It’s a rare sight — if a person can even see it. That’s why the Arizona Technology Council is interested in helping preserve a commodity that literally disappears at the flip of a switch: darkness. The dark skies over the state were an early gateway for the state’s movement into science and technology circles. Astronomers and others have turned to Arizona’s dark sky corridor … [More]
New Dimension
To address the issues related to new processes that are rapidly changing the traditional methods of manufacturing, the Arizona Technology Council has established the Additive Manufacturing Committee. Additive manufacturing (AM) refers to methods in which parts are fabricated layer by layer compared to cutting a part out of a solid block of material. It’s more commonly known … [More]
Millennial View
The Arizona Technology Council added the millennial point of view with one of three recent appointments to its board of directors. The newest board members are Brad Jannenga co-founder of WebPT; David Woody, senior vice president, technology operations and transformation at American Express; and Chad T. Fogg, an operations and logistics manager for Uber Technologies. By … [More]
AZ Tech Council Spring 2016 President’s Message
Talk about timing. I had just arrived in Washington, D.C., recently to lead Arizona’s delegation for the annual DC Fly-In, an opportunity for members of the nation’s technology community to share their hot button issues directly with lawmakers. Suddenly, Capitol Hill was ground zero for one of our topics: cybersecurity. That day the word came out a hacker or hackers had just … [More]
Preparing for the Future
The Arizona Technology Council has partnered with the Arizona Commerce Authority on separate yet related initiatives to prepare the state’s workforce for technology jobs expected to be in demand well into the future. While their joint efforts actually began nearly two years ago, both organizations are starting to see a more solid game plan take shape for preparing more people … [More]
Congressman turns to students in STEM fact-finding
When it comes to a fact-finding trip for members of Congress, that often can mean they pack their passports and head off to exotic lands for meetings with heads of state. For the representative of Arizona’s 3rd District, the destination was Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale to meet with front-line experts in science, technology, engineering and math … [More]
Fast growth for SciTech Festival
Barely beginning its fifth year of existence, the Arizona SciTech Festival already ranks as the third largest science and technology festival in the nation, only surpassed by Washington, D.C., and New York City. Newcomers Fountain Hills, El Mirage and Surprise are among more than 50 Arizona communities and 800 organizations partnering to stage more than 1,000 events in 2016 as … [More]
Cybersecurity Summit comes at the right time
If the statement “Cybersecurity is the No. 1 priority for the FBI nationally” comes as a surprise, the third annual Cybersecurity Summit should take the mystery out of this revelation. The statement is not just hype for the May 5 summit that will be presented by the Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Commerce Authority and the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance … [More]
Big Plans
While size may make a company nimble when it first launches, that same size can become more of an obstacle when it comes to providing benefits for the team. Following the adage “there’s strength in numbers,” the Arizona Technology Council is offering plans that can make participating member companies as competitive as more established organizations when acquiring … [More]
Council names two newest board members
Rick Nielsen, the regional director of engineering for Cox Communications’ Southwest Region, and Teresa Snyder, vice president of marketing for Scottsdale-based OneNeck IT Solutions, have been named to the board of directors of the Arizona Technology Council for three-year terms ending Oct. 31, 2018.Nielsen leads the engineering team for Cox’s largest region, covering Phoenix; … [More]
Addition to Tucson staff
Tracy Sole de Hoop has joined the staff of the Arizona Technology Council as director of operations and events for its Southern Arizona office in Tucson. In her role, she will direct the Council’s operations and events schedule in Southern Arizona and will be an integral part of expansion plans for Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties. Sole de Hoop’s entry into the Council … [More]
President’s Message: November 2015
Three times a year we at the Arizona Technology Council get the opportunity to share with In Business readers new information and highlights of our organization’s activities. It’s never a challenge to find topics that give a glimpse of not only what we do but why our state is a leader in science and technology. Our involvement also is part of the reason we’ve drawn more than … [More]
Plans for Public Policy
As state lawmakers look ahead to the convening of the 53rd Arizona Legislature, so is the Arizona Technology Council. Headed by the collective efforts of members of its Public Policy Committee, the Council has prepared its 2016 Public Policy Guide to assist elected officials and other stakeholders at all levels of government — federal as well as state — and business as they … [More]
Ready for Their Close-up
When producers of a new series of videos set out to capture the essence of Arizona’s technology community, they made a discovery: energy. But this shouldn’t be confused with the tech sector of the same name. Instead, it’s the common motivator they witnessed among every company featured in the videos. A team from MediaTHP, a Scottsdale-based media/film production company, … [More]
Without Borders
In the world of startups, striving to be the best is a given. But that can be easier said than done when first launching. Thanks to a new agreement signed in Mexico City, startups will get the chance to benefit from best practices, no matter on which side of the border they were born. Leaders of the Arizona Technology Council, the Arizona Business Incubation Association … [More]
Venture Madness tops Invest Southwest agenda
Why wait until March to follow your bracket? Venture Madness, presented by Invest Southwest in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, offers the chance for 64 of the most promising startups to go head-to-head-for a share of $100,000 in cash prizes. The competition is a highlight of Invest Southwest, which will be held March 2–4 at Talking Stick Resort in … [More]
Startups Get Chance to Make Best Pitch
When first launching a company, it’s not unusual to wonder: Is anyone listening? For Mesa-based Crowd Mics, winner of the pitch contest at the Arizona Technology Council’s AZ StartupConnect last year, the answer is “yes.” Telling the audience about the product that turns a cell phone into a personal microphone and voting device at events, company CEO and co-founder Tom … [More]
Taking the Lead
Three executives from technology and securities firms recently were named to the Arizona Technology Council’s Board of Directors for three-year terms ending October 31, 2018. Mike Chadwick is managing director at CKS Securities — a division of Scottsdale-based CKS Advisors, a full-service capital and growth advisory services provider that supports businesses throughout their … [More]