As part of the CARES Act introduced in 2020, Congress created a new tax credit known as Employee Retention Credit (ERC) to incentivize employers to keep workers on the payroll during the pandemic. Through this program, qualifying businesses can receive up to $26,000 per employee. Stenson Tamaddon launched a few months into the pandemic to aid business owners who were … [More]
BitFire Studios: Cutting-Edge Tech Serves Video Content Creators
BitFire Studios opened its doors in Phoenix in Oct. 2021. At that time, BitFire Studios joined BitFire Networks, which came to be in July of 2020. BitFire Networks & Studios is the only combined company of its kind anywhere in the country — combining a state-of-the-art LED studio with a proprietary IP transmission network designed to take a client’s broadcast quality video … [More]
GVC Creates Non-Insurance Healthcare Membership
GVC (Give Virtual Care) Health Tech is a non-insurance, best-in-class, virtual healthcare solution offering a comprehensive healthcare membership of unlimited virtual access for general health, mental health, crisis care, expert second medical opinions and discounted prescriptions. With labor shortages plaguing the country, the GVC private-labeled Give Virtual Care App … [More]
Connect-UV Sanitizes with the Power of Natural Light
Nic Brown founded Connect-UV in March 2020 in direct response to the COVID pandemic and the need to keep people safe from dangerous germs. Connect-UV provides UV-C sanitation products for consumers and businesses. UV-C is naturally occurring light that is filtered by our ozone layer. The wavelength of the light destroys the DNA of microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and … [More]
Puzzle Rides’ Unique Adventures also Support Other Old-Town Small Businesses
Katie and Gregg Dufort created Puzzle Rides, a mobile escape room-style scavenger hunt, in the middle of the pandemic. When their Old Town golf cart taxi service got shut down in 2020 because of coronavirus, the couple pivoted to bring one-of-a-kind experiences to the city. Puzzle Rides is an adventure game where players are taken on a scavenger hunt via golf cart and must use … [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]
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]
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]
KeepWOL – Growth through Play and Reflection
KeepWOL — which stands for Keep Wondering Out Loud — creates learning and development technology that maximizes cultural intelligence in the workplace. Its SaaS talent development platform uses a digital library of multiplayer games to facilitate recurring guided immersive team experiences that cultivate engagement and learning. These psychology-based games emphasize … [More]
Form Paper Co. Goes Big and Bold with Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper
Form Paper Co. is an online company offering commercial-grade, peel-and-stick wallpaper designed “for those who aren’t afraid to go big or bold,” says founder Dala Al-Fuwaires. “All our patterns are vetted and approved by an interior designer, making high-design accessible and affordable. Our peel-and-stick wallpaper breaks the mold with curvy contours and statement-making … [More]
Challenges for Future-Proofing a Startup Business
Starting a business today feels very different from how it felt 10 years ago and is unrecognizable from 20 years ago. The main challenge for startups today is the choice of how day-to-day business gets done in either a physical or a virtual space. This was a much easier decision just a few years ago, as most startups felt the only logical choice would be to find a convenient … [More]
State Forty Eight Builds Community around T-Shirts
State Forty Eight is an Arizona apparel and lifestyle brand that is rooted in community. CEO Mike Spangenberg, who co-founded it with Nicholas Polando, describes it as more than just T-shirt company, committed to collaborating with local organizations in the form of unique T-shirt designs that help with raising awareness and even serve as a fundraising tool for charity … [More]
Supurb Technology Innovates Cannabis Delivery
Supurb is a technology company connecting people with nearby dispensaries to help them get their cannabis delivered in a quick, efficient and cost-effective manner. We conceptualized the idea for Supurb knowing that technology in cannabis was limited for both consumers and retailers. We understood that applying technology in the form of delivery would create significant … [More]
Restless Clothing Aims to Make People Smile
Restless Clothing owner and founder Jeffrey Smallwood describes his line as “lifestyle apparel meant to inspire the inner entrepreneurs of every individual.” His inspiration, he says, “comes from my daughter Nala and girlfriend Cheryl to help support our family and finish paying off school loans.” Noting that every entrepreneur has “Restless” late nights when they are up 3 … [More]
Macy Lane Designs for At-Home Spaces
Macy Lane Designs is an interior design firm that creates spaces that make people feel happy, comfortable and at home. “Our design philosophy is based on real-life living, and we work with homeowners to develop an aesthetic that is not only beautiful but also very functional for how they live,” says Jackie Wright, owner and lead designer. “I have always been passionate about … [More]
ROXX Vodka – Refresh from Poland to Phoenix
“The recipe for the vodka was unique and just amazing!” says Angela Nielsen, explaining what attracted her to founding ROXX Vodka. “I had built two other successful businesses, so my entrepreneurial spirit was definitely the motivating factor. ROXX Vodka is an award-winning premium craft vodka imported from Poland, distilled six times using premium high-quality grains. ROXX … [More]
Dovly Aims to Give Credit Repair a Good Name
Dovly is an automated credit repair engine that tracks, manages, and fixes consumer credit. “Our proprietary algorithm identifies the issues and automates the credit report dispute process, utilizing an approach that is proprietary customized at the individual level for optimal impact,” says Nirit Rubenstein, CEO and co-founder, explaining, “My co-founder and I both immigrated … [More]
