It’s no secret that gaps and bureaucracy in the healthcare system are impacting the quality of care. Yet the issues have become so big and complex, few people are willing tackle to them head on. Board-certified cardiologist Robert Todd Hurst, M.D., FACC, FASE, is among the innovative providers who are choosing to chart a new path, putting patients first, exhibiting the highest … [More]
HealthspanMD Founder Dares to Fix a Fragmented System
How Robert Todd Hurst, M.D., is ushering in a new approach to patient-centered cardiology
Nancy Kleitsch: Making an ICONic Evolution with Automation
My family business overcame the barriers to automation with Robotics-as-a-Service
Since its founding in 2001, family-owned ICON Injection Molding has grown organically from a little stall in Happy Valley, Arizona, to three facilities spanning more than 55,000 square feet. Being a custom molder means each job we take is unique and, whether a customer orders 1,000 parts or 100,000, we must be ready to react. Like most U.S. manufacturers, we’ve also faced … [More]
Brian Raab: Striking a Chord with the Tequila Industry
And bringing Tequila Corrido back to life
The ballad of Tequila Corrido began several years before local restaurateur Brian Raab took on a vital role in the company. Corridos, typically a traditional Mexican-style ballad that narrates an event, are all about storytelling. “Our product is meant to be shared, offering people a way to experience life together,” says Brian Raab, president and partner of Tequila … [More]
Christo Demetriades Manifests Power of Entrepreneurial Perseverance
South African immigrant tilled fertile soil in Scottsdale
Some people are born entrepreneurs. And if there ever was one who fits that description, it is Christo Demetriades. He has spent most of his life and certainly his career in business for himself. It’s been a life of risks and rewards, highs and lows, challenge and achievement. As Demetriades says, that’s par for the course. But Demetriades’s entrepreneurial life is anything … [More]
Humble Bistro’s Chef and Co-Owner Stays Humble
Jorge Gomez focuses on the guest experience
Jorge Gomez’s love for food started in Sonora, Mexico. His mother, grandmother and extended family found joy in the kitchen preparing food, whether it was preparing tamales or making chocolate from scratch. Love existed in the kitchen and, when he was seven years old, he knew this was his calling. At 17, he started his culinary adventure by attending the Culinary Institute of … [More]
From Doer to Mentor: Elizabeth Hale’s Path to Empowering Teams and Achieving Success
Engagement is the common theme for eeCPA founder
Like many entrepreneurs, Elizabeth Hale is a doer. “I have a passion for solving problems and I’m good at explaining things,” says Hale, CEO and founder of Scottsdale-based accounting and consulting firm eeCPA. “I feel a huge sense of responsibility and commitment to my clients, and I want to do everything I can to take care of things for them.” And like the entrepreneur … [More]
Andy Fegley Steers Reinvention of Valley Real Estate Association
Evolving with the times, Phoenix REALTORS® becomes benchmark among industry associations
Associations are often slow to embrace change, but it’s crucial for them to adapt and grow to thrive. In fact, many organizations may get stuck in a rut when they become complacent and fail to adapt to changing market conditions, resulting in stagnant growth and a lack of innovation. These are the truths that have guided Andy Fegley, chief executive officer of Phoenix … [More]
Ahmad Alatrash Has the Mesquite Touch
Expanding Mesquite Fresh Street Mex to a broader brand
Ahmad Alatrash’s entrepreneurial journey with his most trusted business partner, his brother Nas, began when he was 18 years old. Nas, who is five years older, was familiar with Old Town Scottsdale and its potential for an investment opportunity. He recognized a need for the area: quality food venues that were open late for partiers, students, shift workers and first … [More]
Todd Sanders: Embracing Change and Diversifying Fuels Growth
Strengthening the Phoenix Chamber and community businesses
As a leader, I don’t fear change. Since assuming the role of president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Chamber in 2009, at the height of a recession, I have spent the last 13 years helping thousands of companies across Arizona anticipate, prepare for and, ultimately, thrive through change. The recession in 2008 was a wakeup for me that the Chamber had to become more dynamic. … [More]
Michael May on Evolving a Family Business for the Future
Changing the focus from product to people
A family company often takes on the character of the family who owns it. Early startup struggles and difficulties become ingrained in its culture and fixed in its corporate identity. My father’s struggles in establishing our company set our culture at Wisdom Natural Brands, makers of SweetLeaf Stevia. When my father, James May, first introduced stevia to the U.S. market 40 … [More]
Chad Verdaglio: Soaring to New Heights
During the summer before entering college, Chad Verdaglio took an intro paraglide ride and immediately knew he wanted more. After researching programs in the area, the Scottsdale resident discovered Sawyer School of Aviation, a highly respected flight academy that was founded in 1961 and operated out of Scottsdale Airpark. Verdaglio’s goal was to earn a private pilot’s license. … [More]
Dillan Micus’ FRESH View on Leadership Comes from the Bottom, Not the Top
Dillan Micus believes in systems. He also believes in breaking down antiquated systems to effect real change for the better as it relates to his own life, team and clients. This lesson, one he is putting into action today, is something he learned the hard way. Until recently, Micus served as executive vice president of Equitable Advisors — then AXA Advisors Southwest — since … [More]
Christine Ehrich Revolutionizes the Autism Evaluation Process in Arizona
For years, many Arizona families have struggled to get professional autism evaluations. A lack of psychologists and an overburdened system have created waitlists of a year or longer — far too long for parents and children who need answers and life-changing intervention therapies. With decades of experience in the healthcare space and a proven track record of building … [More]
Ivan Royal Translates Military Leadership into Private-Sector Success
“Leadership is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.” For more than two decades, this official U.S. Army doctrine definition of leadership shaped Ivan Royal as he rose through the ranks of the U.S. Army. Today, they have become inextricably linked to him and his approach to … [More]
Darren Rawson Leads through Chaos
Darren Rawson is a leader who thrives on disruption. “For better or worse, I’ve often sought it out,” says Rawson, president of Phoenix-based AZP Multifamily, a leading maintenance and parts supplier to the multifamily industry. “You could say I’m a bit of a volatility junkie.” To wit, Rawson once guided a team transitioning a company through bankruptcy and spearheaded … [More]
President José Luis Cruz Rivera: Championing Access and Equity in Higher Education
It has been a busy first year for President José Luis Cruz Rivera, who began his tenure as the 17th president of Northern Arizona University on June 14, 2021. At that time, NAU was facing a number of challenges far beyond a transition in leadership. “We needed to bring students and faculty safely back during COVID, while also addressing issues of trust, a desire for … [More]
Kim Reedy’s Servant Leadership Serves OneAZ Well
I’ve been running my whole life. Long before I started a career in finance and business that would eventually lead me to OneAZ Credit Union, I ran competitively in high school, college and even after college at a nationally competitive level. That was a long time ago, but I still run each day. Most days, I start before sunrise and love to put in some miles on rolling … [More]
Lilach Mazor Power Brings the Power to Cannabis
Lilach Mazor Power is the founder and CEO of Mazor Collective — the only woman-majority-owned Arizona cannabis company. The collective includes vertically integrated Arizona-based Giving Tree Dispensary as well as product lines Kindred; Sneakers; and a cannabis for menopause brand, Revelry. Power has served nine years in the industry with a focus on R&D and retail. … [More]
