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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AB | September - October 2021
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.
