“Based on Arizona and U.S. national statistics on impact of the nonprofit sector, it’s very clear that it is an economic driver in terms of workforce development generating economic potential,” says Richard Tollefson, founder and president of The Phoenix Philanthropy Group. In fact, David Martinez III, director of community engagement at Vitalyst Health Foundation, calls it … [More]
Light This Candle: Strategic Partnerships Can Change the Game for Industries
On April 12, 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. One month later, Astronaut Alan Shephard’s Freedom 7 space capsule sat atop a Mercury-Redstone Rocket awaiting launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Technical problems caused flight delays and at some point Shephard grew impatient, extolling, “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this … [More]
Affordable Housing Is an Employment Issue
Why is it that, when trying to solve problems, communities often wait until they are at the edge of a crisis before acting? That’s where things are now where it comes to affordable housing. The alarm bells are sounding. But the truth is, they have been ringing now for a few years and it looks like many cities in the Valley have not been listening. The resistance to … [More]
Capacity Impact through Strong Organization Core Values and Mindset
“The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.” —Simon Sinek As the discussion continues around building capacity, one area often overlooked is the beliefs and values that an organization aspires to hold, which can have a significant impact on the organization’s success. I read an … [More]
Why Businesses Shouldn’t Lower Their Standards when Hiring Salespeople
As the economy (finally) heats up, hiring managers are desperately trying to fill sales openings. Faced with stiff competition for a small pool of applicants, they might be tempted to compromise on the quality of new hires. It’s easy to rationalize: Thanks to the pandemic, the nature of sales has changed. The role is less forward-facing than it used to be, and anyone can give a … [More]
Mary Jane Rynd, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
This time of year, with the roll-up to Arizona Gives Day next month, there’s a tremendous focus on fundraising for nonprofits. Asa community, we need to recognize that this hardly defines nonprofits’ participation in our economy — as businesses that provide employment and generate revenue. We all know that nonprofits generate tremendous social good. However, many may not … [More]
Feedback: March 2022
Question: Beyond the focused impact of your organization’s mission and its impact on the population you serve, what is the economic impact of its ripple effect in our community? Becky Bell Ballard CEO Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children Sector: Nonprofit Improving educational outcomes for underserved students in Arizona is critical to the well-being and … [More]
Virtual-Reality Training Aims to Help Growing Demand in Skilled Trade Jobs
StrataTech Education Group, a leading operator of skilled trade schools, recently launched a virtual reality training program called OcuWeld. The program, which uses Oculus Quest 2 technology, is among the first to use this revolutionary technology for students to practice welding skills outside of the classroom. The program launches at a time when demand for skilled trade … [More]
Capital One Business Banking Arrives in Phoenix
Arizona is one of the fastest growing job markets, with 700,000 jobs projected to be added by 2030. At the epicenter of this growth is small businesses — more than 95% of Phoenix companies have fewer than 50 employees. But despite small businesses driving this mammoth economic growth, Arizona is underserved when it comes to banking — a pain point that hits smaller businesses … [More]
Filling and Diversifying the Workforce for High-Tech Industries
As part of its effort to diversify the workforce and increase recruitment of women into the skilled trades, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. teamed up with Ignite Worldwide to provide $100,000 in tuition grants for female and female-identifying students interested in pursuing a technical education at UTI and careers in STEM-related fields. “We’re constantly hearing from … [More]
National Safety Council Award to Rosendin CEO
Mike Greenawalt of Rosendin, the nation’s largest employee-owned electrical contractor, was selected for the 2022 U.S. National Safety Council CEOs Who “Get It” Award for demonstrating a personal commitment to worker safety and health. Safety is a core value for Rosendin as the company dedicates more than three million work hours a year toward steady efforts to eliminate risk … [More]
Local Private Wealth Advisor Named a ‘Top 40 Under 40’
Local Private Wealth Advisor Nayan Ranchhod ranked fourth on Financial Planning’s regional list of Top 40 Advisors Under 40. Ranchhod is the managing director of Silver Lining Wealth Advisors, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Scottsdale. The rankings recognize the top-producing younger advisors at wire houses and firms who were under … [More]
NAIOP Arizona Honored at Chapter Merit Awards
The Arizona Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, was named 2022 Large Chapter of the Year at the recent annual Chapter Merit Awards. NAIOP Arizona also won an award for a record Highest Number of New Members among the 52 chapters across the U.S. and Canada last year. NAIOP Arizona added more than 270 new members in 2021, a 13% increase. This … [More]
Wilde Wealth Management Brings Cheer to Children
Scottsdale-based Wilde Wealth Management Group brightened the holiday season for more than 400 children in need with its donation of more than 250 toys as well as $2,500 in additional cash donations to Toys for Tots in December. This is Wilde’s 17th year supporting Toys for Tots through its Wilde for Arizona Community Outreach Program. … [More]
Employee Woes: Move Over Winter Blahs, Make Way for Worker Boredom
A recent poll by talent solutions firm Robert Half shows 33% of professionals feel bored — a lack of interest in their job and disengaged — more than half their workday. Of those, 20% want a new job and may have one foot out the door. A separate Robert Half survey of more than 2,400 U.S. workers shows one in five respondents (20%) feel less engaged on the job than a year … [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]
Beginning with the End in Mind
Technology is all around us. It’s so integral to our daily lives that we often forget how reliant we are on the electronics that drive our everyday activities. This means everything from the mechanical and electrical systems in the car we drive to the systems that power our garage door opener or refrigerator. Semiconductors, and a huge variety of microchips/processors, are a … [More]
