It’s not often that you get a front row seat to history. Make that the driver’s seat. That’s what has been happening in Arizona, which has turned into a high-profile technology proving ground for autonomous, or “self-driving,” vehicles. Consider some of the companies that have turned our roads into their labs — Google, Ford, General Motors, Intel and Uber — and you can … [More]
Impact of an Industry
It was a rather simple question: How many technology-based companies are in Arizona? A few publications had put the total at more than 8,000. But staff at the Arizona Technology Council weren’t buying it since they didn’t see that many companies as they made their contacts in the sector here. They needed some proof. That came with the new Arizona Technology Council … [More]
Vote TechSmart
As every other session of the Arizona Legislature ends, the campaigning to fill seats of both chambers in the next session begins in earnest. But long before the drop of the gavel, a small group of people has already been working on the election outcome — except you won’t find any of their names on a ballot. They are members of the Arizona Technology Council’s Public Policy … [More]
Breaking the Mold
It’s not the norm. When it comes to presentations at the Institute for Learning Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers conference, it’s not the supposed-to-be-the-adults learning — let alone even hearing — from children. But then again, participants in the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program do anything but follow the norm. Recipients of National … [More]
It Takes a Team
While the year 2017 was one in which the Arizona Technology Council continued to best represent the interests of the state’s technology community, perhaps it was the partnerships that evolved during the year that demonstrate exceptional results can happen when people work together. Examples of such results are among the details of Council achievements included in the 2017 … [More]
April 2018 President Message
When it comes to career opportunities, everyone deserves a chance. That’s the message a group of Arizona Technology Council members and I took to Washington, D.C., recently as we met with lawmakers and their staff on Capitol Hill as part of the annual CompTIA DC Fly-In. (More details on page 4 of this section.) In meetings throughout the day, we shared our concerns about … [More]
The Sporting Life
Say “Fiesta Bowl” and college football comes to mind. But when the organization that even has staged national championships wanted to enter the arena of competitive video games, its leaders sought help from a new part of the Arizona Technology Council: the eSports Subcommittee of the Game Industry Committee. Fiesta Bowl organizers were looking for help drawing awareness to … [More]
Science for All
The Chief Science Officers (CSO) program was launched to help sixth- through 12th-graders in Arizona and beyond ultimately develop technical and employability skills through STEM activities. However, this collaborative initiative of the Arizona Technology Council Foundation and Arizona Commerce Authority may be only scratching the surface to help develop the potential of … [More]
New Director at the Helm of SciTech Festival
For anyone who has even been to an event staged as part of the Arizona SciTech Festival, there’s a good chance that Marisa Ostos has been right there, too. “I think she’s done more, seen more events, gone to more events than anybody around,” says Jeremy Babendure, Arizona SciTech’s executive director. “She just has passion for it.” It’s fitting Ostos marks her sixth year … [More]
Tech Champion
Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, was named a 2018 Tech Champion by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the world’s leading technology association. Zylstra was recognized for his leadership in championing technology policy in Arizona and his commitment to the Council and its members, and his civic and community … [More]
Lawmakers Hear from Tech-Focused Constituents
A group of Arizona Technology Council members recently had the chance to let their voices be heard when they walked the halls of Congress to meet with members of the Arizona delegation and key staff members during the 2018 CompTIA DC Fly-In. The annual event brings together more than 100 solution providers, vendors and other IT professionals to discuss industry trends, … [More]
Arizona Science Bowl
Quickly: From the LEAST to the MOST, what are the three most abundant elements in a G-type star? If your answer was hydrogen, helium and carbon, move to the head of the class. That’s an example of one of the easier questions you might have faced as a contestant in the High School Division of the Arizona Science Bowl, the regional event of the National Science Bowl … [More]
Mentoring Matters
Sometimes a person looking for advice only wants to talk with someone who has “been there.” That’s especially true in the technology community when entrepreneurs are trying to just get past the startup phase in the life cycle. With that in mind, the Arizona Technology Council has launched VentureShip to provide mentoring by members who are startup founders. In short, the … [More]
Tech Titans
The Arizona Technology Council has added four new members to its board of directors with leadership experience ranging from healthcare to defense. Appointed to the board were Eugene Jaramillo, deputy to the vice president of RMS supply chain management, Raytheon Missile Systems; Dr. Randall Porter, director, Barrow Acoustic Neuroma Center; Calline Sanchez, vice president, … [More]
Winter 2017 President’s Message
With the role as the principal advocate for science- and technology-based companies in the state, you can imagine there really is little down time for the Arizona Technology Council. That’s especially true when it comes to public policy. While you are gearing up for the holidays, we already are looking ahead to January when we, through members of our Public Policy Committee, … [More]
Need for NAFTA
To the rest of the country if not the world, the U.S. border lately has meant only one thing: the Wall. But to those in the know, the borders — yes, it seems observers have forgotten there are two — have meant something else: opportunity. A lot of this has been due to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which 24 years ago created the world’s largest free trade zone … [More]
Four new members named to Council’s board
The Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors recently elected four new members to serve three-year terms. The new members are Chad Fogg of Uber, Greg Kertman of Alliance Bank of Arizona, Bob Rasmussen of Honeywell Aerospace and Chuck Vermillion of AccountabilIT to its board of directors. “Chuck, Greg, Bob and Chad are fantastic additions to our board, bringing more … [More]
Winning Ways
Whether working in solitude or as a team, being an innovator likely means working long days in relative anonymity while perfecting what may be — or not — the next big thing. But for at least one night of the year, the Arizona Technology Council casts the spotlight on the segment of the science and technology focused on making a better future. The Council in conjunction with … [More]
