DECEMBER 2025

Cover Story

16 Top Leaders 2025: Our list of Valley leaders who are making a real difference!

At the close of each year, we spotlight top leaders who have demonstrated exceptional impact over the past year. This time, we’re profiling 16 leaders across key sectors of our business community. We asked them direct, forward-looking questions … [More]

Features

Benefits Are Interconnected and Your Strategy Should Be, Too

Employers are spending more on health coverage than ever in history — $8,951 per employee for single coverage and $25,572 for family coverage in 2024, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. But many employees are not engaging meaningfully with, … [More]

Designing for Good: How House of Form Is Reshaping Hospitality through Philanthropy

In the world of hospitality design, beauty and function often take center stage. But for Phoenix-based studio House of Form, philanthropy is just as integral to the blueprint. Founded by visionary designer Dala Al-Fuwaires, House of Form has built a … [More]

Data Quality in AI Use

Businesses are rushing to implement artificial intelligence left and right. From customer service chatbots to predictive analytics, there’s a lot AI can do to help businesses grow. However, there is one thing that can derail any project before it … [More]

Roundtable

How Minority-Owned Businesses Can Counter Funding Barriers

Minority-owned businesses generate nearly $2 trillion annually in the U.S., yet consistently face disproportionate barriers to funding. Despite … [More]

Economy

From Check Out to Cash Flow: A Business Guide to Merchant Services

As the way people pay continues to evolve, companies continue adapting to meet new expectations around speed, convenience and security. Understanding … [More]

Nonprofit

Crafting Today’s Dynamic Strategic Plan

Ten-year, five-year, three-year strategic plans … They work remarkably well under stable conditions. But with today’s governmental policy changes, … [More]

By The Numbers

An Economy in the Chips

Thanks to a purposeful focus and our vaunted collaborative environment among economic development organizations that include Arizona Commerce … [More]

From the Top

Cristina Perez Hesano: Building Justice, Community and a New Model of Leadership in Law

When Cristina Perez Hesano founded Perez Law Group in 2010, she set out to do more than build a law firm; she set out to build a movement. In a field where Latinas make up only about 3% of all … [More]

Legal

Drug Developments: What Arizona Employers Need to Know about Recent Legal Changes

Psilocybin use could become legal in Arizona much sooner than employers realize, and there is already a blueprint for compliance. Marijuana legalization in the United States has advanced piecemeal, … [More]

Preserving a Business’s Competitive Edge: A Practical Guide to IP Protection for Phoenix Entrepreneurs

Business owners often treat protecting their intellectual property in the way many treat a check-engine light appearing on the car dashboard: “That seems important, but it can wait.” But that strategy … [More]

Startups

Valley Roofing & Repair Building Customer Base through Connection

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 50 million American adults consider themselves to be in recovery from substance use. Despite this astronomical … [More]

Recording Wins at The Pad Studio

The Pad Studio is a recording and content studio in Mesa offering a creative space to help musicians, photographers, videographers, content creators, editors and producers with their creative projects … [More]

Healthcare

Bridging the Nurse Shortage: How Agentic AI Empowers, Not Replaces, Care Teams

Arizona’s healthcare labor shortage is no longer a distant forecast; it’s a crisis. The American Hospital Association reports nursing vacancies up nearly 30% in recent years, with 3.2 million healthcare workers projected to be missing nationwide by … [More]

Technology

Tech-Forward Recovery Hospital for Trafficking Survivors

When we talk about technology in healthcare, we often picture robots assisting in surgery, AI helping diagnose, or advanced imaging equipment. But sometimes the most transformative innovations aren’t about the most expensive machines; they’re about … [More]

Semi Insights

How Tesoro VC and Startups Will Power Arizona’s $1 Trillion Tech Transformation

Arizona is at the center of a once-in-a-generation transformation. Nearly $1 trillion in combined AI and semiconductor investment is reshaping the state’s economy — anchored by TSMC’s massive fabrication cluster and joined by Intel, Amkor, Apple, … [More]

Arizona Becomes New Home for COSM Tech Summit

For nearly five decades, the COSM technology summit has brought together some of the sharpest minds in science and innovation. Founded by technology author and economist George Gilder, the event is a gathering place for leaders shaping the digital … [More]

CRE

2026 Design Forecast: The Era of Human-Centered Adaptation

Photo of The Pomeroy Apartments in Mesa As we close out 2025 and head into the new year, we’re reflecting on the cultural ripple effects that have ushered in a new design era, one defined by adaptability, empathy and authenticity. Design success … [More]

Future-Proofing Retail

As consumer behaviors evolve and e-commerce continues to shape the retail landscape, commercial real estate owners are being challenged to rethink what makes a shopping center successful. The traditional model, anchored by retail giants and focused … [More]

Briefs

Why 2026 Will Be the Year to Rethink Building Performance and Air Quality

As Arizona heads into 2026, the recently adopted mechanical code reshapes how designers and owners operate their HVAC systems. By adopting IMC 2024, built on ASHRAE 62.1-2022, Phoenix and the metro area lead the state in taking a significant step … [More]

We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort: Redefining Arizona’s Business and Entertainment Landscape

Nikki Garcia of the WWE Garcia Twins (right) with Dominique Newland of Fox 10 News at the award-winning restaurant Ember Set against the stunning McDowell Mountains, We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort is fast becoming one of Arizona’s go-to venues for … [More]

Caris Life Sciences Advances Precision Medicine from Phoenix Footprint

The life sciences sector is booming across Arizona, and Phoenix has ranked in the top ten for year-over-year growth in life sciences degrees and certificates in the market. This indicates that Arizona is not only a hub for life sciences R&D but … [More]