AZBusiness September/October 2021 by AZ Big Media

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SEPTEMBER // OCTOBER 2021

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LEADERS IN INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY

MEETING PROFESSIONALS INTERNATIONAL

MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES

Arizona’s groundbreaking bioscience industry emerges as a global force

AZ BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

FROM LEFT: Joan Koerber-Walker, Arizona Bioindustry Association; James Foley, Botanisol Analytics; Gholam Peyman, MD, Arizona Retinal Specialists; Michael Hogan PhD, PathogenDx; and Mohammad Albanna, PhD, Humabiologics.

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Table of Contents 6

Trendsetters

Leadership Profile

Higher Education

Real Estate

Technology

Innovation Awards

Law

Hospitality

Marketing

Dining

Meeting Professionals 44 International

52 Most Admired Companies 89 Arizona Bioindustry Association ON THE COVER: Joan Koerber-Walker, president and CEO, AZBio; James Foley, Botanisol Analytics (AZBio Fast Lane Award winner); Gholam Peyman, MD (winner of the AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement); Michael Hogan, PhD, (AZBio Fast Lane Award winner); and Mohammad Albanna, PhD, Humabiologics (AZBio Fast Lane Award winner). (Photo by Bruce Andersen, AZ Big Media) 2

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A LOOK AT HOW ARIZONA BIOSCIENCE IS CHANGING THE WORLD I don’t like to pull back the curtain often and share intimate details of my life, but here’s an important one of the Gossie timeline: I was supposed to die 20 years ago. I was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes copper to accumulate in your liver, brain and other vital organs. By the time I was diagnosed, I was on the verge of liver failure and was told that unless I had a liver transplant, I’d be dead within three months. Well, it’s 20 years later. In that time, I became an Ironman triathlete, completed the swim from Alcatraz, and qualified for the Boston Marathon. And I NEVER had the liver transplant. How is that possible? Bioscience. A researcher had developed an experimental 10-week treatment program for Wilson’s disease and I took a gamble on it and won. My sister, who had the same genetic disease but was misdiagnosed, wasn’t so lucky. She died in 2004. That’s why this issue of Az Business is so important to me. The Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio) supplement in this issue takes a deep dive into all the amazing work happening in Arizona’s life sciences sector — work that is saving, extending, and improving the lives of people around the world. And it’s all happening in Arizona. Some of Arizona’s cutting-edge bioscience companies are also featured among Arizona’s Most Admired Companies, which recognizes companies that demonstrate excellence in leadership, diversity, corporate culture, vision, innovation, and community engagement. We are honored to showcase Arizona’s Most Admired Companies and Arizona’s most impactful leaders in bioscience in this issue of Az Business. Enjoy reading their stories … and prepare to have your minds blown.

Michael Gossie Editor in chief michael.gossie@azbigmedia.com

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SPOTLIGHT

President and CEO: Michael Atkinson Publisher: Amy Lindsey Vice president of operations: Audrey Webb

RAISING WAGES: PNC Bank will bring its minimum pay rate from $15 to $18 per hour, beginning Nov. 22. This represents a 20% increase from the bank’s current $15 minimum rate and is more than double the national minimum wage of $7.25.

EDITORIAL

LEADING DENTAL INDUSTRY: Delta Dental of

Interns: Jacob Flores | Gabriella Herran-Romero | Elinor Tutora

Editor in chief: Michael Gossie Senior editor: Rebecca L. Rhoades Staff writer: Kyle Backer

Arizona appointed Michael Jones as president and chief executive officer, effective in October. He will also serve as the president of the charitable Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation, which provides much-needed funding, education and dental supplies to those in need across the state.

Contributing writers: Alison Bailin Batz | Christina Caldwell | Erin

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP: The Taiwan-USA Industrial

Art director: Mike Mertes

Cooperation Promotion Office and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding on industrial cooperation with the aim to foster closer partnership between Taiwan and Arizona.

TAKING HEART: Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson recently marked its 100th Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), a milestone of note for a new program that continued to grow even during the pandemic.

Thorburn | Steven G. Zylstra ART Design director: Bruce Andersen

MARKETING/EVENTS Digital marketing specialist: Paul Schaum Marketing & event specialist: Lynette Carrington OFFICE Special projects manager: Sara Fregapane Database solutions manager: Amanda Bruno

HOMEBUILDING MILESTONE: Fulton Homes, Arizona’s largest family-owned and -operated homebuilder, is marking the achievement of 45 years of building quality single-family homes with high-grade amenities and plentiful greenspaces in communities across the Valley.

AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE

HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE BOOST: Apricus Health

AZ BUSINESS ANGELS

announced it’s partnering with the WCUI School of Medical Imaging and Nursing and Franklin Pierce University Goodyear Campus, to establish externship programs.

MAKING THE GRADE: Great Hearts Academies, a nonprofit network of tuition-free public charter schools in Arizona and Texas, announce its 2021 graduating class of seniors in Arizona were awarded more than $46 million in merit-based scholarships. Ninety-five percent of the 569 graduates went on to immediately attend college.

Senior account executives: David Harken | April Rice Advertising coordinator: Heather Barnhill

AZ BUSINESS LEADERS Director of sales: Sheri Brown AZRE | ARIZONA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Director of sales: Ann McSherry EXPERIENCE ARIZONA | PLAY BALL Director of sales: David Ealy

PUTTING UP WALLS: Paul Johnson Drywall announced that the firm was again named a Top 50 Contractor for 2021 by Walls & Ceilings Magazine. This marks the sixth consecutive year for PJD to be named as an industry leader on the national list.

RECORD GROWTH: Despite the economic downturn due

to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hughes Federal Credit Union set records in 2020 for growth in credit union assets, capital, deposits, loans and members. Credit union assets totaled $1,652,308,495.00, an increase of 18.46%. 4

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RANKING ARIZONA Director of sales: Sheri King Az Business magazine is published bi-monthly by AZ BIG Media, 3101 N. Central Ave. Suite 1070, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, (602) 277-6045. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a SASE. Single copy price $4.95. Bulk rates available. Copyright 2021 by AZ BIG Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from AZ BIG Media.

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TRENDSETTERS

Cable One

Interesting fact: Cable One is among the Top 10 cable companies in the United States.

Interesting fact: The chain, with its headquarters in Phoenix, operates more than 2,000 hotels.

Sunstate Equipment

Republic Services

Interesting fact: The company is 16.6% female and 42.1% ethnic minorities.

Alliance Residential

Interesting fact: Alliance Bank is one of the country’s topperforming banking companies.

Interesting fact: The company is 51.7% female and 44.1% ethnic minorities.

Shamrock Foods

ON Semiconductor

Arizona Public Service

Interesting fact: APS is Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electric company.

to work for in Phoenix for 2021

Zippia, which helps users discover new jobs and career paths, hand-curated a list of the best companies to work for headquartered in and around Phoenix, using data on salaries, company financial health, and employee diversity. Here are the 20 best companies to work for in Metro Phoenix for 2021, according to Zippia’s analysis. 6

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Interesting fact: Republic Services is the second-largest provider of waste disposal services in the U.S.

Western Alliance Bancorporation

Interesting fact: The average employee at Shamrock Foods makes $43,373 per year.

BEST COMPANIES

Best Western International

Snell & Wilmer

Interesting fact: Snell & Wilmer is the West’s largest full-service business law firm.

Aspect Software

Interesting fact: The company is 32.9% female and 41.0% ethnic minorities.

Avnet

Interesting fact: The average employee at Avnet makes $83,098 per year.

Pinnacle West Capital

Interesting fact: Pinnacle West Capital is a component of the S&P 500 stock market index.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Interesting fact: The organization is 69.0% female and 41.2% ethnic minorities.

Maricopa County

Interesting fact: 69% of employees are members of the Democratic Party.

Interesting fact: ON Semiconductor is among the worldwide Top 20 semiconductor sales leaders.

LMI Solutions

Interesting fact: LMI Solutions manufactures, distributes and recycles replacement toner cartridges.

Carollo Engineers

Interesting fact: The average employee at Carollo Engineers makes $75,564 per year.

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings

Interesting fact: Knight-Swift is the largest trucking company in the United States.

Freeport-McMoRan

Interesting fact: The average employee at FreeportMcMoRan makes $62,490 per year.

The CORE Institute

Interesting fact: The CORE Institute specializes in orthopedic, neurology, pain management, physical therapy, spine care, fractures and trauma.

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TRENDSETTERS

ARIZONA IS BECOMING A

TITAN OF TECHNOLOGY

SEO DO’S AND DON’TS FROM LOCAL EXPERTS Search engine optimization, better known as SEO, is constantly changing. Google’s ever-changing search engine algorithm ensures that businesses must constantly adapt, and those that fail to adapt will find themselves behind the curve.

The Arizona Technology Council’s Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report shows technology jobs increased by 3.6%, industry wages grew by 3.07% and the number of technology companies in Arizona expanded by 4.3% in the last year. In addition, the industry job multiplier stood at 3.76, meaning that for every 100 jobs added in the technology industry, 376 new jobs were created in other industries. Some other startling stats:

Chandler-based Commit Agency has been helping businesses navigate the murky SEO waters for over 20 years. Here are some of Commit’s tried-and-true tips for how you can excel at SEO in 2021:

• Technology jobs – 204,161 • Total technology firms – 10,093

DON’T: Put all of your keywords on one page DO: Use keywords that are relevant to the page in question

• Arizona leads the nation for employment across these industries: Satellite telecommunications, semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing, and aerospace product and parts manufacturing

DON’T: Ignore negative reviews DO: Create the best possible user experience DON’T: Allow for slow page speeds DO: Track site metrics

HERE ARE THE BEST COUNTIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN ARIZONA Where are the best places for small business owners in Arizona? According to a SmartAsset study, Maricopa County is one of them, but it’s not the best. To find the best places in Arizona, SmartAsset generated these rankings by analyzing the amount of small business income generated in each county, as well as the concentration of small businesses in each county. Take a look at the top performing counties in Arizona below: 8

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RANK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

COUNTY

SMALL BUSINESS RETURNS

SMALL BUSINESS INCOME

SMALL BUSINESS INDEX

Santa Cruz Yavapai Maricopa Coconino Pima Gila Mohave Navajo Graham Pinal

25.77% 25.29% 23.67% 21.23% 20.48% 20.26% 18.09% 18.08% 19.21% 17.56%

9.32% 7.99% 9.03% 9.00% 6.72% 6.33% 7.11% 5.15% 2.19% 3.85%

54.94 53.28 51.99 48.80 46.05 45.45 43.25 41.71 40.86 40.01

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TRENDSETTERS

Ease return-to-work anxiety with ice-breaker tools

ARIZONA’S MOST UNIQUE CUSTOM SUITS

Harp and Jaz Gill, founders of Gill and Co., wanted to come up with a brand that allows customers to be more hands-on with their suit-buying experience. That means, while they make made-to-measure custom suits and dress shirts, they allow customers to design every element by selecting their own fabrics, linings and buttons. Gill and Co. is also the only suit company in Arizona that is mobile, so Gill and Co. brings the whole shopping experience to your location. Gill and Co. takes great pride in its business and one-of-a-kind suit-making process. Learn more: gillandcosuits.com. Use code AZBM10 for 10% off your first order.

IN STYLE: Harp and Jaz Gill are the founders of Gill and Co.

As things open post-pandemic and more people experience anxiety over getting back into a social routine, a new Arizona company’s mission to engage people with common interests using their ice breakers tools. JabberYak, founded and owned by Scottsdalebased Gail Levinthal and Shideh Doerr, offers tools that include customized t-shirts and badges, designed to ignite meaningful, faceto-face communication without relying on personal devices. JabberYak enables individuals to select their top seven personal interests that give insight into who they are. The selected interests then get printed on a customized item that can be worn to an event, allowing attendees to know something about another person and connect through shared interests before the first word is even exchanged. Learn more: jabberyak.com

HELPING METRO PHOENIX RESIDENTS CLEAN UP THEIR DIETS Eat Clean Phoenix is a family-owned convenient service that is designed to bring healthy, clean, delicious, chef-prepared meals to Valley residents’ front doors. The meal prep company prides itself on making restaurant quality meals without the added sodium, oil, butter and ingredients that are unnecessary. Established in 2018, owners Ryan and Brittany Powell aim to provide the Valley with healthy and affordable meals that consumers can feel comfortable feeding their family while giving back to the community. Learn more: eatcleanphx.com

LEADING THE WAY: Ryan and Brittany Powell with their children. 10

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LEADERSHIP PROFILE

FASHIONABLE

IMPACT Mike Spagenberg hopes to empower local communities in Arizona with the State Forty Eight Foundation By GABRIELLA HERRAN-ROMERO

hat began as a brand inspired by Mike Spagenberg’s love for Arizona and fashion has turned into a much greater appreciation for his community. “We wanted State Forty Eight to be more involved with the community, especially since it’s based on our local community here in Arizona,” says Spagenberg, the CEO and co-founder of State Forty Eight. “So it all began with collaborations with other local and nonprofit organizations in making apparel that benefited them, and then slowly we turned into an initiative, the State Forty Eight Community Impact Initiative, which began in 2019. For the initiative, we would have impact days where we would go out into the community and just give back in any way we could. For one of the days, we went to food banks and provided support by packing food bags for people in need. We just continued having these events for people to participate in. The initiative ended up getting a lot of amazing support, so in 2020, we officially launched the State Forty Eight Foundation with hopes to continue providing support to our local community.” Adding onto the current initiative, which focuses on giving back through community outreach and engagement, the State Forty Eight Foundation centralizes on youth mentorship as well as assisting promising entrepreneurs with skills that will help them to succeed in the future. Az Business: Why did you feel an organization like this is needed in Arizona? Mike Spagenberg: We knew that there were other organizations doing their part in Arizona, and we wanted to do ours. We have such an incredible community behind us and had fostered such great relationships with other organizations through our collaborations, and so we figured we’d put those connections to use. I think us coming together really made a big impact, especially in an efficient way, and I think that’s what set us apart from some other organizations. AB: Who do you hope to impact the most with the State Forty Eight Foundation? MS: For mentorship and entrepreneurship, our main focus is reaching the youth. There are so many kids who are brought up without the right leadership or the skills needed, and for us, 12

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FASHION-FORWARD THINKING: Mike Spagenberg is the CEO and co-founder of State Forty Eight.

ensuring that these kids have good role models is everything. We feel like we could really make a difference in someone’s life especially if we could help set them up for success in the future. As for entrepreneurship, there isn’t really an age restriction. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, we want to help. Whether that’s providing resources and scholarships or just giving practical tips, the main goal is to help as much as we can regardless of who needs help. AB: You launched the foundation at the peak of the pandemic. What did you learn from that experience? MS: We launched the foundation at probably the worst time to launch a foundation, but we learned how to adjust and make the best out of it. I think it really allowed for us to be more strategic because not a lot was going on. Although it was challenging, in the end I think it granted us more time to really focus and plan out things more clearly and thoughtfully. AB: What goals do you have moving forward as the CEO and cofounder of the foundation? MS: Our current goal for 2021 is to get the entrepreneurship program running. Right now, we’re finalizing all of our speakers and getting everything lined up, so just ensuring that the program is successful is my immediate goal. I also hope the program is able to garner a lot of attention and that we’ll be able to award scholarships as well.

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HIGHER EDUCATION

LESSONS LEARNED Here’s how the pandemic is shaping the future of higher education

By KYLE BACKER

ike many institutions, colleges and universities were deeply affected by COVID-19 and had to quickly readjust to ensure the needs of students were met. Now, after nearly a year and a half, these bastions of knowledge are still adapting to and learning from the challenges of the pandemic. “A lot of people didn’t think higher education could change to meet the reality of what was going on in the economy due to the pandemic, but we showed that we could pivot and pivot quickly. Now we have to keep improving,” says Lee Lambert, chancellor of Pima Community College (PCC).

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But what will post-secondary learning look like in Arizona once the pandemic is firmly in the rearview mirror? Some say higher education will largely settle back to the pre-pandemic norm in another year or two, whereas others believe a mass extinction event is on the horizon. Somewhere between these two extremes are clear and lasting changes that will have been borne from the crisis. COVID-19 lessons When news of an easily transmissible novel coronavirus started to dominate headlines, one of the biggest concerns were schools.

These facilities concentrate people in small spaces for long periods of time, creating prime breeding grounds for the virus. Educators at every level suddenly had to figure out how to move learning online as campuses shuttered. For Pima Community College, the necessity for migrating students online happened to align with one of the college’s initiatives. Before the pandemic, about 30% of learners were enrolled in PimaOnline, which made it the single largest Pima campus. “We were looking to get to about 50% of our total enrollment from online students. When the pandemic happened, it blasted through the goal because we had to move basically everything into that modality,” Lambert explains. Some courses, however, were more difficult to facilitate virtually. Instructors of classes with a lab element had to dedicate many hours to ensure students still learned the core competencies through an online lab environment. In one case, faculty at Mesa Community College (MCC) created a take-home lab kit for a life sciences course. Similarly, performing arts programs had to be creative in how they could safely share their work with others. “We had a group of students who wrote, produced and performed an entire musical on Zoom. The production value was outstanding,” says Nancy Gonzales, provost at Arizona State University (ASU). The hands-on nature of career and technical education (CTE) courses, such as welding or automotive mechanics, made it difficult, but not impossible, to recreate the learning experience on a computer. “We always thought career and technical education courses required students to come to the lab. The pandemic helped us

understand that there’s a portion of that experience that could be done online,” Lambert remarks. “I think an important lesson coming out of the pandemic — we can create more hybrid pieces attached to CTE, which will I think open up future opportunities to bring more people in.” Hybrid courses, where learning is split between online and in-person work, enable students to have more control over time spent on their studies. José Luis Cruz Rivera, president of Northern Arizona University (NAU), believes that hybrid options will continue to be attractive to students in the future. “After a year and a half of online and hybrid instruction, many learners say that they’re not ready to go fully virtual. If they need to have 15 units a semester, they may want to have the flexibility of taking nine credit hours in person and a couple of classes online,” he says. At ASU, a new style of instruction was introduced during the pandemic to augment in-person and online modalities. Professors deliver course content in their classrooms, while students have the option to attend in-person or through Zoom. “We understand that students really value an in-person experience, so that’s principally what we’re trying to provide for them. That doesn’t mean that we won’t continue to use some form of synchronous remote learning, what we call ASU Sync. That is here to stay because it gives us another tool that we can use in our in our broader educational approach,” Gonzales explains. The disruptions caused by the crisis gave school administrations an opportunity to reevaluate procedures. “Some back-of-the-house processes were antiquated, and we needed to let them go or refine them. For instance, we need to be doing AB | September - October 2021 15

HIGHER EDUCATION

Lori Berquam

José Luis Cruz Rivera

Nancy Gonzales

more electronically, so we’re not asking students to bring in a paper transcript when it can all be done online while making sure that document imaging is secure,” says Lori Berquam, interim president of Maricopa Community College (MCC). Another lesson learned from the pandemic is that many roles in colleges and universities have tasks that can be completed remotely. Grand Canyon University (GCU), NAU, MCC, ASU and PCC are developing remote work policies or implementing new plans that complement any work-from-home arrangements that were already established prior to the crisis. Lambert says that PCC will be adopting a schedule that allows some employees to work on campus for three or four days and the remainder of time at home. “Why not increase that flexibility for people? I think the pandemic taught us that we can do it,” he argues. Fall outlook After spending an entire academic year under strict pandemic protocols, the Fall 2021 semester will be different than Fall 2020. Institutions now have experience from grappling with COVID-19 for nearly three semesters, and vaccines are readily available. “There’s still a lot of uncertainty, but enrollment is up from where we were last year. A lot of that enrollment appears to be happening in our face-to-face side of the college. That’s an early indication that there is a segment of people who want to come and have that on-site experience,” Lambert notes.

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Lee Lambert

Brian Mueller

Berquam describes 2021 as a transition year. “When you shake a snow globe, it takes a while for all the snow to fall to the ground. As we continue to track the impact of the Delta variant, we’re cautious about what we put in place. We recognize that if we need to pivot in order to go back to entirely online — because that’s what the nation needs for the health and safety of our students, staff and faculty — we’re ready to do that.” In Flagstaff, NAU is preparing for students to return for inperson learning. “Our ‘Jacks are Back’ campaign expects all of our students, faculty and staff to be back on campus. We will be trying to return to where we were prior to March 2020, but soon after we get started, we will be doing a lot of reflecting on what we learned during the pandemic and how we can adapt those lessons to the future,” Cruz Rivera explains. Brian Mueller, president of GCU, says that Fall 2021 will be noticeably different than last year. “It will look very similar to Fall 2019. Both new and total enrollments are way up. The enthusiasm that students have to be on campus is through the roof,” he says. “We’ll have vaccines available for all students who want them, and we’re going to highly encourage it. We’re also going to do a lot of education around vaccines because I think there’s a lot of miseducation out there.” Arizona’s largest university, ASU, is inviting 75,000 students back to its campuses this fall. “We’ve learned about how to manage the pandemic. That puts us in a much better position to implement as many safety guidelines as we as we can. We’re really

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HIGHER EDUCATION

“Universities that adapt to the changing market demands of higher education will continue to thrive and meet the needs of students in new ways. I actually see it as a very optimistic time for higher education.”

pandemic accelerated that movement. “What we’re hearing consistently is people want more short-term options. The fouryear degree is just one of many paths,” he remarks. “I think we have an opportunity to personalize education to individual encouraging our faculty, staff and students to find ways to get vaccinated. Vaccines are the No.1 tool for keeping people safe. We learners so they get what they actually need versus thinking that will continue to do random testing and flexibly implement safety everybody should be put in a box and get the same thing. It’s going full circle back to the one-room schoolhouse,” Lee says. guidelines as needed in response to what we’re seeing out in the Mueller agrees that the pandemic hastened trends that community,” Gonzales explains. were already emerging. “An upside is that consumers of higher education learned in a very dramatic way that there doesn’t need Post-pandemic future to be a single industrial model that every student has to walk When a worldwide calamity shakes the foundation of the through in order to be educated, earn a degree and be prepared status quo, there are always some who see it as a temporary for a career. Universities in the future are going to have to be very disruption and others who predict the inevitable fall of the flexible in order to meet the consumer demand,” he notes. current system. Leaders in higher education, however, view the Luckily for Arizona students, Senate Bill 1453, which allows challenges posed by the pandemic as opportunities to improve and better serve their students. As the likely apocryphal Winston community colleges to confer four-year degrees, was signed by Governor Doug Ducey in May. Since the bill was recently passed Churchill quotation goes, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” into law, the state’s community colleges are still in the exploratory Rather than hearing higher education’s death knell, Berquam process and haven’t announced any programs. is bullish on the industry’s future. “I think there’s going to be Berquam sees this legislative change as being in alignment with gains in higher education. We offer a product that is crucial to the economy, and community colleges play a pivotal role in addressing Achieve60AZ, a nonprofit, community-based alliance pushing for workforce demands. I believe that community colleges are poised 60% of Arizonans ages 25 to 64 to hold a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030. “By offering four-year programs, community to offer the community what it needs,” she contends. Gonzales adds, “Universities that adapt to the changing market colleges will help create a more educated populace in Arizona. We’re not trying to duplicate what happens in our state or private demands of higher education will continue to thrive and meet institutions; instead, we’re trying to provide an option in a niche the needs of students in new ways. I actually see it as a very that these establishments don’t serve. There are enough swim optimistic time for higher education.” lanes for us all to be successful,” she argues. Still, not every institution will emerge unscathed. “There Cruz Rivera concludes, “I think 2030 is the year we will be able will be some losses. Even before the pandemic, we were seeing to look back and say, ‘This is how the pandemic, the social unrest, some of the small private universities having trouble keeping the economic fallout, and the political polarization translated the doors open. There’s a shift in how different higher education institutions from different sectors will approach the new normal,” into change in higher education.’ I expect, for example, that we’ll be talking less about US News and World Report rankings in the Cruz Rivera states. “I would expect that others will perhaps not future and more about which institutions are doing the best in disappear but be bought out.” moving low-income students to the middle class and beyond.” Lee believes that students’ priorities are changing, and the — Nancy Gonzales

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REAL ESTATE

CATALYST

OR CALAMITY? How short-term rental investors are causing problems for buyers in the residential real estate sector By KYLE BACKER

hort-term rentals, often associated with companies like Airbnb and VRBO, have gained in popularity in recent years as a lodging option for vacationers and another way for owners to generate income. Some Arizona residents, however, think short-term rentals are neighborhood nuisances that deprive families of places to live, whereas others believe people have the right to use their private property as they please. “Arizona has investors who are buying homes that would’ve otherwise gone to families and turning them into long- or

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Greg Hague

Rebekah Kennedy

short-term rentals. One in five houses is bought for rentals throughout the country. Here in Arizona, 30% of homes purchased are for rentals,” says Greg Hague, CEO of 72 Sold, a real estate company that aggressively markets residences before they are shown to buyers. The potential for profit from short-term rentals is significant, especially in towns dependent on tourism. “In late May, there were only 17 singlefamily homes available in Sedona. I talked to one of my agents, and he said that half of what was being sold was going to investors for short-term rentals — and normal buyers can’t compete,” Hague remarks. Investors hold a distinct advantage when competing against typical house hunters: abundant credit. “An investor can find a $400,000 home and finance the whole thing with a line of credit. You couldn’t do that as a normal buyer,” Hague says. “Investors make so much money with these rentals that they can pay whatever they need to pay to outbid normal buyers, who need to get financing and an appraisal.” Impact on communities Jerome, a small town about 30 miles southwest of Sedona, has seen a similar trend of residences being bought up and turned into short-term rentals. This has affected local businesses, the town’s tax

Tim Scarpino

base and the sense of community shared by the residents. “People who want to take a piece of zoned residential property and run it in a commercial manner as a short-term rental are a nuisance, and they’re also breaking our zoning code. These people don’t have unlimited property rights. They’ve purchased a residential home and are using it as a commercial endeavor without licensing and without paying commercial taxes,” comments Rebekah Kennedy, former Jerome council member and owner of Amore Pin Up Boutique and Amore Pin Up Accessories. In 2016, the Arizona Legislature passed Senate Bill 1350, which prohibits communities from putting any zoning-like restrictions on homes bought for shortterm rentals. This has left communities such as Jerome with little recourse. The housing supply is strained, meaning that some residents can’t afford to live in town anymore and are moving down the mountain Jerome is built upon and to nearby Clarkdale. Impact on hospitality industry The influx of rentals also affects the local lodging industry. Andrea Prince, owner of the Surgeon’s House Bed & Breakfast, has been in business for 28 years. Two years ago, she noticed a decline in business and reached out to the other five people AB | September - October 2021 21

REAL ESTATE “Investors make so much money with these rentals that they can pay whatever they need to pay to outbid normal buyers, who need to get financing and an appraisal.” — Greg Hague

with locally owned and operated lodging establishments in Jerome. “I started out the meeting by saying my numbers are dropping and if all of you tell me you’re having banner years that tells me that I’m doing something wrong. But everybody’s numbers were dropping, and the only thing we could figure was it had to do with the short-term rentals,” explains Prince. “Granted, if you’ve got a family of five, we can’t beat the prices to rent a house, but we should be able to control and tax that industry,” she adds. Folks who choose to stay in a short-term rental, Prince argues, are more likely to bring groceries and cook for themselves, depriving the town of additional tourism dollars. For homeowners like Kennedy — who lives near seven short-term rentals — parties are a constant annoyance. “Sometimes when you say, ‘Hey, keep it down,’ they throw beer cans at you. Then you have to call the person who owns the vacation rental, and they say, ‘Well, why did you call me, call the police,’” notes Alex Barber, former Jerome mayor and current town council member. Kennedy adds, “I know we are a tourist town, and people tell us all the time how grateful we should be for being so popular that everybody wants to be here. However, there must be a balance. What we’re asking for is respect for the line that we need to draw in order to have good relationship between residents and tourists. We need a place to live.” Private property proponents The Arizona Vacation Rental Association (AZVRA), which advocates for the rights of short-term rental owners, understands that there’s a coalition of Arizonans who want to see the short-term rental market more tightly regulated — and representatives in the legislature are listening. Recently, House Bill 2875 and Senate Bill 1554 sought to limit some of the protections afforded to short-term rental owners in Senate Bill 1350. Both attempts failed due in part to campaigning from the AZVRA. 22

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But just because the AZVRA fought against the changes doesn’t mean it is ignoring communities’ call to action. The association promotes a “Good Neighbor” policy to its members that encourages owners to provide neighbors with 24/7 contact information, enforce local noise ordinances and prohibit large parties, among other best practices. “We created an association with people who own these rentals and put together a process of standards that they can adhere to. By joining the association, we can communicate with each other, we can listen to each other’s problems and emphasize the ‘Good Neighbor’ policy,” says Barry Goldwater Jr., former U.S. Congressman and member of the leadership team at AZVRA. “But we hear the complaints, and I think the industry is doing everything it can to try to clean that out and stop some of those party houses.” Tim Scarpino, executive vice president of global growth at Parsons Villas and member of the leadership team at AZVRA contends that troublemakers represent a fraction of operators. “Our chief data officer, Mark Beauvais, did our first real economic impact study. With the data that he got using police reports from the City of Scottsdale and the number of vacation rentals that are currently shown on the AirDNA database, he found bad actors represent half of 1% of operators in the market,” Scarpino explains. Airbnb recently delisted 50 properties that received regular and repeated complaints, adds Goldwater. Nuisance or nice-to-have? The AZVRA argues that the budding short-term rental market is a boon for the state. According to the association’s study, short-term rentals contributed $350 million in tax revenue to Arizona in 2020, total spending by visitors to Arizona exceeded $3 billion in the same year, and the industry supports 40,000 jobs. “The average Airbnb guest stays five nights as opposed to 2.8 from traditional hotel guests. Airbnb guests spend about 2.1

times more money in the local community than typical visitors,” Scarpino comments. “The growth of hotel occupancy mirrored the growth of short-term rental occupancy, meaning that we were not cannibalizing each other’s leads, but rather, we were bringing more tourists to the state and more revenue to the tourism budget of Arizona.” When it comes to home supply, Scarpino maintains that short-term rentals are not contributing to the current supply shortage in a meaningful way. “If we look at pre-pandemic numbers, short-term rentals reduced by about 10% in 2020, whether they became longterm rentals or were sold. But I have not seen any statistical evidence that shows that short term-rental purchases are contributing to the lack of supply.” Arizona’s appeal has drawn in new residents from around the country who have caused a supply strain, according to Goldwater. “It’s not only happening here, but it’s happening in places like Boise, Idaho, and in Florida and Texas. People are trying to get away from high taxation and heavily regulated, poorly run cities in New York and California. There’s more demand than there is supply, but eventually this will straighten itself out,” he says. Scarpino adds that lack of supply is evident in cities across the nation, even in places such as Pittsburgh that don’t have a high concentration of short-term rentals. Goldwater concludes, “We feel blessed that we have this opportunity to provide a service to people who want to travel. We try to work with local government and with the homeowners who rent out their properties to make it a better and more friendly neighborhood. But this is part of freedom. This is part of the free market system. We just want to provide a service and get a return for our efforts. At the same time, we don’t want to be stepping on other people’s toes. We’re very alert to the problem. And we’re working diligently to make it better.”

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TECHNOLOGY

SOME OF THE TOP COMPANIES

MAKING WAVES IN ARIZONA’S TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY Steven G. Zylstra Technology

very day there seems to be another local or national news story about technology companies, both small and large, flocking to Arizona in droves to start or expand their organizations. Our state has cemented itself as a more than legitimate option alongside the major U.S. technology hubs, including California, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Washington. Key reasons include our positive business climate, low corporate taxes, and the massive improvement in quality of life we offer executives and

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employees compared to the competition. In addition, we’re developing the talent necessary to run highly innovative operations. Credit goes to some of the most prestigious universities in the nation, including Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Grand Canyon University, and others. Over the past year and a half, Arizona’s economy and our citizens have leaned heavily on technology to continue our state’s growth, keep Arizonans safe, and allow businesses to stay connected to employees and customers. We have also seen several companies stand out for a number of reasons, including the development of critical technology, major growth initiatives, and more. In this column, I’d like to spotlight some of the leaders in our technology industry and explain how these organizations have helped Arizona climb the nation’s technology ladder. It’s impossible to start without looking at what some of the major technology players have accomplished over the

past year. Intel, a mainstay in Arizona’s fast-growing chip industry, announced a $20 billion plan to build two new semiconductor fabrication plants here to address the worldwide semiconductor shortage. This news came on the heels of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) announcement to build a $12 billion facility in our state. Raytheon, a giant in Arizona’s defense industry, is making substantial hiring pushes. The expansion in talent signaled by recently committing to hiring 1,000 people in Tucson is necessary to support multi-billion-dollar contracts, such as two major contracts with the U.S. Air Force. Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace also continues to grow and was recently listed as the second-largest manufacturer in Phoenix, which includes Maricopa and Pinal counties, behind only Intel with 5,648 local employees. In more aerospace and defense news, CP North America opened a major manufacturing facility in Prescott in June. The company develops rugged,

30 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES IN ARIZONA Arizona is home to some of the most cutting-edge innovative companies in the country. From med-tech and real estate, to engineering, education and manufacturing – Arizona continues to produce and attract some of the most talented leaders in the country. The Arizona Business Innovation Awards, presented by Az Business and sponsored by Keyser, honor the 30 most innovative companies in Arizona, as selected by a panel of experts from a field of nearly 100 companies under consideration. Meet the 30 most innovative companies in Arizona on the pages that follow.

high-performance computer platforms, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solutions, and data links and LCD displays for the military, industrial and commercial markets. CP North America also provides commercial and industrial markets with contract manufacturing support. The new facility will create more than 200 jobs over the next two years and have an additional positive economic impact on Yavapai County. In the advanced manufacturing space, Benchmark and Avnet continue to lead the pack. Avnet celebrated its 100-year anniversary in January. The company has 1,400 suppliers and serves 2.1 million customers in more than 140 countries. Benchmark celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and opened an advanced electronics engineering and manufacturing facility in Phoenix. The facility was recently featured on Fox Business News in a story about Arizona’s rapid growth in the manufacturing industry. Arizona is also home to several fastgrowing technology industries, including ed-tech, bioscience, and autonomous and electric vehicles. The electric vehicle market is very hot due to the emergence of Nikola and Lucid as fast-growth, highinnovation companies. Both companies have made key infrastructure investments in Arizona, as well as commitments to hiring in great numbers. In addition, Canada-based ElectraMeccanica broke ground on its first U.S.-based electric vehicle assembly facility and engineering technical center in Mesa. The $35 million plant will bring 500 high-tech, high-value jobs to the community. In the ed-tech Industry, Arizona was recognized as one of the sector’s fastestgrowing states by Harvard Business Review. We have many innovators in the space, but three have stood out: Picmonic, CampusLogic and Parchment. Parchment is the most widely-adopted digital credential service in the industry. Its services allow students, academic institutions and employers to request, verify, receive, and share credentials in secure ways. Since 2003, the platform has helped millions of people and thousands

of schools and universities exchange more than 20 million transcripts and other credentials globally, according to the Harvard Business Review. Picmonic — maker of study aids for people training to be doctors, nurses, paramedics and other professions that require knowledge of complex medical topics — was acquired by TrueLearn in January. Over the years, CampusLogic has made many key acquisitions, including Funderbolt and RaiseMe. It was ranked as the 81st fastest-growing company in a 2019 Deloitte survey. The bioscience industry is another upand-comer for our state. The work that the Flinn Foundation has put forth with the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap continues to place our bioscience sector at the forefront of growth and innovation. Arizona began this journey toward becoming a premier, nationwide health care innovator as a low-tier, med-tech community compared with the rest of the nation. Today, we have ascended close to a top-tier state because of efforts by the Flinn Foundation and many other leaders in the health and technology sectors. Some of the top organizations in this space include Akos MD, which uses telemedicine technology to allow patients to consult with healthcare professionals without the hassles of a physical visit; HiMS, a national company headquartered in Phoenix that designs electronic health records (EHR) software that transforms the integrated health care experience; and Biosensing Instruments, which develops bioanalytical tools to accelerate drug discovery research. This is just scratching the surface of the innovation happening throughout Arizona and the organizations driving our growth in technology. Other industries on the rise include IT and cybersecurity, fintech, data centers, clean energy and more. Arizona is no longer climbing the technology ladder. We’ve arrived, and now our eyes are set on leading the nation. We certainly have the talent and leadership to get it done! Steven G. Zylstra is the president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. AB | September - October 2021 25

AZ BUSINESS INNOVATION AWARDS

Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio) How it innovates: AZBio’s small staff and team of volunteers support a growing innovation ecosystem of more than 1,400 innovative life science and healthcare firms that together represent an economic impact of $23.16 billion in 2016. Arizona Federal Credit Union How it innovates: Arizona Federal Credit Union’s acquisition of Pinnacle Bank in 2019, as opposed to acquiring another credit union, is innovative as it is the first time an Arizona credit union acquired a community bank. CFM How it innovates: CFM is driving the future of banking by connecting cash recyclers and dispensers to teller platforms, enabling Universal Associates, super-safe redundancy programs, robust analytics and selfservice solutions. Calero-MDSL How it innovates: CaleroMDSL automates the technologyspend lifecycle, providing full transparency and complete control — from procurement to payment to optimization — making it easier for businesses to manage resources, save money and streamline daily operations. Casago How it innovates: Founder Steve Schwab’s position as managing partner in Streamline Vacation Rental Software has allowed him to create many industry-first technologies and innovations that help the industry to be better when it comes to customer service.

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Design Pickle How it innovates: Design Pickle was the first flat-rate graphic design service to hit the market in 2015. It is the fastest growing graphic design company in the U.S., ranked No. 345 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list. Emerge How it innovates: Dubbed the “Kayak for trucking,” Emerge allows shippers to communicate and source from their current vendors and digital brokerages through a first-of-its-kind freight procurement tool: Emerge’s Digital Freight Marketplace. Footprint How it innovates: Footprint provides sustainable solutions that eliminate single-use and short-term use plastics. The company has 244 issued and pending claims to the U.S. Patent Office, including nine issued patents covering 125 distinct inventions. Freeport-McMoRan How it innovates: FreeportMcMoRan was instrumental in the development of the Copper Mark, an assurance framework developed to demonstrate the copper industry’s responsible production practices and contributions to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. HOPCo (Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company) How it innovates: HOPCo is a pioneer in the implementation of value-based healthcare, a model that rewards healthcare providers for keeping people healthy, providing appropriate care for those who need it, and producing better outcomes for patients.

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AZ BUSINESS INNOVATION AWARDS

Hexagon Mining How it innovates: Hexagon was recognized for Excellence in Safety at the Mining Technology Excellence Awards. The awards celebrate innovation and excellence within the mining sector and spotlight companies that are driving change and achieving remarkable feats.

Neighborhood Ventures How it innovates: Neighborhood Ventures is the first company in Arizona to take advantage of crowdfunding legislation passed in 2015 that allows non-accredited investors to participate in crowdfunded real estate opportunities with as little as $1,000.

Rosendin How it innovates: In recent years, Rosendin has moved from adopting the newest technologies and programs to creating them, with a growing development and innovation team that helps create custom-made solutions to best suit the electrical contracting business.

In-Position Technologies How it innovates: In-Position Technologies is a value-added robotic automation company that partners with both suppliers and customers to deliver automation solutions. IP Tech is the largest distributor of Automated Mobile Robots in the Western United States.

Outlier How it innovates: inDispense is Outlier’s remote pharmacy kiosk designed to provide patients access to prescription medications in the doctor’s office, at work, in the airport and at retail by connecting them with pharmacists via video conferencing and dispensing medication.

SRP How it innovates: Innovation is part of the Salt River Project’s DNA. In 1917, as the first federal reclamation project turned over to a local entity, SRP became the innovative model of what reclamation could accomplish in developing lands and infrastructure.

Kitchell Corporation How it innovates: Kitchell’s creativity shines when it comes to virtual construction. The company’s ViCon develops complex illustrations that enable the preconstruction team to accurately price materials and processes and identify issues related to constructability.

Paradox How it innovates: Paradox’s flagship product is AI assistant Olivia, which was created to flip the 80% administrative-20% people rule by freeing up HR professionals from the administrative burden to allow more time spent where it really matters— with talent. RJ Russo How it innovates: Since its inception, RJ Russo has continued to pioneer an approach that addresses the chronic shortcomings within the manufacturing of factory-built buildings that negatively impact consumers and our world as a whole.

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STORE Capital How it innovates: STORE Capital’s innovative Master Funding Solutions are tailored to every customer’s unique business needs. STORE works to thoroughly understand all businesses from the inside out, so it can tailor a Master Funding Solution to meet every customer’s growth needs.

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AZ BUSINESS INNOVATION AWARDS SmartRent How it innovates: SmartRent’s innovative solution allows renters who were previously neglected by the smart home automation revolution to be able to enjoy the remote management of their home and benefit from smart devices that offer convenience, energy and savings. Solugenix How it innovates: When you map your driving route, place an order at a drive-thru or check the value of your mutual fund, there’s a good chance Solugenix had a hand in developing the technology that functions behind the scenes. StrongMind How it innovates: StrongMind has been exploring innovative ways to engage parents in their students’ education and has developed Loud Mouth, an innovative engagement platform that provides parents with relevant and actionable information about their student’s education. Team Select Home Care How it innovates: Team Select Home Care’s Family Certified Home Health Aide program allows parents or family members to become a Certified Home Health Aide, providing them the ability to offer skilled personal care services for their loved oness. The Touchpoint Solution How it innovates: TouchPoint Solution is behind the innovative wearable device, TouchPoints — twin neuroscientific devices that use patent-pending BLAST (bilateral alternating stimulation tactile) technology to reduce stress by up to 70% in as little as 30 seconds.

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TriWest Healthcare Alliance How it innovates: TriWest Healthcare Alliance was formed as the only company of its kind, with one sole purpose that continues today: Serving the health care needs of the military and veteran communities. Verdigris Holdings How it innovates: Verdigris is building a bank to help solve the challenge facing more than 63 million Americans who are unbanked or underbanked. The Verdigris account provides customers with their own federally insured digital bank account, managed through a secure app. Veyo How it innovates: Veyo was the first non-emergency medical transportation broker to bring the innovative technology found in consumer rideshare (GPS tracking, driver apps, etc.) and a healthcaretrained rideshare model to the healthcare space. Waymo How it innovates: Since it was founded in 2009 and tasked with bringing self-driving cars to the public, Waymo forged a path forward for this technology and spurred an entire industry. Now, the Waymo Driver powers a number of innovative business applications. Xcellerate Biomedical Technologies How it innovates: Xcellerate is a growth and operations team that takes brilliant researchers or formulators, builds a corporate structure and go-to-market strategy, and puts the right team in place to make the product, service or idea become profitable.

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

CULTURE CLASH Here’s how to harness the power and the value of a diverse and inclusive workforce By MICHAEL GOSSIE

ore than 80 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order that opened national defense jobs and other government jobs to all Americans regardless of race, creed, color or national origin, we are STILL talking about issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. But why? “I think it’s cultural development in the country,” says John Balitis, chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at Jennings Strouss. “If you look at the most recent census data, it tells us the Caucasian group, as a racial set, is shrinking as a component of our overall population in the United States. And in some states, it’s no longer the predominant racial group. So, as our population on the whole becomes more diverse, I think workforces and businesses

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need to try harder to focus on diversity, to make them a true reflection of what our overall population is like.” But that doesn’t happen organically, Balitis says. If you want to diversify your workplace, it needs to be a deliberate effort and you need to be passionate about it. “That’s the only way you’re going to succeed at achieving diversity in your workplace,” Balitis says. Az Business sat down with two of the most acclaimed employement law attorneys in Arizona — Balitis and Julia S. Acken, member at Jennings Strouss — to talk about diversity in the workplace and what can be done to improve DEI efforts in Arizona’s business community.

Az Business: The most recent Census showed that Hispanics are the majorityminority in Phoenix for the first time with 42.6% of the population. Yet, we are still talking about the need for DEI initiatives. Why is it more important than ever for businesses to pay attention to this issue? John Balitis: It’s because you can’t think you are going to achieve diversity just naturally. I think some business leaders will step back and look at that data and think, “Well, you know what? We don’t really need to devote a lot of energy or effort to a diversity program because, theoretically, our workforce eventually should mirror our population in the state.” And so I think the potential for complacency is a real problem, because if you think you don’t need to put

effort into it because it’s going to happen organically, you won’t succeed or sustain it. AB: What are some of the major mistakes or missteps business leaders are making when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace? JB: The biggest mistake is complacency, thinking that you can achieve diversity without being systematic and passionate about it, just because our population is becoming more diverse. The second biggest mistake, which follows from complacency, is not devoting resources to a diversity program. You’ve got to create a program, you have to staff it the right way, and you have to give it the freedom to do what it needs to do so that you can achieve diversity in your workplace. At our firm, we’ve had a diversity and inclusion committee for years. They meet regularly and they’re visible. AB: Julia, you chair that committee at Jennings Strouss. What are you seeing as the committee’s biggest impact? Julia Acken: First and foremost, it’s showing the employees this is something that management and leadership at the firm is really dedicated to. Obviously, the programs themselves are the most important. But a lot of times those types of programs, if we’re doing things in the community, if we’re supporting our fellow

bar associations, that sort of thing, our actual employees may not see that. And so, I think it’s really important, especially as the inclusion part of diversity, equity, and inclusion, that people realize this is something that we’re dedicated to and that in turn makes them feel more comfortable at the firm. And they’re more likely to stay.

have people working remotely from home, or sometimes let people work part time. So, it’s been a setback, but I think in the future, this could actually be a positive for diversity in the workplace.

AB: Are there any best practices business leaders should be incorporating into their workplace in order to make diversity, equity, and inclusion part of that company’s AB: How has the pandemic impacted the initiatives that some companies have taken culture? in terms of diversity and inclusion? JB: Fundamentally, I don’t think best practices in relation to diversity are that JA: It’s been a big setback for sure. You must devote resources to something like much different than best practices in this and you have to be present and in front connection with a different program that of your employees. We haven’t been present you might want to champion at your business. You need to create a platform and in front of our employees in the same for it. You need to create a program or way we were before. But at the same time, a committee or a group. You need to I think there’s a real opportunity here. provide resources to it. It needs to be A lot of the diverse groups, whether it’s women or people of color, those individuals visible. And you need to create metrics and typically need more flexibility in order to accountability for what it’s supposed to do remain in the workplace or in order for and whether that group or committee or program achieves those goals. diversity to begin occurring. Now, people have exercised more diverse workplace And then, as those achievements are practices like remote work and part-time made and the rest of your workforce schedules. Now, those things seem more possible to management. They realize we can get our job done and continue to make money and be a thriving business, and still

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LAW

having people of color brings different ideas. Businesses are all about coming up with creative solutions, that’s what they do. And the more ideas and viewpoints you have in the room, the better decisions you’re going to make.

Julia Acken

John Balitis

sees that, like I said before, I think it just becomes exciting for the rest of the people in the organization who may not be formally a part of that committee or program. But they see this happening, they see it sustaining. And then they want to become involved because they see it being successful. So, from a best practices standpoint, I think it’s really just treating it like a systematic goal or objective, like you would something else in business. But obviously, it’s a different animal. But I think you approach it the same way. That’s the way we approached it at our firm. AB: This is a question that challenges many business leaders. Should you hire a lesser qualified candidate just to improve diversity in the workforce? JA: The short answer is “no.” However, you really need to ask, “Is this person qualified or not?” First, you have to ask, “Is your current recruiting and hiring practice really just? Is it equitable?” Because when we look at whether this person is qualified, we may look at whether they went to the same schools as individuals you already have or if they get along socially with the people you already have in the firm. Is that really equitable? Is that even really a requirement of the position? So, you need to look at actual job descriptions. What is this person really going to be doing? And are you, with your current practices, looking for that? Or do you have a sort of skewed metric you’re using? And in addition to looking at your current practice, and recognizing that perhaps it’s not as just as it should be, you need to look at these candidates and fully appreciate what being part of certain diverse groups can bring to the table for your business. Having a female perspective, 34

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AB: How can businesses know whether or not they are doing the right things? JA: First, I think we need to be upfront and honest about the fact that this is an uncomfortable process. People don’t like to admit that maybe what they’re doing right now isn’t completely equitable. But because of that, we also need to recognize that we’re all inherently biased in how we look at ourselves. So, you need to outsource this to a third party. No. 1 is training and implicit bias training. It’s become popularized, but that’s because it’s so important. It shows you these underlying systemic issues that are impacting the way you make decisions. Second, there are some really great employee engagement surveys out there that can ask questions in a way that will automatically elicit honest answers. And then, those individuals that provide those surveys can analyze those and tell you, “This is what I’m seeing here. This is where you seem to be having trouble. These are individuals that are feeling uncomfortable in your workplace.” So, I really think that’s something you need to trust to a third party and to the professionals. AB: How do companies get buy-in? How can business leaders get management and labor to buy into DEI initiatives? JB: You need to approach the goal and the objective the right way, meaning creating a program, staffing it correctly, giving it resources, and holding it accountable. That is the recipe for it succeeding. Buy-in is just a function of leadership by example. As a leader or a group of leaders at a business, you show everybody else in your organization that you’re committed to this. It’s a priority. And they see that. But the second step in the buy-in process is once that program succeeds, once the efforts become sustainable, people stay. You’re recruiting more diverse people and they’re coming into your business. Once the rest of the

workforce sees that, it becomes exciting for everyone in the business. And then more people want to participate in it. AB: How important is it to bring in an outside set of eyes to help you create these DEI initiatives? JA: That’s crucial. People don’t want to believe that they have inequitable ideas. A lot of people look at that as, “Oh, I must be terribly biased,” or, “I’m a bad person if I have these ideas that are not completely objective.” Someone that is a third-party can take that stigma out of it and say, “Look, we all have inequitable ideas or implicit bias.” And that third party can work with you on how to recognize those and deal with those in a way that makes it more palatable, a little bit more comfortable. AB: A lot of companies hire diverse candidates and then see them leave fairly quickly. What can they do to retain those employees so they can maintain that diverse workforce? JA: If an employer thinks that diversity ends with the hiring process, they’re going to be in trouble. In fact, it is worse to bring in a diverse candidate and then have a hostile work environment or an unpleasant work environment, which they subsequently leave from, than it is to not have hired that individual in the first place. If you are going to really diversify your workplace, you need to take a look from an objective perspective. What is the job that I need to have done? How do I best service my clients? And how can I help each and every employee do that? It’s not about having rigid rules or rigid schedules that everyone has to abide by equally. It’s about meeting everyone where they are and helping them achieve the best for their clients. If you have never experienced difficulty with transportation or with internet connection, you may not realize there are individuals in your workplace that do have that issue, but it’s something you can easily solve. So, talk to your employees. And if you feel like they’re not comfortable responding, have a thirdparty do it. Do it anonymously. But find out what those issues are and address them head on, instead of pretending they’re not there.

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HOSPITALITY

WANNA BET? Here’s your guide to legalized sports betting in Arizona

By ALISON BAILIN BATZ

his past spring, the Arizona state senate passed HB 2772 by a 23-6 margin, approving both online and retail sports betting in the state. Just a month later, Caesars Entertainment announced a partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks to launch mobile sports betting in Arizona and build a first-class sportsbook and bar concept on the plaza adjacent to the team’s home, Chase Field. In tandem, Caesars also finalized a multiyear agreement with Major League Baseball to become an authorized gaming operator of the league. In the months since, Caesars and Chase have worked together to develop the project, which will break ground Sept. 9 — the first day of the NFL season — and is located in the space formerly known as Game 7 Grill on the Plaza at Chase Field. In addition to the 20,000-squarefoot physical operation at Chase Field, tentatively set to open in 2022, the Caesars Sportsbook mobile app also launches in Arizona on Sept. 9. It operates on Liberty, the company’s owned and integrated tech stack. Caesars Sportsbook offers more options for wagering, making it the most dynamic sports betting app available. With the launch, not to mention a handful of others happening around the same time, here is a look at some of the most common sports betting teams from A to (almost) Z. Brush up, and then head over to Chase or download the app, and then may the odds be forever in your favor.

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Alternate lines: Odds that are higher or lower than the main posted line. Common with point spread and game total betting in basketball and football. Bad beat: Losing a bet at the very end of a game often occurs when the outcome of the game is inconsequential. Examples can include a buzzer beating shot in basketball as time expires, an empty net goal in hockey, a last inning rally in baseball, or a meaningless late score in football. Chalk: Another term for the favorite. The Phoenix Suns, for example, are the chalk side if the Suns are a -3 point favorite over the Milwaukee Bucks. Even money: A bet that pays out 1/1 odds, where the bettor will either lose or win the exact amount that was wagered (referenced as “EV” when reading betting lines short).

Futures bet: A wager placed on an event that will take place in the near or distant future. Betting on the winner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Fiesta Bowl and Superbowl are popular futures options. Graded bet: When the outcome of an event has been officially determined by the sportsbook operator, the bet has been graded, or finalized. Handicap: Betting odds set by a bookmaker that are designed to level the playing field. The Arizona Cardinals may have a -9.5 point handicap, before or during the game, when they play a perceived weaker Detroit Lions squad. If the Cardinals win by nine or more points, they cover the handicap and produce winning wagers. In-play betting: Wagers placed after an event has started. Also known as LIVE betting, bookmakers post multiple inplay betting options throughout most major sporting events. Joint favorite: Two or more sides posted with the same betting odds on the same event. Kentucky Derby: First jewel in the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing and one of the biggest events bet on in North America each year. Race day is the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

that are offer wagers beyond standard moneyline, point spread and game total odds. For example, betting on the brand of shoes Devin Booker will wear during a game. Odds: Set by a bookmaker determining the likelihood of the outcome of any wagering events. For example, the Cardinals have +130 odds to beat the Titans in Week 1, meaning a $10 bet placed on them would win the bettor $130. Another way to think about the odds in this example is 13/10. Parlay: A single bet that consists of two or more sides. Each side must win to produce a winning ticket. For example, if you think every NFC West teams will notch a win in Week 1, you can parlay the money lines of the Cardinals (+130 at Titans), Seahawks (-170 at Colts), 49ers (-410 at Lions) and Rams (-345 vs. Bears). A $10 wager on that parlay could net $48.61. Quarter bet: Any wager placed prior to or during any quarter of a sporting event. Rotation number: A number assigned by bookmakers to every betting option on the board. Bettors use the rotation number when placing a bet, rather than team names, at betting windows at some sportsbooks.

Spread betting: Betting on the margin of points the favored team must win by to “cover the spread.” Favorites “give points” away in spread betting, and underdogs “get points” in this type of bet. The spread is also referred to as the “handicap”. Ticket: A receipt issued by a bookmaker to confirm a wager has been accepted. Total: The combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including Overtime. For Example, the total for Cardinals at Titans in Week 1 is 51.5. If you were to bet the over, that game would need 52 combined points or more to be a winner. If you were to bet the under, that game would need 51 combined points or fewer to be a winner. Over/under (O/U): Placing a bet that the final score of a game/match is either over or under the listed total. For example, if the total on a Coyotes vs. Ducks game is set at five goals, bettors who place under bets need the combined final score to be less than five goals in order to win, and bettors who place over bets need the combined score to be more than five goals in order to win. Vigorish: The bookmaker’s commission; also known as “juice” or “vig.”

Line: The current odds, totals and point spread on a particular event. For example, the line for Cardinals vs. Titans in Week 1 is Cardinals have odds of +130 and a point spread of +3. Moneyline: A straight up bet, without any point spread, where bettors need to predict the outright winner. For example, the Cardinals money line in their Week 1 showdown with the Titans is +130. So if you were to bet Cardinals money line, you would profit 1.3 times your original bet if the Cardinals win the game. For example, a $10 bet on Cardinals +130 could net you $13. Novelty bets or prop bets: Novelty bets or prop bets are special betting options

A SURE BET: Caesars Entertainment has partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks

to launch mobile sports betting in Arizona and build a first-class sportsbook and bar concept on the plaza adjacent to the team’s home, Chase Field. AB | September - October 2021 37

MARKETING

3 WAYS TO PREPARE FOR YOUR INEVITABLE

PR CRISIS

ey, business owner! We see you over there — generating new leads, making sales and generally killing it. But listen, we need to have a heart-toheart. Why don’t you lie down on this couch over here and relax a bit? So, here’s the thing: Bad things are going to happen. I’m not trying to be a Negative Nancy (Cynical Christina?), but with all of life’s highs come contrasting lows. If you own a business, public relations crises are inevitable. We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Depending on how you handle them, crises can either be a blip on the radar (the easy way) or downright catastrophic to your business (the hard way). What’s your choice? That’s what I thought. A PR crisis can take over your life, steal your free time and impact your bottom line. These situations are never fun, but they can be easier to handle if you’re prepared ahead of time. Even if you have a seemingly harmless business, something worthy of negative news coverage will eventually happen, which leads me to the following points.

AB | September - October 2021

Christina Caldwell Marketing

1. Do some disaster roleplay No business is immune to a PR crisis, no matter how harmless it seems. Say you own an adorable doggy dessert food truck with a massive Instagram following. Between giving out free carob chip cookie samples to fluffy customers and garnering internet fame, it’s a tough life. Then, BOOM. A biker falls in front of your truck while you’re driving from site to site. He’s sent to the hospital in critical condition. Here are the other possible hazards associated with this too-cute food truck: • An ingredient source changes and accidentally gives a bunch of dogs a foodborne illness. • Two dogs get into a bloody fight in the line outside your food truck. • You park in the wrong parking lot and get into an argument with the landlord, who calls the local news. Think about the most likely disasters that could arise from the nature of your business. Crowdsource the possibilities from all employees — not just higher ups who rarely think about ground-level operations. Sure, there is the occasional freak crisis that no one could have seen coming, but by doing a little disaster role play, you will touch on the primary pain points that could one day evolve into a PR disaster. 2. Make your phone tree When disaster strikes, the right people need to know as soon as possible. Who is that on your team? By creating a phone tree for PR crisis notification, you won’t be thinking, “Well, that sucks! Who do I tell first?!” You’ll automatically know that when disaster strikes, you will be calling one person or group of people to inform them of the situation. Everyone on your team should know this plan. Make it a part of your employee onboarding and ongoing education. Remember, if this is truly an emergency, call 911 first. Second should be your PR representative. From there, your PR rep can determine who should know next. The last thing you want is for your CEO to get a call from the media before they’re even made aware of the situation. Don’t get caught with your pants down! (Which is an entirely different PR crisis.)

3. Have a baseline media statement Sure, you don’t know what the crisis will be yet, but the moment you become aware of a media-worthy situation, you should be drafting a statement just in case a reporter comes sniffing around. A good media response should be succinct, compassionate and factual. Resist the urge to over-explain, be dramatic, use hyperbole or make excuses. Here is a recent example we crafted for a client that was hurled into a rather unusual PR crisis, with select information redacted to protect the innocent: “[Business] has been an institution and meeting point in the community for more than 30 years, and we pride ourselves on creating a welcoming and safe atmosphere for our guests and employees. On [date], a customer requested a [service] that we couldn’t accommodate due to [an overlapping service]. The customer was angered by this response and the encounter escalated to the verbal and physical harassment of members of our staff. She was then asked to leave. We’ve learned that the woman [made a video with false accusations about the staff.] We unequivocally deny these allegations and acted in an entirely professional manner in an effort to protect our customers and staff. We will continue to welcome all visitors and members of our community through our doors.” This response was short, sweet and only gave the facts the media needs to cover the story — no extras. It had heartfelt wording that could be used as pull quotes on the evening news. Most importantly, it didn’t offer any information that wasn’t previously known to the media. Are you prepared for a PR crisis? Don’t even know where to start? Reach out to The James Agency, and we’ll help get your PR crisis plan in place. Christina Caldwell is a media and PR professional at The James Agency with a breadth of knowledge in handling national, regional and local PR accounts. With a background in reporting and editing, Christina has insider knowledge about what makes a journalist bite on a story. She graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2009 and returned as a news writing and reporting instructor in 2015. Reach her at christina@thejamesagency.com. AB | September - October 2021 39

DINING

FORCE OF NATURE

Cloth & Flame helps diners experience one-of-a-kind meals and spectacular events By MICHAEL GOSSIE

and it had to be a zero-waste event. We But what really separates Cloth & Flame worked with the Hualapai Tribe for seven from every other dining experience of your onsider it a restaurant with the months to make it happen, but it was dreams is that you can actually turn those most spectacular view you will fantasies into reality. From intimate chefunreal. It was a stunning event.” ever experience — even though it’s Cloth & Flame doesn’t rely on simply the driven brunches, 300-person dinners in generally a one-and-done dinner. sensational settings to create a destination the desert, to team-building retreats, Cloth We recently traveled to the base of the dining experience. The food served at a & Flame collaborates with clients to create majestic Superstition Mountains, which is Cloth & Flame event exceeds anything you exactly what they’re want. just one of the locations Cloth & Flame uses If you’re looking for the most thought could emerge from a temporary to create temporary venues and culinary imaginative and inventive dining kitchen. The culinary creations are elegant, experiences wherever they can be imagined. elevated, exceptional and executed in a experience of your life, Cloth & Flame will A Cloth & Flame experience allows guests manner that defines fine dining. give you exactly what you want. and visitors to leave the hustle and bustle of the city or the stresses of the workplace to enjoy a chef-prepared meal among the 3 WAYS TO EXPERIENCE IT saguaro, under the stars, on a rooftop or in the middle of an orange grove. Cloth & Flame, which offers private farm-to-table dining experiences in Arizona’s most Imagine enjoying a meal at the rim of stunning locations, hosts three main types of events: the Sonoita vineyards, watching a bunny Community dinners: Immersive and collaborative farm-to-table dinners in unexpected hop past you as you delight in a delicious places, designed to foster community and conversations in a new way. meal along Oak Creek or hearing the roar Weddings: Cloth & Flame does inclusive full-service outdoor weddings. The beauty of of the crowd coming from Chase Field as a location-centric wedding is that each space is decided on and designed around the you dine in the middle of Central Avenue couple’s ideas, rather than the designated areas of an established venue. “Nobody wants with 40 of your closest friends. Cloth & a paint-by-number for their wedding day,” says Matt Cooley, co-founder of Cloth & Flame. Flame makes all those experiences — and “People love to create one-of-a-kind weddings and we are able to do that for them.” more — possible. “The most logistically challenging event Corporate and private events: Remarkable and deeply customizable retreats and dining we’ve done was a corporate lunch at the events, tailored to bucket-list wishes that the client might have or playing off a corporate base of the Grand Canyon,” says Matt brand. Cooley, co-founder of Cloth & Flame. “We Information: clothandflame.com built a luxury restroom from scratch. We were not allowed to use glass or flames,

MAGICAL MOMENTS: AZ Big Media, which publishes Az Business magazine, hosted a Cloth & Flame dinner at the base of the Superstition Mountains.

AB | September - October 2021

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DINING

HITTING NEW CULINARY HEIGHTS

Toca Madera redefines Scottsdale’s dining scene with a one-of-a-kind menu and environment By MICHAEL GOSSIE

f Cirque Du Soleil was a restaurant, it would be Toca Madera. When attendees walk out of a Cirque Du Soleil performance, you hear them utter three phrases: “Wow.” “That was amazing.” “I cannot wait to see that again.” That’s exactly how you will feel when you walk out of Toca Madera after taking in what will undoubtedly be the most incredible meal you will ever experience. There’s a lot to take in and absorb at Toca Madera. The creators of Toca Madera have thoughtfully curated all the elements of the restaurant — including its visually stunning design — to elicit an unmatched sensory experience. There’s the bartenders who make Tom Cruise’s character in “Cocktail” look like an amateur. There’s the trumpet player hitting seductive notes as he walks between the tables. There’s the singer with a voice so mesmerizing that you feel like you stepped into a dream instead of a restaurant. And, of course, there are the fire dancers. But it is a restaurant and when it comes to food, Toca Madera is in a category of its own. Toca Madera re-imagines traditional Mexican cuisine by taking a modern approach by pairing locally-sourced ingredients with bold flavors. But to categorize Toca Madera as a Mexican restaurant would be a disservice the the incredible creativity that makes Toca Madera a groundbreaker in Arizona’s culinary scene. Its menu is designed to offer an array of options for every eater — including the most delicious gluten-free options available in Arizona. The great thing about Toca Madera is that you could close you eyes and point your finger at the menu and you will be served the most amazing dish of your life. Every dish is exceptional. That said, some cannot-miss dishes include:

AB | September - October 2021

• The calamari frito ($18), tossed and battered in spicy jalapeño and cilantro and served with citrus avocado sauce, will make you want to order a second round, but save your belly space. • The baja-style poke ($20) will make you forget every poke bowl you have eaten previously. • The chef’s enchiladas ($30) with free-range chicken tinga, chipotle-dusted tofu (vegan), or exotic mushrooms (vegan) give vegans the most delicious vegan option in Arizona. And meatlovers will love the bold flavors packed into the chicken tinga. • The scallops amarillo ($35), pan-seared diver scallops served with ahi amarillo, salsa, chimichurri, and lime-roasted pepitas will make you think you are on the ocean’s edge. They are perfection. And then there are the cocktails — which are shows unto themselves. Toca Madera;s signature farm-to-glass cocktails use only fresh, seasonal ingredients and its dynamic bar program offers a vast selection of the finest tequilas and mezcals, as well as a rotating selection of wines from across the globe. Toca Madera is a marvelous mix of traditional dishes served with a modern twist in a one-of-a-kind environment. This is a cannot-miss culinary experience. Toca Madera Scottsdale Location: 4736 N. Goldwater Blvd., in Scottsdale Fashion Square Phone: 480-930-4357 Reservations: tocamadera.com, opentable.com

AB | September - October 2021 43

MPI

BOUNCING

BACK

MPI president hopes to take lessons learned from pandemic and turn them into opportunities for members By ERIN THORBURN

onna Robinson, president of the Sunbelt Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) embraces her role with a collaborative spirit, passion and positivity. These character traits have served her well in her career spanning many years, in a variety of industries. Robinson has received both the Planner of the Year and Rising Star MPI awards for her achievements in event and meeting planning. And, from restaurants and salons to collections and administration, her diverse experience in industries-wide leadership makes Robinson an asset to the Sunbelt MPI chapter. It also helps that she is all about people. Coming off of a year of ongoing fluctuation, Robinson continues to problem solve, facing challenges head-on and appreciating moments of victory — sharing successes with her colleagues and fellow chapter members. We sat down to hear more about what motivates Robinson and what she’s looking most forward to in

AB | September - October 2021

her role as president of the Sunbelt Chapter of MPI. AzBusiness: What are you most looking forward to this year in your role as the Sunbelt MPI Chapter president? Donna Robinson: Had you asked me that question last year, it would look very different. This year, I most look forward to meeting in person again. I didn’t think that would be the No. 1 thing I was thinking about as I entered this role. As a leadership team, we want to take the lessons learned from our struggles these past 16 months and turn them into opportunities for our members to engage, collaborate and just have fun. Our outstanding board of directors and volunteers are here to listen to what members want and provide them with exceptional education, networking and comradery. We are a small but mighty part of this large industry that brings people together — because it is all about the people.

DONNA ROBINSON: The president of the Sunbelt Chapter of Meeting Professionals International is also the event producer and director of region and chapter services for the Association for Learning Environment. (Photo by Mike Mertes, AZ Big Media) AB | September - October 2021 45

MPI

“I am proud of our chapter leaders who took a leap of faith and dove headfirst into turning to 100% virtual events.” — DONNA ROBINSON

AB: What makes the Sunbelt MPI Chapter an asset to educating, encouraging and fostering engagement within the local meeting and event planning communities? DR: People do business with people they know, like and trust. The passion and enthusiasm of our volunteers to provide the very best experiences for our members and future members are what make our chapter vital to the growth of the meeting industry in the Valley. Relationship building is key, and MPIAZ provides the opportunities to be involved, engaged and foster those relationships through fun events, education platforms, networking and volunteering. We are a community within the community where best practices and ideas are shared while supporting each other. We are not competitors, we are family. AB: How do these powerful relationships in MPI translate to boosting the health and economic wealth of Arizona’s prospering hospitality/event planning industries? DR: The power of the MPIAZ community — supporting each other, utilizing MPI members for partnerships in events, collaborating to provide exceptional events for clients and the public — will continue to build our state’s tourism dollars and economy. MPIAZ members are the trendsetters for Arizona events, and as collaborators, we will bring economic growth of tourism back to our state. 46

AB | September - October 2021

Face-to-face meetings and events must happen to return our hospitality and event industry to its former glory. AB: What are some of the challenges your industry faced during the pandemic, and how were they overcome? DR: The literal shutdown of our industry affected companies large and small, with devastating results including massive layoffs and many companies going out of business. Many event professionals were forced to leave the industry altogether. What were ‘meetings’ going to look like with the country shut down? How were we going to meet if we could not do it face to face? As event professionals, we have had to reinvent ourselves quickly and learn new ways to execute events and provide a level of interconnection that we experienced through live events in the past. There was a large learning curve in a short time frame to understand new technologies and encourage people to want to meet virtually. We found ourselves in uncharted waters and managed to forge a course back to collaboration through hosting virtual events. AB: What are you particularly proud of in terms of wins within MPI and your industry? DR: MPIAZ faced the same challenges as many others have within the industry. We took a hard look at how to keep our

members engaged during the pandemic. For example, I am proud of our chapter leaders who took a leap of faith and dove headfirst into turning to 100% virtual events. Some were successful; some, not so much. We pulled ourselves up, learned from our less successful events and reinvented what that looks like in the future. As a result, during the pandemic year, we provided more monthly education opportunities for our members than in years past. We also continued our Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) University course virtually, which engaged students in the outlying areas of the state (and neighboring states) and were able to conduct three fun virtual events — a much-needed morale booster. These successes for our chapter are why I am proud to be part of this MPIAZ community. We are here for each other because, well, it’s all about people. AB: How has your role with MPI strengthened your career? DR: Hands down, the education and collaboration with other event professions have helped boost my career. The continued education provided by MPI and the Sunbelt Chapter enhanced my career as an event planner through new ideas, industry trends and standards. By way of the MPIAZ family, I have built friendships and business connections. The resources and professionalism in this organization helped me build my personal and professional board of advisors. Volunteering with MPI has improved my knowledge, experience and event planning. AB: What advice would you give to someone looking to embark on a career path within your industry? DR: Don’t stop learning. If last year taught us anything, it’s the importance of staying on top of trends and learning new things. Be bold and don’t be afraid to try new things. Join MPI or another association and network to build your own board of advisors and find a mentor who has experience in the industry and learn all you can from them. Most of all, enjoy and have fun.

AB | September - October 2021 47

MPI

MAKING LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS Virtual webinars and education, personal phone calls to check in and paying it forward are some of the ways MPI overcame pandemic-related challenges and churned up unexpected wins By ERIN THORBURN

n an industry dedicated to the gathering of people, how could meeting and event planning survive COVID-19? It was a question everyone in the market had to face square on. And, they had to do it with no warning. But, despite wondering what the pandemic had in store for their industry and careers, many meeting and event planners embraced the challenges ahead with the gusto of MacGyver and Martha Stuart tasked with making a masterpiece out of duct tape and a toilet paper roll. They made, and continue to make, magic out of messes. Here in the Valley, the Sunbelt Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) exemplifies the inventiveness and fortitude needed to forge ahead. Not only did it press on, but the Sunbelt Chapter

AB | September - October 2021

also walked away with several wins. It has been able to indoctrinate several of the adaptive strategies applied during the pandemic, into lasting practices. In addition, it has also helped the chapter and its members remain profitable. According to statistics, an estimated 96% of event professionals experienced cancellations during the pandemic, with an additional 50-plus-percent expecting a negative economic impact on their business, possibly lasting up to 12 months. Of MPI members, specifically, 21% expressed concern of negative economic impact lasting upwards of 24 months. “Hesitancy to commit and fear of the unknown by both clients and attendees/ participants were the primary impacts of our industry,” says Terrie Rickard, vice president of operations for ADI Meetings and Events. “While we continue to create

an optimistic future and positive spin on reasons to meet, we have been impacted. This is reflected in how we have altered contract terms, plan for contingencies and risk mitigation and proceed with caution in commitments and obligations.” Technology talks In addition contract alterations and contingencies, like softer attrition/ cancellation penalties, one of the biggest changes and challenges in event planning — not surprisingly — has been how people meet. Obviously, technology in the form of remote/virtual meetings and events boomed during the pandemic. But now, largely in part of the COVID-19 vaccine, more in-person venues are taking place, and planners must also get creative when it comes to occupant restrictions and safety. “By transitioning to virtual events

AB | September - October 2021 49

MPI

Terrie Rickard last year,” Rickard says, “we actually ended up offering more educational and networking programs than we had in the prior year.” “We made it a point to stay on top of what was happening in the industry and flexed with the rapid-fire changes that were impacting all of us,” explains Mary Anne Whittle, administrative assistant III for Benchmark Technologies. Whittle, who serves as the Sunbelt Chapter MPI vice president of education. further expounds that the “rapid fire changes,” including “agilely converting our in-person educational offerings to virtual platforms, and providing innovative content that addressed the concerns of our members.” Admirably, the Sunbelt Chapter of MPI, also took the emotional impact of the pandemic into consideration. Collectively, the chapter developed a “Pay-it-Forward” program. Members who were able could donate a sum of money to programs requiring registration fees, so others who could not afford to attend were able to register without worry of financial strain. But, that’s not all. “We also got on the phone and checked in with our members to see what they needed and how we could help,” Whittle says. “In short, we became even more laser focused on what our members needed right now and shifted priorities to meet those needs.” “The Pay-it-Forward program assists those who may not have been able to attend education due to lack of funds or job loss,” adds Donna Robinson, director of region and chapter services for the 50

AB | September - October 2021

Donna Robinson

Mary Anne Whittle

Association for Learning Environments. “And it raised enough to help several people to attend our virtual education, Certified Meeting Professional University (CPMU) and provided two scholarships for our 2021 EduCon in August.” Additionally, the Sunbelt Chapter’s 2020 Membership team started the Care and Concern call program. They — along with board members — reached out to every member of the chapter on a regular basis, just to say, “Hello,how are you?” “The response was overwhelming,” Robinson says. “And our members were grateful for our support.”

Many people are particularly curious about the longevity of Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams and the like. “I would venture to guess that virtual webinars and meetings will continue to thrive in circumstances where organizations can see opportunities to cut costs and time — especially internal meetings,” Rickard says. “However, I see that virtual attendance in larger industryrelated conventions/conferences is waning.” As Whittle points out, “Meeting participants have become Zoom-weary and are craving the in-person experience again.” Yet, despite many people seeking more Resiliency rises face-to-face events, challenges—such as While the Sunbelt Chapter worked the COVID-19 Delta variant, representing to secure the emotional well-being of about 83% of new infections in the U.S. (at members, they also set out to learn and the time of this writing) — virtual formats incorporate the necessary requirements to may linger longer than anticipated. ensure physical health and safety — not “Many parts of the country have begun only for members, but for their meeting to repave the road to live events, starting attendees as well, something for which small and slowly expanding,” Robinson Whittle believes will remain in place says, “revealing a positive outlook for the beyond the wake of the pandemic. industry to rebuild and become stronger. “Meeting planners and suppliers will There is still a long road ahead but we are continue to place high focus on cleanliness, determined to gain momentum as we health and well-being of all who participate recover from the devastating losses.” in live meetings and events,” she says. And recovering they are. This includes, according to Whittle, “When the going got tough, the tough high priority of touch-surface sterilization came together, and we poured all of our and sanitizer kiosks. “Our industry takes support back out to our members,” Whittle the health and safety of its delegates very says. “We put our heart and soul into our seriously and will do what it takes to work with the chapter and we truly care instill confidence in those who are ready to about our members and this industry. We venture out,” Robinson adds. will do what it takes to keep our members In addition to high health and safety engaged and restore our industry into protocols and standards, what else can we the innovative body it was prior to the expect to stick around beyond COVID-19? pandemic.”

AB | September - October 2021 51

Most Admired Companies 2021

REDEFINING EXCELLENCE The Most Admired Companies of 2021 epitomize excellence in adaptability, leadership, diversity and innovation By MICHAEL GOSSIE

lot has changed in the workplace during the last few years. Zoom is now used more as a noun than a verb. Working from home is no longer just a way to get an early start on the weekend. Inclusion has become much more than just making sure everyone is invited to after-work happy hours. And living through the pandemic has completely changed the way we live — or don’t live — our lives and do business on a daily basis. Through all of that, 46 companies have risen from the adversity of the past couple years and earned the right to call themselves Arizona’s Most Admired Companies of 2021. 52

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“Most Admired Companies is the most comprehensive and prestigious annual corporate awards program in Arizona,” said Denise Gredler, founder and CEO of BestCompaniesAZ, who co-founded the Most Admired Companies program with the team from Az Business magazine. “To win, a business must demonstrate excellence in its leadership; corporate culture; innovation; customer relations; community engagement; and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and programs.” AZ Business magazine and BestCompaniesAZ team up to present the Most Admired Companies program each year, and the primary goal is to find and recognize those organizations that excel in these six key areas: 1 / Customer opinion 2 / Diversity, equity, and inclusion 3 / Innovation 4 / Leadership excellence 5 / Social responsibility 6 / Workplace culture Based on those six pillars of excellence, a selection committee comprising Az Business magazine’s editorial board, BestCompaniesAZ’s leadership team and professionals from a wide range of industries rated and selected the most accomplished and prestigious companies in Arizona. With hundreds of nominations representing the most innovative, impactful and successful companies in Arizona, being one of Most Admired Companies of 2021 shows that the companies profiled on the pages that follow truly represent the best in Arizona business. Do you lead what you believe is one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies? Do you work for one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies? Do you do business with a company that you consider one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies? If you want to nominate a company for the 2022 Most Admired Companies awards, visit azbigmedia.com. AB | September - October 2021 53

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Most Admired Companies 2021

AXON Most Admired Company: 2018-2021 Top Arizona executive: Rick Smith, CEO and founder What it does: Develops Taser, cameras and software products for law enforcement and civilians. Admirable trait: To show Axon is just as committed to its employees’ personal lives as to their professional lives, Axon partners with outside organizations and experts to promote healthy living. Benefits at Axon start on Day 1, and Axon

ADOPT TECHNOLOGIES

AMERICAN EXPRESS

Most Admired Company: 2020-2021

Most Admired Company: 2010-2021

Top Arizona executive: Brett Helgeson, CEO and managing partner

Top Arizona executive: Gabrielle Vitale, executive vice president, chief compliance and ethics officer

What it does: Information technology company delivering cloud-based solutions and IT management, design and support to small and medium-sized businesses. Admirable trait: Helgeson was recently recognized as one of the top 25 IT CEOs in the U.S. by IT Services Report, and the honor is well-deserved. Helgeson strongly believes in and fosters an environment focused on open communication, constructive feedback and sharing thoughts and ideas. He believes if team members are successful and happy, Adopt Technologies will be successful with its clients. 56

offers a flexible work environment, unlimited PTO, parent support networks with expert-led Weldon webinars throughout the year, unlimited 24/7 access to wellness and mental health services and free legal assistance to employees.

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What it does: Largest credit card issuer by purchase volume. Admirable trait: In 2020, American Express launched an action plan to advance its diversity, inclusion and equity priorities. The plan is supported by $1 billion in investments, enhancing diverse representation and equal opportunities for American Express colleagues, customers and communities. In 2020, American Express made additional investments to achieve full pay parity, reaching 100% pay equity for colleagues across genders globally and across races and ethnicities in the U.S.

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Most Admired Companies 2021

BANNER HEALTH Most Admired Company: 2020-2021 Top Arizona executive: Peter S. Fine, president and CEO What it does: Nonprofit health care system. Admirable trait: Banner defines leadership through distinct and clearly defined behaviors. The organization’s new leadership model, launched post-pandemic and built on the “Banner Strong” movement, has three pillars: Demonstrate Heart, Elevate Team and Inspire Success. Banner Health demonstrates the heart of Banner

through courage, self-awareness and valuing each team member’s story. Banner elevates its teams with intentional connection, collaboration, and creating action towards a better future. Banner inspires success with preparation, high quality decisions and perseverance against setback.

BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA Most Admired Company: 2011, 2017, 2021 Top Arizona executive: Pam Kehaly, president and CEO What it does: Offers health and dental insurance plans for individuals and families in Arizona. Admirable trait: During the pandemic, BCBSAZ was called upon by the state to help deliver hope to the community. The company quickly mobilized its team and its trusted partners. Starting on Jan. 11, BCBSAZ rallied the hundreds of volunteers needed each day to staff the State Farm Stadium vaccination site and other sites. During the three-month assignment, BCBSAZ volunteers and partners logged nearly 15,200 shifts and more than 145,000 hours in the historic effort.

BLUE YONDER (FORMERLY JDA) Most Admired Company: 2016-2021 Top Arizona executive: Girish Rishi, CEO What it does: Software company providing business planning, execution, delivery, labor and supply chain solutions. Admirable trait: With 45 offices across 25 countries, Blue Yonder’s 5,500 associates represent a diverse global community. The organization is committed to diversity and inclusivity, and launched its DIVE initiative (Diversity, Inclusion, Value and Equality) in early 2020 centered around three key pillars: awareness and education, outreach and recruitment, and engagement and empowerment. DIVE is Blue Yonder’s commitment to creating a diverse environment where associates can grow and thrive with the freedom to be unique and authentic. 60

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Most Admired Companies 2021

BURCH & CRACCHIOLO

CBRE

Most Admired Company: 2021

Most Admired Company: 2010-2021

Top Arizona executive: Andrew Abraham, president

Top Arizona executive: Paul Komadina, senior managing director and Arizona market leader

What it does: One of the Southwest’s premier law firms Admirable trait: An attorney at a firm in direct competition with Burch & Cracchiolo recently described the law firm as “good people who happen to be great lawyers.” Burch & Cracchiolo is known for being generous to both its staff and community. The firm supports nonprofits, economic development organizations, the arts community, the educational community any many others. Burch & Cracchiolo is a legacy partner for Local First Arizona, and the law firm supports teachers through its Star Teacher Award program.

What it does: Commercial real estate services and investment firm Admirable trait: CBRE’s workplace culture stems from its RISE values — respect, integrity, service and excellence — which are the foundations upon which the company is built. At CBRE, these values are timeless and transcend all markets, service lines, languages and business cultures. As a global organization, diversity and inclusion are woven into every aspect of CBRE, which is committed to fostering an environment that provides everyone the opportunity to succeed, values the differences of each individual, and recognizes their contributions to CBRE’s success.

CHASSE BUILDING TEAM Most Admired Company: 2019-2021 Top Arizona executive: Barry Chasse, founder What it does: General contractor in Phoenix and Tucson Admirable trait: In 2019, Barry Chasse was named Construction Executive of the Year by the Valley of the Sun Chapter of Construction Financial Management Association. Chasse was recognized for his philanthropic drive, care for other people and

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commitment to the construction industry. He also led the team to 2020 Tempe Business of the Year by the Tempe Chamber. In addition, since 2019, Chasse has been recognized by Arizona State University as a member of the Class of Sun Devil 100 honorees.

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Most Admired Companies 2021

CHARLES SCHWAB Most Admired Company: 2013-2021 Top Arizona executive: Bernie Clark, managing director and head of Schwab Advisor Services What it does: Provides help with financial planning, investments, retirement and more. Admirable trait: As the second largest Charles Schwab location, Arizona is home to 18% of Schwab’s employees. The Arizona location contributes significantly to building the company’s national award-winning culture as well as its success in the local

marketplace. Schwab is most proud of the fact that the Arizona workforce experiences a low voluntary turnover (7.9%) that outperforms the industry average of 15.4%.

COPPERPOINT INSURANCE COMPANIES

CARMAX

Most Admired Company: 2017, 2019-2021

Most Admired Company: 2021

Top Arizona executive: Marc Schmittlein, president and CEO

Top Arizona executive: Richard Buscher, regional vice president and general manager

What it does: Provides workers’ compensation and commercial insurance solutions. Admirable trait: While working through the pandemic, several philanthropic campaigns were launched to support the health and wellness of CopperPoint’s employees. One of those campaigns was the American Heart Association “Virtual Heart Walk” which raised $25,000 to support the charity. CopperPoint has been named one of the Healthiest Companies in America by Interactive Health for six consecutive years. The company has also been recognized as a Healthiest Place to Work. 64

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What it does: Nation’s largest retailer of used autos Admirable trait: CarMax’s culture of innovation, diversity and inclusion is grounded in its core values, where winning together is driven by embracing and celebrating our differences. CarMax requires all associates to complete diversity and inclusion as well as unconscious bias training. One CarMax associate at the CarMax customer experience center in Tempe said: “The culture is incredible. I love the diversity we have here. No matter you who are, they’ll care for you.”

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Most Admired Companies 2021

CRESA Most Admired Company: 2014-2021 Top Arizona executive: Gary Gregg, managing principal What it does: Commercial real estate advisory firm. Admirable trait: Cresa prides itself on being not only an esteemed partner for its clients, but also an award-winning place to work. Cresa’s designation as one of the “Most Admired Companies,” “Best Places to Work,” and “100 Best Companies to work for in Arizona”

for the past seven years is a testament to its thriving culture. A spirit of inclusivity and transparency inspires everything Cresa does. This company prides itself on empowering its employees to act decisively and think innovatively.

DP ELECTRIC Most Admired Company: 2018-2021 Top Arizona executive: Dan Puente, founder and CEO What it does: Electric contracting firm. Admirable trait: DP Electric has a company culture that is entrepreneurial, team-oriented and emphasizes an open-door policy with all employees. The company culture focuses on employees and families. DP Electric provides numerous initiatives to promote a positive, family-oriented workplace culture. Just this year, DPE announced that it is launching an employee stock ownership plan that began in January 2021. This has been a long-term vision to enhance the company’s family culture and will benefit employees for years to come.

DPR CONSTRUCTION Most Admired Company: 2010, 2011, 2019, 2021 Top Arizona executive: Gretchen Kinsella, business unit leader What it does: Construction company. Admirable trait: Culture is a huge piece of DPR Construction because who it builds is as important as what it builds. As a flat organization, employees are assigned roles — not titles. DPR’s workplace has no private offices and everyone sits together in one open area regardless of seniority or role. DPR strives to be the best, a “boots on the ground” type of company, allowing employees to make decisions out in the field and make it right. The lack of micromanaging gives more freedom and makes for better employees. 66

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Most Admired Companies 2021

DESERT FINANCIAL CREDIT UNION

DIGITAL AIR STRIKE

Most Admired Company: 2020-2021

Most Admired Company: 2018, 2021

Top Arizona executive: Jeff Meshey, president and CEO

Top Arizona executive: Alexi Venneri, co-founder and CEO

What it does: Arizona’s largest local credit union.

What it does: Social media, intelligent lead response and consumer engagement technology company.

Admirable trait: In 2020, Desert Financial announced its participation in a five-year research project with Filene Institute’s Center of Excellence for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Led by Dr. Quinetta Roberson of Michigan State University, the project aims to improve member experience, facilitate diversity and equal opportunity at all levels, and improve strategic performance. “We anticipate Dr. Roberson’s findings will serve as a roadmap for all credit unions for improving our best practices in diversity, equity and inclusion,” says Meshey.

Admirable trait: Digital Air Strike continues to hire employees from all backgrounds and ethnicities for a broad range of employees. The company also aspires to give back to a diverse group of nonprofits monthly through its employee-led initiative, DASCares. Last summer, during the Black Lives Matter protests and supporting nationwide efforts for racial equality, DAS employees chose five charities to receive donations from the company and match funds for personal contributions.

FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP Most Admired Company: 2019-2021 Top Arizona executive: Rodney Johnson, head of service operations and senior vice president What it does: Provides quality insurance at a reasonable price. Admirable trait: The Arizona leadership team puts a strong focus on its innovative, proactive on-boarding program for new hires that provides employees with tools to help them succeed, and provides support to help welcome them seamlessly into the organization. Leadership’s dedication to employees goes beyond onboarding. One valuable way Farmers supports career development is through mentorship programs. Such programs are designed to assist mentees in expanding their network, cultivating meaningful professional relationships and growing their skill set. 68

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Most Admired Companies 2021

FENNEMORE

FIRSTBANK

Most Admired Company: 2016, 2020, 2021

Most Admired Company: 2011, 2018-2021

Top Arizona executive: James Goodnow, president and managing partner

Top Arizona executive: Humphrey Shin, market president

What it does: Full-service business law firm.

What it does: One of the nation’s largest privately held banks.

Admirable trait: Fennemore actively recruits a diverse mix of talented attorneys and allied legal professionals through various initiatives, including scholarship, internship, training, community involvement and mentoring opportunities. In 2019, the Fennemore Diversity Scholarship and Fellowship was the first-of-its-kind partnership between ASU and a law firm. Under the partnership, the firm provides a scholarship and a paid summer fellowship. Over the past year, Fennemore’s management committee and Diversity and Inclusion Council have hosted three all-hands meetings about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Admirable trait: FirstBank is responsible for financing more than $1 billion in consumer and commercial loans. These loans have made a significant impact on the local community by creating jobs, educational facilities, residential housing, and transforming once rundown areas into desirable locations to live and work. The loans also helped expand Gilbert Christian Schools’ footprint with a new 56,000-square-foot, state-of-theart campus and built some of Arizona’s marquee developments, including Portland on the Park, a 149-unit condo in Downtown Phoenix.

FREEDOM FINANCIAL NETWORK Most Admired Company: 2021 Top Arizona executive: Linda Luman, vice president of human resources What it does: Offers customized debt solutions to meet each consumer’s unique needs. Admirable trait: Freedom feels strongly about diversity, equity, and inclusion and encourages its employees to bring their full selves to work every day. More than 65% of internal career advancement opportunities, promotions and transfers to new positions are women, and 52% are diverse employees.

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During this past year, a growing focus has been the building of employee-led employee resource groups (ERGs) which are open to all employees, whether a member of the ERG community or an ally of the group.

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Most Admired Companies 2021

GODADDY Most Admired Company: 2010-2012, 2014-2017, 2019-2021 Top Arizona executive: Aman Bhutani, CEO What it does: The world’s largest and most trusted domain registrar. Admirable trait: Since its inception in a garage in Arizona in 1997, GoDaddy has evolved into a champion poised to empower everyday entrepreneurs worldwide and a champion for workplace equality. Today, GoDaddy employs more than 9,000 people worldwide, and its culture has also evolved into

an inclusive workplace for all. GoDaddy received a perfect score of 100% for three consecutive years on the Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s premier benchmarking survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

GREENBERG TRAURIG

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CENTRAL ARIZONA

Most Admired Company: 2018-2021

Most Admired Company: 2016-2021

Top Arizona executive: Nicole Goodwin, managing shareholder

Top Arizona executive: Jason Barlow, president and CEO

What it does: Full-service law firm.

What it does: Nonprofit homebuilder for low-income families.

Admirable trait: Since its inception, Greenberg Traurig set out to create a diverse and inclusive firm. The firm believes that diverse viewpoints produce smarter ideas for clients. In 2020, Greenberg Traurig redoubled its commitment to live and act on those values through the pillars of its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan. These pillars focus on serving as community leaders, supporting and training its talent, and supporting programs that address systemic racism in society and seek to provide impoverished communities and individuals with essential economic, social and cultural rights.

Admirable trait: Leading the charge toward an innovative and sustainable way to increase affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona is building the global housing nonprofit’s first 3D-printed home in the United States.The custom, single-story home is currently under construction on a lot donated by the City of Tempe. It combines 3D printing and traditional construction to create an innovative model for the future and a scalable, cost-effective homeownership solution to address the affordable housing crisis.

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Most Admired Companies 2021 HOMEOWNERS FINANCIAL GROUP

Most Admired Company: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016-2021 Top Arizona executive: Bill Rogers, president and CEO What it does: Full-service mortgage banking company dedicated to helping people purchase a home. Admirable trait: In 2021, HFG was named a Best Mortgage Company to Work For by National Mortgage News for the third year in a row and ranked No. 5 nationally in the midsized company category. In the survey results, it was evident that one of the primary reasons that HFG’s employees ranked the company so high was because of the outstanding leadership.

ISAGENIX INTERNATIONAL

Most Admired Company: 2018, 2021 Top Arizona executives: Jim and Kathy Coover, co-founders What it does: Global well-being company. Admirable trait: Since 2002, Isagenix has given $40 million in product and monetary donations to charities and underserved populations worldwide. That number includes grants from the ISA Foundation, a nonprofit launched in 2018 so Isagenix could partner with multiple charitable organizations. The company’s co-founders were instrumental in its launch and pledged to match every dollar raised up to $1 million during its first 24 hours of fundraising. The foundation raised $2.3 million that first day.

JE DUNN CONSTRUCTION

Most Admired Company: 2016-2019, 2021 Top Arizona executive: Brad Schenck, senior vice president What it does: Construction company. Admirable trait: Dunn Dashboard — the JE Dunn-designed, award-winning technology — provides web-based collaboration on design documents, building information modeling, electronic bid submittals, and other project documentation. Documents can be accessed on job site kiosks, office computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Use of the paperless system on a large, complex science and technology project was recently featured in Fast Company, highlighting how the project team was able to save $10 million and reduce environmental impact.

JENNINGS, STROUSS & SALMON

Most Admired Company: 2016-2021 Top Arizona executive: John C. Norling, managing attorney What it does: Full-service law firm. Admirable trait: Jennings Strouss promotes seven core values throughout the firm: respect, communication, diversity, balance, recognition, integrity and excellence, and public service. The firm is especially dedicated to maintaining a diverse team that strives to provide the highest quality legal services to its clients while demonstrating respect for one another and valuing diversity and inclusion, both in the workplace and in working with others outside of the firm.

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Most Admired Companies 2021

LAVIDGE Most Admired Company: 2016-2019, 2021 Top Arizona executive: Bill Lavidge, CEO What it does: Full-service advertising, marketing and digital agency. Admirable trait: The pandemic of 2020 changed LAVIDGE’s workplace from being remote one day per week to fully remote for a significant portion of its employees. This presented the challenge of changing things up without losing the company’s deeply embedded

KUBRA

LOVITT & TOUCHÉ, A MARSH

& MCLENNAN AGENCY LLC COMPANY

Most Admired Company: 2021

Most Admired Company: 2015-2021

Top Arizona executive: Alison Copeland, senior director of marketing

Top Arizona executive: Charles A. Touché, CEO

What it does: Customer interaction management company.

What it does: Insurance agency offering business insurance, risk management solutions, personal insurance, bonds and surety and employee benefits.

Admirable trait: KUBRA is a fast-growing company that delivers customer communications solutions to some of the largest utility, insurance and government entities across North America. KUBRA has invested a lot of time and energy into diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the past few years. These efforts have garnered recognition on numerous high-profile lists, including Best Workplaces for Women (2020 and 2021), Best Workplaces for Mental Health (2021) and Best Workplaces for Inclusion (2020).

culture of maintaining fun in the mix. LAVIDGE’s Engagement and Fun committees excelled at finding creative ways for employees to connect remotely throughout the year. For example, catered staff meetings became video conferences with gift cards from GrubHub.

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Admirable trait: Recognizing the changing healthcare landscape, Lovitt & Touché developed a proprietary private healthcare exchange, ClearPath Prime, to better serve small and mediumsized employers. It functions much like an online store, enabling colleagues to “shop” for health insurance and other benefits that meet their specific needs. Lovitt & Touché was the first insurance broker in Arizona to deploy a private exchange with a participating employer group.

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Most Admired Companies 2021

MERCY CARE Most Admired Company: 2021 Top Arizona executive: Lorry Bottrill, president and CEO What it does: Nonprofit health plan offering integrated care to children, adults and seniors eligible for AHCCCS benefits. Admirable trait: Mercy Care’s community reinvestment over the pandemic support. Among its most recent grantees: Save the Family, Teen Lifeline, Activate Food Arizona, Home Matters to past three years is nearly $6 million and in excess of 15,000 Arizona, Barrow Neurological Institute, Area Agency on Aging, volunteer hours. Its primary focus is to support addiction ACCEL, Hushabye Nursery and Central Arizona Shelter Services. recovery, housing, school-based services, food insecurity and

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

MORTENSON

Most Admired Company: 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019-2021

Most Admired Company: 2018-2021

Top Arizona executive: Ganesh Moorthy, president and CEO

Top Arizona executive: Benjamin Goetter, vice president and general manager

What it does: Provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control solutions. Admirable trait: In 2021, Microchip was awarded Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity and Best Employers for New Graduates and also earned the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Flexibility from 2007-2016. Microchip’s culture promotes teamwork, creativity and integrity, and encourages open communication at all levels of the organization. Supervisors are encouraged to be supportive of employees’ needs by finding workplace flexibility solutions that work for both the employee and the company.

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What it does: Design-build, project development, turn-key development, general construction, construction and program development. Admirable trait: As a critical component of Mortenson’s culture, it implemented a company-wide development LeadBLU program, a comprehensive and inclusive approach to leadership development designed to support Mortenson’s culture and the personal and professional growth of every single team member. LeadBLU reflects the company’s values-based foundation set by the Mortenson family and embodies the principles and practices that guide company leaders’ mindsets, actions and attitudes, and the importance of coaching and career development.

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Most Admired Companies 2021

QUARLES & BRADY Most Admired Company: 2019-2021 Top Arizona executive: Leonardo Loo, office managing partner What it does: Full-service law firm. Admirable trait: At Quarles & Brady, 70% of office managing partners are women and/or diverse, 40% of attorneys are women, and 33% of of the firm’s executive committee are women and/or diverse. The firm has diverse attorney business resource groups, a women’s forum and a diverse mentor program. Quarles &

Brady also hosts writing internships for diverse law students from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. Some of these students are first generation college graduates and law school students who don’t have any familiarity with the legal industry.

OneAZ CREDIT UNION Most Admired Company: 2021 Top Arizona executive: Kim Reedy, president and CEO What it does: Full-service, not-for-profit local financial institution. Admirable trait: OneAZ offers countless benefits and workplace perks that exceed the standard benefits package of most companies. OneAZ’s philosophy is centered around caring for its associates. If associates feel recognized, involved and cared for, they can focus their energy on providing stellar service to each of OneAZ’s members. OneAZ’s culture has been described as “warm and fuzzy,” and this culture carries through both internally and externally. This engaged, work-loving organizational persona is a testament to OneAZ’s culture and commitment to improving associates’ lives.

SONORA QUEST LABORATORIES Most Admired Company: 2010-2019, 2021 Top Arizona executive: David Dexter, president and CEO What it does: Offers a comprehensive menu of routine and specialty lab testing services. Admirable trait: Sonora Quest is leading the way with Direct Access Testing (DAT), also known as direct-to-consumer testing, throughout Arizona, which allows consumers to order laboratory tests without a physicians’ request. Consumers can select from a menu of affordably priced lab tests to track personal wellness goals or monitor a chronic condition. Since its launch, My Lab ReQuest has enabled consumers in Arizona to take control of their health and to drive improved health outcomes. 80

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Most Admired Companies 2021

SPEAR EDUCATION

SUNDT CONSTRUCTION

Most Admired Company: 2019-2021

Most Admired Company: 2010-2021

Top Arizona executive: Kaleim Manji, CEO

Top Arizona executive: G. Michael Hoover, president and CEO

What it does: Provider of multiplatform continuing education and practice growth resources for dental professionals.

What it does: General contractor.

Admirable trait: Spear has a deep commitment to DEI and the cornerstone of that commitment is The Spear Collective. This is the Spear version of an employee resource group and includes The Alliance for Cultural Diversity and LGBTQ+. Spear promotes a positive, diverse and inclusive work environment and welcome membership and contributions from all Spear employees. Twentyfive percent of Spear’s employee population are active members in one or more of its groups.

Admirable trait: In 2000, Sundt developed the Leadership Excellence Accelerates Performance (LEAP) program to mentor the next generation of company leaders. The training focuses on critical leadership skills, as well as Sundt’s core values. Seniorlevel leaders are paired with LEAP members and help mentor them through a team project to address current business issues or opportunities. Many of the projects are now new business practices at Sundt. In addition, Sundt offers a Leadership Academy each year to allow leaders to learn, share and grow in their potential.

TB CONSULTING Most Admired Company: 2021 Top Arizona executive: Dieter Gable, CEO What it does: Helps clients transform IT into a competitive advantage. trained in areas/skills that were new to them, thus acquiring Admirable trait: Agility, adaptability and innovation are TBC’s cross-disciplinary skill sets. Despite the pandemic, TBC was able strengths, and these perfectly coalesced in the deployment to retain its entire workforce by rotating employees to teams that of a program known as “liquid staffing” during the pandemic. Workflow balance among the various teams was key to navigating had more demand. this challenging time. Liquid staffing allowed employees to be

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Most Admired Companies 2021

TAYLOR MORRISON Most Admired Company: 2021 Top Arizona executive: Sheryl Palmer, chairman and CEO What it does: The nation’s fifth largest homebuilder and developer. Admirable trait: Taylor Morrison’s excellence in leadership truly unfolded when Sheryl Palmer was appointed CEO in 2007 — just before the global economic recession and housing market crash — but her resilience and resolve helped the company weather the storm and emerge from it on a robust growth trajectory. Palmer

has led Taylor Morrison through a series of major transformations, including six acquisitions. She led Taylor Morrison to its IPO in 2013 and, for the very first time this year, a place on the Fortune 500 list.

TRIWEST HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE Most Admired Company: 2021 Top Arizona executive: David J. McIntyre Jr., president and CEO What it does: Manages health benefits under the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Admirable trait: Many of TriWest’s team members are veterans or military family members who are committed to providing superior service to our nation’s heroes. TriWest takes pride in the military and the veteran-centric culture its created to ensure those whom it serves are at the core of the company’s values and actions. TriWest maintains a strong commitment to the hiring and retention of veterans through many programs and outreach initiatives.

USAA Most Admired Company: 2015-2019, 2021 Top Arizona executive: Christina Forbes, executive director What it does: Provides insurance, banking, investment and retirement solutions to members of the U.S. military and veterans. Admirable trait: In 2020, USAA contributed $87 million to nonprofit organizations. Employees gave more than $10.1 million to nonprofits and logged more than 185,000 volunteer hours. USAA also participated in the Military Family Relief Initiative by providing $30 million to 24 nonprofits for pandemic-related relief. USAA invested $1,820,000 in the Phoenix community to support military, veterans, families and children struggling every day, including those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 84

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Most Admired Companies 2021

UNITEDHEALTHCARE Most Admired Company: 2010-2021 Top Arizona executive: Heather Kane, CEO UnitedHealthcare of Arizona What it does: Healthcare insurance provider for individuals, families and employers. Admirable trait: One of the most innovative policy changes Specific details will vary, but UnitedHealthcare believes this taking hold currently at UnitedHealth Group is its “Workplace initial plan will provide the flexibility people seek, while also of the Future” policy, which will literally alter the way and place allowing the company to do its best work for the customers, employees work going forward in the post-pandemic world. patients and members the company is privileged to serve.

VANGUARD Most Admired Company: 2011, 2013-2021 Top Arizona executive: Bridget Olesiewicz, principal What it does: Investment management company and largest provider of mutual funds. Admirable trait: To keep its employees highly engaged, Vanguard has partnered with CultureAmp, an independent survey administrator and research company, to conduct an annual employee engagement survey. Structured planning sessions follow the survey each year, aiming to drive change and continuously increase positive outcomes. In this difficult year, Vanguard saw record jumps in scores. In fact, 12 of 13 categories saw significant improvement, and every division within Vanguard made strong progress.

WILDE WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP Most Admired Company: 2021 Top Arizona executive: Trevor Wilde, CEO What it does: Provides comprehensive retirement, investment, real estate, insurance, legal and tax planning services. Admirable trait: With the business’s roots firmly planted, in recent years the team began to look for ways they could make a positive impact beyond just the office, but also within the community. Rather than mandate volunteerism projects and programs, however, Wilde turned to members of its team and asked how they wanted to structure this idea. The result: Wilde Wealth Management’s Wilde for Arizona Community Outreach Program, which empowers the entire firm to be active volunteers, fundraisers and neighborhood champions. 86

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October 7, 2021 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Please join us for an evening of recognition and celebration. Az Business magazine and BestCompaniesAZ proudly present the 12th Annual Arizona’s Most Admired Companies Awards. This awards program recognizes the impact and contributions Arizona employers bring to our great state. This is the most comprehensive and prestigious corporate award program in Arizona. Please join us for an evening of networking, connecting and celebrating the accomplishments of the Most Admired Companies Arizona has to offer.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

PIONEERING INNOVATIONS By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

he pace of medical innovation is accelerating around the world and right here in Arizona. Biomedical innovators are pioneering in the fields of diagnostics, treatments, medical devices, and health technologies. The world waited and watched as the first COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines moved from the lab, into the development process, and then, upon emergency use authorization, to the people who needed them. For those who were waiting, it was a long and at times heartbreaking process when the innovation did not arrive in time. For the pioneers who were developing new health solutions and pathways, things were moving at a breakneck pace. This unprecedented speed was possible thanks to decades of previous

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investments in research and development that were leveraged to build these new solutions. At the same time, due to the rapidly spreading virus, clinical trials were able to reach statistical relevance in record time because, tragically, people at risk for infection, affected patients, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus were everywhere. Past investments pay off Over two decades ago, people in Arizona committed to investing to build our state’s bioscience and healthcare sector. Arizonans kept that commitment through good times and challenging times. The result is today’s hospital systems, private research institutes, universities, and medical schools. We trained, attracted, and retained our talent base, growing our workforce

Arizonans who work to help us stay healthy and support us when challenges arise Arizona’s life science and healthcare sector has been deeply engaged in supporting our community from the time COVID-19 began to spread and throughout the health emergency. Our research institutes have become certified to function as test labs, expanding our testing capacity across the state. Our researchers have developed new tests in record time, are working to develop new therapies, and are exploring how we can use existing ones. Biotech companies are developing, delivering and, in the case of new vaccines, supporting one of the largest global vaccination initiatives in history. The major investments Arizona’s hospitals have made in facilities and talent are now being fully deployed as our healthcare teams are meeting the challenge and serving on the front lines to help people with COVID-19 and the other health challenges that did not disappear when COVID-19 began to spread.

year after year. We built up our labs and research centers, trained scientists and medical professionals, started new businesses, and invested in them so they could grow. Arizona’s healthcare delivery partners, at every level, work to help Arizonans stay healthy, provide high quality care to patients and their caregivers when health challenges occur, and partner with our research community to develop even better health solutions in the future. Arizona’s hospitals are home to some of the most highly skilled healthcare teams in the country. People travel to Arizona for the best quality care and Arizonans know that these teams are ready and able to deliver help them when they need it most. Arizona’s significant investments into our private and university-based research centers are delivering a double benefit as their teams develop solutions to improve health while creating the learning opportunities for our students that prepare them for the high-quality jobs this industry creates. The work of these researchers, innovators, and healthcare professionals is further supported by Arizona investors and philanthropists who have a shared purpose for creating valuable products and services that improve health and make the delivery of healthcare more affordable by keeping people healthy and offering solutions when care is needed. Through their combined efforts, Arizona’s bioscience and healthcare industry is one of the leading job creators in the state providing access to high-quality jobs that contribute to the health of our economy and our people. Arizona’s biotech, medtech, and healthcare industries are made up of over 300,000

Up close and personal Ten years ago, I was given an incredible opportunity. The board of directors of the Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio) invited me to join their team as the organization’s president and CEO. AZBio is more than just a collection of businesses. It is a community that works to discover, develop, and deliver the lifechanging and life-saving innovations that will benefit the people of Arizona today and for generations to come. Over the last decade, I have had the privilege to work with world class scientists, talented educators, inspiring entrepreneurs, accomplished business leaders, dedicated healthcare professionals, and committed public servants. They work with a shared purpose, to improve the lives of people in Arizona, across the country, and around the world. Every year, our industry has grown. We have launched new programs and opened new facilities for research, development, manufacturing, and patient care. The decade ahead When this crisis has passed, and it will, Arizona’s bioscience innovators and healthcare systems will continue doing what we have always done – combining business and science to make life better for people in Arizona, across the country, and around the world by discovering, developing, and delivering life changing and lifesaving treatments and tools. Arizona has the potential to become a top-10 state in the biotech and medtech industries. We will need the community’s help to realize this potential. As new innovations are developed, we need to move them forward. This will require funding for development, clinical trials, and all the investments that make “miracles” possible. AZBio is working to build a new model that will help fund early-stage life science innovation in Arizona forever. It is the kind of big idea that Arizonans can get behind and that can make a lasting difference, just as our big idea to build a bioscience sector 20 years ago is paying off today. We call it AZAdvances because that is what Arizonans do and what Arizonans create when we work together. AB | September - October 2021 91

ARIZONA

ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

BIOSCIENCE WEEK 2021

CONNECT // ENGAGE // COLLABORATE

OCTOBER 3-9, 2021

Presented by AZBio and the Arizona Commerce Authority

www.azbio.org/azbw2021

EVENT LIST MONDAY, OCTOBER 4

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7

Leading Women - Biotech and Beyond

AZAdvances Life Science Innovation Showcase Join us for presentations, and innovation spotlights featuring Arizona life science innovators. This event benefits AZAdvances, part of the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation.

Venture Madness Venture Madness, presented by Invest Southwest in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, pits the most promising startups against one another in a live pitch, head-to-head competition.

Registration is complimentary. Donations are gratefully accepted.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021

Join us for an inspirational conversation and the AZBW 2021 Kick Off on October 4, 2021 from 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 Discovering & Developing New Medicines in Arizona The 3rd Annual Drug Discoveries & Development Summit will highlight key areas of research in discovering effective drug candidates in prevalent diseases in Arizona while establishing collaborations that enable success in these key areas. Presented by the ARIZONA CENTER FOR DRUG DISCOVERY and the UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA CANCER CENTER 17th Annual AZBio Awards The AZBio Awards Ceremony Celebrates Arizona’s leading Educators, Innovators and Companies. Join us for an inspirational celebration of the best of Arizona’s Bioscience Industry on October 5, 2021. Presented by AZBio, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and the City of Phoenix. AZBioAwards.com

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Exploring Pathways to Life and Bioscience Careers Special Online Programs for teachers and students (grades 6-12) offered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Presented by the Office of the Maricopa County Schools Superintendent and Flinn Foundation. Venture Madness Opening Reception The Venture Madness Conference Kickoff Reception brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders. A great place to meet future Board members, advisors and investors that help guide and grow your firm for years to come. Tickets are required for this event

Voice of the Patient Patients are the reason we do what we do. Join the conversation on life science innovation from the patient perspective. UNMET Arizona 2021 UNMET Arizona 2021 is a venture conference co-hosted by the Arizona Commerce Authority for Series A/B stage startups. Founders attending this event will be able to network with institutional VC investors, along with their peers at fast growing startups around the country; Investors will be able to meet with 50+ Startups, founders will have the chance to pitch 100+ investors and will be able to setup one-one meetings during the event.

ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Recovery By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

n March 11, 2020, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization formally announced that COVID-19 had reached pandemic status. In his remarks, he shared: “This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector – so every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight.” Eighteen months later, the world is still in pandemic status and is struggling to recover from the devastating health and economic impacts of a virus that has been diagnosed in over 200 million people and has caused over 4 million deaths worldwide. As COVID-19 spread across the globe, the scientific community worked around the clock to understand the best way to help keep people safe, how to help the people who became infected, and how to get us on the road to recovery.

The vaccine roll-out in the United States Beginning in December of 2020, people in the United States began to have access to COVID-19 vaccines. On December 11th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for the prevention COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. The EUA allowed the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. One week later, the FDA issued an EUA for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in individuals 18 years of age and older. Then, on February 27th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an EUA for the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. for use in individuals 18 years of age and older. On May 10, 2021, the FDA expanded the EUA for 94

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the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. On August 23, 2021, the FDA approved the first of the vaccines, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for people age 16 and over. Vaccines are the most effective way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19. The current vaccines are highly effective and provide broad protection against many of the variants we are seeing today. Preventing COVID-19 illness by getting vaccinated will keep you from potentially developing severe illness and long-term side effects from “long COVID.”

trials and 3 vaccines, 5 antivirals, and 2 treatments had received EUA’s from the FDA.

More than vaccines Until we reach high levels of vaccination, we will continue to see cases of COVID-19. Novel therapeutics are needed to enhance our ability to treat cases early and keep people from developing severe illness that requires hospitalization. Both antivirals specific to the SARS- CoV-2 virus and therapeutics that treat the secondary effects of COVID-19 illness (such as acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS) are critical to continue the fight against COVID-19. Since January 2020, more than 950 development products have been initiated worldwide for vaccines and therapeutics against COVID-19. As of July 26th, there were still 839 products in development. This includes 226 vaccines, 244 antivirals, and 369 treatments. Of these, 107 total products are in Phase III clinical

Our best shot Vaccination is our best shot for getting the pandemic under control. For various reasons, there will be people who can not be vaccinated, but for those of us who can, vaccination is our best path to recovery. In the United States, COVID-19 vaccines are readily available and offered free of charge. According to June 2021 forecasts, vaccine production could generate nearly 11 billion doses if the ability to scale up manufacturing is not jeopardized. That is enough supply to vaccinate all high-risk patients across the globe. But vaccines in a vial cannot protect against COVID-19. They only work when we roll up our sleeves and get vaccinated. For additional information on the COVID-19 vaccines, visit COVIDVaccineFacts.org.

What about the Delta and Lambda variants? The delta variant (B.1.617.2) first emerged in India in October 2020 and was named a “Variant of Concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2021. Studies have shown the delta variant to be up to 115% more transmissible than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. In addition, people who have gotten other SARSCoV-2 strains can be reinfected with the delta variant. By August 2021, the delta variant was responsible for more than 80% of new ’Approved’ vaccines COVID-19 cases in the U.S. The vaccines currently available provide A Biologics License Application (BLA) is what is submitted prior protection against COVID-19, though many of the “breakthrough” to review for an FDA approval. The regulatory requirements for cases of the disease in vaccinated people can be attributed to the EUAs for COVID-19 vaccines are very similar to requirements for delta variant. These breakthrough cases have predominantly resulted a BLA review. Last Fall, even before a single COVID-19 vaccine was in mild disease. under review at FDA, the Agency issued guidance outlining their The lambda variant (C.37) first emerged in Peru in December 2020 standards for COVID-19 vaccine EUAs. This included a bar of at and was named a “Variant of Interest” by the WHO in June 2021. least 50% efficacy in large clinical trials and no significant safety (“Variant of Interest” is a lower-concern designation than “Variant of signals with two months of follow-up data. The vaccine trials had Concern.”) Like the delta variant, the current COVID-19 vaccines do to be randomized, placebo-controlled and include at least 30,000 provide some protection against the lambda variant. participants. This trial size is actually larger than the common trial size for many licensed vaccines. The currently authorized Booster shots COVID-19 vaccines all met these criteria for their EUA. On August 18, 2021, the CDC and FDA announced a plan for The primary differences between the trial data evaluated for booster shots at 8 months after the second shot of the Pfizeran EUA versus a BLA are the period of follow up post-vaccination BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines. The FDA and CDC are and some requirements on manufacturing inspections. With continually reviewing the data on the circulation of COVID-19 the EUAs for these vaccines, we have as robust efficacy data as and the duration of protection that is offered by the COVID-19 for many other fully approved vaccines. These EUAs looked at vaccines in use. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization two months of safety data, rather than the typical six months Practices (ACIP) looks at the data on whether booster doses are to a year that FDA looks for with a BLA. FDA will be using their needed, particularly for immunocompromised individuals, and is typical BLA standards for review of these products. Full licensure responsible for recommendations related to boosters to the CDC. (“approval”) is typically granted if FDA determines that there is Vaccine manufacturers are conducting studies on various booster substantial evidence of safety and efficacy from appropriately strategies, including booster one vaccine with a different vaccine sized and well-controlled trials. and adding more strains to the original vaccine as a booster.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Gholam Peyman, MD

PIONEERING VISION O

ne of the most common elective surgical procedures is laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. More commonly known as LASIK eye surgery, the procedure is a safe and effective corrective eye surgery designed to restore a patient’s vison and prevent the lifelong need for contacts and glasses. It is estimated that over 10 million LASIK procedures have been performed in the United States since the procedure was approved by the FDA in 1996. It is estimated that over 40 million procedures have been performed around the world. While you probably have heard of LASIK, you may not know that the inventor of LASIK eye surgery calls Arizona home.

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INNOVATOR: Gholam A. Peyman, MD, filed his patent in 1985 for the use of excimer lasers for correction of refractive errors by stromal ablation under a corneal flap and was granted a patent for his invention of LASIK eye surgery in 1989. (Photo by Bruce Andersen, AZ Big Media)

Gholam A. Peyman, MD is an educator, innovator and retinal surgeon who is also a prolific and successful inventor. For over four decades, Dr. Peyman has worked to improve surgical methods and has created revolutionary new treatment methods and modalities. Dr. Peyman has written and published over 850 scientific articles plus 10 books and scientific text. He has also trained more than 200 fellows in vitreoretinal diseases. Gholam A. Peyman has, thus far, been granted 215 US patents, covering a broad range of novel medical devices, intra-ocular drug delivery, surgical techniques, as well as new methods of diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Peyman was inducted into the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Ophthalmology Hall of Fame in 2005 , received the Lifetime Achievement Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2008, and in 2011 received the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) is bestowed by the president of the United States on America’s leading innovators. Dr. Peyman received this honor for invention of the LASIK surgical technique, and for developing the field of intraocular drug administration and expanding the field of retinal surgery. (An estimated 2.9 million intraocular drug injections are done yearly in the USA). The road to Arizona Born in Iran, Gholam Peyman moved to Germany to study at the University of Freiburg where he received his M.D. in 1962, He completed his internship at St. Johannes Hospital (Diusburg, Germany) in 1964 and at Passaic General Hospital (Passaic, New Jersey) in 1965. He continued his residency in ophthalmology and a fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases at Essen Germany and the Jules Stein Eye Institute, affiliated to the University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he was offered a position as Assistant Professor. He was later recruited for chief of vitreoretinal surgery at the University of Illinois, Chicago, where he was a faculty member until 1987 when he moved to New Orleans to serve as the Chief of Vitreoretinal Surgery at Louisiana

State University Eye Center and then at Tulane University. In 2006, after hurricane Katrina, he relocated to Arizona where he joined the faculty of the University of Arizona, Tucson, as Joint Professor of Optical Science & Engineering and later as a Professor of Ophthalmology and of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine Phoenix. The creation of LASIK During his time at the University of Illinois, Dr. Peyman began to explore the possibilities of lasers as a means of treating eye conditions. In 1977, he began working with different types of lasers with limited success. He published his findings in 1980 and waited for laser technology to catch up with his vision for a new type of surgery. In 1981, Samuel Blum, Rangaswamy Srinivasan, and James Wynne co-invented a process using a short pulse ultraviolet laser to etch tissue in minute increments and in a highly controlled fashion. He believed this might be what he had been waiting for. Dr. Peyman worked to improve his process and filed his patent in 1985 for the use of excimer lasers for correction of refractive errors by stromal ablation under a corneal flap and was granted a patent for his invention of LASIK eye surgery in 1989. A patent is a milepost in the medical innovator’s journey, not the end. Dr. Peyman continued his work with the excimer lasers as he performed multiple research studies. Finally, the procedure was approved by the FDA in 1996 and the rest is history. Among his recent inventions is a new objective phoropter that measures the refractive error of both eyes, for prescription, in one second that was developed in collaboration with faculty at the University of Arizona, Tucson. “Millions of people have benefited thanks to Dr. Gholam Peyman’s passion for innovation,” shared Joan KoerberWalker, president & CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBIo). “His work and collaborations have spanned continents and have made a global Impact.” Gholam Peyman, MD is being honored with the AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement. AB | September - October 2021 101

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

2021 | Arizona Bioscience Company of the Year:

BioLab Sciences

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ost of us have had a minor cut or even a more serious wound in our lifetime. With a little attention and care, our body heals itself. Unfortunately, for some people, especially people living with chronic conditions like diabetes and vascular disease, or people having experienced a major trauma, the natural healing process is just not strong enough. Wounds that fail to heal after a period of six weeks or are reasonably expected to take too long to heal on their own are categorized as chronic or non-healing wounds and require medical intervention. Most commonly, chronic wounds required surgical procedures to remove large areas of healthy skin from other parts of the patient’s body to produce grafts, an operation that creates a second wound as doctors remove skin to help heal the first wound. In some cases, the second wound is more painful than the original one and a patient now has multiple wounds thus increasing the potential for infection. BioLab Sciences, a regenerative biotechnology company, is creating new ways to help the body heal itself and provides new hope for people living with chronic wounds. In 2019, the company introduced its regenerative therapy known as MyOwn Skin™ that offers hope for an improved quality of life for the 6.7 million Americans who battle chronic, non-healing wounds and also burns.

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When a doctor and patient elects to use MyOwn Skin™, the doctor takes a small sample, about the size of a pencil eraser, from some of the patient’s healthier skin. This is used by BioLab Sciences to create up to three 4-inch x 4-inch grafts within a week. BioLab Sciences reports that MyOwn Skin™, when applied over a wound, protects the body from external factors and infections, helping the overall healing process. “MyOwn Skin™ has been used with success in patients presenting with a wide range of injuries, burns and ulcers” stated BioLab Sciences president & CEO Robert Maguire. “From a three-year-old patient with complex syndactyly (fused fingers) whose hand function was restored without the need for skin grafting to wounded veterans and active military personnel who access MyOwn Skin™ through the VA and DoD health systems, MyOwn Skin™ is having a positive impact across the chronic wound sufferer community.” BioLab Sciences was founded in 2018 and started out with just 4 employees. The team has grown rapidly and projects to have over 100 employees by the end of 2021. The company acquired the initial patents to the technology that is MyOwn Skin™ and currently has 17 U.S. and international patents for their technology. “Outstanding leadership and comradery scratches only the surface of why BioLab Sciences is such an incredible

workplace where we work together to do more to help others,” shared Brittney Veler, a product specialist at BioLab Sciences, Inc. “It is fulfilling to be part of a team that is helping to save lives and limbs.” BioLab Sciences’ products have been used by hospitals, surgery centers, and private practice on over 700+ patients in the United States and the company has experienced 843% annualized growth averaged over the last three years. A U.S. distribution network with over 90 distribution groups in the United States has helped to drive the company’s growth. BioLab Sciences is also currently evaluating opportunities for further expansion outside of the United States. “The team at BioLab Sciences has come together around a shared vision to promote healing and improve the quality of life for people who suffer from all kinds of wounds,” stated AZBio President & CEO Joan Koerber-Walker. “This commitment and the significant progress they are making to towards their goals is why BioLab Sciences is the 2021 Arizona Bioscience Company of the Year.”

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION 2021 | Jon W. McGarity Arizona Bioscience Leader of the Year:

Mark Slater, PhD

WORKING TOWARD TOMORROW’S CURES

LEADING THE WAY: Mark Slater, PhD, has served as vice president for research at HonorHealth and CEO for the HonorHealth Research Institute since 2007.

he HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute is a collaborative enterprise with approximately 180 employees and 300 investigators working toward tomorrow’s cures. The institute runs a sustainable, self-supporting operation that benefits patients, the health system, and the greater community. HonorHealth’s 250-plus active research studies encompass not only cancer, but also bariatric (weight loss), cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurologic/spine, trauma, and translational (personalized) medicine. Collaborative relationships with TGen, ASU, UA and many other top local, national, and international organizations

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have resulted in international recognition for breakthrough innovations in medical care, attracting world-class talent, global innovation companies and technologies, as well as patients from all 50 states and over two dozen countries to our community for innovative early-phase trials. For the past 15 years, Mark Slater, PhD has served as Vice President for Research at HonorHealth and Chief Executive for the HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute developing a premier collaborative institute without walls to bring tomorrow’s cures to our community today through accelerating translational and clinical research in precision medicine. Many significant advances have been made at the HonorHealth Research & Innovation Institute under Dr. Slater’s leadership in oncology, cardiovascular disease, and neuroscience. In addition to leading the institute, Dr. Slater is an active researcher and recognized leader in in fields of pain, behavioral medicine, and clinical research. He has authored over 100 scientific publications and has benefited from 30 years of continuous grant funding. Committed to developing the next generation of health innovators, Dr. Slater mentors his doctoral students and keeps in touch with them as they progress in their careers and have gone on to hold leadership positions in major academic institutions. Under Dr. Slater’s leadership, the HonorHealth Research & Innovation Institute has emerged and grown as a significant site for innovation development, medical science advancement,

collaboration, attraction of world-class talent, bioscience employment, and investment/support for local start-ups. The pandemic highlighted how the institute’s unique model for collaboration and innovation was able to accelerate effective response to the unprecedented challenges that provided rapid impactful advances in clinical care, therapeutics, and prevention for Arizona and beyond. In addition to his work at HonorHealth, Dr. Slater has served the community to advance the biosciences through leadership and advocacy in the Scottsdale Cure Corridor initiative, the Scottsdale Unified School District Foundation Board (where he developed a Bioscience Teacher Excellence program in conjunction with HonorHealth), the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Board of Stewards, Premier Innovations Research Collaborative Board of Advisors, the BioAccel Council of Advisors and as the immediate past-Chair of the Arizona Biosciences Roadmap Steering Committee. “Great leaders pursue a vision, bring people together to make that vison a reality, and inspire and help others to realize their visions too,” stated AZBio president & CEO Joan Koerber-Walker. “Dr. Mark Slater exemplifies what it means to be a great leader. He has made and continues to make a significant impact on Arizona’s bioscience and healthcare community.” Mark Slater, PhD is being honored with the 2021 Jon W. McGarity Arizona Bioscience Leader of the Year Award by AZBio.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION 2021 | AZBio Researcher of the Year Award:

Janko Nikolich-Žugich, MD, PhD

SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL AND GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGES inflammation, and immunity in the context of aging. He has published over 180 scientific papers and has earned many significant grant awards, including more than $73M in awards from the National institutes of Health (NIH) including a recent $4.5M MERIT award from the National Institutes on Aging (NIH) to study how stress and infection affect aging. Through his work, Dr. Nikolich-Žugich has identified alterations in the immune system that may cause people to become more vulnerable to microbial pathogens as they get older. To improve quality of life and prevent disease, he works to correct defects in immunity with novel vaccination approaches and immune system rejuvenation treatments, and seeks to learn how common infectious, psychological, and physical stressors affect immunity and lifespan.

of therapeutics for COVID-19 patients, and vaccines to guard against infection. Dr. Nikolich-Žugich also used his expertise in aging to identify why older adults are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Using data and state-of-the-art modeling, he is identifying mechanisms for susceptibility, and with that knowledge, is working to prevent COVID-19 morbidities and mortalities in these populations and explore possible novel treatments. With the insights and tools Dr. NikolichŽugich helped develop over the past year, he has been asked to lead a new public/private partnership institute at the University of Arizona that will leverage the knowledge SEEKING SOLUTIONS: The University of garnered during COVID-19 to predict and Arizona’s Janko Nikolich-Žugich is coprepare for future global pandemics. The director of the Arizona Center on Aging and concept and reach of the institute will professor of immunobiology, medicine, nutritional sciences, genetics-GIDP, extend beyond what any single department neuroscience-GIDP, and professor at the or college could do on its own and will BIO5 Institute. require partnerships across UA departments Tackling multiple scientific challenges and colleges as well as universities, anko Nikolich-Žugich, MD, PhD, related to the COVID-19 pandemic foundations, non-profit entities, is an internationally recognized Recognizing the unreliability of early government, and industries throughout immunologist and gerontologist. antibody tests, he used his expertise in the world. It will comprehensively address In addition to important career-long gaps in pandemic preparedness, including, immunology to quickly develop a more contributions in his chosen fields, Dr. accurate and effective test that was but not limited to, the biomedical, microNikolich-Žugich leveraged his expertise deployed across Arizona and available to and immunobiological, economy, legal, to develop one of the most accurate psychosocial, behavioral, built and natural first responders, healthcare workers, and COVID-19 antibody tests in the world, other vulnerable populations in Arizona. environment, and policy levels. laying the foundation for a comprehensive “Dr. Janko Nikolich-Žugich uses his As production capacity of the antibody statewide testing program. test grew, it became available to 60,000 skills and talents to advance the fields of Dr. Nikolich-Žugich moved to the aging and immunology and helped reduce University of Arizona faculty, staff, and University of Arizona in Tucson in 2008 to the devastating effects of COVID-19 while students, as well as the community at large. lead the Department of Immunobiology and His COVID-19 antibody test rapidly building a body of scientific knowledge the Arizona Center on Aging after a series of garnered worldwide attention for its high that can be used in other pandemics scientific leadership roles at other prestigious specificity and prompt implementation. as they arise,” stated Joan Koerberinstitutions. He is also a professor of It has proven to be an important tool in Walker, president & CEO of AZBio. “For immunobiology, medicine, nutritional identifying community exposure/reach his groundbreaking work and deep sciences, genetics, and neuroscience, and a and data related to individual and group commitment to finding answers to some of member of the BIO5 Institute. immunity. Collective data produced our most challenging scientific questions, Dr. Nikolich-Žugich has devoted through the testing program has informed he has been named the 2021 Arizona his research to understanding the the public health approaches, development Bioscience Researcher of the Year.” relationships between infection,

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

2021 | Michael A. Cusanovich Arizona Bioscience Educator of the Year:

Thomas Schumann

GROWING ARIZONA’S TALENT BASE

LEADER OF INNOVATION: Thomas Schumann leads the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation.

s our life science community continues to grow, the demand for talented people will grow at an even faster rate. Arizona’s universities and community colleges are pumping out graduates at an ever-increasing rate. But new graduates alone will not meet Arizona’s growing need for life science talent. The Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation (CEI) was created by GateWay Community College, the Maricopa County Community College District, and the City of Phenix to provide incubation space for bioscience entrepreneurs in Phoenix. CEI’s mission is to help innovators and businesses of all sizes succeed by delivering exceptional entrepreneurial, educational, and workforce development resources. 110

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Since 2013, CEI has supported over 80 startups that together have created 765 jobs, secured $117.5 million in capital, and generated more than $160 million in total gross revenue. In 2019 CEI, was recognized by the International Business Innovation Association, a global organization, as the InBIA Technology/Science Entrepreneurship Center of the Year. Thomas Schumann leads CEI’s stateof-the-art, award-winning business incubator. He and his team at CEI work with Arizona entrepreneurs as they develop the strategies and skills they will need as they work to commercialize innovative bioscience and medical device technologies. Schumann is an experienced business counselor providing financial and technical assistance to small and medium-sized businesses across a variety of industries and stages of development. While continuing to build CEI, Schumann saw how the companies CEI supports were struggling to find the trained workforce they need to grow. Since the 1980s, he had been using technology as a method for training and teaching. Prior to joining CEI, he led the creation of Michigan’s statewide workforce education program and he believed that he could build on that experience to meet the needs of Arizona’s growing life science ecosystem. Schumann shared his ideas with the leadership team at the Maricopa Community Colleges and secured $3.6 million in Prop. 301 workforce

development funding to create a hybrid training system utilizing on-line and in-person training. Under Schumann’s leadership, CEI is executing on its mission by launching LabForce, state-wide workforce training initiative focused on developing the skills and talent required by the Arizona bioscience and medtech industry. By October of 2021, LabForce is projected to have over 3,000 on-line courses loaded. These training courses support the training needs for new employees and provides employers the ability to setup individual development plans for existing employees. LabForce also provides companies with the ability to add their own custom training programs. Additionally, LabForce will be launching a section of its online training program to support internships in the fall of 2021. This will help keep our best and brightest talent here in Arizona. “Tom Schumann teaches the entrepreneurs he works with to leverage their experience, skills and talents to meet the needs of their company. He also practices what he teaches,” stated Joan Koerber-Walker, president and CEO of AZBio. For his ongoing work to develop Arizona entrepreneurs and the workforce that Arizona’s life science sector will need as we grow, Thomas Schumann has been named the Michael A. Cusanovich Arizona Bioscience Educator of the Year by AZBio.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

2021 | AZBio Fast Lane Award:

Botanisol Analytics

LASER-FOCUSED ON HEALTH AND SAFETY

s we have all seen over the last two years, what you can’t see can have a devastating impact. Botanisol Analytics uses lasers to enable autonomous disease screeners. Pandemic prevention is an essential component of national security, and the company has been awarded a contract with the US Air Force to support their ongoing product development. Once validated, Botanisol plans to provide systems designed to help keep the nation’s armed forces, and the civilians they protect, safe. The company’s Arizona roots run deep. The company licensed a new technology from the University of Arizona that it believes will make its next generation product significantly more accurate than the current optical state of the art. Botanisol Analytics received mentoring and development support from Tech Launch Arizona, was founded in Phoenix, and is located at the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation at Gateway Community College. “From their first days of developing the invention, I have enjoyed seeing the Botanisol Analytics team develop, grow and

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build on their success,” stated Douglas M. Hockstad of Tech Launch Arizona. “In today’s world, the ability to detect COVID-19 has become essential. As the world works to develop new tests and methods for such detection, the technology invented at the University of Arizona that Botanisol Analytics is commercializing is well on its way to having real impact.” Botanisol’s technology uses lasers to illuminate upper respiratory samples and interprets the optical signature associated with pathogens present in the sample. While current tests rely on a variety of reagents and other chemical consumables, Botanisol’s technology uses only a sample slide and is designed to be used anywhere with a standard power outlet. In September 2020, Botanisol Analytics partnered with the Precision Diagnostics Lab at Beth Israel an affiliate of Harvard University Medical School to validate their technology and reports that accuracy levels have been consistent with current gold standard diagnostic

technologies such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Botanisol Analytics has also worked with the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to build their technology based on cutting-edge science. The company has been awarded $2.5 million in SBIR Air Force contracts since the end of 2019 and was accepted into the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program in 2021. “In the 21st century, we have had multiple near-miss pandemics (Ebola, SARS, H1N1) and a direct hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. The chance to weaponize pathogens remains very much alive,” stated David Talenfeld, CEO of Botanisol Analytics. “That’s why we are building a technology to screen for multiple pathogens simultaneously. Beyond national security threats, we are building capacities to help public health officials make data-driven determinations about epidemiological threats, allow universities to screen large numbers of people quickly, and give event planners the confidence to hold large events securely.” Botanisol Analytics is being honored with a 2021 AZBio Fast Lane Award for the progress they have made as they work to develop new tools that can be used to detect current and future health threats.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION 2021 | AZBio Fast Lane Award:

Humabiologics

MAKING THE MOST OF A SPECIAL GIFT

ommitting to be an organ and tissue donor is a generous decision that can save lives. You may know someone who has given this special gift or that has made the decision to do so in the future. Today thousands of patients are on the waiting list for an organ. The organ gift from one donor could save the lives of 8 to 10 people and tissue gifts could improve the life of hundreds of people. A Phoenix based company has developed new technologies that could ultimately extend the impact of one donor’s gift to benefit hundreds, thousands, or even more. Humabiologics is a regenerative medicine company founded in 2018 by scientists and tissue industry experts to address the gap between the gift of donated human tissues and researchers. The company partners with FDA registered and accredited tissue banks around the U.S. to utilize thoroughly screened donated human tissue that will not be used for transplant. The supply of high-quality and affordable human-derived biomaterials for translational research is severely limited. Academic and industry regenerative medicine researchers rely on animal-derived alternatives that are often expensive and not clinically or physiologically relevant to human tissues. Animal-derived alternatives can also present regulatory and safety challenges that can slow down the development of new patient therapies. Humabiologics has solved this problem through their transformative technology that converts donated tissue that is not

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used for transplant into affordable and high-quality biomaterials for research. Humabiologics products are used by life science companies and academic researchers to develop innovative therapies that address debilitating diseases and improve the quality of life for patients. The company’s products are used in the field of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cell culture, 3D bioprinting disease models, drug toxicity testing, and many other translational therapeutic research applications. Humabiologics launched the first of its kind human bone gelatin in late 2019 and provides one of the most affordable native human skin collagens for hydrogel applications and 3D bioprinting. It also introduced the world’s first native human collagen and gelatin bioinks for tissue and organ bioprinting. These bioinks are making a difference in research labs across the globe. Humabiologics successfully raised $1 million in seed funding in 2020 amid the current health emergency and challenging economic times. The company is tripling its manufacturing space in 2021 to meet the increasing demand for its products and created Phoenix-based job opportunities including 4 full time opportunities. “New and emerging health solutions based on regenerative medical technologies have the potential to greatly improve the human condition,” said Joan KoerberWalker, president & CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry Association. “Humabiologics is helping researchers and companies accelerate the pace of medical innovation while maximizing the impact of an organ and tissue donor’s very special gift.” Humabiologics is being honored with a 2021 AZBio Fast Lane Award for the progress they are making in commercializing and delivering products that can help accelerate the pace of medical innovation.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION 2021 | AZBio Fast Lane Award:

PathogenDx

MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME

pathogen is a bacterium, fungal or viral micro-organism that can cause disease. One of our world’s biggest challenges is protecting our water, food supply, and environment so humans and animals that consume it are protected from the diseases these pathogens can cause. The CDC estimates 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States. In 2020, there were food recalls for onions, peaches, bagged lettuces, Enoki mushrooms, clover sprouts, and other agricultural products. The average cost of a recall to a food company is $10 million in direct costs. Damage to a company’s brand and lost sales across the food industry can be hundreds of millions. Pathogens are also the cause of infectious diseases. Most notably is SARSCoV-2, the viral pathogen that causes COVID-19 and has impacted every single human on this planet. PathogenDx Home to molecular scientists credited with over 50 patents, PathogenDx invented the low-cost, high-throughput microarray technology to enable multiplex testing of multiple pathogens in a single sample. For human, food, agriculture, or the environment, now one technology drives simplicity, cost savings and classleading accuracy. PathogenDx systems are used by food producers and other agricultural

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As a response to the number of Variants, PathogenDx also developed their DetectX-Cv technology to identify SARS-CoV-2 variant strains from a positive COVID-19 sample in as little as four hours. DetectX-Cv tests for all Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest in positive samples tested from any molecular based EUA authorized platform. In March 2021, DetectXCv test received Research Use Only (RUO) authorization for clinical labs, universities, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions to canvas the test’s capabilities in identifying the Answering the call myriad of SARS-CoV-2 variants and to As the pandemic emerged in 2020, expand genomic surveillance PathogenDx realized their unique On the environmental monitoring technology could be transformed for end, PathogenDx launched its UltraCOVID-19 testing and quickly pivoted. rapid EnviroX-Rv air and surface The company leveraged its technology environmental testing system to detect platform to develop and deliver a test SARS-CoV-2 in the air and on stainless in less than 6 weeks from the time steel, concrete, plastic, and other nonthe country declared a public health porous high-use surfaces. EnviroX-Rv emergency. can distinguish SARS-CoV-2 from over The company developed its DetectX41,000 viruses and clades from a single Rv viral diagnostic assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, which received swab - about three times more than required by the AOAC validation - and Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration can detect not only live viruses, but also determine if there are dead virus (FDA) in April 2021. The test delivers particles on a surface. better sensitivity and specificity than “Science-based companies are in current qRT-PCR FDA-authorized COVID-19 tests while also able to detect a unique position to leverage what other respiratory pathogens, as well as they know to find solutions to new challenges,” stated AZBio president and COVID-19 mutations, making it one of the most unique extendable tests in the CEO Joan Koerber-Walker. “PathogenDx is an innovative company that has industry. productized multiple assays to combat the war with pathogens. The ability to adapt is at the core of the company’s DNA, making them a shining example of how Arizona Bioscience Companies are stepping up to meet the challenges of our time.” PathogenDx is being honored with a 2021 AZBio Fast Lane Award. businesses to help them test their products for safety before the product leaves the plant. Their EnviroX-F system tests for Salmonella Listeria spp and Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) and their QuantX tests for Total Aerobic Bacteria (TAB), Bile Tolerant Gram Negative Bacteria (BTGN), Total Coliform (TC), Total Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) and Total Yeast & Mold (TYM) being the world’s first AOAC Certified molecular test if its kind with results in less the 6 hours.

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2021 | AZBio Public Service Award:

Kate Brophy McGee

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST act, she built a reputation as a leader who effectively developed workable solutions. She sponsored and passed over 123 bills during her legislative career, including restored school funding, and policies that protect mothers and babies, migrant children, seniors, neighborhoods, drivers, and small business owners. A healthcare leader During her decade in the Arizona Legislature, Brophy McGee worked to improve access to care and keep Arizonans safe and healthy. Major efforts included work on Medicare Expansion, restoring funding for Kids Care, and supporting PUBLIC SERVANT: Kate Brophy McGee funding for biomedical research and has been a member of both the Arizona medical education. In her final session as Senate (2017-2021) and Arizona House of Representatives (2011-2017) a State Senator and Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, utting people first is easy to say she sponsored S.B. 1523, also known as but building policy solutions that Jake’s Law. The legislation, introduced address the challenges people face by Senator Kate Brophy McGee and is easier said than done. It requires the Representative Jeff Weninger, requires willingness to actively listen to different health care insurers to cover mental viewpoints, the ability to compromise, a health without additional barriers — just talent for creating shared solutions, and, at like they would cover an annual physical. times, the courage to put people over party. The bipartisan bill passed the Arizona legislature with unanimous support and Getting things done was signed by Governor Ducey in 2020. Kate Brophy McGee is a self-described community builder and has served as a A champion for children leader in our community for over two At a time when Arizona’s child welfare decades - first as a school board member, system was deemed a national disgrace, and then in the Arizona Legislature. she led the charge on key health and Known for her “door is always open” human services policy initiatives. This attitude and her willingness to listen and resulted in massive and needed reforms to

child welfare that helped to turn Arizona’s new Department of Child Safety into a national best practice model.

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Protecting essential education funding Prop 301 is a voter-approved initiative passed in 2000. It provides millions of dollars annually in funding for K-12 education as well as workforce development funds at our community colleges and TRIF, the Technology & Research Initiative Fund that provides research funding for important initiatives our three state universities. Prop. 301 was set to expire in 2021. Senator Brophy McGee and Representative Doug Coleman introduced S.B. 1390 to extend Prop. 301 Funding to 2041. The bill was signed into law by Governor Ducey in 2018. No one knew at the time that 2020 and 2021 would bring a global pandemic. Thanks to early action by Arizona’s leaders, this essential education funding was not facing expiration at a time when the legislature and the governor were dealing with the impact of COVID-19. “Senator Kate Brophy McGee has a proven track record as a leader capable of tackling tough issues, solving problems and getting results,” said Joan KoerberWalker, president & CEO of AZBio. “During her time in the Arizona legislature she grounded her policy decisions and actions on making people the #1 priority and Arizona is better for it.” For her tireless efforts on behalf of people across our state, Senator Kate Brophy McGee is being honored with the 2021 AZBio Public Service Award.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Andy DeLisle/ASU Knowledge Enterprise. For use by AzBusiness Magazine

20 years of TRIF

A look at the impact of Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

or 20 years, every person who pays sales tax in Arizona has been investing in life saving and life changing research efforts and may not even know it. Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) was created when Arizona voters passed Proposition 301 in the November 2000 election. Prop. 301 added six-tenths of one percent to our state sales tax. It was scheduled to end in 2021 and extended through 2041 by Governor Ducey and the Arizona Legislature in 2018. The majority of this tax revenue is designated by law to support education including K-12 education and community college workforce programs. A small portion, 12 percent, of the funding collected is designated to fund research and technology

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transfer at Arizona’s three public universities. This funding created TRIF. According to a study by the Milken Institute that was commissioned by the Flinn Foundation, “the continued existence of this fund, and the commitment to research and technology it represents, is an essential component of Arizona’s innovation economy.” Those small fractions of a penny add up. Total TRIF revenue received since the inception of the program through June of 2020, was over $1.205 billion. In fiscal year 2020, Arizona’s public universities received approximately $81.4 million in TRIF revenue. The universities leveraged that investment to attract outside research funding, resulting in a $465.7 million return on investment through TRIF-related research.

Where does that money go? The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) approves the TRIF budgets and project plans from Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona in five-year cycles. These project plans are available on the ABOR web site at azregents.edu/reports-0. TRIF money is used to support initiatives and projects that meet one or more of the following categories established by ABOR. The current TRIF investment areas are: • Improving Health • Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions • National Security Systems • Space Exploration and Optical Solutions • Higher Education Access for Workforce Development How TRIF benefits Arizonans TRIF provides much needed funding to promote university research, development, and technology transfer related to the knowledge-based global economy. Work at university research centers explores big questions that impact our daily lives. How can we be healthier? How can we protect our environment and precious natural resources? How can we keep our nation and our service members safe? How can we prepare today’s, and tomorrow’s, workforce for the careers in the future? TRIF research is performed by a combination of students and the world-class researchers that TRIF funding has helped our universities to recruit and keep here in Arizona. Together, they are asking questions, finding answers, and learning from each other as they work side by side. TRIF is more than just university research, it is an opportunity to educate, train, and prepare our students for 21st century careers. TRIF funds also support important workforce development and STEM education programs at our universities. A great

example is BIO5 Institute’s KEYS (Keep Engaging Youth in Science) Research Internship Program. This unique summer program creates opportunities for motivated Arizona high school students with a strong interest in bioscience, engineering, environmental health, data science and biostatistics to work with top University of Arizona faculty on research projects that address the world’s greatest challenges. Redeploying resources Twenty years of TRIF supported research has helped to build up Arizona’s research infrastructure and talent base. Research teams from all three universities became essential partners with Arizona’s healthcare and public health teams to support the people of Arizona in these challenging times. As COVID-19 began to spread across Arizona, all three universities deployed teams and equipment to help develop new tests and ways to test. For example, the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University developed a saliva-based collection kit that allowed people to spit into a straw when providing a sample versus having a swab stuck way up their nose. These new tests and test teams have allowed Arizona research sites to become test labs, increasing our test capacity and reducing wait times for people who needed to be tested. Protecting TRIF TRIF funding as established by Prop. 301 in 2000 and extended by the legislature in 2018 to last through 2041, benefits all Arizonans. The 2018 TRIF extension is not voter protected the way that Prop. 301 was. This creates an opportunity for the people to speak again with a new proposition that would make Prop. 301 funding, including TRIF, permanent and protected. The 2022 election is right around the corner and a great time to get it on the ballot.

THE IMPACT

In fiscal year 2020, TRIF funds helped to support:

2,268

undergraduate students

3,409

graduate students

669

academic and post-doctoral students

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VISION FOR

GROWTH By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

n organization’s strategic vision sets forth the future state it works to ultimately achieve and gives the people who make up the organization a shared purpose. An organization’s mission statement describes what the team does to turn its vision into reality. In 2021, AZBio’s Board of Directors came together to review and refine our vision and mission. The result is clear, easy to remember, and something we are committed to as an organization and as a community.

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AZBio’s Vision of the Future Arizona is a Top 10 life science state. AZBio’s Mission AZBio supports the needs of Arizona’s growing Life Science Ecosystem. How far do we have to go? Arizona is not a top-10 life science state today. By the most accepted national metrics, Arizona ranks 17th in the number of firms, 23rd in the number of life science employees, 29th in the average wage per employee, 24th in Academic R&D investments, and 25th in venture capital investments into companies in their state.1 While these rankings demonstrate that we have a lot to work towards, they reflect significant progress from where we started. Over the last 20 years, Arizona governments, philanthropists, and private interests have invested over $23 billion dollars in building our academic, research, and healthcare systems. These investments are paying off. Research and healthcare assets have been instrumental in Arizona’s COVID-19 response and breakthroughs are in development to address a wide range of health challenges that impact Arizonans today and in the future. In addition, from an economic perspective, there is also a considerable return on investment with an economic impact of $32.67 billion dollars in 2018 which is up from 23.16 billion in 2016.2 Other states, and countries too, recognize the importance of a thriving life science sector and are investing accordingly to build their biotech and medtech industries or to maintain their leadership positions. Realizing our vision of Arizona as a top10 life science state will require ongoing investment and a suite of strategic actions, along with the combined efforts of our researchers, innovators, business leaders, and government partners. In addition to refining our mission and vision, AZBio’s leaders identified six areas of focus where strategic actions will move us closer to our goal. Voice As the voice of Arizona’s life science industry, AZBio works to raise awareness of the great work being done today and our potential for the future. Our industry focused communications celebrate the successes within our community and share

important information that community members can use to move forward faster. Sharing information with each other is not enough. This annual AZBio special supplement reaches over 25,000 business leaders in print and over 122,000 readers online. In addition, through our partnership with Sonoran Living we expect to reach over 1 million viewers on ABC15 and CW61 in 2021 alone. By providing valuable information on how Arizona’s life science and healthcare sectors, is making life better, we can develop more support for our growing industry. Advocacy State and local governments are a vital partner in any successful life science and healthcare ecosystem. Arizona is known for its business-friendly environment and that is one Arizona advantage. AZBio works with our elected leaders to identify best practices and policy strategies that will move Arizona forward economically. At the same time, we never forget that our life science and healthcare industries exist to make life better for people. This includes working with our elected leaders and patient advocacy partners to ensure that people have access to the innovative treatments and services our industry delivers. Capital Another Arizona advantage is TRIF, the Technology & Research Initiative Fund that was created in 2000 as part of Prop. 301. Total TRIF investments since the inception of the program in June 2001 is over $1.2 billion. Arizona’s public universities leveraged that investment to attract outside research funding. The legislature extended this essential funding through 2041, but it is no longer voter protected. To ensure long term certainty to this essential program, a new proposition will need to be presented to the voters. Protecting this essential research funding is just half of the capital equation. Research must be developed into innovative products and services by companies, and this requires a different kind of capital investment. Today, the early-stage funding needed to move discoveries onto development and progress them to the stage where private investors will step in is very limited in Arizona. To address this need AZBio has

partnered with the Opportunity Though Entrepreneurship Foundation to create AZAdvances (AZAdvances.org) and is working to build an endowment that, once funded, will provide this needed resource in Arizona forever. Workforce A growing company base will require a growing workforce. Life science companies and our healthcare delivery systems generate an increasing need for talent at all levels. Arizona’s universities, community colleges, and K-12 systems require industry input to ensure that what they are preparing tomorrow’s workforce and AZBio members can provide it. In addition, today’s students are looking for on-the-job training in the form of paid internships. Top-ten life science states like Massachusetts and Colorado have successful programs that Arizona can emulate. Infrastructure Companies created in Arizona and companies looking to come here have a shared need for places they can grow into. Top-ten life science states have an inventory of facilities ranging from shared incubator facilities to large scale manufacturing sites. AZBio is in a unique position to support developers and investors with the information they need to tap into Arizona’s growing life science sector. Connectivity Bringing our community together to form connections, build partnerships, and make investments is why AZBio created Arizona Bioscience Week in 2015 and the AZBioPEERS program in 2020. These programs provide opportunities for educators, researchers, companies, investors, and others to come together and create future opportunities that can help Arizona rise in the ranks as it moves towards the top-ten. 1 AZBio analysis of national data at https:// www.bio.org/value-bioscience-innovationgrowing-jobs-and-improving-quality-life 2 AZBio analysis of Arizona’s share of the national data reported on the BIO/TEConomy 2020 Report - TEConomy Partners analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW data; enhanced file from iMPLAN. AB | September - October 2021 125

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WHERE THE JOBS ARE

By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

rizona’s bioindustry is a highquality jobs creator and is growing rapidly. In 2018, which is the most recent employment data published by TEConomy Partners, Arizona’s 2,160 bioindustry business establishments employed nearly 30,000 workers. Industry employment in Arizona grew by 15% from 2016 to 2018 —twice the growth rate of the nation. Over the period from 2001 to 2018, Arizona bioindustry employment has grown 102% and the state ranked 23rd for bioscience employment based on 2018 employment data. In 2021, the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI) published the 2021 Life Sciences Workforce Trends Report: Taking Stock of Industry Talent 130

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Dynamics Following a Disruptive Year. As part of the data gathering efforts, AZBio interviewed Arizona corporate leaders, learned about their workforce development efforts, and gained insight on Arizona’s current and future talent needs. In addition to interviews with leaders, employment and hiring data was provided by Arizona biotech and medtech companies. The final stage of the project included analysis of Arizona-specific information on industry job postings. The data represents the latest four years of unique (non-duplicative) job postings across the life sciences industry and its five major subsectors—agricultural feedstock and industrial biosciences; bioscience-related distribution; drugs and pharmaceuticals; medical devices and

equipment; research, testing, and medical laboratories. From January 2017 through December 2020, Arizona life sciences companies posted a total of 38,831 unique job opportunities. Not surprisingly, Arizona’s Research, Testing and Medical labs had the highest percentage of job postings over the 3-year period that includes 2020 with 45% of the total. This number reflects research opportunities at Arizona’s leading universities, private institutes, and hospitals as well as clinical laboratories that serve our state’s growing population. The Drugs & Pharmaceutical sector ranked second at 21% followed closely by the Medical Devices & Equipment sector at 19% and Bio-Related Distribution at 14% of total job postings.

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ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Agricultural Feedstock & Industrial Biotech rounded out the list at 2% or approx. 775 postings. One job post is not necessarily limited to one open position. The need to increase the state’s testing capacity during COVID-19 is one example of where more new employees were needed for specific roles. Growth and relocations, like when Dexcom opened a 180,000-square-foot medical device manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona in 2017, is another example of where multiple job opportunities can be related to a single job post. The hottest jobs The figure below reflects Arizonabased job postings in technical and production roles in the life sciences. Arizona’s high schools, universities, and community colleges play an important role in developing the

talent we need by delivering degreebased training, skills based training, and continuing education programs. CEI LabForce was developed by the team at the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation at GateWay Community College with Prop. 301 workforce development funding. LabForce offers best-in-class curriculum in the areas of clinical skills, quality systems, bioscience lab skills, regulatory compliance, and entrepreneurial leadership. The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law worked with the Critical Path Institute in Tucson to develop certificate programs and degree programs in Regulatory Science. The college then partnered with AZBio to make these online programs more accessible and more affordable. Initiatives and partnerships like these are helping to support the needs of Arizona life science employers and to create opportunities for Arizona workers.

LEADING TECHNICAL AND PRODUCTION-RELATED JOB TITLES/GROUPINGS FOR ARIZONA LIFE SCIENCES HIRING OVER LAST FOUR YEARS

Technicians - Medical 1,563

Quality Assurance & Control 582

Technicians - Laboratory 400

Clinical Research Associates 390

Data Scientists 346

Medical Science Liaisons 308

Regulatory Affairs 288

Scientists - General Research 254

Warehousing & Distribution 224

IT - Software Engineers/Developers 196

Engineers - Industrial 177

Medical Assistants 173

Project Mgmt 168

Medical Directors 167

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Source: 2021 Life Sciences Workforce Trends Report: Taking Stock of Industry Talent Dynamics Following a Disruptive Year.

Landing the job Successful candidates for life science career opportunities draw from their educational and career experience. While 18% of these opportunities ask for advanced degrees like a master’s degree, PhD, or other professional degree, the majority of positions require a range from high school degrees or GED certificates to bachelor’s degrees. Building the future workforce Arizona’s growing life science sector will continue to create a wide range of opportunities for workers today and in the future. Meeting Arizona’s life science talent needs will require that we support the career and personal development needs of our current workforce, encourage more Arizonans to explore life science careers, welcome new workers to our state from other communities, and continue to invest in our educational systems and programs. Programs like CEI LabForce, certificate programs at our universities and community colleges, and industry/ company sponsored programs help our current workers develop and build on their skills and talents. STEM education programs help to inspire students to explore future careers in the life sciences and to take the foundational courses they will need to succeed. Arizona’s Career and Technical Education (CTED) programs are helping high school students get a head start on their career development. Internships and work study programs at our universities, institutes, and companies provide students with opportunities to gain real world experience. As part of their company attraction efforts, our economic development agencies promote Arizona in other states. These activities also raise awareness in these markets of the advantages Arizona has to offer to talented people and their families. The combination of these programs and others are key to addressing the talent needs of our life science companies today and to building tomorrow’s workforce. LEARN MORE To view and download the 2021 Life Sciences Workforce Trends Report: Taking Stock of Industry Talent Dynamics Following a Disruptive Year, visit csbioinstitutes.org

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A DIAGNOSTICS POWERHOUSE By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER

rizona’s bioscience industry is advancing innovation in the field of diagnostics. Diagnostics are an essential tool in our health tool kit. According to the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), there are more than 4,000 different diagnostic tests available today, and they are performed close to 7 billion times each year in the United States. These tests and procedures power medical discoveries, support medical decision making, and are transforming patient care. Diagnostics are used by health professionals to gain critical insights at every stage of medical care – prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and successful management of health conditions. They facilitate evidence-based medicine, improve quality of care, promote wellness, enable early detection of disease, and reduce overall health care costs. AdvaMed reports that diagnostic tests are often the least expensive component of the health care pathway, yet they influence more than 70% of health care expenditures. Types of tests Screening tests are meant to evaluate if an individual is at an increased risk for a disease or condition. Screenings are used to help identify possible health challenges that need further testing and medical review. Some examples of screening tests include the lab work that is done as part of your annual checkup, routine 134

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mammograms for breast cancer, screening tests for colon cancer, or blood glucose tests for diabetes. If the test result shows a potential area of concern, then further diagnostic tests are ordered by the healthcare team. The X-ray was the very first diagnostic imaging tool used and is still the most widely used non-invasive diagnostic procedure today. Imaging technology has come a long way since the first X-rays were discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. The seven most common forms of imaging technology today are the CT scan, MRI, PET scans, Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, and Mammogram. These procedures are used by medical professionals as a diagnostic in some situations and for screening in others. A mammogram can be an X-ray or ultrasound-based screening test. When the test shows an area of concern, a breast biopsy is a diagnostic test that may be indicated to determine if cancer is present, what type of cancer it is, and to help healthcare professionals determine the best treatment options. Conversely, in the case of a broken bone or damaged joint, the X-ray or other imaging technology serves as a diagnostic tool that the doctor will use to determine the course of treatment. In vitro diagnostics (IVDs) are tests done on samples such as blood or tissue that have been taken from the human body. In vitro diagnostics can detect diseases or other conditions and can be used to monitor a person’s overall health to help cure, treat, or prevent diseases. Companion diagnostics are often IVDs. These tests help healthcare professionals determine whether a particular therapeutic product’s benefits to patients will outweigh any potential serious side effects or risks. Genetics and genomics Genetics and genomics both play roles in health and disease. Genetics refers to the study of genes and the way that certain traits or conditions are passed down from one generation to another. Genomics describes the study of all of a person’s genes (the genome) according to the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NHGRI). Certain traits or conditions are passed down from one generation to another. Genetics involves scientific studies of genes and their effects. The genes you inherited from your birth parents carry the instructions for making proteins, which direct the activities of cells and functions of the body. They may determine something as simple as your blood type or eye color. Genetics may also indicate if you are at risk for developing a condition or passing on certain diseases to your children. Some examples of genetic diseases include Down Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Huntington’s Disease, 136

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ROCHE TISSUE DIAGNOSTICS Roche Tissue Diagnostics is improving patient care through tests that determine which patients are most likely to benefit from specific therapies. Through companion diagnostics, they are linking the most accurate diagnosis with the most targeted and relevant therapeutic available for each patient. Information: diagnostics.roche.com

CASTLE BIOSCIENCES Castle Biosciences is a commercial-stage dermatologic diagnostics company focused on providing physicians and their patients with personalized, clinically actionable genomic information to make more accurate treatment decisions. The company currently offers tests for patients with cutaneous melanoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, suspicious pigmented lesions, and uveal melanoma. Information: castlebiosciences.com

SONORA QUEST LABORATORIES Sonora Quest Laboratories, an independently run joint venture between Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics, is the nation’s largest integrated laboratory system with approximately 3,200 employees serving more than 28,000 patients every day throughout Arizona and performing nearly 85 million diagnostic tests per year. Information: sonoraquest.com

TGEN Translational Genomics Research Institute, and affiliate of City of Hope (TGen) is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes, and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Information: tgen.org

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Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, and Tay-Sachs Disease. Another advance, made possible by discoveries about the human genome, has opened the door to personalized medicine approaches that can tailor medical treatment to individual patient needs, transforming modern medicine. Genomics is the study of all of a person’s genes (the genome), including interactions of those genes with each other and with the person’s environment. Genomics includes the scientific study of complex diseases such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and cancer because these diseases are typically caused more by a combination of genetic and environmental factors than by individual genes. Genomics is offering new possibilities for therapies and treatments for some complex diseases, as well as new diagnostic methods according to NHGRI. Diagnostic tests and infectious diseases Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi. Many infectious diseases have minor complications if diagnosed and treated appropriately. Diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis, HIV, and meningitis can be life-threatening. Early and accurate diagnosis of infectious disease is critically important because diagnosis can improve the effectiveness of treatments and avoid long-term complications for the infected patient. As we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, undiagnosed patients can also unknowingly transmit the disease to others. Early diagnosis can help to prevent or stop an outbreak. Antibiotic resistance These tests also help our healthcare provider determine the appropriate medicine to use. Laboratory and point-of-care diagnostic tests help health professionals determine if an infection is bacterial, viral or caused by another pathogen like fungi or parasites. The CDC states that antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health. Antibiotic resistance happens when germs, like bacteria and fungi, develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to resistance. According to the CDC, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and more than 35,000 people die. Antibiotics are only needed for treating certain infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics do not work on viruses. Colds, flu, bronchitis, and other viral infections are not indicated for antibiotics. We need effective antibiotics to treat serious, life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia and sepsis. Additionally, antibiotics can be indicated to protect individuals at high risk 138

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for bacterial infections. Not all bacterial infections need to be treated. Some will go away on their own in a few days. Your healthcare professional will use diagnostic tests combined with their medical knowledge to determine what is the best course of treatment. Pointing the Way Testing is an essential part of the healthcare tool kit. From the most basic tests to the most complex, they provide individuals and healthcare professions with the information they need to make good health decisions and get better outcomes.

EXACT SCIENCES CORPORATION Exact Sciences Corporation is a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests. Building on the success of Cologuard and Oncotype DX®, Exact Sciences is investing in its product pipeline to take on some of the deadliest cancers and improve patient care. In 2020 Exact Sciences acquired Paradigm Diagnostics, Inc. and Viomics, Inc., two privately held companies based in Phoenix. In 2021, the company acquired Ashion Analytics and entered into a research partnership with TGen. Information: exactsciences.com

HTG HTG is focused on NGS-based molecular profiling. The company’s proprietary HTG EdgeSeq technology automates complex, highly multiplexed molecular profiling from solid and liquid samples, even when limited in amount. HTG’s customers use its technology to identify biomarkers important for precision medicine, to understand the clinical relevance of these discoveries, and ultimately to identify treatment options. Information: htgmolecular.com

CARIS LIFE SCIENCES Caris Life Sciences® is a leading innovator in molecular science and artificial intelligence focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation. The company’s suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA, and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps physicians and cancer patients make more precise and personalized treatment decisions. Information: carislifesciences.com

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A SHOT IN THE ARM I

f you look up the phrase “a shot in the arm” you will likely find something like this: a stimulus or booster, something vitalizing or encouraging. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of people around the world were waiting and watching as one of the greatest scientific achievements of our lifetime became reality, not one, but multiple COVID-19 vaccines. The challenge we now face is ensuring that every human on the planet who wants and needs the protection of vaccination can get it. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the global vaccine supply chain in an unprecedented way. As billions of people need vaccines around the world, the demand for raw materials, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution capacity has skyrocketed. To ensure people get safe and effective vaccines as quickly as possible, biotechnology companies have leveraged global partnerships and innovative collaborations to reach patients all around the world. It is critically important to

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support the ability of innovators to scale up manufacturing. Vaccine makers are set to produce nearly 11 billion doses — that’s enough supply to vaccinate all high-risk patients across the globe. And there’s even more to come as additional new vaccines are expected to be approved for use. Beyond COVID-19 Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions. Today, life science innovators have developed and deliver vaccines that prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages live longer, healthier lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that immunization currently prevents 2-3 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles. In addition to the common childhood immunizations that most of us are familiar with, new adult vaccines like the Shingles vaccines are helping protect adults from a viral infection that causes a painful

rash. Shingles is caused by the varicellazoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles. Vaccines to prevent cancer HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common virus that can lead to 6 types of cancers later in life. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that nearly all men and women will get HPV at some point in their lives. Nearly 80 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. About 14 million Americans, including teens, become infected each year. While most adults will naturally clear the infection within a few years, others are not as lucky. Just over a decade ago, HPV became vaccine preventable disease with the approval of new HPV vaccines. These vaccines are most effective when administered before a person has been infected with HPV. That is why the CDC recommends that children be protected from developing these cancers by giving HPV vaccine at ages 11–12 years. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2021, there will be an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases diagnosed for all types of cancers and 608,570 cancer deaths in the United States. Developing a safe and effective cancer vaccine that can protect against all cancers is a goal our life science companies and scientists are pursuing. One such company, Phoenix-based Calviri, Inc., is part of this quest. The company is running the largest dog vaccine trial in the world and is working with three premier Veterinary Universities. The five-year trial will assess the performance of a preventative cancer vaccine for dogs. If Calviri is successful with dogs, there is hope that a future vaccine for humans may be possible too.

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NEVER ENOUGH Each day we have with the people we love is precious, and there are never enough. When someone we love lives with disease, we do what we can to help; and feel like it is never enough. Every time as researchers, innovators, and healthcare teams we are not able to conquer a disease in time, we know that for all that we do, until we succeed, it is never enough. So we keep loving, keep helping, keep working to find answers. For when we do, someday, it will be enough.

Thank you to all of the family members, friends, caregivers, researchers, innovators, investors, philanthropists, healthcare teams, and, most of all, to the patients who work together to get us to someday.

AZBusiness September/October 2021

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