare.” Says de Silva, “Childcare in America is a fragmented and broken system. The current options are either too expensive for the average family or don't offer the one-to-one attention that young kids need. At Caribou, we believe … [More]
Phoenix Is a Top 10 Startup City
In the past decade, Phoenix has developed into a technological hub to rival that of Silicon Valley. The capital city’s rise as an innovation center has made it one of the fastest-growing metros in the United States, with job growth exceeding the national average by 44%. This is among several key findings in a new study from Clever Real Estate that ranks Phoenix as the … [More]
Family Tradition Inspires Leila’s Empanadas
Owner and chef Leila Beltrame of Leila’s Empanadas, started putting her artisan empanadas and Brazilian cheese rolls on the market last November, launching with an event to benefit a local nonprofit. “They are healthy food options because they do not contain any type of preservative,” she says, noting they use the best ingredients available, including organic. “We sell them … [More]
qBotica Reaches Finals for Arizona Startup Competition
qBotica, a Phoenix-based intelligent document processing and robotic-process automation company, was recently nominated for a competition between Arizona's 16 most innovative startups and is now among the Final 2 technology companies to be featured in the event to elevate the region's startup ecosystem and encourage investment. AZ Inno Madness is a friendly … [More]
Former Tuft and Needle Execs Get Funding for New Outdoor Furniture Venture
Phoenix-based outdoor furniture brand, Neighbor, announces the closing of a Series A funding round from Strand Equity. The funding round will support new product development, team expansion, and marketing initiatives. The multi-billion-dollar outdoor furniture industry has grown significantly with increased consumer willingness to invest in quality pieces while spending more … [More]
Scottsdale Couple Pieces Together Unique Business, Creates Arizona Experiences
Beginning in 2016, Katie and Gregg Dufort ran a golf cart taxi service that took people from bar to bar in Old Town Scottsdale and Downtown Historic Prescott. Tens of thousands of locals and tourists used the free service each year and the Duforts relied on advertising revenue to keep the business running. After a year, they had found their footing and the operation was running … [More]
Wild Rye Baking Co. Brings Home the Magic of Baking
Wild Rye is a new kind of baking company — designed for today’s varied styles and occasions of social interaction. It offers cake, frosting and pancake mixes for the gluten-free, plant-based and gluten lovers alike. “We are all about quality, ease, connection and good times,” says founder and chief baking officer Sarah Chisholm. A professional pastry chef, she says, “I … [More]
Propelling Women’s Business Dreams with the RECREATE Action Tank
In 2020, business partners Kimberly Mylls and Melissa Lamson co-founded RECREATE Now, LLC, an action tank designed to be a one-of-a-kind, one-stop-shop, mastermind business incubator for women 40 and over. Each session provides members with the laser focus, tools and connections necessary to take their business or nonprofit from idea to launch by the end of the six-month … [More]
