I just googled “coronavirus plateau” and got more than 13,000,000 hits. With that many hits, it must mean something! It does — this is where a visual presentation of the numbers truly shows what the mind sees when it hears a word. And what happened to “bending the curve” or “flattening the curve”? We’ve all seen images evoking those terms; for example: Words are barely … [More]
People with Disabilities More Negatively Affected by Economic Impact of COVID-19
A Global Disability Inclusion survey of over 500 participants on April 13, 2020 reveals that people with disabilities are being impacted by COVID-19 at a higher rate than those without a disability. 51% of people with a disability have either lost their jobs, been laid off or furloughed, or believe they will lose their job in the next 90 days compared to 28% of those without … [More]
Emergency Coronavirus Loans Will Cripple Some Small Businesses
As America prepares to get back to work, will some people be left behind? The Small Business Administration (SBA) has adopted rules for emergency coronavirus loans that exclude otherwise eligible existing small businesses from relief solely because they are owned in part by individuals who have a criminal record. Given that at least nineteen million Americans have a felony … [More]
Disaster Relief Related to Employee Benefit Plans
The Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service jointly have provided in a final rule that all group health plans, disability and other employee welfare benefit plans MUST disregard the period from March 1, 2020 until 60 days after the end of the declared National Emergency related to the COVID-19 outbreak or such other date as provided by the agencies in future … [More]
Amid Crisis Relationship Between Boards and Management is Undergoing a Striking Shift
The relationship between boards and management is undergoing a striking shift as many companies take an enormous financial hit from the COVID-19 crisis. Leading the world’s largest organization of women board members, I have spoken with hundreds of corporate directors since the onset of the pandemic. These talks reveal new patterns in board oversight, important lessons … [More]
COVID-19 Unleashes a Time for Innovation

My business research focuses on a source of innovation that is often overlooked — the users of products themselves. Both people (like you and me) and companies use products that they buy from others in their daily activities. We might not know exactly how something is made, but we know how it is used. That is what is called user knowledge. Not surprisingly, users often come up … [More]
Join Economic Development Week, May 4-9
About Economic Development Week Economic Development Week was created by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in 2016 to increase awareness of local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities, and improve the quality of life in communities everywhere. Over the span of four years, more than 450 campaigns have been created throughout … [More]
A Critical Look at the Main Street Lending Program
Yesterday, the Federal Reserve announced new terms for its Main Street Lending Program that expand the eligibility criteria to cover more potential borrowers and increase the scope of eligible loans under the program. The revised Main Street Lending Program will now include three categories of loans, depending on whether the loan is a new loan or an expansion of an existing … [More]
Two Arizona Companies Team Up to Sell Hand Sanitizer and Give Back

In March, fears about COVID-19 sparked panic buying in the U.S., making hand sanitizer one of the most in-demand items across the country. As hand sanitizer (and the ingredients to make it) became increasingly hard to find, suppliers marked up the price exponentially. As a result of this, two Arizona small business leaders teamed up to tackle the problem, tapping into their … [More]
Local Credit Union and Pizza Co. Make Donations to Healthcare Heroes
Credit Union West employees recently donated their own personal dollars to show their appreciation for the health care workers at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Westgate Medical Center. In association with the Travelling Pizza Company, the generously donated funds provided more than 100 free pizzas to hospital staff who are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re … [More]
Create a WOW Culture . . . Even in a Crisis
I’ve built my career helping companies create cultures that "wow" their people — cultures where leaders motivate and inspire employees, fill them with purpose, challenge them and help them thrive. That's all well and good in times of prosperity. But what about in times of fear and uncertainty? As the pandemic keeps employees remotely located, furloughed, and (in the cases of … [More]
Tommy Bahama to Reopen in Arizona May 3rd with Revamped Options
Tommy Bahama has announced it will begin to strategically reopen its retail and restaurant locations across the country. Starting on May 3rd, Tommy Bahama restaurants at the Woodlands and Legacy West in Texas and Kierland Commons in Arizona will begin to offer take-out service. The retail stores at these locations in Texas will also open on May 3rd with the retail store at … [More]
Back-to-the-Workplace Security Preparedness – Are You Ready?
As portions of the American workforce transition back to working in a physical office after shelter-in-place orders lift, special considerations for security teams arise. One of the best ways to approach this challenge is to revisit the company Incident Response Plan. “A rigorously developed relevant Incident Response (IR) Plan that considers potential impact to all aspects … [More]
The Phoenix Employment Scene, Now and Next
Business leaders in Phoenix are responding to the current job market by supporting, helping, advising, connecting and encouraging each other. These leaders range from entrepreneurs and small-business owners or managers to company directors and include people who are seen as thought leaders or front-line employers in the markets that we serve. These could be small restaurant … [More]
In a Time of Uncertainty, Understanding Risk Is Essential to Business Survival

Today, more than ever, business leaders and entrepreneurs are functioning in a world that is full of uncertainty. These executives need to clearly understand the difference between what is certain and what is not, in order to identify which risks are worth taking and which to avoid. Many years ago, when I started my own Phoenix-based real estate company, I took on millions … [More]
Dental Benefits Co. Providing $500,000 COVID-19 Aid to Arizona’s Health Centers
Community health centers across Arizona are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide care for underserved and uninsured populations. As a healthcare partner and the largest dental benefits provider in the state, we continually reinforce the connection between oral health and overall health. To help support these patients in this unprecedented time, Delta Dental of … [More]
COVID-19 Buying Behavior

The bottom fell out, of course, on many U.S. consumer spending categories during the month of March. But others, like grocery, drug and discount retailers, actually climbed significantly last month as consumers cooked at home and stocked up their pantries and medicine cabinets for an extended stretch of sheltering in place. Meanwhile, consumers were doing much more of their … [More]
Orthopedic and Neurosciences Care Institute Announces COVID-19 Antibody Testing

The CORE Institute has announced the launch of its rapid COVID-19 antibody testing program. The test does not detect the virus itself, but rather antibodies in the blood that show the presence of an immune system response, typically due to prior exposure to the virus. The test is administered at select clinical locations in Phoenix with plans to expand to other markets soon. … [More]













