January 2024 issue of In Business Magazine

JAN. 2024

Meetings & Conventions Guide for Your Business

Chips, Climate, Culture, College, Construction The New ‘5 C’s’ of Our Economy

B2B Marketing Trends for 2024 Emerging Markets in This Month’s Guest Editor

Rick McCartney InMedia Company

THIS ISSUE Arizona Technology Council

Tech for Good

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Cybersecurity Strategies $7.95 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

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JANUARY 2024

FEATURES

34 GUEST COLUMNIST

40 Shapiro Law Team’s Commitment to Community This month spotlighting Shapiro Law Team, Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways businesses give back and the positive ways their programs impact our community.

COVER STORY

26

Chips, Climate, Culture, College, Construction: The New 5 C’s of Our Economy

In Business Magazine identifies a new slate of 5 C’s that power our economy. Leaders in each C category share their experience of what makes it strong now and next.

DEPARTMENTS

9

Guest Editor

Rick McCartney, publisher of In Business Magazine and president and CEO of InMedia Company, introduces the “Our New 5 C’s Economy” issue.

10 PARTNER SECTION Arizona Technology Report

WINTER 2024

aztechcouncil.org

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Keeping Connected

Arizona Technology Council: The Voice of the Technology Industry

President’s Message

5 B2B Marketing Trends for 2024

Jordan Buning discusses the top marketing trends for 2024 and their emphasis on agility and aggressiveness in its many forms.

Feedback

Becky Bell Ballard, Edgar Olivo and Jeff Swanson respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month: What would make good collaboration for your organization with a forprofit business?

42

Cybersecurity Risk Controls Remain Key to Risk Mitigation, Resilience & Insurability

Jordan Freeman shares proactive cybersecurity strategies for business owners and C-level executives.

43

Tech for Good

Marga Hoek explores emerging sustainable growth markets.

22

Healthcare

“BrightlyThrive: Fostering Autoimmune Wellness and Community in Greater Phoenix” and “Facing the HR Challenges of Employee Suicide”

24

Technology

“Purpose-Built Construction AI includes Bilingual Voice” and “How Businesses Can Manage Personal Devices in the Workplace”

35

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

Podcasts help spread Council’s message to widespread audience

When news came from Capitol Hill that the Inflation Reduction Act passed into law, we at the Arizona Technology Council were more than a little excited. With the inclusion of a clean energy component in the legislation, the Council predicted new opportunities were possible for this segment of our membership and their peers.

The results tell us we had reason to be positive.

Since the IRA became official in summer 2022, the state has gained more than $10 billion in new Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO clean energy investments. In turn, that is expected to Arizona Technology Council SciTech Institute translate into an estimated 13,570 jobs in Arizona.

Council member companies announcing new projects are KORE Power in partnership with Siemens to build the $1.25-billion KOREPlex battery facility in Buckeye with The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for science and 6,400 jobs and Phoenix-based JA Solar’s manufacturing facility creating 600 jobs technology companies. through a $60-million investment.

Other projects of note are the $5.6-billion LG Energy Solutions gigafactory Phoenix Office in Queen Creek that is expected to result in 2,800 jobs and American Battery’s 2800 N. Central Ave., #1530, Phoenix, AZ 85004 gigafactory in Tucson, projected to employ 1,000 with its $1.2-billion investment.

Phone: 602-343-8324 • Fax: 602-343-8330 info@aztechcouncil.org Adding to that are the cities of Casa Grande, Coolidge and Eloy plus the town of Patagonia that have new projects coming online, resulting in facilities being Tucson Office built and jobs becoming available due to clean energy investments.

1215 E. Pennsylvania St., Tucson, AZ, 85714 As you can see, Arizona is claiming its share of the national clean energy Phone: 520-388-5760 tucson@aztechcouncil.org investment boom, quickly establishing itself as a powerhouse in the U.S. clean energy industry.

Beyond our members having good news to report, the Council is MANAGEMENT AND STAFF playing another role by helping facilitate conversations with those who Steven G. Zylstra President + CEO can work together to continue the momentum. For example, we recently Chris O’Neal Chief of Staff partnered with other groups to convene the roundtable “Powering Arizona: Deborah Zack Vice President, Membership Services Karla Morales Vice President, Southern Arizona Maximizing Historic Federal Investment for a Clean Economy.”

Regional Office The Governor’s Office of Resiliency, the key administrator of IRA grants Leslie Marquez Director, Marketing + Communications in the state, and major Arizona employers from Honeywell Aerospace, Darryle Emerson Director, Programs + Events Microsoft, Lucid Motors, KORE Power and others met at Honeywell’s Jamie Neilson Director of Operations + Events, Southern Arizona Regional Office Advanced Air Mobility Lab in Phoenix for this private discussion about Angelica Espinoza Bookkeeper maximizing clean energy investment in the state as they shared their plans Rae Johnson Administrative Assistant for growth here and discussed policy challenges to fully maximize the IRA. Don Rodriguez Editor The state also shared updates on their progress and requests for Ron Schott Executive Emeritus, Phoenix information specific to the next stage of IRA maximization. The Office of SCITECH INSTITUTE Resiliency has been focused on grant applications, but the conversation is Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO turning toward how we further advance loan and tax incentives.

Jeremy Babendure, Ph.D., Executive Director Kaci Fankhauser, STEM Ecosystem Co-Director Supporting members in their quest for success while helping bring Claire Conway, STEM Ecosystem Co-Director parties together to determine what’s right for their organizations and the Eileen Healy, CSO International Program Manager state, the Council and its staff are empowered by the potential of what lies Sarah Cundiff, CSO International Program Coordinator ahead for Arizona in the clean energy industry and more than happy to Ashton Grove, AZ CSO Program Coordinator have a seat at the table.

Brittany Sweeney-Lawson,

3 Public Policy Guide

Recommendations to lawmakers shared in annual publication

11

4 Dynamic Duo

VPs from PayPal and ASU join board

5 Global Conversations

Students get chance to make their case with leaders

WHO WE ARE

Marketing & Communications Manager Vanessa Thompson, Finance Administrator Mark Paulsen, Workforce Development Coordinator Makenna Littell, Event Coordinator

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

aztechcouncil.org

1

47 Arizona Technology Council

SPECIAL SECTION Presents

13

53 Valley Meetings & Conventions Guide

Startups

“De Respino Packs Experience into Dispute Resolution” and “GoX Wearable Tech Advances Workers’ Safety”

14

From the Top

Darin Roberge builds on his classic car auction experience to innovate collector car marketing.

15 Top Valley venues, hotels and unique ideas for holding the best meetings and conventions here

Briefs

“Tips for Announcing Bad News,” “Dailies Top Stories,” “Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy” and “Arizona’s Clean Energy Scorecard”

CRE

“How COVID Changed Arizona’s Commercial Construction for the Better,” “ASU’s Science/Tech Building Breaks Ground,” “New Industrial Complex Begins to Rise in SW Phoenix,” “East Valley’s Most Sustainable Multifamily Apartments Opens in Mesa” and “LEEDCertified Industrial Planned for Goodyear”

18

Semi Insights

“How Phoenix, Arizona, Is Rebuilding America’s Semiconductor Sovereignty,” “New Investments Bolster Arizona Tech Leadership” and “Phoenix: The New Frontier for Global Tech Trade Shows”

JAN. 2024

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INBUSINESSPHX.COM

36

Economy

Dean Newton discusses venture capital’s increased interest in nutritional food startups.

38

Legal

Attorney Heather Buchta suggests businesses celebrate this year’s Data Privacy Day with a refresh of their privacy program.

44 Nonprofit Create an effective employee engagement program as a vital component of a corporate social responsibility strategy.

45

Assets

2024 Ford F-150 Raptor Plus: Unique candles shine a light on eco-friendly collaboration between local candle and tequila companies.

46

Power Lunch

The Rosticceria Puts Wood-Fired Meats in the Limelight

66

Roundtable

Shelley MacConnell discusses the increasing focus on familybuilding options as an employee benefit.

Will “the Semiconductor State” supplant “the Copper State” as Arizona’s nickname? Read this month’s cover story, “Chips, Climate, Culture, College, Construction: The New 5 C’s of Our Economy,” on page 26.

Jan. 2024

VOL. 15, NO. 1

In Business Magazine is a collaboration of many business organizations and entities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area and Arizona. Our mission is to inform and energize business in this community by communicating content that will build business and enrich the economic picture for all of us vested in commerce.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Debbie Hann, Chief Operating Officer Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 www.asba.com Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 www.aztechcouncil.org

Boost your spending.

Kristen Wilson, CEO AZ Impact for Good (602) 279-2966 www.azimpactforgood.org

Efficient, rewarding and flexible, the Stearns Bank business credit card gives you the freedom to spend how you choose.

Terri Kimble, President & CEO Chandler Chamber of Commerce (480) 963-4571 www.chandlerchamber.com

Learn More,Visit StearnsBank.com/Phoenix

Suzi Freeman, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (480) 289-5768 www.nawbophx.org

Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

Colin Diaz, President & CEO Tempe Chamber of Commerce (480) 967-7891 www.tempechamber.org Our Partner Organizations are vested business organizations focused on building and improving business in the Valley or throughout Arizona. As Partners, each will receive three insert publications each year to showcase all that they are doing for business and businesspeople within our community. We encourage you to join these and other organizations to better your business opportunities.

The members of these and other Associate Partner Organizations receive a subscription to In Business Magazine each month. For more information on becoming an Associate Partner, please contact our publisher at info@inbusinessphx.com.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce ahwatukeechamber.com Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry azchamber.com Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce azhcc.com The Black Chamber of Arizona phoenixblackchamber.com Economic Club of Phoenix econclubphx.org Glendale Chamber of Commerce glendaleazchamber.org Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce phoenixchamber.com Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce gpglcc.org Mesa Chamber of Commerce mesachamber.org North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce northphoenixchamber.com Peoria Chamber of Commerce peoriachamber.com Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce phoenixmetrochamber.com Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce scottsdalechamber.com Scottsdale Coalition of Today and Tomorrow (SCOTT) scottnow.com Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce surpriseregionalchamber.com WESTMARC westmarc.org

6 JAN. 2024

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Words

Jan. 2024

OUR CONTENT CREATORS

RaeAnne Marsh Editor, In Business Magazine RaeAnne Marsh became editorial director of Phoenix-based InMedia Company in 2010 and helped launch Valley-wide business resource In Business Magazine. Her journalism career began more than 20 years ago, when she left California and 12 years of teaching to transplant in Phoenix’s vibrant entrepreneurial environment, and includes incorporating her own business, Grammar & Glitz, Inc., through which she has taken writing and editing gigs with business and media clients nationwide.

Holding the magazine to strong editorial standards, she says, “New businesses are founded, out-of-staters bring new strengths, established businesses evolve and expand — all of which contributes to the dynamic vitality that I see as the mission of In Business Magazine to be the voice of and vehicle to nurture, in each monthly edition. It is my challenge to ensure each edition is packed with relevant information on a broad spectrum of issues, aimed at a readership that runs the gamut from entrepreneurial startup to major corporation.”

Guest columns are feature articles presented as a special, limited series as well as regular, ongoing series in In Business Magazine.

Tyler Butler Guest Columnist – Social Impact A long time corporate social responsibility practitioner, Tyler Butler is known for her expertise in creating, launching and developing successful social impact programs.

Her commitment to rallying people together to make a positive difference has created sustainable signature programs empowering people to give back in a myriad of ways globally. Butler operates under the ethos of “each one teach one,” and so her contributions to In Business Magazine provide her with an outlet to share the best of what companies are doing to aid humanity. Butler looks to shed light on good corporate citizens and share stories about the magic they are

Publisher

Rick McCartney

Editor

RaeAnne Marsh

Web Editor Graphic Design

Jake Kless Benjamin Little

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Don Alix

Marga Hoek

Brandon Bell

Mike Hunter

Heather Buchta

Kwyn Johnson

Jordan Buning

Laura Kaiser

Tyler Butler

Shelly MacConnell

Cassie Carpenter

Thomas Mustac

Noelle Creamer

Dean Newton

Dan Freeman

Stephanie Quinn

Jordan Freeman

Lauren Winans

ADVERTISING Operations Louise Ferrari Business Development Louise Ferrari Cami Shore Events

Amy Corben

creating through their generous outreach efforts. boards in the Valley.

More: Visit your one-stop resource for everything business at inbusinessphx.com. For a full monthly calendar of business-related events, please visit our website.

Bruce Weber Guest Columnist – Capacity Bruce Weber sees In Business Magazine as a valuable forum for topics relevant to our business and nonprofit community. “I am deeply interested in organizational capacity and

Inform Us: Send press releases and your editorial ideas to editor@inbusinessphx.com

what makes organizations successful and impactful in the work they do. In my work in the community for more than 16 years, I have worked with all sizes of organizations and leaders in helping their businesses grow and expand their impact. My previous careers with Microsoft and Hewlett Packard involved working with business integration partners to design strategies to engage new markets. In today’s complex world, I enjoy exploring the possibilities and opportunities that change can bring.”

This month’s contributors Jordan Buning is president of ddm marketing + communications, a leading marketing agency for highly complex and highly regulated industries.

Heather Buchta is a partner at Quarles in Phoenix, where she is office chair for the Intellectual Property Group, co-chair of the firm’s Data Privacy and Security Team, and involved in the firm’s AI initiative.

Jordan Freeman, CLCS, is a business insurance broker at Marsh McLennan Agency (formerly Lovitt & Touché).

Dean Newton is chairman of Relevance Ventures, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The first Native-owned independent venture capital firm in the United States, the firm focuses on the Health & Wellness sector.

Marga Hoek is a multi-award-winning, bestselling author of The Trillion Dollar Shift (described as “Required Reading” for CEOs by Fortune), a global thought leader, and a former three-time CEO. Laura Kaiser is the chief corporate relations and brand officer at Valley of the Sun United Way.

8 JAN. 2024

President & CEO Editorial Director Financial Manager Office Manager Accounting Manager

Rick McCartney RaeAnne Marsh Tom Beyer Allie Jones Todd Hagen

Corporate Office InMedia Company

45 W. Jefferson Street Phoenix, AZ 85003 T: (480) 588-9505

info@inmediacompany.com

www.inmediacompany.com Vol. 15, No. 1 In Business Magazine is published 12 times per year by InMedia Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. To subscribe to In Business Magazine, please send check or money order for one-year subscription of $24.95 to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 or visit inbusinessphx.com. We appreciate your editorial submissions, news and photos for review by our editorial staff. You may send to editor@ inbusinessmag.com or mail to the address above. All letters sent to In Business Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication, website or brochure. InMedia accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. InMedia Company, LLC reserves the right to refuse certain advertising and is not liable for advertisers’ claims and/or errors. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of InMedia. InMedia Company considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorney and/or financial professional. ©2022 InMedia Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission by any means without written permission by the publisher.

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

RICK MCCARTNEY, INMEDIA COMPANY

The Changing C’s – It Is More Than a Case of ‘Then and Now’ Rick McCartney is president and CEO of InMedia Company, a media technology company, and is responsible for producing many local, regional and national brands and media products. He is the publisher of In Business Magazine, which has been publishing in the Greater Phoenix area since 2011. In 2024, In Business Magazine will be expanding into both additional cities, and with the production of the In Business Weekly TV Show.

McCartney is a member of several nonprofit and for-profit boards and is involved with local and national organizations — all focused on economic development, children’s education, poverty and equity issues.

Arizona’s economy was once known for Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate — or the “5 C’s,” as they were known. Our economy has transformed in recent decades to one dependent on cycles. Thanks to a concerted, collaborative effort among economic development agencies and the business community, we now again have a diversified economy — and one based on components that promise continued strength and great potential for sustainability.

As we see the successes of other states, namely Texas and New York, grow with great effort by business organizations and the state government, Arizona has gotten a foot in the race and has experienced some very surprising stats as well. The successful growth in the semiconductor industry, logistics services and innovations, the growth of data centers and even expanded industrial space has all contributed to our overall attraction and each is making Arizona a top choice to grow business and industry.

As we take a hard look at what is attracting top companies and talent to Arizona, In Business Magazine identifies a new slate of 5 C’s that are powering our economy. Our cover story this month looks at each in depth. Chips, Climate, Culture, College and Construction are the latest and convey a new Arizona as those sectors expand and find economic success. We spoke to leaders in each “C” category and asked them to share their experience and asked them to speak to the impact the category is having on our economy today and what is in store for Arizona’s future.

Many publications take this time of year to look back at the preceding year. In Business Magazine offers several articles in this January edition that consider what’s ahead in marketing with our story entitled “5 B2B Marketing Trends for 2024”), in cybersecurity with our story called “Cybersecurity Risk Controls Remain Key to Risk Mitigation, Resilience & Insurability” and in emerging sustainable growth markets with our story called “Tech for Good.”

Further, the Economy feature explores a new investment trend in venture capital as Dean Newton shares his expertise in “Food as Medicine: Venture Capital’s Appetite for a Healthier Future.” And in “New Year, New … Privacy Program?” attorney Heather Buchta suggests now is a good time for businesses to consider refreshing their privacy programs as this month marks the relatively new holiday of Data Privacy Day. Clean energy looks to become another powerful “C” for our economy, and In Business Magazine editor RaeAnne Marsh shares an update from a recent roundtable that involved many companies leading the charge to establish Metro Phoenix as a hub for that sector, in Briefs article “Arizona’s Clean Energy Scorecard.”

This edition also offers the annual Meetings & Conventions Guide. This guide is full of resources for businesses when planning major meetings and conventions in the Greater Phoenix area. Our annual guide provides some of the key features of each of the venues and spaces so that companies can compare and make decisions to meet their needs right here, in their own backyard.

Startups, healthcare, leadership, commercial real estate – In Business Magazine has a panoramic focus on keeping the business community informed on new activity, new insights and best practices. Here’s to a great 2024 for our business community.

Rick McCartney Publisher, In Business Magazine President & CEO, InMedia Company

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JAN. 2024

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SPEAKING OUT

What would make good collaboration for your organization with a for-profit business?

Editor’s Note: This question generated response also from: MONIQUE LOPEZ Chief Operating Officer UMOM New Day Centers Please visit January’s Feedback entry on our website to learn this organization’s strategies and experience.

FEEDBACK QUESTION: Let us know what you want to know from the Valley’s top business leaders. editor@inbusinessphx.com

BECKY BELL BALLARD

EDGAR R. OLIVO

JEFF SWANSON

Chief Executive Officer Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children Sector: Nonprofit

Regional CEO, Arizona and New Mexico American Red Cross Sector: Nonprofit

Executive Director of Administration One Step Beyond, Inc. Sector: Nonprofit

We establish partnerships that include joint disaster preparedness initiatives, employee volunteer opportunities and fundraising campaigns to support our mission. These interactions could range from workplace blood drives and CPR training sessions to financial assistance for disaster response and recovery.

Strengthening resiliency in our communities is the cornerstone of our collaborations. Businesses can enhance their corporate social responsibility initiatives by aligning with our humanitarian goals. In return, we would gain access to additional resources and increased visibility of our services that ensure the Red Cross continues its mission of alleviating human suffering for generations to come.

Ultimately, successful collaborations like these create a positive impact on our communities, strengthening disaster resilience and preparedness while fostering a culture of corporate citizenship and social responsibility in Arizona.

A fruitful collaboration is rooted in shared values and a commitment to community impact. Our participants deserve the opportunity to achieve their goals and become fully participating members of the community. When for-profit businesses support our mission, it creates a mutually beneficial relationship for One Step Beyond and the business.

Imagine partnering with a local technology company that specializes in accessible software development. This collaboration could result in tailored programs to enhance digital literacy skills among our community members, opening new avenues for personal and professional growth.

A retail partner could create inclusive job opportunities, providing vocational training and real-world employment experiences.

This not only empowers our participants but also contributes to a diverse and inclusive workforce for the for-profit business.

A mutually beneficial collaboration might also involve supporting fundraising initiatives or sharing a percentage of sales, helping sustain and expand our programs.

The most successful corporate partnerships have a holistic approach, encompassing financial support, employment opportunities, skill development programs and shared expertise, all working toward a more inclusive and empowered community.

Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children, a local nonprofit organization, seeks collaborations with businesses on all fronts. Our mission is to eliminate barriers to high-quality music education.

As one of the largest 100%-free afterschool music academies in the nation, our approach is holistic. Currently, Rosie’s House provides many “wrap-around” services that might seem unusual for a music academy. From college application support to healthy meals, Rosie’s House is a place where we are dedicated to the success of our students from all angles.

In 2023, Rosie’s House launched a mental health initiative with the support of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation. To best serve the students who participate in our program, we are currently seeking referral partners to help us address wellbeing and mental health challenges.

As a trusted community partner, Rosie’s House students often come to us first when they are experiencing personal challenges. Through powerful collaborations with mental health service providers, Rosie’s House can help address the mental health epidemic for young people in Maricopa County.

Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children rosieshouse.org

For all past Feedbacks go online to inbusinessphx.com and see what Valley executives think on various business topics.

JAN. 2024

10

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As the CEO of Rosie’s House, Ballard finds solutions to address the disparity in access to music education. In her role, she combines creativity with strategy and has grown the local nonprofit into one of the largest free afterschool music programs nationwide.

Ballard is actively involved with Valley Leadership (Class 37 graduate) and is a current Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Fellow.

American Red Cross Arizona and New Mexico redcross.org/local/az-nm.html Edgar R. Olivo is an influential leader, passionate advocate and dedicated regional chief executive officer of the American Red Cross for the Arizona and New Mexico region.

He is a distinguished humanitarian known for promoting economic prosperity and community resilience. With a cross-functional perspective gained from his experience in government, business and nonprofit sectors, he has made a significant impact in Arizona’s Hispanic community.

Sign up for the monthly In Business Magazine eNewsletter at www.inbusinessphx.com. Look for survey questions and other research on our business community.

One Step Beyond, Inc. osbi.org Jeff Swanson is executive director of administration for One Step Beyond. He oversees HR, infrastructure/IT, corporate training & compliance/ quality assurance across all Arizona and California campuses. Prior to OOSBI, he spent 12 years with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization working in finance, alumni relations, special events and corporate and community impact.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

DAILIES TOP STORIES

‘In Business Dailies’ Most Views Last 30 Days Here are the stories with the most views over the past 30 days (prior to press time) that were features in our In Business Dailies. The In Business Dailies hit email inboxes twice each weekday — at 9:30 a.m. and updated at 4:30 p.m. Sign up today at www.inbusinessphx.com/dailies-signup.

Leadership & Management | Cover Story | December 2023

19 Top Leaders of 2023: Our list of Valley leaders who are making a real difference!

by Mike Hunter Each year, we select top leaders who have had great success over the preceding year. This year, we selected 19 leaders in varied established sectors within our business community. We asked hard-hitting questions of these leaders to get a sense of what they see for 2024.

HR & Management | By the Numbers | December 2023

Tips for Announcing Bad News Here are a few aspects organizations need to consider when there is some hot water for an organization or an individual: Who will be the speaker? — Will the individual represent him- or herself or get a spokesperson? For an organization, the spokesperson will be the face of the organization within the firestorm. What is most important is the individual must be calm, cool and collected to deliver whatever bad news is about to be delivered.

Be direct. — No matter how bad the news is, it is important to not go around the facts.

Instead, organizations should identify the goal they want to achieve: Address an allegation?

Plead the fifth? The spokesperson must be able to deliver a concise message and answer common public questions. Sometimes, not all information is known, but the key here is to make a stance known. Is the news true or not?

Honesty is the best policy. — If the pressure becomes too much for a spokesperson or an individual within an organization, they tend to make lies. This immediately not only causes public doubt but begins to tarnish an individual and/or organization’s image. This not only is a crisis, but it has turned into an image problem as well. Before you know it, resources are being wasted and then organizations or individuals

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” —Benjamin Franklin

collapse. Organizations need to limit the damage and show the public they aren’t lying and what the plan of action is going forward.

Have a game plan. — “The action,” as I call it. Okay, there is bad news, and now what?

An organization or an individual must have a course of action ready immediately, as we live in a fast-moving society that wants immediate answers to issues. Sometimes, issues cannot be resolved overnight, since certain bad news can involve investigations, litigation or other situations that cause the issue to slow down.

This is where the previous tip of having a spokesperson becomes critical; to ensure the message doesn’t get mixed and foster further public doubt, all information should flow through this individual.

Be open to feedback. — This is one of the most crucial tips. Organizations will want to utilize public responses and feedback in their planning or organizational/individual responses to change an approach reactively. Sometimes, a crisis PR plan within an organization will drift into unknown waters, and the better that organization prepares the public with answers, the better an outcome it will have in a bad news situation.

—Thomas Mustac, with Otter Public Relations (otterpr.com), which has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Forbes, Entrepreneur and many more

What Is the Future Shape of Work?

by James Neave

The study recently released by Adzuna, the smarter job search engine, unveiled insights into the trajectories of hybrid and remote work.

Growth & Enterprise | inbusinessphx.com | December 5 2023

Phoenix’s Newest Luxury Hotel Opens inbusinessPHX.com

Very few hotels today are the culmination of a deeply personal journey of one individual – an individual who, bound by no brand, has dedicated close to a decade scrutinizing every singular detail of the guest experience, from the way the shower door swings to how the morning light plays on the sumptuous fabric wallcoverings, and everything in between.

Economy & Trends | Economy | December 2023

The Secret Weapon in Preventing Buyer’s Remorse

by Rachel E. Biro, CPA Purchasing a business involves considerable personal, professional and financial investment. For those considering a business transaction, it is important to know that academics and researchers highlight a discouraging trend for failed mergers and acquisitions.

It’s sad, but true –— not all M&As are winners. However, the risks and surprises associated with the purchase of a business can be mitigated with the most vital tool of any successful M&A strategy — a comprehensive financial due diligence.

JAN. 11 2024 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy ACHIEVEMENTS

Pedal Haus: 2023 Brewery of the Year Pedal Haus Brewery took home top honors recently at the second annual Arizona Craft Beer Awards, being named the 2023 Brewery of the Year and adding to a long string of awards it has earned since opening its first location in 2015. pedalhausbrewery.com

Yates Buick GMC: Tops in GM Women’s Retail Network With Whitney Yates Woods as its visionary president, Yates Buick GMC, a leading automotive dealership located in Goodyear, was recently recognized as one of the top female-operated dealerships in the nation under the GM Women’s Retail Network. yatesbuickgmc.com

Architects Award Honors Sara Yehia Sara Yehia, AIA, founding principal of Kenzy Architects, was one of two local architects honored with the prestigious AIA10 Award at the recent AIA Arizona Awards Gala at the Phoenix Art Museum. kenzyarchitects.com PHILANTHROPY

AZ Blue Fills Jars with Hope for Jessie Rees More than 160 AZ Blue employees recently volunteered their time to the Jessie Rees Foundation to fill 1,000 64-ounce plastic JoyJars with toys, games and inspirational messages for children battling cancer, continuing the legacy begun by 12-year-old Jessie Joy Rees during her fight with cancer from March 2011 to January 2012. azblue.com • negu.org/jessie

Credit Union West Employees Make 3rd Donation of 2023 In their third donation of 2023, Credit Union West employees gifted $6,583.53 to the Yavapai County Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that provides food to those in need within the county. cuwest.org • yavapaifoodbank.org

CHASSE Partners with Local School Districts More than 60 team members from the Tempe and Tucson locations of CHASSE Building Team, an employee-owned and operated general contractor, kicked off the holiday season by helping put together nearly 1,600 holiday meal boxes for local families’ Thanksgiving celebrations, partnering with local school districts for distribution. chasse.us

Sundt Supports St. Mary’s Food Bank The Sundt Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Sundt Construction, recently presented a check to St. Mary’s Food Bank for $121,480. The donation came as the result of the company’s annual holiday campaign. sundt.com •

Arizona’s Clean Energy Scorecard

Honeywell Aerospace recently hosted a roundtable event — “Powering Arizona: Maximizing Historic Federal Investment for a Clean Economy” — at its Advanced Air Mobility Lab in Phoenix. With representatives from Honeywell, Microsoft, Lucid Motors, KORE Power and other major employers in the state, along with Blaise Caudill, energy policy advisor at the Governor’s Office of Resiliency, it provided an opportunity for public- and privatesector leaders to discuss their plans to leverage federal clean energy legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 to maximize clean energy investment in Arizona to benefit our economy and the climate.

Noting that Honeywell has a long-time presence in Arizona and employs approximately 10,000 people here, David Shilliday, general manager of Honeywell’s Advanced Air Mobility, says, “The ecosystem we need to create to make sure Arizona remains at the center of a clean economy requires not just establishing the facilities but the workforce of the future.”

In that regard, Honeywell is deeply involved in STEM activities with Mesa public schools as well as through the Arizona Diamondbacks STEM challenges and local universities “to ensure there are opportunities for developing the curricula for what we think the future needs are.”

Relative to clean energy solutions, Shilliday points to facilities upgrades, including Honeywell’s legacy Engines campus “moving to utilizing more of its footprint for hydrogen development, whether fuel cell development or hydrogen combustion.”

“Since passage of Inflation Reduction Act, clean energy manufacturing announcements have gone into hyperdrive,” says Edwin Hernández-Vargas, manager of state and local affairs at KORE Power. KORE’s announced factory in Buckeye was one of the first — not just for Arizona but the United States, he notes. And whereas five years ago, when KORE Power was founded, battery cell production was happening primarily in Asia, the tide is now turning. “The U.S. is now the world’s growth leader in new battery manufacturing facilities,” he says.

KORE broke ground on its KOREplex in Buckeye late last year and expects it to be

operational in 2025 — a 1.3-million-gigawatt manufacturing facility that will create 1,250 jobs in Phase I and produce an annual capacity of about six or seven gigawatt-hours-worth of battery cell technology.

Of even broader impact is KORE’s focus on creating an ecosystem in clean energy. “As we continue to build out the KOREplex in Buckeye, we’re looking forward to being an anchor that will attract other suppliers and manufacturers here to Arizona,” says Hernández-Vargas. “We’re having conversations with the companies that create the materials that we use but also the companies that will use the batteries that we produce. We’re also having conversations with those companies that will recycle those batteries so that those materials can go back into other products.

“When we talk to those companies about what’s happening here, they get really excited,” he continues. “Not just about the logistics of being here in Arizona and also the business climate that exists. They also — almost as importantly — get excited about our academic institutions.”

KORE Power’s goal, Hernández-Vargas says, is to “build a clean, safe, reliable electric grid — with a stamp that says, ‘Made in the USA.’” Governor Hobbs established the Office of Resiliency to provide a focused office for energy, water, land use and transportation, seeing, Caudill notes, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attract federal dollars through the bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. In fact, Arizona has emerged as one of the nation’s top destinations for clean energy investment. Since the Inflation Reduction Act passed into law in the summer of 2022, the state has already secured more than $10 billion in new clean energy investments, which are projected to create more than 13,500 new jobs.

“Powering Arizona: Maximizing Historic Federal Investment for a Clean Economy” was organized by Ceres, Advanced Energy United and the Arizona Technology Council.

—RaeAnne Marsh

sundtfoundation.org

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Notable clean energy projects in Arizona include KORE Power’s KOREPlex 1.3-million-gigawatt battery facility in Buckeye, in partnership with Siemens; the $5.6-billion LG Energy Solutions gigafactory in Queen Creek; and American Battery’s gigafactory in Tucson, which is expected to employ 1,000.

ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS

De Respino Packs Experience into Dispute Resolution With a passion developed over 36 years of experience in evaluating and litigating complex disputes and the strategic decisions that are required for risk analysis, Laurence J. De Respino, Esq. launched De Respino Dispute Resolution in June 2023 to provide mediation and arbitration services to lawyers and their clients throughout the United States on complex commercial/business and catastrophic injury disputes.

“Although my company is in its infancy, the biggest challenge has been building the credibility necessary for lawyers and their clients to trust that I will creatively and reasonably assist in settling their dispute,” De Respino shares.

It’s actually more a matter of communicating that credibility rather than establishing it, as De Respino has built an outstanding track record spanning experience as an outside trial lawyer; lead in-house corporate lawyer; top-tier business executive; and settlement judge to help corporate, commercial and individual parties navigate the legal process through a myriad of substantive legal disciplines. His diverse background includes tenure as a trial lawyer with Streich Lang (now Quarles & Brady), director of litigation and later general counsel and chief legal officer at U-Haul, and as a judge pro tempore of the Maricopa County Superior Court. He is

De Respino advises on mediation

committed to dispute resolution; managing business risks; and minimizing the economic, emotional and psychological impacts of litigation.

In addition, his expertise has made him a valuable arbitrator, having represented parties and serving on panels across the nation as well as developing arbitration programs for businesses, including U-Haul’s arbitration system for handling all employment and consumer disputes.

—Mike Hunter De Respino Dispute Resolution derespinoadr.com

De Respirino Dispute Resolution (top), GoX Labs (bottom)

GoX Wearable Tech Advances Workers’ Safety GoX Labs provides the world’s most advanced all-in-one enterprise safety solution to prevent future heat, fatigue, musculoskeletal, slips/trips/falls and fitness-related injuries.

It was co-founded in 2014 by Joe Hitt, Ph.D., and Bruce Floersheim, Ph.D., P.E. Dr. Hitt is a retired, service-disabled army lieutenant colonel who became obsessed with wearable robotics and the accuracy of fitness trackers following injuries sustained while serving four years in an airborne unit. After breaking a leg, herniating disks and dislocating a shoulder in one parachute accident, Hitt learned that the first step to optimizing his rehabilitation was ensuring the tools and resources used during his recovery process had precision. Through his work at GoX Labs, Dr. Hitt concentrates on refining the accuracy of wearable devices and developing the next generation of wearable solutions to improve health and work performance.

GoX Labs is a member of the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s WearTech Applied Research Center, which has been instrumental in accelerating the development of GoX Labs’s technology through public-private partnerships, including researchers at Arizona State University. Through this partnership, GoX Labs developed a new exoskeleton for the workforce to make workplaces safer for millions of people across many industries. The wearable exoskeleton technology

called PhenEx is actively helping workers squat and lift heavy loads promoting overall worker health and reducing the potential for workplace injuries.

“In 2014, wearables and artificial intelligence were seldom used to predict future injuries and prevent them,” Dr. Hill relates. “With many odds against us, we were able to streamline all processes and effectively understand how our technology solutions led to significant improvements within wearable robotics and the sectors they are used in.

“As a business-to-business company, we sell our solutions directly to large companies and have been able to withstand economic changes in the last few years and maintain our presence in the tech space as a trusted and innovative source for our clients.”

—RaeAnne Marsh

FOUNDING ON VALUES AND TRUST “Advice I found especially helpful was to start your company with a partner who believes in the same values and who you trust,” says Joe Hitt, Ph.D., CEO of GoX Labs. “In my case, I started GoX Labs with my Army buddy, Bruce Floersheim and, after a decade, we have been able to build a strong partnership and an even greater friendship. Often, especially in the early years, one can become extremely discouraged after repeatedly hearing the word ‘no,’ especially when you have put everything into building your idea, even your last dollar. Looking back on my journey with GoX Labs, I firmly believe that having a friend and partner was the only reason I didn’t give up.”

GoX Labs goxlabs.com

GoX Labs is also an Official Partner of Samsung and its preferred enterprise safety solution and was highlighted at its 2023 Global Unpacked in Seoul Korea in front of a global audience. The company also won a national Safety Innovation Award in 2023 for its heat stress prediction and prevention solution, reaching 100% success in heat injury elimination.

JAN. 13 2024 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

MINDING THEIR BUSINESS

Darin Roberge: Innovator in Collector Car Marketing His love of cars culminates in Motorwerks Marketing

WHAT DRIVES DARIN ROBERGE? Darin Roberge was raised to be a lover of all things on wheels, influenced by visits to his grandfather’s motorcycle dealership and the exciting automotive adventures he shared with his uncle, a former European Motocross Champion.

In addition to founding Motorwerks, Roberge is also a well-known collector-car market analyst and expert and hosts a podcast and YouTube show for a major collector car magazine.

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From a young age, Darin Roberge has loved all cool things on wheels. Fueled by his passion for classic and exotic cars, Roberge began his career journey in 2014 at top collector automobile auction company Russo and Steele. During his tenure running the marketing and media departments there, he identified gaps within the car marketing landscape. During the Russo and Steele Collector Automobile Auction’s Monterey, California, Car Week, he took a more action-based approach to promoting the event, revolutionizing the field by introducing more imaginative marketing strategies that resembled rock festivals or sporting events than standard, stuffy old car shows. His melding of these unlikely worlds and his ability to imagine and then create the products that properly presented this, set him on the path to success in collector car marketing and brought forth changes to the industry that are still being built upon today.

The demanding auction house lifestyle took a heavy toll on Roberge mentally and physically, prompting a medical consultation that cautioned him about the potential lifethreatening consequences of a continued journey down this path. Recognizing the demand for comprehensive marketing services and driven by his unwavering passion to remain a part of the collector car world, Roberge made the decision to depart from Russo and Steele and venture out on his own.

Through his commitment and the cultivation of valuable relationships, Roberge founded Motorwerks Marketing in 2017, of which he is president and CEO. Motorwerks is an esteemed full-service marketing and creative agency offering Fortune 500-level services for small to medium-sized businesses that are most common in the classic, collector and specialty automotive industry.

“We utilize top-level creative and technical marketing measures, along with our deep knowledge of the various automotive marketplaces, to create products and services that have been very difficult for other companies to copy and compete with,” says Roberge. “It’s a multifaceted approach that is designed with the enthusiast in mind, and it’s a combination that has worked extremely well for our clients.”

However, Roberge had to overcome great challenges while establishing his business. One major setback was the destruction of his main office, caused by a construction accident, forcing his team to operate out of a hotel for nearly a year. Rather than letting this devastation deter his progress, Roberge used the inconvenience to his advantage and strengthened his culture, systems and overall approach.

During this period of displacement, he concentrated on fostering a strong sense of unity and resilience within his team, encouraging them to band together and tackle challenges collectively as one.

Roberge follows what he references as the Carroll Shelby rule: Hire good people, treat them well and stay out of their way. He claims he doesn’t have employees or staff, he has team members. Their expertise is the most critical part of the process and so, largely, he’s there to offer support. This in turn helps them to support him, as they don’t get burned out but remain invested and passionate about the mission and take ownership of their contributions. This leads to a very high level of work, which is what Motorwerks is known for, and it creates an environment where everyone can support each other across the board, which helps the company to accomplish more. The results of this not only benefit the team, creating an environment where everyone enjoys coming to work, but it produces fast, high-performing products and services for its clients as well.

“We have always been very hardworking, tough individuals, and the way our day-to-day workflow operates requires it.

That’s ultimately why we’ve been successful overall,” Roberge says. “We are a team that get things done.”

Roberge’s passions extend beyond automobiles. He has actively engaged in numerous philanthropic pursuits, serving more than 40 diverse nonprofit organizations. As a result, Motorwerks has helped raise more than $20 million since 2019, supporting a wide range of causes that include cancer research, auto museum and preservation organizations, children’s charities, environmental and ecological initiatives, military and veterans support, education institutions and more.

Roberge’s unyielding determination and tenacity when creating Motorwerks Marketing has led to its rapid ascent in just six years. Today, it stands as one of the most prolific agencies in the classic, collector and specialty automotive industry, a dominant force that influences and shapes the field daily.

“If you’re a good person, you work hard, produce results and go into the trenches with people that have your back day in and day out, you’ll be successful and they will be, too,” Roberge says.

Motorwerks Marketing motorwerksmarketing.com

There is about $80 billion in collector vehicle transactions globally each year. This includes live and online auctions, as well as private vehicle and dealer sales. The United States is the world’s largest marketplace, with revenue approaching $15 billion.

Photo courtesy of Motorwerks Marketing

by Kwyn Johnson

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

GET REAL

Photos courtesy of Next Level Steel (top left), McCarthy Building Companies (top right), Martens Development Company (bottom left)

How COVID Changed Arizona’s Commercial Construction for the Better From high-tech new semiconductor factories to the bumper crop of warehouses and logistics facilities popping up across the Valley’s evergrowing outskirts, Greater Phoenix’s lightindustrial real estate sector is red hot. In fact, Phoenix’s industrial market is now a key link in the nation’s supply-chain, according to a recent report by Avison Young commercial real estate, ranking in the top five in the U.S. for several top metrics over the past 12 months. This includes square footage under construction (#2), square footage delivered (#5), square footage under construction as a percentage of inventory (#1), net absorption (#4) and rent growth (#2).

But what’s fueling this industrial building boom? Part of it is still pent-up demand as the supply chain shakes off the long-term effects of the COVID pandemic. And part of it is simple migration — specifically, industries exiting California for greener pastures across the Southwest. But another untold story is the new technology coming online, many of which were, ironically, rolled out due to the complications of COVID. Take warehouse roofing systems.

Traditionally, most industrial warehouses here in sunny Arizona were crafted from wood and metal roof joists, which was a cost-effective way to support a structure when there was no worry about heavy snow loads piling up. But during COVID, not only was there a huge surge in warehouse building, but manufacturers were also struggling with supply chain issues and could not keep up with demand, so the price for roof-building joists tripled — if any could even be gotten at all.

Enter Next Level Steel of Mesa with a hightech twist on a World War II-era technology: castellated steel beams. This fabrication technique originally grew out of the postwar steel shortage, which led engineers to experiment with slicing and splitting apart traditional steel I-beams, before they are precisely welded back together. However, because the “teeth” carved in the steel are offset, each steel beam then features a series of precise hexagonal holes, which make the beam stronger while also spanning further. Plus, they are faster to erect and delivered with less lead time than traditional roofing structures.

As the only fabricator in Arizona offering these high-tech steel beams, Next Level Steel provides design, fabrication and steel erection services ranging from the upcoming TSMC semiconductor factory to the completed dining hall at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

But that’s just one way this new technology is fueling innovation and even green-building techniques, here in Arizona and beyond. The additional strength provided by castellated steel beams allows clients to add eco-friendly solar panels to the roof without requiring additional structural support. Plus, castellated steel beams can also replace precast concrete in parking garages, creating an overall lighter structure that requires less bulky concrete foundations, and also helps mitigate the urban heat island effect here in the Western U.S. —Brandon Bell, a second-generation steel fabricator and founder of Next Level Steel (nextlevelsteel.com) in Mesa, Arizona

ASU’s Science/Tech Building Breaks Ground The new $185 million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 project recently broke ground at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa, Ariz. “ISTB12 is ASU’s largest single capital investment on the Polytechnic campus,” says Alex Kohnen, ASU’s Facilities Development and Management vice president. The ISTB12 building, designed by SmithGroup and being constructed

by McCarthy Building Companies, is a major expansion of ASU’s growing Polytechnic campus and moves forward the university’s developing Innovation Research District adjacent to the campus. —Mike Hunter mccarthy.com • smithgroup.com

New Industrial Complex Begins to Rise in SW Phoenix Martens Development Company has begun construction of its 20-acre Park 91, a Class A industrial development, located at the southwest corner of 91st Ave. and Buckeye Road in Phoenix. The new complex is the second phase of Logic Park, a successful 739,000-square-foot park on 44 acres, which will serve multiple tenants by offering various leasing size options.

Park 91 will be comprised of two stand-alone buildings — 102,000 square feet and 176,000 square feet — capable of serving tenants ranging in size from 20,000 to 175,000 square feet. Construction is expected to complete in late 2024. —Mike Hunter park91.com

Next Level Steel has grown from six employees when founded in 2020 to more than 100, and just opened a second state-of-the-art steelyard in Goodyear exclusively dedicated to castellated steel beam production, more than doubling capacity up to 1 million square feet per month.

JAN. 15 2024 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

East Valley’s Most Sustainable Multifamily Apartments Opens in Mesa The recently completed ECO MESA apartment building has transformed a “postage-stamp”-sized infill parcel of land in Downtown Mesa into a community that boasts some of the most sustainable features in the industry. The community of 102 residential units — studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments — was built with a number of features that result in a high-performance building while reducing energy consumption.

Key among those are the 405 solar panels that top the building, an efficient exterior shell system that results in better insulation and a more air-tight seal; and energy-efficient appliances in each apartment. And it has a full amenity package in addition to its sustainable features, including a wellequipped fitness center and sky deck with outdoor barbecue areas.

On what was once a parking lot at 127 W. Pepper Place, the nearly 180,000-square-foot, seven-story building is located in the heart of Downtown Mesa surrounded by museums, store fronts and a busy light rail thoroughfare. Designed by CCBG Architects, ECO MESA was developed by Habitat Metro and Willmeng Construction was tasked with delivering the project. The Willmeng team had to come up with some creative solutions to the limited-site challenges, including materials storage, parking and even the placement of the tower crane. Willmeng completed the project while maintaining open streets, continual light rail operations, and with minimal disturbances for the nearby businesses in Downtown Mesa.

“Five to six years ago, Mesa held a lot of empty storefronts, and this is the best transformation story in the Valley,” says CCBG Architects

Managing Partner Brian Cassidy. “ECO MESA is a great testament for how we can take underperforming parking lots and make something exceptional out of it.”

—Mike Hunter CCBG Architects ccbgarchitects.com Habitat Metro habitatmetro.com Willmeng willmeng.com

Diversity and sustainability-focused industrial real estate firm DIV Industrial plans to develop Sarival Business Park on 47.35 acres it recently acquired in Goodyear.

Groundbreaking is scheduled to commence late Q1 2024, with total project completion anticipated in Q1 2025. At completion, the modern LEED certified 847,988-square-foot Class A industrial complex will include

five free-standing buildings ranging in size from 135,000 square feet to 235,000 square feet. DIV Industrial’s business plan is to develop and deliver the asset with multiple potential exit strategies, including the ability to sell individual buildings to owner-users. Sarival Business Park is being designed to meet the needs of high-quality Fortune 100 tenants, offering high efficiency and accessibility.

DIV Industrial, a partner with USGBC, will implement its development standards at Sarival Business Park. The firm expects to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver Status with the goal of LEED Gold certification. Some of the notable development features include, but are not limited to, no skylights, R-38-value insulation in the roof, fully air-conditioned warehouse space and speculative office and restroom finishes and fixtures consistent with energy efficiency.

This is DIV Industrial’s first acquisition in the Phoenix market and a milestone in the firm’s strategic growth and expansion into key logistics markets in the West and Southwest U.S. Offering advantages in affordable labor and housing, as well as access to amenities, improved transportation infrastructure and high-capacity power, Goodyear has emerged as an institutional market, drawing in larger regional and national industrial real estate users such as Amazon, UPS, Macy’s-Bloomingdales, Chewy.com and many others.

The team of Stein Koss and Tom Louer of Lee & Associates is leading the marketing efforts for Sarival Business Park.

—Mike Hunter DIV Industrial divindustrial.co

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The City of Goodyear is well-positioned within the Phoenix MSA, now a critical logistics hub east of Southern California’s port markets, from which corporations can reach approximately 14% of the U.S. population within a one day’s drive.

Photos courtesy of Willmeng Construction (top), DIV Industrial (bottom)

LEED-Certified Industrial Planned for Goodyear

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ARIZONA’S SEMICONDUCTOR EPICENTER

If you have news to share about the semiconductor industry in Arizona, email us at semiinsights@ inbusinessphx.com.

How Phoenix, Arizona, Is Rebuilding America’s Semiconductor Sovereignty And benefiting in investments and employment

by Dean Freeman

Dean Freeman is a senior advisor and analyst at Kiterocket Insights.

Freeman has more than 40 years of experience in the semiconductor industry and is one of the unique individuals who has not only worked both in a fab and for semiconductor equipment manufacturers, but he has also had responsibility for every aspect of the semiconductor manufacturing process, from wafer selection to final passivation. linkedin.com/in/deanfreeman-5861031

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The past few years have been a roller-coaster ride for the semiconductor and electronics industry, particularly in the United States — coming out of a slowdown into a pandemic that created shortages, to a boom year that has the industry talking about reaching a trillion dollars in semiconductor sales, into a downturn that the industry is slowly pulling out of in the last two quarters of 2023. One of the critical issues the pandemic highlighted was a weakness in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and a loss of semiconductor manufacturing expertise. Over the past four years, Arizona and the Phoenix area have been at the epicenter of rebuilding the semiconductor supply chain.

Arizona has a long history of microelectronics and semiconductor activity. However, it had been a while since a new fab started. Intel’s fab 42 was operational in 2011 and mothballed, then restarted in 2020 on 10nm technology. The restart of fab 42 and the need to improve the U.S. semiconductor supply chain got the ball rolling with the new fab activity.

Before Intel had fab 42 up and fully operating, the new fab fireworks had started. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company announced its intentions of building a fab in the Phoenix area in May of 2020 and, at the groundbreaking in December of 2022, announced a second fab and an investment increase from $12 to $40 billion. Intel announced in March of 2021 that it would build fabs 52 and 62 at its Ocotillo site.

Combined with Intel’s investment of $30 billion for its new fabs, Phoenix has $70 billion in new fab investment between 2021 and 2026. While there was a learning curve on both TSMC’s side and for the local contractors and unions who were building the fabs, TSMC’s third quarter 2023 earnings call and an ABC news report indicate that relationships and construction are back on track, with the first fab scheduled for production sometime in the first half of 2025.

Four new fabs will require additional investment by TSMC and Intel suppliers. Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, says, “So far, 22 companies

have announced plans to expand to Arizona because of TSMC. Those 22 companies represent about $1 billion in capital investment, including buying or building facilities and equipment investments, representing about 1,000 additional jobs.” This does not include the commitment Intel’s suppliers need to support two new fabs. So, there is an upside to that $1 billion number. Suppliers will need to expand service and sales operations; some suppliers, such as Yield Engineering Systems and EMD, have recently expanded manufacturing capabilities and added application lab services.

All four fabs are targeted at the foundry business; however, it’s also possible that Intel’s fabs could also be tasked with manufacturing Intel’s chips as well. TSMC’s fabs are scheduled to start up at 4nm and 3nm technology nodes. Intel will start at its 20A and 18A technology nodes (20A is approximately equivalent to a 2nm technology node). TSMC will likely use finFET technology for its first-generation 3nm. Over time, the gateall-around (GAA) process will likely transition to the Phoenix facilities. Intel’s 2nm will start with its version of GAA, which Intel refers to as Ribbon FET. Intel expects to begin production in 2024 and then be the most advanced semiconductor manufacturer on U.S. soil and, potentially, in the world.

As the construction challenges of 2023 have been put behind TSMC and Intel and equipment starts to move into the fabs, there is still a significant amount of growth that will take place in the Phoenix area to support the electronics industry.

As mentioned above, TSMC and Intel suppliers must expand operations to support advanced chip production effectively.

Arizona State University and other educational institutions will be instrumental in educating and training the personnel needed for fab operation and helping to develop new manufacturing technology. This year is expected to usher in significant growth in data centers focused on AI, and these companies are looking for foundries that can manufacture the silicon designed for AI applications. The new infrastructure being built in Arizona will be vital in driving growth in 2024 and beyond.

“So far, 22 companies have announced plans to expand to Arizona because of TSMC. Those 22 companies represent about $1 billion in capital investment, including buying or building facilities and equipment investments, representing about 1,000 additional jobs,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

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these trailblazers are inspiring success throughout Arizona.

ARIZONA’S SEMICONDUCTOR EPICENTER

Phoenix: The New Frontier for Global Tech Trade Shows

CHIPS & FABS

New Investments Bolster Arizona Tech Leadership In recent developments within the semiconductor industry, Amkor Technology, Inc. and DSV have announced significant investments. Amkor Technology, Inc., a prominent player in semiconductor packaging and testing services, is embarking on a groundbreaking endeavor with the establishment of its new $2 billion advanced packaging and testing facility in Peoria, Arizona. Poised to emerge as the largest of its kind in the U.S. and expected to create approximately 2,000 jobs, the facility will cement Amkor’s U.S. industry leadership.

Concurrently, DSV — the world’s third-largest logistics company, with operations in more than 80 countries, 1,600 logistics facilities and a workforce of 75,000 employees — has strategically decided to form a semiconductor-specific department. This move signifies its commitment to addressing the unique logistics demands of the semiconductor industry. The department will provide comprehensive services, including secure handling and advanced digital tracking. Furthermore, DSV is committing to a substantial $250 million in U.S. supply chain infrastructure for the semiconductor industry, including specialized warehouses and new airports in Arizona and Ohio.

Both companies’ expansions reflect the broader trend in the semiconductor industry toward enhancing U.S. capabilities and reducing dependency on international supply chains. Amkor’s Arizona facility will offer cutting-edge services for crucial sectors, while DSV’s focus on logistics and supply chain management will streamline semiconductor production and distribution.

The substantial investments by Amkor and DSV in the semiconductor sector will contribute to the strengthening of the U.S. and Arizona’s position in the global semiconductor market. These strategic initiatives promise to invigorate the domestic economy and employment landscape while enhancing the security and resilience of America’s technological supply chains. Such advancements are a testament to Phoenix’s dynamic and continuously expanding role in the semiconductor industry, a sector that shows no signs of slowing its growth. —Stephanie Quinn

Phoenix is increasingly becoming a magnet for semiconductor trade shows thanks to its booming semiconductor industry. The recent attraction of high-profile events like SEMICON West and the 49th International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA) underscores this trend.

SEMICON West, a leading trade show focusing on the semiconductor and microelectronics industry, turned its attention to Phoenix, deciding to alternate event locations from its traditional San Francisco locale to every other year in Phoenix starting in 2025, highlighting the city’s growing importance. Similarly, ISTFA, the premier event for the microelectronics failure analysis community, is known for rotating its location and chose Phoenix for its latest conference.

While attending the ISTFA trade show, we spoke to a few companies looking to identify why semiconductor-related trade shows have chosen Phoenix. Carl Zeiss Microscopy Deutschland GmbH, a cutting-edge company in optics and photonics that operates at the forefront of various markets and leverages precision engineering and the science of light, was one of the companies we had the opportunity to speak with during the event.

Established in the 1840s with microscopes as its original product, ZEISS has evolved while maintaining a solid foothold in microscopy, today offering the most comprehensive range of microscopes among competitors, including electron, light and X-ray microscopes. Its unique position allows it to manage diverse image data, differentiating its offerings in the semiconductors, biology and geology sectors. ZEISS’s extensive portfolio, spanning from eyeglasses to camera lenses, medical devices and beyond, underscores its status as a multifaceted and complex organization deeply embedded in the technology landscape.

ZEISS’s decision to attend ISTFA this year in Phoenix was not only because its devices are crucial in the development and manufacturing of ICs, particularly for quality control and failure analysis, but also because the Phoenix region is of significant importance to the company.

“In recent years, we’ve seen growth across the U.S., particularly in Phoenix, as it emerges into a dynamic semiconductor market,” said Thomas Rodgers, senior director of market strategy, head of business sector electronics at the company.

“Our decision to focus on Phoenix stems from the convergence of multiple factors. Firstly, it’s become a hub for our collaboration partners from Europe, facilitating seamless integration and synergy.

49th International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis

Additionally, we’re witnessing a trend of major Asian customers establishing their presence in the area, further elevating its importance.”

Hosting these major trade shows benefits Phoenix economically, creating jobs and stimulating growth in the local tech sector. It further positions the city as a central player in the global semiconductor industry, providing a platform for showcasing the latest technologies and fostering partnerships.

These events unite industry giants, innovators and professionals, creating a vibrant networking and knowledge exchange ecosystem. The draw of Phoenix as a host city for these events is closely tied to its burgeoning semiconductor industry.

“Our focus is on sustainable growth. This is crucial in the semiconductor industry, where maintaining long-term relationships is key,” continued Rodgers. “By prioritizing customer success, we’re not just retaining existing clientele but also paving the way for new business opportunities. Phoenix stands at the forefront of this strategic expansion with its dynamic market and growing importance as a tech hub.”

Phoenix’s role in the semiconductor world represents a shift in the tech landscape, with technology hubs emerging outside traditional areas such as Silicon Valley. This geographical diversification is crucial for the industry’s growth, offering new opportunities and perspectives.

Phoenix’s rise as a destination for semiconductor trade shows is a testament to its growing stature in the tech world, the region having proactively attracted tech industries, offering a favorable business environment and a strategic location.

The city’s infrastructure, coupled with its strategic initiatives, has paid dividends, as seen in the presence of significant industry players and cuttingedge technological facilities paving the way for further growth and innovation in the semiconductor sector.

—Stephanie Quinn

amkor.com • dsv.com/ims

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SEMICON West, a leading trade show focusing on the semiconductor and microelectronics industry, has decided to alternate event locations from its traditional San Francisco locale to every other year in Phoenix starting in 2025.

Photos courtesy of DSV (left), Kiterocket (right)

Semi Insights

YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL

BrightlyThrive: Fostering Autoimmune Wellness and Community in Greater Phoenix In today’s bustling world, finding a holistic wellness path, especially for the 50 million Americans with autoimmune conditions, can seem daunting. Enter BrightlyThrive, the Greater Phoenix-based virtual health platform that is more than just an app; it’s a thriving membership community dedicated to supporting those facing autoimmune challenges.

Our own personal journeys are intertwined with autoimmune health struggles, and we bring first-hand experience that underscores the importance of not just addressing the physical but also fostering a supportive community. It’s this understanding that birthed “The Autoimmunity Community” — a digital hub where like-minded individuals can connect, learn and thrive.

BrightlyThrive’s approach is as innovative as it is effective. By offering a monthly membership to its app and platform, “The Autoimmunity Community,” it provides a dynamic space for individuals seeking a comprehensive wellness solution. This encompasses access to world-class health-andwellness experts, autoimmune-centric monthly challenges, educational programs and 24/7 community-based support.

This is not just any app. With its rich user experience, BrightlyThrive offers the interactive elements of users’ favorite social media platforms but without the distracting ads or extraneous “noise.” Every feature is curated to offer maximum value. Plus, with support just a fingertip away, diving into this transformative experience has never been easier.

The duo’s combination of scientific acumen and intimate autoimmune knowledge ensures their offerings are both evidence-based and profoundly empathetic. While they’re deeply connected to Phoenix’s unique health needs, BrightlyThrive’s mission has a resonance that reaches far beyond city limits.

In essence, BrightlyThrive isn’t just leading the wellness trajectory in the Valley of the Sun. Its compassionate and community-focused approach is lighting the way globally, ensuring those grappling with autoimmunity have a dedicated space to find hope, healing and camaraderie. —Noelle Creamer and Cassie Carpenter, co-founders of BrightlyThrive (www.brightlythrive.com)

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Facing the HR Challenges of Employee Suicide Traditionally, mental health has been a taboo topic in the workplace, until COVID happened and a shift occurred. The business world realized as the pandemic unfolded that having discussions about mental health was an important part of workplace well-being.

As a result, human resources professionals and other business leaders are having more conversations with employees about mental health issues. In some cases, those conversations involve issues that are extremely sensitive and challenging to address from both a professional and practical perspective. Employee suicide is one of those issues.

ADDRESSING AN INCREASING CONCERN

A recent report by Workplace Suicide Prevention suggests that the workplace represents a key battleground in the war to prevent suicide. The report argues that those most at risk for suicide — men and women ages 45 to 54 — have the best chance of finding help at the workplace.

Unfortunately, the report also found that many businesses are reluctant to take steps to support suicide prevention. Several reasons were given for avoiding the issue, including inadequate training and the belief that the issue was too sensitive to address in the workplace. Many businesses said they felt they would only make matters worse by talking about suicide.

For businesses that want to encourage discussions on suicide, the following are issues that should be carefully considered.

ADDRESSING CONFIDENTIALITY CONCERNS

Even where not required by law, keeping HR conversations confidential plays a critical role in building trust and encouraging honesty. When it comes to conversations about suicide, maintaining confidentiality while also ensuring an employee’s safety is a complicated challenge.

A healthy approach is to establish policies on suicide beforehand and make sure employees read and sign off on them. Ideally, those policies will create space for employees to seek help while advising that in certain cases authorities or healthcare professionals may need to be informed to protect the employee’s health.

Regularly providing education and information on suicide prevention is another step that can effectively provide care while also maintaining

confidentiality. This allows those struggling with suicidal thoughts to get the resources they need without requiring them to come forward and reveal their thoughts.

ADDRESSING LIABILITY AND LEGAL RISKS

If HR fails to appropriately respond to signs of distress or suicidal ideation and an employee harms themselves, there may be potential liability issues. Consequently, policies put in place to address the risk of suicide should take into account the legal obligations and duty of care an organization faces under relevant laws. To ensure liability is addressed, a business’s legal counsel should be involved in drafting those policies.

Generally, when the threat of suicide seems imminent, best practices will require that the proper authorities be informed. An employee who shares with a manager that he has considered suicide may not represent an imminent threat. If the employee shares his plan for self-harm, the threat will usually be considered imminent.

ADDRESSING STIGMA AND FEAR OF DISCLOSURE

While COVID made conversations about mental health easier, there is a lingering stigma, especially when it comes to the topic of suicide.

Businesses that want to encourage open communication must create a supportive and nonjudgmental environment.

Providing proper training on mental health issues to managers and HR teams is an important step toward creating caring environments. This should include guidance on recognizing signs of mental distress and responding with empathy and understanding. Business leaders should also know how to properly direct those who are struggling with mental health issues to the right care channels.

Facing HR challenges related to suicide requires a number of steps, including establishing appropriate policies and equipping leaders to see that those policies are carried out. By adopting the right measures, businesses can establish a supportive environment that addresses concerns and minimizes risks.

—Lauren Winans, chief executive officer and principal HR consultant for Next Level Benefits (www.nlbenefits.com), an HR consulting practice offering clients access to HR professionals for short-term and long-term projects

Arizona has the ninth best access to mental healthcare in America, according to a recent study by MentalHealthRehabs.com, a national directory of mental health providers, which analyzed data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration”. The 345 mental health facilities in the state equate to 4.69 mental health facilities for every 100,000 residents, which is 80% above the national average. mentalhealthrehabs.com

HONOR IS WHAT GIVES US PURPOSE

Honor is what motivates our team of dedicated healthcare professionals.

Through passion and purpose, we come together to ensure every patient is provided with the best possible care. honorhealth.com

INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

How Businesses Can Manage Personal Devices in the Workplace

TECH NOTES

Purpose-Built Construction AI includes Bilingual Voice New AI-powered features Foresight Intelligence recently added to its Fleet Intelligence solutions enables construction companies, equipment manufacturers, equipment dealers and rental companies to better manage their assets, improve utilization and project outcomes, and make certain they are deploying the right resources at the right time. It is currently available in English and Spanish, with additional languages coming soon.

The new AI-powered voice control features for Fleet Intelligence are purposely designed to be easy to deploy and use with no training required or technology expertise needed. The new features allow the technology to be quickly adopted by teams because it aligns with how they prefer to work and is as simple as pushing a button and asking for the information they need, promoting safety, ease of use in the field and efficiency.

Fleet Intelligence integrates with construction telematics and business systems in OEMs (Caterpillar, Komatsu, John Deere, etc.) to aggregate data from heavy equipment, machinery, construction vehicles and equipment into one centralized platform. Each asset (bulldozers, excavators, trucks and other equipment) has a device on it that captures key performance data, such as location, activity and maintenance status. These devices typically involve IoT, GPS and/or Bluetooth technology that transmits the data — which is automatically sent from the truck directly to the Fleet Intelligence platform rather than needing to be entered manually.

Purpose-built for the construction industry from Foresight Intelligence, the leading data analytics software provider for the construction industry, Fleet Intelligence AI provides accurate, reliable, trustworthy and actionable information, with unparalleled insights into every aspect of the mixed fleet environment.

It empowers those working with equipment and vehicles to simply use their voice to get immediate details on the exact location and status of all their assets and equipment from the office, field, or other remote locations. —Mike Hunter Foresight Intelligence foresightintelligence.com

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Personal technology or personal devices have become an integral part of our daily lives, including the workplace. While the use of personal devices for work can enhance productivity and flexibility, these devices also come with risks. To mitigate security risks and safeguard sensitive data, businesses need to establish comprehensive Human Resources policies.

The successful implementation of these policies requires a multifaceted plan with a focus on education, security and accountability.

Organizations should also consider working with a third-party for additional support.

EDUCATING EMPLOYEES

Digital literacy is essential to preventing data breaches and security incidents, so organizations must educate staff on best practices and company policies. Educating employees on managing passwords, identifying phishing attempts and using secure Wi-Fi connections is a great start.

Even after employees are trained, they need continuing education and reminders on how to keep their devices secure.

An Acceptable Use Policy is a vital addition to the HR policy. An AUP outlines what personal technology is allowed in the workplace and under what circumstances. This provides clear guidelines on the appropriate use of personal devices. An effective AUP will address issues like downloading unauthorized software, visiting potentially harmful websites or engaging in activities that may compromise security.

IMPROVING SECURITY

Password requirements for employees can provide an added layer of security on their personal devices. HR policies can require employees to set a password on all devices they use for work. It is also crucial to outline the criteria for required passwords, such as character length and type and mandated periodic password changes. Password management protocols will help protect the integrity of sensitive information and restrict unauthorized access to company files.

To ensure company information is always safe, organizations should consider establishing remote wipe and device management policies. In the event of a stolen or lost device, these protocols allow the company to remotely erase the device’s data and prevent unauthorized access. For even better oversight of employee devices, companies can

invest in mobile device management solutions to ensure employees adhere to security standards.

ENFORCING ACCOUNTABILITY

Employees should be held accountable for the handling of their personal devices according to HR policy from onboarding to exit interview.

When staff leave their positions, HR needs clear procedures in place for securing information. This includes revoking access to company systems and ensuring employees do not retain sensitive information on their personal devices.

ENGAGING A THIRD PARTY

As HR teams navigate personal technology policies, they may also wish to consider enlisting third-party assistance, such as an information security consultant or a Professional Employer Organization. Third parties can provide best-inclass recommendations and resources as well as objectively assess an organization’s existing technology risk management strategy.

Third-party organizations can also stresstest an organization’s security infrastructure.

For example, a phishing attack simulation tests employees’ ability to identify and respond to an attempted phishing attack. These drills can help leaders assess where employees stand on technology awareness and identify opportunities for further learning.

By implementing HR policies that promote employee education, device security and data protection, organizations can turn personal technology into an asset without compromising data security or risking data breaches. HR staff play a pivotal role in risk management of personal technology, as they set the framework for safe and responsible technology usage in the workplace.

—Don Alix, a district manager with Insperity (www.insperity.com), a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace

A study by DealHub.com has concluded that the top five sectors discussing artificial intelligence the most in the context of sales are computer & technology, business services, industrial, industrial products and consumer staples. dealhub.io

Chips, Climate, Culture, College, Construction The New ‘5 C’s’ of Our Economy

by RaeAnne Marsh

Sunrise from Piestewa Peak; courtesy of Visit Phoenix

A

rizona’s early economy was based on the strength of what it famously called the “5 C’s”: Climate, Cattle, Copper, Cotton and Citrus.

Some of those continue to infuse strength to

the state’s economy, some have morphed into a broader category, and some have had their elite spot usurped by a newcomer.

In Business Magazine offers a 2024 take on the 5 C’s economy for Arizona and especially for Phoenix: Chips, Climate, Culture, College and Construction.

Courtesy of Intel

5 C’S: CHIPS

Semiconductors may well be the economic force of the foreseeable future. Their value also to supply chain and national security was underscored a year ago when President Biden made a point of attending the “First Tool-In” ceremony at the massive manufacturing plant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is building in North Phoenix.

Intel has been building this economic sector here for decades. “In October 1980, the first silicon wafers came off our production line at Fab 6 in Chandler,” says Liz Shipley, community relations director at Intel. That event marked the start of what is now one of the largest manufacturing sites of a company that has invested significant time and resources to help make Arizona an outstanding location to develop and manufacture semiconductors, from education and workforce development, to supply chain and more.

Looking forward at the impact of the chips industry for our future, Shipley points out that semiconductors are the brains accelerating a digital revolution and a driving force in the digital economy. They power every essential technology that makes modern life possible — everything from smartphones and cloud servers to modern cars, industrial automation, critical infrastructure and defense systems.

“We are expanding in Arizona because of our long track record of success, along with this ecosystem of innovation we have helped develop,” she says.

“Four decades later, Arizona is now home to 13,000 of the brightest minds helping Intel define the future of technology.” She reports Intel’s annual economic impact in Arizona is approximately $8.6 billion, based on 2019 data, and notes the company has also invested more than $34 billion in capital to support its operations here.

“Arizona has become a hub for chips manufacturing and R&D (power chips, sensors, etc.) during a period of technological innovation, which has created jobs and fostered collaboration to meet the growing needs of our digital age,” says Gary Pugsley, vice president of EHS, facilities, securities and business continuity at onsemi, observing that, over the last decade, technology has been integrated into our everyday lives to power the world around us and calling chips “the silent but omnipresent workers” that are essential for modern technologies and industries that depend on digitalization. “Behind this innovation and collaboration are companies like onsemi, headquartered in Arizona, that serve the automotive, industrial, communications and computing industries to create a safer, cleaner and smarter world.”

Pugsley reports the semiconductor industry is expected to continue

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to grow in the coming decade, driven by government incentives and technology trends and applications which could bring more investments to the state and create more jobs. In return, these investments and jobs will enable the industry to expand in Arizona and further solidify its position as a key “C” in the economic sector. “Not only is the semiconductor industry a key driver in digitalization but also delivers on the promise of creating a more electrified, green future to propel the sustainable energy revolution forward,” he says, noting, “This added benefit could also position Arizona as one the states leading the transition to a more sustainable future.”

Shipley cites a recent study by the Semiconductor Industry Association that found incentivizing domestic semiconductor manufacturing could add 280,000 permanent jobs to the economy. “That’s why Intel is making significant investments in workforce development like our Quick Start technician program,” she says, adding, “With increasing demand for technical workers, workforce availability will only tighten in the coming years, and this investment accelerates readiness and enables the workforce needed.”

Speaking of Intel’s interest in empowering Arizona’s next generation of innovators — as well as protecting and supporting Arizona’s natural resources, including water and energy — Shipley points to its efforts to make careers in technology fully inclusive and expand digital readiness for everyone. “For example,” she says, “Intel is collaborating with Maricopa County Community College District on the Quick Start program to provide a pathway into entrylevel manufacturing careers in a ten-day course.” Workforce development is a topic that is taken up again in the “5 C’s: College” section.

Silicon carbide boule, puck and wafer from onsemi

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5 C’S: CLIMATE

Climate holds onto its recognition as one of our economic 5 C’s. But it’s not the famous “dry climate” of yore, thanks to the proliferation of swimming pools, grassy lawns, verdant landscaping and fountains. But sunny days we have plenty of, and a dearth of weather-related natural disasters.

“Tourism is a major economic driver for the state, and climate has long fueled Arizona’s tourism industry,” says Stephanie Pressler, director of Community & Government Affairs at Experience Scottsdale. It started, she relates, with travelers coming to Scottsdale for health camps in the 19th century, seeking our dry, restorative desert climate to ease their ailments, then continuing to flock here once Scottsdale traded those health camps for luxury guest inns and ranches in the early 1900s. Our warm weather allowed them to golf, play tennis, horseback ride and more — “much as they still do today,” she says. “Visitors bask in Scottsdale’s sunshine 330 days a year, whether they’re traveling here for vacation or a conference, sports tournament or special event. In 2022, 10.8 million visitors traveled to Scottsdale, leaving behind an economic impact of $3.2 billion and supporting the livelihoods of over 24,000 people.”

Referring to the same region albeit naming a different city, Eric Kerr, vice president of Insights & Development at Visit Phoenix, says, “Greater Phoenix’s climate plays a pivotal role in the city’s economic sector and overall growth.” He notes our region’s warm and arid climate attracts a substantial number of visitors, new residents and businesses. And it significantly benefits the tourism industry in particular as it draws “millions of visitors from every corner of the world who are eager for a change of pace and indulge in all we have to offer year-round.” In fact, he notes, Phoenix had a record-setting 19.5 million visitors in 2022. And a thriving hospitality sector bolsters the city’s economy. “With hundreds of hotels, resorts, world-class culinary options, shopping destinations and outdoor venues that capitalize on the appeal of our weather, climate is a pivotal anchor in our magnetism and status as a global destination,” he points out, adding, “This was a major appeal of the destination in the recovery from the pandemic, as visitors flocked to the destination to experience the open spaces and great outdoor activities and attractions the Phoenix area offers.”

However, there are some climate-related challenges, as Pressler points out. “Visitation increases throughout the fall, winter and spring, as travelers — especially those from colder climes — head to Scottsdale to enjoy our temperate weather and outdoor events from Canal Convergence to spring training. Visitation falls as the mercury rises, making the summertime a

Visitors enjoying the evening around a firepit; courtesy of Experience Scottsdale

need period for area hotels, resorts and hospitality businesses.” Experience Scottsdale promotes Scottsdale as a year-round travel destination by enticing residents to summer staycations while also driving leisure visitation and meetings business from other markets by showcasing all there is to see and do when temperatures hit the triple digits.

In addition to its general attraction here, Kerr points out the climate also is a factor for the success of many annual events that call Phoenix home and draw thousands of visitors from around the globe. These include the WM Phoenix Open, Cactus League Spring Training, two NASCAR Races, Charles Schwab Cup as well as dozens of music, art and cultural festivals that, he says, “all feature our incredible weather and sunny skies as their backdrop.”

In terms of Greater Phoenix’s future in relation to tourism, Kerr says Visit Phoenix is expecting more of the same. “All eyes continue to be on the Sonoran Desert as we’ve been dubbed Championship Valley.” Pointing to the Super Bowl, a World Series appearance this year, the NCAA Men’s Final Four coming up in April, the WNBA All-Star Game in July and the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four, Kerr says, “We’ve become a perennial hub for sports mega-events and the visitors they bring.” Importantly, it’s not just sports that bring droves of visitors to our city and region. “The meetings, conferences and events industry is also booming,” Kerr reports, “as we’ve secured the business of premier conferences such as SEMICON West (2025, 2027, 2029), the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of America (2024), American Associate of Advancement of Science, National Speech and Debate Association and dozens of other groups for future years.”

Super Bowl Experience; courtesy of Visit Phoenix

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Photo courtesy of Phoenix Symphony

5 C’S: CULTURE

“Arts and culture not only represent an important expression of our humanity, but the sector also helps to deliver economic impact for our community and enhance our quality of life,” says Peter Kjome, president and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony.

Not only does the sector generate substantial economic impact in its own right but, he observes, it “is an important contributor to attracting investment, creating job opportunities and fostering a vibrant community.”

Among numerous studies that reinforce the importance of the arts and culture sector, Kjome points to a recently released Arts & Economic Prosperity study conducted by Americans for the Arts that indicates the arts and culture sector at the national level generated more than $150 billion of economic activity in 2022. “In Arizona,” he says, “the impact was measured as over $1.1 billion, including over $500 million in spending by arts and culture organizations and nearly $600 million in event-related expenditures by audiences.”

And a thriving, vibrant and dynamic cultural sector helps “attract and retain individuals, families and businesses in our remarkable community,” Kjome adds. In fact, economic development organizations view a region’s arts and culture as an element of its quality of life – widely considered a critical factor in a company’s decision about where to locate. Kjome believes arts and culture help create community and provide opportunities for dialogue and understanding. “The sector provides important opportunities to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion – creating a welcoming environment that, in turn, helps to support and promote growth.”

Noting that cultural organizations also help provide important educational opportunities — for people of all ages — Kjome points as example to the Symphony’s groundbreaking Mind over Music® program, a professional development model in which teachers are trained to integrate music into STEM concepts. Study after study has established the correlation between music study and math skills, and, according to the Symphony’s website, evaluations from each phase of its program have reinforced the idea that Mind Over Music® bolsters core academic learning outcomes, demonstrating that the students understand the lessons better when music is involved. “This type of collaboration can produce powerful results and further increase our collective impact,” says Kjome.

Recognized for its draw as part of the tourism economy, Cactus League is also part of the cultural diversity we enjoy in Phoenix. For its economic impact, Cactus League executive director Bridget Binsbacher cites ASU’s 2018 study — the last full-season studied — that reported Cactus League generated $644.2 million in economic impact and $373 million for Arizona’s Gross Domestic Product. “ASU researchers called the Cactus League a ‘mega sporting event’ on par with the Super Bowl — but one that happens every spring,” she says. The numbers did decline, however — and not surprisingly — during the 2020 COVID-shortened season: $363.6 million in economic impact and $213.7 for Arizona’s Gross Domestic Product.

Pointing out that, in recent years, the Cactus League season has opened in mid-to-late February, Binsbacher notes that the early start means there are often plenty of tickets available for local residents as many out-of-state visitors pour into Arizona during spring break.

But about six in 10 Cactus League fans come from out of state, according to Binsbacher, who reports that multiple ASU studies have found most say it is their sole or primary reason for visiting Arizona. “Our fan base stretches across all four [continental] U.S. time zones,” she says, adding “It is an incredibly loyal fan base – the 2018 study found that more than a third of all Cactus League fans had been attending spring training in the desert for at least five years.”

While all 10 Cactus League ballparks are in Maricopa County, Binsbacher notes there is a statewide benefit as well. “Nearly a third of out-of-state fans said they would visit another part of Arizona during their trip, according to the 2020 ASU study,” she says.

Fans at a Cactus League game; courtesy of Cactus League

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5 C’S: COLLEGE

Post-secondary educational facilities have been spinning out innovative new businesses and helping build a talent pool to support the varied sectors of economic growth — two of the strongest being healthcare- and technology-related fields.

Looking at education itself as an important economic sector for our growth, Alliant International University president and CEO Andy Vaughn, says, “Although the value of higher education is getting questioned from the general public, it still remains an important part of growth economy as long as the education is laser focused on specific training and education that leads to gainful employment.” He compares the situation 20–30 years ago, when many people chose degrees — especially at the graduate level — as a “nice to have,” to today, when the higher education consumer seeks, in most cases, degrees that are “must haves” to be gainfully employed in a specific career. “Further evidence of this shift is that one of the highest demand education areas are programs that also lead to specific state licensure to practice,” he says.

For economic impact, the Maricopa County Community College District — Arizona’s most extensive community college system, which enrolls more than 140,000 students annually at its 10 colleges and 31 satellite locations — can boast some impressive figures. “An Economic Impact Study from fiscal year 2016–17 concluded that MCCCD added $7.2 billion in income back into local economies throughout Maricopa County,” relates Nilam Patel, senior officer in Workforce & Industry Development at the MCCCD Foundation. “This impact is powerful when considering how many jobs this revenue stream enables — one out of every 27 jobs in Maricopa County is supported by Maricopa County’s community college system.”

Specific to workforce development, Patel notes, “As billion-dollar corporations are investing in and relocating to Arizona, MCCCD serves as a catalyst for economic growth by providing job-related training that prepares a well-equipped workforce for our state’s diverse industries.”

MCCCD is focused on bridging the gap between education and occupation by connecting Arizona employers with a highly qualified workforce. “Maricopa Community Colleges continue to establish strong partnerships with industry leaders by working together to find innovative and creative solutions to address today’s challenges — economic recovery efforts and supply chain disruptions,” she says. As examples, she points to Fast Track Certificates

and industry-led partnerships such as the Semiconductor Technician Quick Start and construction trades programs that enable students to enter the workforce in a few weeks or months rather than years.

The partnership aspect is important, Patel explains. Local, national and global industries are desperately in need of workers who are trained for new technologies, and they depend on post-secondary schools to provide the basics of education and the soft skills needed to function in the workplace. Conversely, colleges rely on businesses for additional support and to provide workplace training opportunities for students. “Community colleges have become the cornerstone of a robust, much-needed workplace education system.”

And workforce development, Patel observes, contributes to the overall economic growth and development of a region. “With technological advancements in industry, there is a growing mismatch between the skills and qualifications possessed by the available workforce and the skills required by employers to fill specific job roles effectively,” Patel says.

In fact, the skills gap is one of the largest challenges today’s workforce faces. “Through bridging the skills gap, enhancing the competitiveness of a region and, finally, through fostering economic resilience, workforce development programs will create the educated and skilled workforces needed to continue to attract foreign investments, thus leading to economic expansion and job creation.”

Patel reports that MCCCD’s academic programs are addressing the skills gap and have proven their success by incorporating key elements to accommodate both traditional and nontraditional students: They are typically short, allowing students to work and meet family obligations; they provide certificates for specific skills that can be stacked toward college degrees and credits; they combine online with critical hands-on instruction; are linked to industry via internships and apprenticeships; and provide comprehensive support to improve completion rates. Plus, the programs embed industry-recognized credentials, ensuring academic programs are relevant to actual industry needs.

In May 2023, the White House designated Phoenix as a workforce hub to help meet the demand for qualified and diverse talent in semiconductors, renewable energy and electric vehicles — one of five hubs dedicated to building up a workforce. The designation came with a pledge to work with community colleges amongst other stakeholders to create a talent pipeline

Photo courtesy of Maricopa County Community College District

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specific to the region’s needs and to expand apprenticeship programs, career and technical education programs and supportive services for underrepresented students and workers.

“As Arizona faces shortages across the board, our new bachelor degrees and quick start programs are a step in the right direction that will help mitigate several critical workforce shortages in multiple industries, including healthcare, construction, and manufacturing.” says MCCCD Chancellor Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. “MCCCD remains committed to providing our students with seamless access to our high-quality education, preparing them for a successful career, while remaining committed to providing affordable and accessible education at all levels. MCCCD’s tuition rates for our Baccalaureate Degree Programs are one-third the cost of a traditional university, saving students roughly $7,000 to $10,000 yearly compared to the average annual tuition cost at an in-state university. We are extremely proud of that.”

Addressing the workforce situation of one specific field, Vaughn reports that healthcare-related fields continue to occupy the top spots of program growth in higher education. “However, most people forget that ‘healthcare’ also includes mental health. When the term healthcare is used, most people think about physical health only, yet some of the highest demand fields are degrees in clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, social work, and clinical counseling. We have a great shortage of mental health workers, too, along with nurses, doctors, etc.” He believes it’s imperative that colleges think about ways to offer greater accessibility into all of the shortage areas in the U.S. “Our well-being is counting on higher education to offer impact in both

physical health and mental health — as we are living longer, on average.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Arizona has about 60,000 registered nurses, and, as of 2022, Arizona ranked among the top five states with the most severe healthcare staffing shortages, with the demand for specialized nurses in Arizona projected to increase by 23% by 2025. The BLS estimates approximately 195,400 openings for registered nurses in Arizona from 2021 to 2031. And, according to a report from Vivian Health, a national healthcare hiring marketplace, Arizona is expected to experience the most significant change in demand for registered nurses between now and 2030.

Alliant University at Park Central in Phoenix is the newest addition to our burgeoning healthcare hub, beginning classes this month with licensure programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. “We expect to have more than 500 students in the next few years,” says Vaughn. In terms of economic impact, Vaughn points out Alliant also employees 20 full-time faculty and staff in Phoenix and 400 people systemwide, so far, and will hire dozens more in the coming years at professional level salaries, not to mention the $10 million of investment so far to open the Phoenix location.

Emphasizing the crucial role workforce development plays in fostering economic growth and development, Patel says, “As industries and technologies continue to evolve, it is essential that the workforce also evolves in order to meet market demands. Investing in workforce development ensures that businesses have a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation, increasing productivity, and staying competitive in the global market.”

5 C’S: CONSTRUCTION

Cranes, bulldozers and traffic cones evidence the hot construction activity throughout Greater Phoenix, visible affirmation of the strength of this sector.

“As Arizona’s economy expands and diversifies, the construction industry provides a critical service that enables and supports our state’s economic growth,” says Justin Kelton, president of McCarthy Building Companies Southwest Region. “Whether we are talking about facilities for new and growing industries, updating and expanding critical infrastructure, or housing for new residents, fulfilling these needs requires the expertise and skills of the construction industry. You simply can’t have economic growth and advancement without the construction industry to build what’s required for chip and EV manufacturers or biotech, and the communities for the workforce that supports these and other industries.”

Observes G. Michael Hoover, president and CEO of Sundt, “Construction is a labor-intensive industry, so high levels of construction activity (such as we have today) mean that a lot of people are actively employed in exciting jobs across Arizona.”

And Kelton affirms: “With the incredible economic development opportunities coming to Arizona and positioning our state as the ‘Silicon Desert,’ the construction industry has been incredibly busy in recent years.”

He points out that, while the demand of economic growth creates challenges for the construction industry in terms of workforce needs, managing material costs and meeting schedules, these demands are also creating opportunities that are further stimulating economic growth in the form of jobs, community development, new business formation and revenue.

A cornerstone of Sundt’s workforce development efforts is its new G. Michael Hoover KAPBCS Training Center, located at Sundt’s Phoenix office.

Completed and officially dedicated last summer, it features classrooms, welding booths, a large auditorium and more. This is where Sundt trains many of the people who are moving into the growing number of highpaying, high-demand construction jobs across the Valley. And the acronym captures the positive attitude throughout the company, as the employees of

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For The Univeristy of Arizona’s Applied Research Building TV chamber, the design-build construction method provided flexibility in achieving goals of owner; courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies

what the National Center for Employee Ownership identifies as the state’s largest employee-owned company enthusiastically embraced Hoover’s description of them as “kick-ass people building cool shit.”

Says Kelton, “The construction industry is a critical spoke in the wheel of the economic development cycle, and we view our role in supporting Arizona’s economic evolution seriously. We are building highly complex facilities for the growing industries and Universities here, which is helping us to attract the most talented and innovative experts in the industry much in the same way that other developing industries are, and this magnetism is creating momentum and more stability here than other markets are experiencing.”

Kelton notes that the past two decades has seen our economy transition from being heavily focused on the homebuilding and tourism/hospitality sectors to include more high-tech, manufacturing and biotech. The construction industry has responded by developing focused expertise and introducing forward-thinking innovative strategies for the design and construction of the complex manufacturing and research facilities these sectors require.

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Construction on a Vantage Data Center; courstesy of McCarthy Building Companies

For instance, says Kelton, “More owners are valuing and embracing the benefits that collaborative delivery provides in the design and construction of intricate facilities. Collaborative delivery models, like Design-Build, allow us to build with the future in mind by enhancing the facility’s functionality and lifecycle during the design or planning phase as well as during construction.” The result is increased use of sustainable building practices and materials, energy conscious design and construction features being incorporated into the facility, and the flexibility of adaptive workspaces.

“Along with collaborative delivery, we’re seeing exciting innovation in construction, which includes greater use of technology, with mapping software, robots, and the use of prefabricated parts,” Kelton shares. “The industry is also investigating ways that AI can benefit us.” These innovations are providing efficiencies, increased quality and safer working conditions while also freeing up human capital — a significant benefit to an industry that has dealt with workforce challenges for decades. “And,” Kelton notes, “when technology can take on aspects of a job where the work is repetitive, our workforce is able to focus on the project’s most complex and technical issues.”

There is currently a backlog of construction projects, which Kelton attributes largely to supply chain constraints over the past few years, demands of Arizona’s growing population and the associated need for updates or expanded infrastructure, as well as the availability of federal funds for critical infrastructure projects.

But the forecast seems bright beyond that. “From what we are seeing across our markets, Arizona is going to continue to benefit from robust

levels of public and private investment in infrastructure,” Hoover says.

“Whether addressing the transportation and water needs of the state’s growing population or putting in place semiconductor capacity to meet surging national demand for advanced technology, the construction industry here in Arizona will remain a key beneficiary.”

Kelton points out that, although inflation and higher interest rates are affecting areas of the economy, large construction projects such as water/wastewater treatment plants, solar facilities, transportation and aviation projects can take years to plan and build. “Major projects like these require workers, materials, and equipment and, as a result, the demand for construction services will be essential for the foreseeable future,” he says, noting also that, since outsourcing is not feasible in construction, the industry needs to continue working together and with the public/private sector to inform more people of the rewarding careers that are available in construction while providing training and mentoring for the next generation of leaders. Calling attention to the fact that the craft workforce has been ageing and leaving the workforce over the past several decades, he states, “I can’t emphasize enough the critical role that plumbers, electricians, carpenters and mechanical craft workers play in our overall economy. The craft workforce is at the core of every building project and essential to keeping our economic engine running.”

Says Kelton, “Arizona is in the midst of transformation. Thanks to the vision that our leaders have had for developing and diversifying our state’s economy, we are poised for ongoing growth, weathering an economic downturn, and further propelling our position by continuing to attract top talent in a broad range of industries. We’re seeing the appeal in the construction industry as people from around the nation and world want to be part of what’s happening in Arizona.”

Alliant International University alliant.edu Cactus League cactusleague.com Experience Scottsdale experiencescottsdale.com Intel intel.com Maricopa County Community College District maricopa.edu McCarthy Building Companies mccarthy.com onsemi onsemi.com Phoenix Symphony, The phoenixsymphony.org Sundt sundt.com

Welding apprentices at Sundt’s G. Michael Hoover KAPBCS Training Center; courtesy of Sundt

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PACKAGED TO IMPRESS

5 B2B Marketing Trends for 2024 What a difference a year makes

by Jordan Buning

Jordan Buning is president of ddm marketing + communications, a leading marketing agency for highly complex and highly regulated industries.

Throughout Buning’s 28 years in marketing, he has served clients among a diverse range of industries that include healthcare, financial services and global manufacturing as well as public transportation, higher education and recreational products. teamddm.com

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This time a year ago, marketers planning their 2023 budgets were bracing for a recession. A common motto might have been, “Fasten your seatbelts, folks, we’re going to be in for a bumpy ride.”

The same passengers now might be viewing blue skies ahead, or at least expecting some turbulence. Either way, it’s time to get airborne. The industry motto for 2024 might be: “How do we take control of this plane and move more aggressively?”

Mere survival is no longer the operating principle. Fifty-six percent of marketers say their companies plan to take risks when it comes to business strategy. That might entail an aggressive growth strategy, like a big purchase to broaden their organization’s capabilities. Maybe it means pushing a new product before customers or emphasizing something different in their portfolio. Maybe it means marketing their brand in new parts of the globe. All the above tend to signal “we’re not just surviving anymore — we’re going to be successful and grow.”

Sometimes, aggressive business tactics and survival tactics present similarly. Continued volatility in the healthcare sector could lead to more mergers and acquisitions; aggressive spending in the tech sector could yield the same strategy.

In either case, the ethos is the same: Businesses that aren’t growing are dying, so they need to figure out a way to stay profitable through some form of expansion.

The top marketing trends for 2024 emphasize agility and aggressiveness in its many forms: Identifying better, more actionable data — and putting it to use: Marketers are constantly gaining new ways of collecting data on their customers and clients. But not all data is created equal. Sorting through it all to form an actionable strategy is perhaps the top challenge of the information age.

That’s particularly true in an aggressive strategic environment.

One-third of marketers believe decisions take too long at their company. Using data to uncover what works and why is essential to speeding up decisions and demonstrating impact.

For marketers who feel like they have the data they need, that data might come from disparate sources. Some of it, they control. Some, their vendors control. Some of it is actionable, some is not.

Say a firm wants to increase its combined social media following through a brand’s various channels by 50%. If that firm’s main priority is to sell more of a specific product, social media growth doesn’t necessarily align with that specific objective. It’s important to hone in on the data that matters and figure out what to do with it. The organizations that do this best will gain a tremendous competitive advantage.

The buyer’s journey takes an alternate route: Customers want a personalized, “self-serve” experience that doesn’t require speaking to a salesperson every step of the way. It’s a lasting if unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, when organizations of all stripes figured out how to operate electronically or remotely. For marketers, an important question persists: Do we really need a salesperson meeting with the customer or client at every step of their journey? Or should we wait, let the customer use our digital tools to do her research, then meet with her when she has a question?

Increasingly, the latter route presents more favorably to consumers and the brands they do business with. Deciding how to adapt that strategy for an organization can lead to growth in sales, managing a travel budget better (instead of chasing every lead), and managing customer relationships further down the sales funnel. This should come as good news for salespeople who formerly had to memorize complicated

Customers want a personalized, “self-serve” experience that doesn’t require speaking to a salesperson every step of the way. It’s a lasting if unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, when organizations of all stripes figured out how to operate electronically or remotely.

BETTERING YOUR BUSINESS scripts, but now might only need to answer a few questions specific to a prospective client’s business.

This approach allows marketers to create customizable content and messaging, and deliver it via the buyer’s preferred channels.

For organizations that aren’t already all-in on personalization and customization, 2024 is the time.

Hybrid selling: Effectively a combination of our first two trends, the move toward hybrid selling — the right mix of in-person interaction, remote contact and e-commerce tools — answers the logical question of how best to deploy human resources in a digital age. The answer?

Outsource as many tasks as possible to digital tools, then direct the most actionable data to salespeople, who can anticipate where a buyer is in their journey.

Some organizations are taking deep dives into behavioral science, predicting probabilistic outcomes based on the digital behavior of customers. (A rudimentary example: When someone taps x on our mobile app, it’s best to do y.) A completely automated decision tree facilitates this thought process, but ultimately a human salesperson will need to execute when called upon. The buyer feels like someone is responding to their every need, but it’s actually an educated guess based on an algorithm.

To anticipate scenarios where, for example, a potential customer is at Step 1+x in their process requires a rudimentary working knowledge of those digital tools. But the payoff is tangible. One study found that when salespeople are working remotely, they can interact with four times as many accounts in a given period. Anticipate hybrid selling practices to become the norm in B2B environments.

Greater focus on customer success and retention: Typically, most of a company’s revenue will come from repeat customers and clients. The ability to retain a client is a more cost-effective way to grow revenue compared to finding new ones. But what’s the best way to promote customer and client retention?

Customer experience, according to one estimate, can exponentially improve the experience of a business’s existing customers — enough to widen the gap between customer acquisition costs and customer lifetime value by up to eight times. Converting the first-time buyer into a loyal, trusting customer makes practical sense.

Customer lifetime value has become increasingly important for sustainable business growth. For those customers who have already advanced through the sales funnel and discovered what a company is about, a more personal touch may be necessary — but worth the extra effort.

Data privacy and security compliance: While focusing on customer success and retention, organizations must consider the central role of establishing trust. Clients and customers need to trust any potential business’s ability to limit their risk by safeguarding their private data.

As data protection regulations evolve, there are more ways to mismanage online data every year. Marketers must more aggressively prioritize data privacy and security to build trust with their clients.

Europe has stricter guidelines for securing customer data than most of the United States. The need for businesses to provide visitors to their website the opt-out of data collection is increasingly necessary.

Mismanaging data is also a legal minefield for businesses in 2024: Press the wrong button and run the risk of lawsuits from upset customers.

Even if few clients click on a privacy policy that explains what a company does with their information, the few who do will appreciate that it’s thorough and in compliance with the law — so it’s important that businesses make sure it’s both.

Prepare for Impact Prepare for Impact unpacks the playbook brothers Ryan and Chad Estis used to succeed, first by using 30 simple steps to achieve ambitious sales goals and then by following nine tactics that answer the question of how leaders can show up for their teams, help them achieve their potential, and find fulfillment at work and in life. Today, Ryan is a globally recognized sales and leadership expert, founding partner of ImpactEleven, and keynote speaker helping many of the world’s best-known brands deliver growth. Chad leads business operations for the Dallas Cowboys, the most valuable sports franchise on the planet. Through drive and commitment, Ryan and Chad Estis know how to get results and foster deep connections. Prepare for Impact is their entertaining, actionable approach, helping readers make their own impact at any point in their career and, in turn, helping make the world of work a better place.

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It provides clear explanations of key terms, tools, and techniques, illustrated through practical examples. The book follows the stories of Kamala and Steve, two professionals who need to collaborate with data science teams to achieve their business goals. Howard Steven Friedman and Akshay Swaminathan walk readers through each step of managing a data science project, from understanding the different roles on a data science team to identifying the right software.

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Not all data is created equal. Sorting through it all to form an actionable strategy is perhaps the top challenge of the information age.

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JAN. 35 2024 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Economy DEVELOPING & GROWING BUSINESS DYNAMICS

Food as Medicine: Venture Capital’s Appetite for a Healthier Future Startups in the nutritional food space are gaining increased traction

by Dean Newton

Dean Newton is chairman of Relevance Ventures (relevanceventures.com), based in Nashville, Tennessee. The first Native-owned independent venture capital firm in the United States, the firm focuses on the Health & Wellness sector. Newton is a graduate of Harvard University (B.A. and J.D. degrees), a member of the Patawomeck Tribe, chairman of the Native American Capital and Investment Alliance, and an avid dog lover.

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For decades, venture capital chased the next tech innovation or disruptive platform. Today, a new wellness sector is garnering attention: the intersection of food and medicine. This “food-as-medicine” movement is reimagining what it means to be “healthy,” and venture investors’ palates are lathering at the prospect of savory returns. However, deploying venture capital to drive investor prosperity isn’t enough. We must take the opportunity to truly drive social impact by making nurturing meals the expectation, not the exception.

The global food-as-medicine market is projected to reach a staggering $35.26 billion by 2030 according to Prophecy Market Insights. This surge is mainly driven by the obesity epidemic; rising healthcare costs; increased awareness of the gut-brain connection; and a growing demand for personalized, preventive healthcare solutions. As the market for healthcare and wellness has grown, investors are pouring millions into startups developing innovative food-based solutions for chronic diseases, weight management, mental health and overall wellness.

Food-as-medicine startups are not just selling healthy snacks. They are employing advanced science and technology to create personalized dietary programs, functional foods and targeted nutrition interventions that address specific health concerns. Some examples are: • Season Health: Offers medically tailored meal plans and coaching for individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

• Faeth Therapeutics: Develops clinically validated, foodbased interventions designed to improve patient outcomes in areas like oncology and autoimmune diseases.

• Project Well: Delivers personalized meal kits to individuals with dietary restrictions and chronic diseases, ensuring access to nutritious and delicious food.

• Sunbasket: A healthy meal delivery service offering fresh, seasonal ingredients and easy recipes delivered weekly.

Startups in the nutritional food space are gaining increased traction as the market grows around 10% year over year. “Food as medicine” has seen development in proven efficacy, costeffectiveness and scalability. The saying, “You cannot outrun an unhealthy diet,” holds true with the increasing clinical evidence demonstrating that food choices can prevent, manage and even reverse chronic disease.

For many, however, healthy food remains unaffordable. The food-as-medicine movement is grounded in the fact that proper food and nutrition is a form of prevention. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimated that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables could save the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars annually by preventing chronic diseases. Additionally, healthy food’s potential to

prevent or manage chronic conditions, improve mental wellbeing, and offer cost savings is undeniable. Thankfully, the implementation of technology has broadened the scope and allowed a larger population to be reached.

Looking ahead, the food-as-medicine landscape is expected to see significant growth in the following areas: • Precision nutrition: Tailoring dietary interventions to individual genetic profiles and gut microbiomes.

• AI-powered recommendations: Utilizing artificial intelligence to create personalized meal plans and predict health outcomes.

• Food delivery and subscription services: Expanding access to convenient and affordable food-as-medicine options.

Some investors are now betting big on food-as-medicine because they believe it has the potential to revolutionize healthcare and create a healthier, more sustainable future. This trend represents a shift from treating sickness to preventing it, and it’s a shift that could have profound implications for individuals, healthcare systems and the entire food industry.

While the food-as-medicine movement holds immense promise for improving individual health and reducing healthcare costs, it’s crucial to address the issue of food insecurity that continues to plague millions. Access to nutritious food should not be a privilege reserved for a select few. VCs, food-as-medicine startups, insurance companies and policy makers have the opportunity to play a critical role in tackling food insecurity by: • Investing in initiatives that address food deserts and increase access to healthy food options in underserved communities.

• Developing affordable, nutritious food products that are accessible to all socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Modifying tax-exempt and tax-subsidized funding models to permit and even incentivize healthy food and nutritional selections.

• Partnering with community organizations, leaders from underprivileged groups and other ecosystem participants to build a more equitable and sustainable food system.

By working together to enable affordable access to the nourishing food for everyone, we can build a future where healthy food for all isn’t medicine, it’s the status quo. Many venture investors have leapt onto the “impact” bandwagon while doing little to drive social change. The food-as-medicine movement is an area where positive social impact, investors’ returns and sound public policy can all align. It’s not just a promising investment opportunity, it’s a chance to participate in a paradigm shift that promises to redefine our approach to health and well-being for generations to come.

The True Cost of Food Food deserts can make it difficult for residents to find fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy staples. According to a 2019 simulation study of Medicare and Medicaid recipients, providing just a 30% subsidy on fruits and vegetables could prevent nearly 2 million cardiovascular events and save almost $40 million in annual healthcare costs.

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LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

New Year, New … Privacy Program?

Businesses are invited to celebrate this year’s Data Privacy Day in style, with a refresh of their privacy program

by Heather Buchta

THE PRIVACY LAW LANDSCAPE While ongoing legislative sessions are expected to yield additional statutes, it is unlikely any new legislation would change the landscape for 2024. Generally, state legislatures are building in effective dates ranging from 9–12 months to 2–3 years out. The result is that the roadmap for 2024 privacy compliance is set, barring any legislative surprises.

Heather Buchta is a partner at Quarles in Phoenix, where she is office chair for the Intellectual Property Group, co-chair of the firm’s Data Privacy and Security Team, and involved in the firm’s AI initiative. She has practiced intellectual property and information technology law since 2001, when she joined Quarles. quarles.com

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January is a time of renewal, providing an opportunity for new focus. With Data Privacy Day almost upon us, and the expansion of data privacy legislation in the United States, now is the ideal time for businesses to update their data privacy program with best practices and plan for the next stage. How? Go back to the basics.

For the skeptics, Data Privacy Day is an actual holiday (sans greeting cards). Designed to raise consumer awareness, it was intentionally set at the beginning of the year, as an annual reminder to billions of online consumers — and the businesses that hold their data — to think about data protection.

Data privacy issues and legislation are poised to gain steam. Since 2018, when California passed the first comprehensive data privacy legislation in the U.S., 11 states have passed similar legislation, with the promise of more on the way. As of the end of 2023, the statutes in five of those states are effective, with Utah joining California, Virginia, Colorado and Connecticut.

Although Arizona does not currently have pending legislation, it has previously introduced bills, such that the possibility is not off the table. Regardless, the reality for any business is that compliance with this web of state privacy laws is becoming mandatory due to the interstate reach and applicability of state privacy legislation. The number of businesses operating in only one state is dwindling. Even if compliance isn’t mandatory, there are current and developing best practices that will undoubtedly make it into Federal Trade Commission jurisprudence in its role as the de facto U.S. data protection authority.

The good news is that data privacy teams will be able to enjoy a lull for the next six months until new statutes come online in July 2024 for Montana, Oregon and Texas, making now the perfect time for businesses to update their privacy program.

If a business has an updated privacy program, accommodating any business operations in Montana, Oregon and Texas will be straightforward because the affirmative obligations reflected in those statutes are similar to existing laws.

Businesses will, of course, want to confirm the applicability of each of those laws to its activities in those states. While Montana and Oregon have thresholds similar to those in many other states, Texas is likely to throw businesses a curve ball. While most states require the business to process (or, in California, buy, sell, share) data of a minimum number of residents in that state — varying from 35,000 to 175,000 — there is no similar threshold in Texas. Instead, Texas focuses on the concept of a “small business.” If a company is processing data of any Texas residents, the law may apply whether it is one resident or 100,000 residents.

If a business does not yet have a privacy program, now is the perfect time to look across all 11 existing laws and incorporate their basic shared tenets into a base privacy program. Doing

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so does not have to be a heavy lift, as the shared tenets are straightforward and center on three things: transparency, notice and choice. What does this mean in practice? Below is a high-level list of things a business should focus on in building a privacy program: 1. Provide a clear and comprehensive public-facing privacy notice of data collection, use and disclosure practices.

2. Ensure transparency in collecting data.

3. Provide consumers real choices about their data.

4. Not collect (or keep) more data than is needed for the purposes disclosed.

5. Implement commercially reasonable and appropriate physical, administrative and technical measures to ensure data remains confidential, available and secure.

6. Take responsibility for contractors processing data by requiring robust, documented contractual provisions.

7. Provide consumers with the ability to make delineated requests regarding their data, such as confirming what data a business has, correcting data, opting out of certain uses of data (such as for online advertising and marketing), and requesting deletion of data.

8. Provide internal training for the privacy program and security incident preparation.

While this list is not exhaustive for compliance with all data privacy laws, and there are a lot of complexities and nuances to contemplate, businesses can review their program with these basic tenets in mind. This will also set the foundation for issues such as advances in AI and IoT, which will continue to raise complexities and risk around data privacy. Ensuring that a data privacy program covers the basics will create a solid foundation for years to come.

And ensure businesses have a Happy Data Privacy Day!

Data Privacy Day is January 28, 2024. The holiday began in 2007 in Europe as Data Protection Day and was first adopted in the U.S. in 2009 to be made permanent in 2014 by Congress. Data Privacy Day is now celebrated in 27 countries.

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BUILDING PATHWAYS OUT OF POVERTY FOR ARIZONANS IN NEED

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Social Impact BUSINESS GIVES BACK

Shapiro Law Team’s Commitment to Community In our community’s heart, H.E.L.P. (Homeless Engagement Lift Partnership) spotlights the nightly challenges faced by street-living youth.

With many homeless families struggling to provide meals, H.E.L.P.’s HelpSnackz program steps in with daily nutritional support. Collaborating with school districts’ Homeless Liaisons, H.E.L.P. efficiently identifies and aids schools and students in need, serving as a crucial stepping stone to break the cycle of homelessness. Businesses are encouraged to join the movement to make hunger history for our youth. helpingthehomelessnow.org

Tyler Butler is a chief social impact officer for a publicly traded corporate portfolio where she leads programs that positively impact humanity. She is also the founder of 11Eleven Consulting, and she is often cited as a subject matter expert by Forbes, SHRM, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report and more. linkedin.com/in/tylerbutler

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Embracing altruism as an integral part of its mission

by Tyler Butler

In the dynamic world of business, where success is often measured in profit margins and market dominance, the story of Shapiro Law Team stands out as a beacon of corporate citizenship.

This Arizona-based personal injury firm, formerly known as David Shapiro Law, has not only carved a niche for itself in the legal arena but has also made altruism an integral part of its mission.

Founder David Shapiro embarked on his legal journey after law school. Under the guidance of a seasoned professional at a small personal injury firm, Shapiro honed his litigation skills and built personal connections with clients. Seven years of dedication paved the way for him to take a bold leap, establishing his own personal injury firm in Scottsdale, Arizona. What started as a modest operation with a dedicated team has now blossomed into Shapiro Law Team, a testament to the collective effort that propels its success.

Beyond the courtroom, Shapiro Law Team’s mission extends far into the realm of community advocacy and corporate responsibility. Its focus goes beyond legal representation, aiming to be a catalyst for positive change. The firm is unwaveringly committed to assisting innocent victims who have suffered due to negligence, a commitment that echoes in its approach to giving back to society.

At the heart of Shapiro Law Team’s values is a deep-rooted commitment to corporate citizenship. The firm actively engages with the community through strategic partnerships, such as its collaboration with MADD Arizona. In addition to providing care packages to those on the DUI Task Force, the firm actively educates the community on accident procedures and the importance of proper automobile insurance.

Shapiro Law Team’s philanthropic endeavors extend to various charities close to its members’ hearts. Notably, it supports the Usher 1F Collaborative, funding medical research for Usher Syndrome type 1F, a rare eye disease affecting David Shapiro’s sister. The firm’s charitable spirit also reaches organizations H.E.L.P., St. Mary’s Food Bank, The CARE Organization, Little Pink Houses of Hope, Jewish National Fund and Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.

Dawn Marie Rapaport, founder of H.E.L.P., acknowledges the impact of Shapiro Law Team, stating, “The Shapiro Law Team is fighting against hunger with children in need through our HelpSnackz program. Their support helps us make a difference and is leaving a lasting impact.”

Shapiro Law Team doesn’t limit its support to financial contributions; it actively engages in team-building events that involve volunteering in the community.

To instill a culture of community involvement, Shapiro Law Team encourages its employees to dedicate time to volunteering and charitable contributions. Team-building events with a strong emphasis on volunteering, often in collaboration with organizations like St. Mary’s Food Bank, contribute to a sense of shared purpose. The firm actively participates in community events such as the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona’s Run, Walk and Roll for Brain Health.

One notable initiative is the Shapiro Safe Driving Giveaway, designed to reward safe, distraction-free driving with a $1,000 cash prize. Although it was temporarily paused during the rebranding phase, the firm remains steadfast in its commitment to revive the program, raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and rewarding safe practices.

The firm sponsors and participates in a range of events, including The CARE Gala, The Phoenix MADD Walk, The Angel Rally for the Pearce Family Foundation, and the CBI All for One Golf Tournament. In 2023, it successfully raised funds to support local families in need during the holiday season.

Shapiro Law Team doesn’t limit its support to financial contributions; it actively engages in team-building events that involve volunteering in the community. Its dedicated program Help for Heroes is aimed at giving back to first responders and the military.

The journey of Shapiro Law Team from a small personal injury firm to a significant force for positive change serves as a testament to its unwavering commitment to giving back. Its dedication to creating a better world is truly inspiring, setting a remarkable example for other businesses. It’s a compelling reminder that success isn’t just about financial gains; it’s about making a lasting, positive impact on the world around us.

Shapiro Law Team shapirolawaz.com

Photo courtesy of Shapiro Law Team

H.E.L.P.: EASING HUNGER STRUGGLES

Strengthening communities through charitable giving.

For over 40 years, the Arizona Community Foundation has supported nonprofits and students across our state by mobilizing the collective passion and generosity of thousands of Arizonans.

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OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Cybersecurity Risk Controls Remain Key to Risk Mitigation, Resilience & Insurability Proactive cybersecurity strategies for business owners and C-level executives

by Jordan Freeman With technology increasing in sophistication year after year, business owners and executives must stay more vigilant than ever when it comes to preventing data breaches and cybersecurity threats. A cyber-attack can cost a company millions of dollars — and, with many businesses operating on razor-thin margins in today’s economy, such a large financial hit could be devastating. That said, the risk and impact of cybersecurity attacks are greatly reduced with the right risk management plans in place.

According to the latest data from IBM, the global average cost of a data breach in 2023 was $4.45 million, a 15% increase over three years. The demand for comprehensive cyber insurance is skyrocketing. And with cybersecurity claims continuing to rise, it is expected that carriers will increase cyber insurance rates — although the increases are moderating — increase the selfinsured retention limit and adjust their terms and conditions, mainly exclusions.

As 2024 begins, business owners are looking for additional ways to safeguard their information and ward off cyberattacks and threats to keep costs as low as possible and their claims at bay. The key lies in strategic risk management efforts and programs.

From an insurability perspective, three distinct areas of cyber risk management matter the most in insurance negotiation and warding off cybersecurity threats: legal components of compliance or risk management, proactive information security, and education.

COMPLIANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT

Jordan Freeman, CLCS, is a business insurance broker at Marsh McLennan Agency (formerly Lovitt & Touché). Freeman specializes in technology, software and life sciences, assisting companies scale their business insurance program and placing policies allowing companies to transfer risk. marshmma.com/us/ locations/arizona/ scottsdale.html

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Legal compliance and effective risk management are critical for protecting an organization against cyber risks. These crucial elements not only ensure regulatory adherence but also safeguard the company’s reputation and financial well-being in case of a security breach. A few strategies to consider are: • Compliance with industry laws & regulations: Ensuring the organization complies with security mandates is the first step to warding off potential threats. These regulations are in place to protect employees and sensitive data, but also the company’s bottom line should an attack occur and legal action follow.

• Third-party access measures and supply chain management: When working with vendors or digital supply chains, it’s important to put legal and preventive measures in place for third-party access to reduce overall cyber risk exposure. This can be in the form of a business continuity plan (BCP), which establishes the proper protocols and recovery systems if attacks occur.

• Employee policies & procedures: Having written policies and procedures in place for employees to follow in the

case of an attack keeps commitment to safety at the forefront of the organization and minimizes potential for further damage.

PROACTIVE INFORMATION SECURITY

Protecting digital assets requires proactive measures like incident response planning, threat detection and monitoring.

These activities allow organizations to identify, detect and contain attackers’ actions early. Alongside tools such as multifactor authentication and regularly monitoring for exposures, companies should implement additional techniques to increase security, such as: • Patch management and vulnerability scans: These routine checks allow senior leadership to apply patches or uncover existing vulnerabilities and remediate them before threat actors have a chance to exploit them.

• Secured, encrypted and tested backups: Attackers tend to delete backups before launching a ransomware attack to boost their success. It is essential to secure backups through encryption, independent from the network, and establish a data restoration testing schedule to ensure backups are working as intended.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Properly educating employees on cyber security training and implementing simulations is another integral component to warding off threats and building overall resiliency. Some common areas of focus are: • Identifying phishing scams: This can be done through conducting email phishing testing and providing ransomware awareness training to employees.

• Updates on the cyber environment: Organizational leadership should provide regular updates on security initiatives and their performance to help people remain aware of and vigilant to changes in the cyber environment.

• Create a Cyber Incident Response plan: Having a current CIR plan along with a well-trained team and experienced senior leadership ensures efficiency when handling cyber incidents. Combined with backups, other business continuity strategies and monitoring of endpoints and the network, these measures significantly mitigate the impact on business operations and protect an organization’s reputation in the event of an incident.

Having security controls in place not only helps mitigate a company’s risk and protects the business, but also makes them more attractive to insurance carriers. In turn, this entices a more competitive premium with less restrictive cyber coverage terms and limits. Taking control of proactive measures through information security, legal components and education safeguards the business and ensures it is well poised for the year to come.

Malicious links and files sent via email are still the primary way — accounting for more than half of attacks — that attackers insert ransomware, steal passwords and access critical systems. It is critical to train fellow staff in best practices when clicking links or sharing sensitive information through emails.

OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Tech for Good

Emerging sustainable growth markets

by Marga Hoek As Tech for Good becomes a wider field with broader applications, the related sustainable growth markets are being unlocked and discovered. New sustainable tech areas are popping up and growing rapidly where solutions are urgently needed. Tech areas that were not traditionally associated with sustainable objectives are now beginning to turn their focus toward Tech for Good. Although innovations have disrupted the financial sector, FinTech was originally not associated with purpose-driven business practices. Now it is becoming a global movement for change as part of the wider Tech for Good movement.

The broad spectrum of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies reveals the pervasive nature of tech innovation throughout business sectors. Many tech areas were identified as sustainable growth opportunities, often with disruptive benefits, like FinTech. Collaborations and joint ventures between companies with different competencies and sector knowledge are fruitful. Traditional and new tech areas are being repurposed to respond to the Tech for Good movement while seeking new growth and profit markets.

As one of the most pressing challenges, climate change will be at the forefront of boosting growth in areas like CarbonTech and ClimateTech. CarbonTech is attracting more and more interest from investors and governments lately. While concerns over global warming become stronger, the tech area has promoted and proliferated carbon capture.

Although the tech has been around for decades, it is only recently ramping up the ability to deliver on its promise. Now, a new cohort of carbon capture technologies and companies are emerging with their sights set on bridging the gap between the ongoing energy transition and the world’s reliance on heavy emitting oil and gas industries. Aker Carbon Capture, Climeworks, and LanzaTech represent just a few of the innovative companies in the CarbonTech area.

There are also examples of grand-scale, technologically advanced cities being built with these tech areas as a basis for rethinking urban planning. The Carbon Free City Neom in Saudi Arabia is one such initiative, progressively combining CarbonTech, ClimateTech, GreenTech, PropTech, and UrbanTech as an integral component of its design. The city will be a 26,500-square-km high-tech development on the Red Sea with several zones, including industrial and logistics areas, planned for completion in 2025. With no roads, cars, or emissions, it will run on 100% renewable energy and 95% of the land will be preserved for nature.

The carbon capture and sequestration industry has been attracting major investor interest, as the market is expected to grow from $2.01 billion in 2021 to $7 billion by 2028 at an estimated CAGR of 19.5%. In the UK alone, ClimateTech startups raised nearly $8 billion in 2022, which is double the entire $4 billion raised by the same firms throughout 2021.

Private investment firms are focusing on active entrepreneurial

value investing across tech genres and geographies. G9CM is a forward-thinking business with offices around the world that invest in opportunities for unlocking untapped potentials arising from tech innovation. Their venture capital growth strategy identifies candidates that have developed a solid business model and are ready to scale globally.

G9CM’s selected investments start with a minimum equity volume of $250,000 with a maximum of $10 million in several tech areas including EdTech, FinTech, AgriTech, CarbonTech, HealthTech, SpaceTech, and others.

LEADING THE TECH FOR GOOD MOVEMENT

The Tech for Good movement is gaining momentum as it is increasingly engaging stakeholders from all sectors and regions. When developing technology, businesses must take the lead to incorporate responsible practices and sound frameworks. While tech has been a major force for progress, it also has the potential to be abused and cause harm. From steam power to automobiles, history shows that technology is neither good nor bad in and of itself. It can be both beneficial and detrimental, depending on how it is used. Modern 4IR tech advancement, like that of the Internet and AI, is no different.

Leadership in Tech for Good takes on different forms. Bold companies with vision and purpose are guiding us along a tech paradigm ship toward an imaginable and achievable sustainable future.

Bold business leadership is driving the Tech for Good movement. Companies that are nimble and take decisive action can quickly redirect and accelerate forward progress on the 17 SDGs. The Global Goals are a vision for the world. We all own them, together as a collective body, and therefore each of us owns the responsibility of achieving them. Let us not, however, forget that the UN’s framework is fluid and serves primarily as a roadmap to direct our journey.

The path to our destination is not linear. Forward-thinking businesses have the power to take charge, devise a plan that serves both profit and purpose, and lead the way in the Tech for Good movement.

Adapted from Tech For Good: Imagine Solving the World’s Greatest Challenges by Marga Hoek, published with kind permission of Routledge.

The carbon capture and sequestration industry has been attracting major investor interest, as the market is expected to grow from $2.01 billion in 2021 to $7 billion by 2028 at an estimated CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 19.5%.

Marga Hoek is a multi-award-winning, bestselling author of The Trillion Dollar Shift (described as “Required Reading” for CEOs by Fortune), a global thought leader, and a former threetime CEO. She has been recognized by Thinkers50 for her global management thinking and is one of the most appreciated speakers around the world on sustainable business, capital, and technology.

She is also the author of Tech for Good: Imagine Solving the World’s Greatest Challenges (2023). margahoek.com

JAN. 43 2024 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

If You Build It, They Will Give Creating an effective employee engagement program

by Laura Kaiser EMPLOYERS SET THE EXAMPLE The strategy employees are using to give back is partially tied to the example set by the organization for which they work. For example, when paid time off is given for employees to volunteer, they are more likely to take advantage of those opportunities.

If donations come out of their paycheck, employees are more likely to give financially simply because of the convenience this option provides, coupled with matching funds that supplement their efforts.

Laura Kaiser is the chief corporate relations and brand officer at Valley of the Sun United Way. Valley of the Sun United Way envisions a community where every child, family and individual is healthy; has a safe place to live; and has every opportunity to succeed in school, in work and in life. As Valley of the Sun United Way works with its community, corporate and nonprofit partners to implement its five-year MC2026 plan for Mighty Change, it will put all its efforts toward reaching Bold Goals for Maricopa County in education, housing and homelessness, health and workforce development. vsuw.org vsuw.org/mightychange

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An effective employee engagement program is a vital component of any company’s corporate social responsibility strategy. According to re:Charity, 71% of employees believe it’s important to work at companies that choose to give back to the community. With competitive advantage in the marketplace top of mind, now may be a good time for organizations to establish or evaluate their employee engagement plan.

Recent declines in giving from individual donors continues to follow a downward trend throughout the nonprofit community. In fact, according to the latest Giving USA report, donations from individuals declined by 6% (10% when adjusted for inflation) in 2022. Foundations and corporations are giving more, but still cannot make up for the loss in dollars from individual contributions. And, while the number of individual donors has gone down for nonprofits across the country, it’s worth noting that those who still give are choosing to give more. Remedying this trend can begin with employers helping employees re-commit to their prior giving routines through their company’s CSR and employee engagement opportunities, benefiting not just those served by the nonprofit community, but creating a thriving and more equitable community for us all.

There are many ways that companies and their employees can support nonprofit organizations. Perhaps employees choose to give back by volunteering their time, which is great for the community and great for business. The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship reports that 96% of companies find that employees who volunteer are more engaged than those who do not. While some choose to give back through their time, others may choose to offer financial pledges and gifts to organizations made available or suggested by their employer’s paycheck giving campaign through partners like United Way or others.

One way employers can entice employees to make charitable contributions is to offer a matching-gift incentive for any charity they choose. This helps the employee see their generosity go further and also allows the employee to feel supported in his or her philanthropic decision. Unfortunately, an estimated $4 billion to $7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed each year, with 78% of employees unaware of their company’s matching gift programs, according to Double the Donation. Yet, with more than 26 million people working for companies with matching gift programs, the untapped financial realization of this combination is one that needs our attention. One suggestion is to bolster internal communication and remind employees about matching incentives to be sure they take advantage of the tremendous impact it provides the nonprofits they wish to support — especially for the 16% of employees who are aware their company has a matching-gift program but don’t know how to request or process a match.

It is also important that employers communicate their commitment to corporate social responsibility to stakeholders,

According to re:Charity, 71% of employees believe it’s important to work at companies that choose to give back to the community.

not only internally but also externally. Talking about their commitment to social responsibility can even improve employer-employee relationships and recruitment of top talent. Specifically, a solid approach can improve employee retention rates, boost morale, build loyalty and increase motivation. Communicating this commitment externally shapes the public’s view of the organization and can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, increase sales and referrals, while also recruiting top talent to join the team.

Another aspect of designing an employee plan for giving back centers on the connections to the various causes promoted by the employer. Some employers choose to spotlight particular organizations, while others may feature a cause category — such as education, housing and homelessness, health or workforce development — providing several organizations that employees could choose to support.

Offering general information about a particular cause or nonprofit is essential, but adding in “why” employers feel strongly about the cause or the mission of the nonprofit is key. Often, the more personal connection an employer has to a cause, the more of a connection the employees will have.

Whatever the approach, it’s important that organizations maintain it and focus on consistency throughout the year.

Building a vision and culture that supports social responsibility has positive benefits for an organization’s employees, stakeholders and community partners. It’s a commitment that provides a significant return on investment for both the company and our community as a whole. When we partner and work to increase the resources of the nonprofit organizations working among and around us for the benefit of those who live, work and play in our community, we only improve the quality of life for all.

WE VALUE WHAT WE OWN

2024 Ford F-150 Raptor Impressive power drivers need with the efficiency they want. The F-150® Raptor® line of trucks is precisely engineered to dominate off-road. The Raptor and Raptor R® feature massive 37-inch all-terrain tires on 17-inch forged-aluminum wheels, 5-link rear suspension, available Fox Racing Shox with Live Valve™ technology, Trail 1-Pedal Drive, Ford Trail

Control™ and a Terrain Management System™ with seven Selectable Drive Modes.

Whether the F-150® truck is used for work or recreation, every feature is engineered for a specific goal — to help make easy work out of the hardest jobs. With intelligent functionality already built-in, it handles everything from hauling to home renovation to tailgating just got better.

The F-150 Raptor is loaded with intelligent technology to help make doing things go smooth while on the job or for recreation. Now it’s easy to load up, tow and work from just about anywhere, in a rugged, built-tough truck that is styled and designed to perform — on or off the road.

There are many options available, but some of the notable new options are innovative towing technology, which helps hitch up, back up and tow confidently, and the Head-Up Display, which puts real-time driving information onto the windshield so the driver’s eyes don’t leave the road.

—Mike Hunter

2024 FORD F-150 RAPTOR MSRP: $77,980 City: 15 mpg Hwy.: 18 mpg Transmission: 10-speed automatic 0–60: 3.6 sec

Ford ford.com

Wax and Tequila – Arizona Companies Collaborate for Unique Candles An unusual collaboration elevates two Arizona

the tequila development process,” says Tequila

companies, as Scottsdale Candle Company

Corrido COO Anthony Boyle. And Scottsdale

teamed up with Tequila Corrido, an award-

Candle Company is dedicated to giving a new

winning Arizona-based handcrafted tequila

meaning to beautiful, recycled liquor and

brand, to create luxury candles made using

champagne bottles through the creation of all its

recycled tequila bottles. These candles are made

luxury and unique candles. Each candle has its

from Tequila Corrido’s Blanco, Reposado and

own variations within the glass and labels with

Añejo expression bottles.

natural imperfections, as each bottle holds a story

Photos courtesy of Ford (top), Tequila Corrido (bottom)

The Tequila Corrido bottle candles feature

and connections of its own.

Scottsdale Candle Company’s signature scent of a

The Tequila Corrido bottle candles come in

sweet blend of tangy grapefruit with a punch of

limited quantities and are made to order. They are

citrus and peach and a hint of vanilla. Hand-poured

available online, with up to two weeks handling

in small batches at Scottsdale Candle Company,

time. —Mike Hunter

the candles are 100% soy wax, environmentally friendly, paraffin free and clean burning.

“Tequila Corrido is committed to preventing environmental waste through each aspect of

$40 Scottsdale Candle Company scottsdalecandleco.com Tequila Corrido ilovetequilacorrido.com

Ford BlueCruise is a hands-free highway driving technology. This available driver-assistance feature builds on existing technologies, like Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Centering Assist, to enable hands-free driving. BlueCruise works on certain divided highways across the United States.

DON’T MISS OUT! Get a year of In Business Magazine Subscribe now at inbusinessphx.com

JAN. 45 2024 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

MEALS THAT MATTER

SICILIAN SALAD Charred escarole, poached potatoes, green beans, heirloom tomatoes, Sicilian olives, red onion and shaved fennel dressed with white balsamic citrus vinaigrette $14

The Rosticceria Puts Wood-Fired Meats in the Limelight

by RaeAnne Marsh

POLLO ARROSTO All-natural Italian herbrubbed rotisserie chicken served with Rosticceria potatoes $9 (quarter), $17 (half), $32 (whole)

PIZELLE & SWEET RICOTTA Italian cookie basket filled with cannoli cream and topped with strawberry compote $12

The glory that is Rome includes, for Chef Joey Maggiano, famed Italian dish porchetta. This dish, along with other traditional Italian dishes, has been sadly absent from Phoenix’s (yea, even Arizona’s) culinary scene. With this prolific restaurateur’s The Rosticceria, Chef Joey rectifies that oversight.

“The inspiration for the new concept came from traveling through the Rome and Abruzzo regions with my wife Cristina and father Tomaso,” Chef Joey shares. “We loved the grilled meats and the porchetta, and I am still dreaming about it.” In fact, top of that memory is the porchetta, pork belly roast he enjoyed sliced off skewers from Rome’s street vendors.

The whole restaurant, really, is a celebration of Rome, from the two statues of Roman soldiers who stand at attention by the entrance to the murals — one filling a wall of the dining room and another a wall of the patio — to the row of Roman helmets hanging in the dining room.

It’s a meat-forward menu featuring the flavors of central Italy. Headline entrées are Porchetteria, the pork belly rubbed in this Chef Joey’s (version) with wild fennel pollen and cooked

for six hours; Arrosticini, a selection of meats and seafood (and vegetables) that are simply herb-rubbed, skewered and woodfired; and Pollo Arrosto, herb-rubbed rotisserie chicken.

Side dishes include the incredibly flavorful Roasted Corn Cacio e Pepe, kernels of roasted corn in a sauce of butter, pecorino cheese and smoked pepper, and Eggplant Parmigiano, eggplant chard fileted, roasted and topped with San Marzano sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Also on the menu are paninis, salads, soup and, of course, pizza and calzones (note: no pasta). But The Rosticceria’s pizza is one of the firsts Chef Joey offers Phoenicians: The dough is fried, not baked, which results in a softer, puffier texture, then finished with the chosen toppings and a quick bake to blend the flavors.

Making all this work is the kitchen that Food Director Chef Landon says Chef Joey equipped with the most “toys” of any of his restaurants — of which Chef Landon’s favorite is the woodfired grill, where he says he enjoys building the wood just like a campfire.

A focal point of the dining room is the self-serve gelato bar. As Chef Joey did for Bloody Marys at his Hash Kitchen restaurants he has done here for gelato: Waffle cones can be filled with vanilla or chocolate gelato and then smothered in any or all of 40 candy and cookie toppings — and finally topped with whipped cream and/or a drizzle of dessertflavored liqueur.

The Rosticceria’s energetic vibe welcomes guests from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

The Rosticceria (480) 916-0116 therosticceria.com

JAN. 2024

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INBUSINESSPHX.COM

The Rosticceria is the latest restaurant concept to open from The Maggiore Group. The other concepts are The Sicilian Butcher, The Sicilian Baker, The Mexicano and Hash Kitchen. maggioregroup.com

Photos courtesy of The Rosticceria

12811 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix

Arizona Technology Report

WINTER 2024

aztechcouncil.org

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Keeping Connected

Arizona Technology Council: The Voice of the Technology Industry

President’s Message

Podcasts help spread Council’s message to widespread audience

When news came from Capitol Hill that the Inflation Reduction Act passed into law, we at the Arizona Technology Council were more than a 3 Public Policy Guide little excited. With the inclusion of a clean energy Recommendations to lawmakers component in the legislation, the Council predicted shared in annual publication new opportunities were possible for this segment of 4 Dynamic Duo our membership and their peers.

VPs from PayPal and ASU join board The results tell us we had reason to be positive.

5 Global Conversations Since the IRA became official in summer 2022, Students get chance to make their the state has gained more than $10 billion in new Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO case with leaders clean energy investments. In turn, that is expected to Arizona Technology Council SciTech Institute translate into an estimated 13,570 jobs in Arizona.

Council member companies announcing new projects are KORE Power in partnership with Siemens to build the $1.25-billion KOREPlex battery facility in Buckeye with The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for science and 6,400 jobs and Phoenix-based JA Solar’s manufacturing facility creating 600 jobs technology companies. through a $60-million investment.

Other projects of note are the $5.6-billion LG Energy Solutions gigafactory Phoenix Office in Queen Creek that is expected to result in 2,800 jobs and American Battery’s 2800 N. Central Ave., #1530, Phoenix, AZ 85004 gigafactory in Tucson, projected to employ 1,000 with its $1.2-billion investment.

Phone: 602-343-8324 • Fax: 602-343-8330 info@aztechcouncil.org Adding to that are the cities of Casa Grande, Coolidge and Eloy plus the town of Patagonia that have new projects coming online, resulting in facilities being Tucson Office built and jobs becoming available due to clean energy investments.

1215 E. Pennsylvania St., Tucson, AZ, 85714 As you can see, Arizona is claiming its share of the national clean energy Phone: 520-388-5760 tucson@aztechcouncil.org investment boom, quickly establishing itself as a powerhouse in the U.S. clean energy industry.

Beyond our members having good news to report, the Council is MANAGEMENT AND STAFF playing another role by helping facilitate conversations with those who Steven G. Zylstra President + CEO can work together to continue the momentum. For example, we recently Chris O’Neal Chief of Staff partnered with other groups to convene the roundtable “Powering Arizona: Deborah Zack Vice President, Membership Services Karla Morales Vice President, Southern Arizona Maximizing Historic Federal Investment for a Clean Economy.”

Regional Office The Governor’s Office of Resiliency, the key administrator of IRA grants Leslie Marquez Director, Marketing + Communications in the state, and major Arizona employers from Honeywell Aerospace, Darryle Emerson Director, Programs + Events Microsoft, Lucid Motors, KORE Power and others met at Honeywell’s Jamie Neilson Director of Operations + Events, Southern Arizona Regional Office Advanced Air Mobility Lab in Phoenix for this private discussion about Angelica Espinoza Bookkeeper maximizing clean energy investment in the state as they shared their plans Rae Johnson Administrative Assistant for growth here and discussed policy challenges to fully maximize the IRA. Don Rodriguez Editor The state also shared updates on their progress and requests for Ron Schott Executive Emeritus, Phoenix information specific to the next stage of IRA maximization. The Office of SCITECH INSTITUTE Resiliency has been focused on grant applications, but the conversation is Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO turning toward how we further advance loan and tax incentives.

Jeremy Babendure, Ph.D., Executive Director Kaci Fankhauser, STEM Ecosystem Co-Director Supporting members in their quest for success while helping bring Claire Conway, STEM Ecosystem Co-Director parties together to determine what’s right for their organizations and the Eileen Healy, CSO International Program Manager state, the Council and its staff are empowered by the potential of what lies Sarah Cundiff, CSO International Program Coordinator ahead for Arizona in the clean energy industry and more than happy to Ashton Grove, AZ CSO Program Coordinator have a seat at the table.

Brittany Sweeney-Lawson,

WHO WE ARE

Marketing & Communications Manager Vanessa Thompson, Finance Administrator Mark Paulsen, Workforce Development Coordinator Makenna Littell, Event Coordinator

aztechcouncil.org

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

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Keeping Connected

Podcasts help spread Council’s message to widespread audience With Arizona’s size measuring just under 114,000 square miles, it’s a massive task for the Arizona Technology Council to keep the state’s technology community connected. After all, with a reputation built on in-person events, having a presence from border to border is impossible.

Or is it?

The Council has incorporated two podcasts to help build a personal connection and intimacy with an audience that goes beyond just the membership base.

AZ TechCast is a monthly podcast hosted on Phoenix Business RadioX that is dedicated to covering technology trends in Arizona and beyond. TechFocus Member Spotlight partners with Michael Beach Consulting to highlight innovative entrepreneurs, transformative leaders and tech titans who are reshaping the state’s evolving tech ecosystem in existing and emerging sectors.

“Listening to a podcast is like hanging out with friends and listening to a topic you’re interested in,” says Leslie Marquez, the Council’s director of marketing + communications. “It helps build a relationship with listeners that keeps them coming back.

“Podcasts are also great for multitasking.

Listeners can tune in from anywhere when it’s convenient for them,” she adds. “We feel like they are resonating with listeners based on the feedback we receive on social media and the requests we receive from members in the community to be on the podcasts.”

AZ TechCast guests are sourced from the region’s most innovative technology

2 ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

corporations, startups and others that are providing technology solutions for society’s most pressing issues. Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Council and SciTech Institute, and Karen Nowicki, owner and president of Phoenix Business RadioX, serve as podcast hosts each month and have a casual but informative coffee shop-type chat with three industry experts in each episode.

For example, the October 2023 episode of the podcast featured experts Kelly LeBlanc, chief marketing and product officer of IP Infusion; Seth Haller, director of sales – Southwest, West and Pacific Northwest regions at EPS Global; and Sandip Bhowmick, vice president of infrastructure and state

broadband director at the Arizona Commerce Authority. In the hour-long informative and dynamic discussion, the panel discussed the challenges of providing broadband access and infrastructure to Arizona’s diverse populations as they shared plans that are already underway to bridge the state’s digital divide.

In the November edition of TechFocus Member Spotlight, the audience was introduced to Doug Hockstad, associate vice president of Tech Launch Arizona, the office of The University of Arizona that creates social and economic impact through commercializing inventions stemming from university research. In its 10-plus-year history, Tech Launch Arizona has taken in more than 2,700 invention disclosures, had more than 615 U.S. patents issued, executed upwards of 500 licenses and options for UArizona technologies, and launched more than 135 startups — all generating an economic output of more than $1.6 billion.

Beyond these recent examples, past episodes of the podcasts can be found at www.aztechcouncil.org/podcasts.

Public Policy Guide

Recommendations to lawmakers shared in annual publication When it comes to helping shape public policy, Arizona Technology Council staff and members of its Public Policy Committee are no strangers to walking the halls of the Arizona Capitol and even Congress.

While securing legislation that supports the technology community is cause for celebration, building upon those successes is even longer lasting.

Examples of what lies ahead for action at the Arizona Legislature are readily available in the Council’s 2024 Public Policy Guide, the 11th edition of the annual publication that releases just before the session begins in January.

The guide takes shape after the committee creates a list of principles in a number of subject areas and then establishes related positions to be used as the foundation of the Council’s public policy efforts. In some cases, the positions will advance through development and advocacy of legislation that will be introduced during the 2024 session. In other instances, the positions will be used on an ongoing basis as regulators or legislators add new regulations, legislation or changes to pertinent existing regulations or laws.

The road to the new session actually was paved in 2023. Last year, Gov. Katies Hobbs signed the measure that increased the aggregate cap on reimbursements to counties and municipalities for public infrastructure improvement costs that benefit manufacturing facilities.

Taking matters further, the Council recommends legislators in the next session support economic development programs that have proven to work for Arizona, including maintaining and funding programs that support manufacturing.

Speaking of infrastructure, funding also was approved to support both the rural broadband accelerated match fund maintained by the Arizona State Broadband Office of the Arizona Commerce Authority and the broadband expansion fund. For the next step, the Council recommends seeking ways to grant equitable access to essential services such as broadband, employment and education opportunities while impacting workforce diversity, equity and inclusion.

Education and workforce development were priorities in the last session when funding was approved for the computer science professional development fund and Phoenix science education

programs. In the next session, the Council recommends developing a phased-in option for students to enroll in computer science courses offered by their schools or an online course approved by the Arizona Department of Education, as well as looking for opportunities to expand Arizona’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, including computer sciences and coding opportunities.

The guide also makes recommendations for lawmakers on Capitol Hill. For example, action is still needed on the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act, and the American Innovation and Jobs Act to help ensure the tax code continues to support innovation. The tax code now requires businesses to amortize or deduct research and development expenses over a period of five years instead of the previously allowed full deduction in the same year. The Council strongly recommends Congress reverse this harmful tax change.

Digital versions of the current and past guides are available at www.aztechcouncil.org/public-policy.

New Year, New Members for CEO Networks

The Arizona Technology Council is committed to equipping technology company CEOs with the resources, network and support they need to lead with purpose and confidence. To help, the Council’s CEO Networks in Phoenix and Tucson were created to help grow members’ leadership, recognize their big wins, share their most frustrating obstacles, and problem solve with other CEOs experiencing similar highs and lows on their leadership journeys.

Each CEO Network has a $1,500 annual membership fee to cover costs for half-day forums that meet once a month in person for members to prioritize personal and professional growth in a safe space designed to encourage, challenge and invest in their success and well-being.

For more information and to apply, please see aztechcouncil.org/ ceo-network.

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ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

3

Dynamic Duo

VPs from PayPal and ASU join board of directors Experts in finance and higher education are the latest additions to the Arizona Technology Council board of directors.

The new board members are Art Taylor, PayPal’s vice president of Global Compliance Investigations, and Grace O’Sullivan, vice president of corporate engagement and partnerships at Arizona State University. Both were elected unanimously to serve three-year terms at recent quarterly board meetings.

Taylor leads a team of industry experts in charge of risk and compliance investigations in North America, ensuring PayPal fulfills its commitment to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and other related financial crimes. Taylor’s team is primarily concentrated in two main hubs — Phoenix and Omaha, Nebraska — and encompasses approximately 400 talented subject-matter experts.

Prior to joining the PayPal team in 2016, Taylor worked for American Express and Bank of America serving in a variety of compliance and operations leadership roles. Taylor earned his master’s degree in global business

management from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in international business from Menlo College.

O’Sullivan brings more than a decade of expertise in higher education and creating impactful public-private partnerships. Her efforts have led to efficient and win-win collaborations between the private sector and ASU, recognized as the most innovative school in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

O’Sullivan’s team also advances a portfolio of strategic health partnerships, including ASU’s flagship partners Mayo Clinic, Dignity Health and Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

She is a board member of the Partnership for Economic Innovation, a nonprofit whose mission is to transform Greater Phoenix into a top global market for innovation that is fueled by world-class research centers, advanced industries and creative entrepreneurs.

O’Sullivan also serves on the board of Terros Health. She earned her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Arizona State University and is also a certified research administrator.

Council Adds 2 New Professionals to Team Two new team members have joined the staff of the Arizona Technology Council.

Chris O’Neal serves as chief of staff, responsible for partnering with the president and CEO to represent the Council with external constituency groups and the board of directors. As a member of the executive team, he provides resources and support with an emphasis on strategy, operations and finance, in addition to the management of facilities, IT services, vendor management, payroll and human resource management.

O’Neal most recently was head of accounts receivables operations in finance core services at Discount Tire headquarters in Scottsdale.

Previously, he was director of administration and business operations at Rose Immigration Law Firm in Tennessee.

Leslie Marquez is director of marketing and communications, which allows her to lead, coordinate and participate in the development of marketing strategies and services. She brings broad-based marketing, public relations and advertising experience in both in-house and agency environments across diverse sectors, including nonprofit performing arts, legal marketing, mortgage technology and residential mortgage marketing.

Marquez joins the Council from mortgage technology firm focusIT, where she served as marketing director. Previously, she served as the director of marketing for Ballet Arizona.

4 ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Art Taylor

Grace O’Sullivan

Awards Recognize Efforts to Make a Difference The Arizona Technology Council recently was named the I-Squared Ecosystem Impact Award winner by Tech Launch Arizona at The University of Arizona (UArizona).

The award is reserved for a person or entity outside UArizona whose contributions have generated maximum success for university inventions and startups during the past year, as well as an extended period of time.

The Council specializes in offering numerous resources to startups, particularly those created within the walls of Arizona’s outstanding postsecondary institutions. Since the inception of TLA 11 years ago, the Council has been an avid supporter of commercialization and entrepreneurial efforts from UArizona.

Separately, Steven G. Zylstra, the Council’s president and CEO, recently was named 2023 Leader of the Year in the Associations category by the Arizona Capitol Times.

Each year the publication recognizes leaders who have contributed to the growth of the state.

Chief Science Officers Braeden and Preston hosted two Community Flights Nights in Midland, Michigan, as part of the SciTech Institute’s 2022-2023 season.

Global Conversations

Students get chance to make their case with leaders When it comes to having conversations about important topics that include sustainability, tech for good, aerospace engineering and artificial intelligence, the appropriate forum that quickly comes to mind is the United Nations.

That might seem too limiting to the SciTech Institute, a nonprofit whose parent is the Arizona Technology Council.

Instead, the Institute envisions 1,000 middle and high school students leading global conversations around the topics with business, community and education leaders. That is the purpose of the upcoming 2024 Changemakers in STEM Virtual Youth Congress, a collaboration of the Institute, the Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society initiative of the Afterschool Alliance and the global community of practice called STEM Learning Ecosystems.

The Institute is no stranger to the international scene of STEM, the acronym referring to science, technology, education and math. Its Chief Science Officer program that originally launched in Arizona now counts members in 15 states — most recently Utah, Alabama, Idaho and Pennsylvania — and countries outside the U.S. border.

The agenda for the Youth Congress already has taken shape to include three online sessions: • Learn from STEM professionals and each other about challenges in the four topics (Feb. 3) • Design and brainstorm a community initiative around one of the topics (Feb. 17) • Share each team’s idea with global leaders (March 2) The idea for the Youth Congress came from Freya Abraham, a CSO alumnus who is now a student at The University of Arizona.

Her observation “One of the biggest issues in education, if not the biggest, is a lack of student voice in the way decisions are made” led to creation of the inaugural event.

The event is not the first connection the Institute has with the international community. The CSO program’s presence outside the United States includes Colombia, Kenya, Kuwait and Mexico.

Closer to home, the Institute also remains focused on growing Arizona’s STEM ecosystem, which is organized into regional STEM hubs and statewide working groups that connect communities, share resources, align STEM efforts and, ultimately, build the state’s future STEM workforce.

As the ecosystem’s backbone organization, the Institute fosters community leadership, coordinates hub and working group engagement, connects partner organizations, and develops key resources to guide STEM efforts in Arizona. Key successes in the Institute’s 2022-2023 season included: • Development of an Arizona STEM ecosystem charter to align efforts and boost collaboration among STEM leaders around the state.

• Launch of the first West Valley STEM hub steering committee.

• Onboarding of four part-time hub coordinators in Coconino, Yavapai, Pima and Pinal counties.

• Participation in the first two statewide hub projects implemented locally through the support of the hub coordinators.

• Development of five adaptable hub models to fit local goals and strategies.

To learn more and register, visit bit.ly/STEM4CHANGE.

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

5

Connect with the Global Optics Industry at our 7th Arizona Photonics Days, January 24-26, Tucson 3 Days and 5 Conference Sessions: • Biomedical Technology • Astronomy • Sensing and Metrology • Laser Technology • Quantum Information Science

Register: opticsvalleyaz.org

Optics Valley is a committee of the Arizona Technology Council.

Presents

Top Valley venues, hotels and unique ideas for holding the best meetings and conventions here

THE DESERT IS HOT

Absolutely igniting.

Whether you’re looking to spark innovation and blue-sky thinking at intimate board retreats or to invigorate an entire industry at a large conference, Scottsdale offers distinctive, exceptionally functional meeting venues. And, when you step outside those venues into Scottsdale’s refined desert environment and year-round sunshine, the real inspiration happens.

MeetInScottsdale.com

Meetings & Conventions Means Meeting People: Handshakes Speak for You Some handshakes will hurt your influence

by Stacey Hanke

Have you ever wondered what your handshake says about you? Your handshake is like your business card. It conveys your confidence, credibility and influence without a single word being spoken. Studies have shown this one simple gesture can enhance a social situation and make a positive impact on others.

In our culture, a handshake accompanies almost every introduction and initiates many conversations. It sets the tone for new relationships by signaling others of your integrity.

People often admit to judging others based on this small gesture.

Because of this, The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology encourages everyone to pay attention to their handshake as it has found significant consistencies in a firm handshake and a positive first impression.

Make a great first impression by considering your handshake and what it says about you, and avoid these eight types of handshakes that will hurt your influence with others: Dead Fish — Also known as the limp noodle, this handshake conveys weakness and uncertainty. It gives people the impression

Valley

you have a passive personality and can be easily overrun. Don’t use this handshake even when tempted to be gentle with a person due to age or gender.

Hand Crusher — Want someone to forget your name immediately? Squeeze their hand with constant force. They’ll be so distracted by the pain that they’ll tune out anything you say.

This type of handshake diminishes trust others are willing to place in you. It sends the message you’re trying too hard, and people will likely question what you say after that.

Long Lingerer — Few things can make a handshake recipient more uncomfortable than someone who won’t let go of their hand. Handshakes should be no more than two seconds in length.

Anything longer begins to cross personal boundaries and feels like a desperate invasion of space.

Hip Hipster — First bumps and fancy handshakes have their place — with friends and family. They have no business in the workplace. They reflect a lack of awareness and a need to be revered as “cool” not credible. Images of frat boys

»

Presents

About Our Guide We hope you will enjoy this comprehensive compilation of the Valley’s top sites for business events, conventions and meetings. Our Valley is home to some of the best properties, with state-of-the-art technology and facilities to ensure the Top Valley venues, hote ls and unique ideas for holding the best meetings and conventions here

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

success of your next great event. In Business Magazine has compiled this guide so companies can compare amenities and make choices for their local events. This guide will be online at www.inbusinessphx.com for a full year.

JAN. 2024

55

» and football parties come to mind instead of

experienced professional.

Brush Off — A handshake is intended to kick-start a meaningful connection. When shaking someone’s hand, be deliberate with your eye contact and don’t rush the exchange. Nothing makes someone feel like they’re unimportant or being blown off quite like shaking hands with a person in a rush or looking around at others.

Wet Weasel — We all get nervous and have anxiety before big meetings or introductions. It’s natural. What isn’t natural, however, is the feeling of contacting someone’s sweaty palms. So, if you know you are likely to have unusually wet palms, carry a handkerchief in your pocket to use just before an introduction. Also, you can wash your hands with cold water to help keep them cool under pressure.

Hand Hugger — We’ve all shaken hands with someone who uses both of theirs to embrace ours both top and bottom. While this is perfectly normal in a personal situation with friends and family, it’s out of place in a professional setting. You can convey a message of warmth with your eyes, smile and choice of words. There is no need to embrace someone’s hand in such a personal manner.

Shugger — This is a handshake that pulls the receiver closer to you physically, almost as if you were going to hug the other person. It forces that person to come closer as your hand stays closely tucked into your body. While this type of handshake is common among friendly colleagues and peers, it sends a message of favoritism to those on the outside looking in. Remember your handshake conveys a message to everyone, not just the person with whose hand you’re shaking.

Perfecting the Perfect Handshake

Practice the perfect handshake first by seeking feedback on yours. Ask someone you trust to help identify areas of opportunity. Then practice it on others to solicit feedback and more guidance until you’ve mastered the art.

Some keys to the perfect handshake: • Anticipate the handshake. Ensure your hand is free, out of your pocket and not holding onto any items. Switching hands to shake is distracting and awkward.

• Use your right hand. Even if you’re a leftie, our culture dictates right-handed handshakes as key.

• Maintain a strong, confident posture. Remain upright and refrain from leaning. If necessary, take a step toward the person with whom you’re greeting. If you’re seated upon meeting someone, stand up before shaking their hand. This signifies respect to the person you’re meeting.

• Make intentional eye contact as you greet the other person. Once your hand makes a connection, ensure your eyes connect, too. Use a kind greeting such as “nice to meet you” or “great to see you again.” Incorporate their name with your greeting to help better solidify your introduction. This interaction trifecta will warm up anyone with whom you connect.

• Remain firm throughout the handshake. Grasp the other person’s hand with a firm grip without squeezing. Maintain the grip for two seconds before releasing. Don’t allow your hand to fall limp upon the initial grip.

• Shake from your elbow, not your wrist. Two or three pumps will do. Any more and your partner will begin to feel uncomfortable.

You want to be so confident in your handshake style that it is second nature. Seeking feedback and frequent practice will help solidify your good habits, so you can concentrate more on meeting the person and less on the impression you’re making. The more comfortable you become, the more confidence you’ll convey.

Stacey Hanke is the founder and communication expert of Stacey Hanke Inc. (staceyhankeinc.com). She is the author of Influence Redefined: Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday and Yes You Can! Everything You Need From A to Z to Influence Others to Take Action. Hanke and her team have delivered thousands of presentations and workshops for leaders of Fortune 500 companies, including Coca-Cola, Nationwide, FedEx, Kohl’s and AbbVie.

How High-Performance Organizations Make Meetings Effective Tip 1: Set clear expectations for all meetings.

Meeting norms, ground rules, guidelines — these set the foundation for building an effective meeting habit. They often include things like use of an agenda and keeping meetings on time. Whatever your rules, the leadership team must follow them.

The way the leadership group meets sets the real standard everyone else follows.

—J. Elise Keith, co-founder of Lucid Meetings (www.lucidmeetings.com) and author of Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization

56 JAN. 2024

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

# of Meeting Rooms

Largest Room

Total Meeting Space

# of Sleeping Rooms 62,000

Tempe Tourism Office 222 S. Mill Avenue, Suite 120 Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 894-8158 tempetourism.com

Tempe

n/a

n/a

67,000

5,600

Visit Mesa 120 N. Center St. Mesa, AZ 85201 (480) 827-4700 visitmesa.com

Mesa

n/a

n/a

49,000

5,000

Camby Hotel 2401 E. Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85016 (602) 468-0700 thecamby.com

Phoenix

6

1200

20,000

277

Doubletree by Hilton Chandler 7475 W. Chandler Blvd.

Chandler, AZ 85226 (480) 961-4444 chandlersouthgatehotel.com

Chandler

5

1,800

6,800

159

Courtyard Scottsdale Old Town 3311 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85250 (480) 429-7785 marriott.com

Scottsdale

4

1,360

2,200

180

Crowne Plaza Hotel Phoenix – Airport 4300 E. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85034 (602) 273-7778 crowneplazaphx.com

Phoenix

8

5,376

9,300

290

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe 2100 S. Priest Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282 (480) 967-1441 hilton.com

Tempe

12

7,493

30,000

270

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Phoenix 320 N. 44th St. Phoenix, AZ 85008 (602) 225-0500 doubletreephoenix.com

Phoenix

10

3,500

10,000

242

Poco Diablo Resort & Conference Center 1752 Arizona 179 Sedona, AZ 86336 (928) 282-7333 pocodiablo.com Glendale Civic Center 5750 W. Glenn Dr. Glendale, AZ 85301 (623) 930-4300 glendaleciviccenter.com Mesa Convention Center 263 N. Center St. Mesa, AZ 85201 (480) 644-2178 mesaconventioncenter.com Phoenix Convention Center 100 N. 3rd St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 262-6225 phoenixconventioncenter.com

Phoenix

Sedona

11

10

5,435

3,300

40,000

8,500

n/a

n/a

137

Hotels Glendale

Mesa

Phoenix

2

15

90

12,788

19,000

46,000

40,000

40,000

160,000

n/a

n/a

n/a

Convention & Visitors Bureaus Experience Scottsdale 4343 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 70 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 421-1004 experiencescottsdale.com Glendale Convention & Visitors Bureau 9494 W. Maryland Ave., Third Floor Glendale, AZ 85305 (623) 930-4500 visitglendale.com

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

City

900,000

51,000

Venue

n/a

5,169

# of Sleeping Rooms

n/a

21

Total Meeting Space

Phoenix

Desert Willow Conference Center 4340 E. Cotton Center Blvd.

Phoenix, AZ 85040 (602) 431-0001 desertwillowconferencecenter.com

Phoenix

Largest Room

Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau 125 N. 2nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 254-6500 visitphoenix.com

# of Meeting Rooms

Black Canyon Conference Center 9440 N. 25th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85021 (602) 944-0569 blackcanyonconferencecenter.com

City

Convention & Visitors Bureaus

Venue

Conference Centers

Scottsdale

Glendale

n/a

17

n/a

95,000

100,000+

612,500

14,000

8,500

JAN. 2024

57

City

# of Meeting Rooms

Largest Room

Total Meeting Space

# of Sleeping Rooms

702

1,200

128

250

Hotel Valley Ho 6850 E. Main St. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 376-2600 hotelvalleyho.com

Scottsdale

11

4,000

13,000

191

Hyatt Regency Phoenix 122 N. 2nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 252-1234 phoenix.hyatt.com

Phoenix

32

12,000

45,000

693

Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU 7 E. University Dr. Tempe, AZ 85281 (602) 794-8600 omnihotels.com/hotels/tempe-asu

Tempe

8

14,841

27,664

330

Phoenix Airport Marriott 1101 N. 44th St. Phoenix, AZ 85008 (602) 273-7373 marriott.com

Phoenix

15

750

24,716

347

Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel 100 N. 1st Street Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 333-0000 marriott.com

Phoenix

20

20,000

50,000

527

Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa 9495 W. Coyotes Blvd.

Glendale, AZ 85305 (623) 937-3700 renaissanceglendale.com

Glendale

17

3,400

115,085

320

Four Points by Sheraton North 2532 W. Peoria Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85029 (602) 943-2341 four-points.marriott.com Embassy Suites by Hilton Phoenix Biltmore 2630 E. Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85016 (602) 955-3992 hilton.com Embassy Suites Hotel PhoenixTempe 4400 S. Rural Rd. Tempe, AZ 85282 (480) 897-7444 hilton.com Hilton Phoenix/Mesa 1011 W. Holmes Ave. Mesa, AZ 85210 (480) 833-5555 hilton.com Hotel Palomar Phoenix, A Kimpton Hotel 2 E. Jefferson St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 253-6633 hotelpalomar-phoenix.com

Phoenix

Phoenix

Tempe

Mesa

Phoenix

13

8

10

17

10

Largest Room 11,200

5,400

3,696

4,000

5,600

3,159

25,000

13,000

10,000

10,000

25,000

10,000

232

224

260

242

Venue

2

21

# of Sleeping Rooms

Phoenix

Scottsdale

Total Meeting Space

312

Hotel San Carlos 202 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 253-4121 hotelsancarlos.com

# of Meeting Rooms

Chaparral Suites Hotel Scottsdale 5001 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85250 (480) 949-1414 chaparralsuites.com

City

Hotels (con’t)

Venue

Hotels (con’t)

How High-Performance Organizations Make Meetings Effective Tip 2: Document and share meeting results.

Fear of missing out (FOMO) compels people to attend meetings

out written meeting results. When people can see in advance

they shouldn’t. Organizers don’t want to leave people out, so they

what a meeting is for, then see afterwards what happened,

invite everyone who might possibly want to weigh in. Having

they can decide whether they need to attend. This

irrelevant people in the room de-energizes the conversation and

keeps meetings more focused, and it keeps everyone

disrupts productivity.

more productive. —J. Elise Keith, co-founder of Lucid

Documented meeting results are the fastest and easiest way to combat meeting FOMO. Before the meeting, clearly document the

Meetings (www.lucidmeetings.com) and author of Where the Action Is

meeting purpose and desired outcomes. After the meeting, send

58 JAN. 2024

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

City

# of Meeting Rooms

Largest Room

Total Meeting Space

# of Sleeping Rooms

120,000+

744

9,755

243

Sheraton Crescent Hotel 2620 W. Dunlap Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85021 (602) 943-8200 sheratoncrescent.com

Civana Carefree 37220 N. Mule Train Rd. Carefree, AZ 85377 (480) 653-9000 civanacarefree.com

Carefree

26

11,000

60,000

224

Phoenix

18

8,064

40,000

342

Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel – Tempe 1600 S. 52nd St. Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 967-6600 sheratonphoenixairport.com

Crowne Plaza Phoenix Chandler Golf Resort 1 N. San Marcos Pl. Chandler, AZ 85225 (480) 812-0900 sanmarcosresort.com

Chandler

16

9,600

35,000

249

Tempe

9

3,450

9,181

209

Sheraton Grand Phoenix 340 N. 3rd St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 262-2500 sheratonphoenixdowntown.com

Phoenix

20

27,170

112,00

1,000

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Paradise Valley Scottsdale 5401 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85250 (480) 947-5400 hilton.com

Scottsdale

23

12,064

40,000

378

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess 7575 E. Princess Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85255 (480) 585-4848 fairmont.com/scottsdale

Scottsdale

49

23,000

<150,000

648

FireSky Resort & Spa 4925 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 945-7666 fireskyresort.com

Scottsdale

13

6,800

14,000

240

Found:RE Hotel Phoenix 1100 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85003 (602) 875-8000 foundrehotels.com

Phoenix

3

1,243

6,920

104

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North 10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 (480) 515-5700 fourseasons.com/scottsdale

Scottsdale

8

5,940

35,920

210

The Global Ambassador Hotel 4360 E. Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018 (480) 800-2211 globalambassadorhotel.com

Phoenix

10

14,000

28,300

141

Grand Canyon Squire Inn 74 Arizona 64 Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023 (928) 638-2681 grandcanyonsquire.com

Grand Canyon

3

3,400

4,500

250

Wyndham Garden Phoenix Midtown 3600 N. 2nd Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85013 (602) 604-4900 wyndhamhotels.com

Mesa

Phoenix

12

4

3,600

5,000

8,500

5,000

114

160

Resorts Adero Scottsdale Resort 13225 N. Eagle Ridge Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85268 (480) 333-1900 aderoscottsdale.com Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort 2400 E. Missouri Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85016 (602) 955-6600 arizonabiltmore.com Arizona Golf Resort & Conference Center 425 S. Power Rd. Mesa, AZ 85206 (480) 832-3202 arizonagolfresort.com

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Scottsdale

Phoenix

Mesa

4

76

9

6,000

24,576

5,170

8,000

200,000

12,000

32

740

186

Venue

14,031

1,400

Windemere Hotel & Conference Center 5750 E. Main St. Mesa, AZ 85205 (480) 985-3600 windemerehotelmesa.com

# of Sleeping Rooms

125

13

Total Meeting Space

Phoenix

Scottsdale

Largest Room

Arizona Grand Resort & Spa 8000 Arizona Grand Pkwy.

Phoenix, AZ 85044 (602) 438-9000 arizonagrandresort.com

# of Meeting Rooms

Scottsdale Marriott Suites Old Town 7325 E. 3rd Ave. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 945-1550 marriott.com

City

Resorts (con’t)

Venue

Hotels (con’t)

JAN. 2024

59

City

# of Meeting Rooms

Largest Room

Total Meeting Space

# of Sleeping Rooms

2,164

328

34

The McCormick Scottsdale 7401 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 948-5050 millenniumhotels.com

Scottsdale

6

2,365

13,000+

125

235

Mountain Shadows 5445 E. Lincoln Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 624-5400 mountainshadows.com

Scottsdale

10

4,475

12,835

n/a

Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia 4949 E. Lincoln Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 627-3200 omnihotels.com/hotels/scottsdalemontelucia

Scottsdale

16

9,216

27,000

293

Orange Tree Golf Resort 10601 N. 56th St. Scottsdale, AZ 85254 (480) 948-6100 extraholidays.com

Scottsdale

4

5,000

10,000

160

The Phoenician Scottsdale 6000 E. Camelback Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 941-8200 thephoenician.com

Scottsdale

26

20,533

160,000+

643

The Hermosa Inn 5532 N. Palo Cristi Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (602) 955-8614 hermosainn.com Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas 6333 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85250 (480) 948-7750 hilton.com Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85258 (480) 444-1234 hyatt.com JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa 5350 Marriott Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85054 (480) 293-5000 marriott.com JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa 5402 E. Lincoln Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 948-1700 marriott.com

Scottsdale

Scottsdale

Scottsdale

Phoenix

Scottsdale

4

7

32

40

20

1,989

10,000

14,280

33,218

19,968

5,000

2,326

25,000

70,000

311,853

91,119

493

950

Venue

1,200

4,020

# of Sleeping Rooms

3

4

Total Meeting Space

Phoenix

Maricopa

Largest Room

300

The Legacy Golf Resort 6808 S. 32nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85042 (602) 305-5500 golflegacyresort.com

# of Meeting Rooms

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino 15406 N. Maricopa Rd. Maricopa, AZ 85139 (480) 802-5000 caesars.com/harrahs-ak-chin

City

Resorts (con’t)

Venue

Resorts (con’t)

453

How High-Performance Organizations Make Meetings Effective Tip 3: Define ‘The Way’ to meet for all core processes.

There are 16 different types of business meetings, and each has a

High-performance organizations know the type of

purpose. A regular team meeting is good for confirming progress and

meetings they need to run and how to run each

identifying problems, but it’s a lousy place to make a big decision. Big

one well. Each meeting gets a name and becomes

decisions demand a dedicated decision-making meeting. Similarly,

“the way” that kind of work gets done. For example,

the initial meeting with a prospective client (or funder) should look

the team’s check-in meeting becomes “the huddle.”

very different from the meeting where you ink the deal. Each of

The meeting to impress prospective clients early in the sales cycle

these pivotal meetings can be optimized to drive the results your

becomes a “services briefing.” Anything called simply a “meeting”

company needs.

isn’t specific enough. —J. Elise Keith, co-founder of Lucid Meetings (www.lucidmeetings.com) and author of Where the Action Is

60 JAN. 2024

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

City

# of Meeting Rooms

Largest Room

Total Meeting Space

# of Sleeping Rooms

180,000

500

40,000

354

Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort 7677 N. 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85020 (602) 997-2626 squawpeakhilton.com

Phoenix

46

9,760

<48,000

563

Sonesta Suites Scottsdale Gainey Ranch 7300 E. Gainey Suites Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85258 (480)367-4616 sonesta.com

Scottsdale

11

2,925

8,300

162

584

Talking Stick Resort 9800 E. Indian Bend Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85256 (480) 850-7777 talkingstickresort.com

Scottsdale

22

25,000

113000

496

Tempe Mission Palms, A Destination Hotel 60 E. 5th St. Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 894-1400 missionpalms.com

Tempe

20

9,384

30,000

303

215

W Scottsdale 7277 E. Camelback Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 970-2100 wscottsdalehotel.com

Scottsdale

8

3,500

14,000

230

105

We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center 10438 N. Fort McDowell Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85264 (480) 789-5300 wekoparesort.com

Scottsdale

15

18,000

25,000

248

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa 6902 E. Greenway Pkwy.

Scottsdale, AZ 85254 (480) 624-1000 kierlandresort.com

Scottsdale

41

25,000

200,000+

732

The Westin Tempe 11 E. 7th St., Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 968-8885 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ phxwt-the-westin-tempe

Tempe

13

510

21,214

290

The Wigwam Resort & Golf Club 300 E. Wigwam Ln. Litchfield Park, AZ 85340 (623) 935-3811 wigwamarizona.com

Phoenix

25

10,800

100,000

331

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Chandler, AZ 85226 (520)796-4923 wildhorsepass.com

Chandler

10

8,000

12,000

24

Rise Uptown Hotel 400 W. Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85013 (480) 536-8900 riseuptownhotel.com The Ritz-Carlton – Paradise Valley 7000 E. Lincoln Blvd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (602) 922-2900 ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/arizona/ paradise-valley Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa 5700 E. McDonald Dr. Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 (480)607-2350 sanctuaryoncamelback.com

Phoenix

Phoenix

Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley

36

1

8

11

16,000

1,000

6,500

3,204

65,000

1,000

20,000

8,000

79

Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains 16770 N. Perimeter Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (480) 502-3836 marriott.com

Scottsdale

24

5,005

14,527

266

The Scottsdale Plaza Resort 7200 N. Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 948-5000 scottsdaleplaza.com

Scottsdale

21

10,080

40,000

404

The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch 7700 E. McCormick Pkwy.

Scottsdale, AZ 85258 (480) 991-9000 hilton.com

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Scottsdale

50

10,000

50,000

326

Venue

17,376

10,000

Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort 11111 N. 7th St. Phoenix, AZ 85020 (602) 866-7500 tapatiocliffshilton.com

# of Sleeping Rooms

30

15

Total Meeting Space

Chandler

Tempe

Largest Room

Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Rd. Chandler, AZ 85226 (602) 225-0100 wildhorsepassresort.com

# of Meeting Rooms

Phoenix Marriott Resort Tempe at The Buttes 2000 W. Westcourt Way Tempe, AZ 85282 (602) 225-9000 marriott.com

City

Resorts (con’t)

Venue

Resorts (con’t)

JAN. 2024

61

# of Meeting Rooms

Largest Room

Total Meeting Space

# of Sleeping Rooms n/a

n/a

Arizona Financial Theatre 400 W. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85003 (602) 379-2800 livenation.com

Phoenix

5

40,000

80,000

n/a

n/a

The Croft Downtown Phoenix 22 E. Buchman St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 462-970 thecroftdowntown.com

n/a

2

5,000

8,500

n/a

Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center 122 E. Culver St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 241-7870 azjhs.org

Phoenix

2

2,500

5,500

n/a

Desert Botanical Garden 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy.

Phoenix, AZ 85008 (480) 941-1225 dbg.org

Phoenix

5

4,200

5,000

n/a

Enchanted Island Amusement Park 1202 W. Encanto Blvd.

Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 254-1200 enchantedisland.com

Phoenix

Outdoor picnicstyle only

n/a

n/a

n/a

Franciscan Renewal Center 5802 E. Lincoln Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (480) 948-7460 thecasa.org

Scottsdale

14

3,364

13,000

54

Arizona Center 400 E. Van Buren St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 271-4000 arizonacenter.com Arizona Science Center 600 E. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 716-2000 azscience.org Bentley Gallery 215 E. Grant St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 340-9200 bentleygallery.com Boojum Tree 16026 N. 36th St. Phoenix, AZ 85032 (602) 867-8975 boojumtree.com Castles ‘n’ Coasters 9445 N. Metro Pkwy. E. Phoenix, AZ 85051 (602) 997-7575 castlesncoasters.com Chase Field 401 E. Jefferson St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (480) 339-5000 azchasefield.com

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Outside space only

9

1

2

2

21

n/a

n/a

22,000

10,000

3,935

39,600

45,000

n/a

22,000

10,000

5,000

100,000+

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

City

<14,000

15,700

Venue

5,000

15,000 (ice rink)

# of Sleeping Rooms

3

2

Total Meeting Space

Phoenix

Phoenix

Largest Room

n/a

Children’s Museum of Phoenix 215 N. 7th St. Phoenix, AZ 85034 (602) 253-0501 childrensmuseumofphoenix.org

# of Meeting Rooms

Az Ice Arcadia 3853 E. Thomas Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018 (602) 957-9966 arcadiaice.com

City

Special Event Venues (con’t)

Venue

Special Event Venues

How High-Performance Organizations Make Meetings Effective Tip 4: Train everyone.

Leaders spend up to 80 percent of their workday in meetings, yet

participate in the meetings, defined as “the way” to get

many have never received meeting training. Meetings aren’t just

their job done. Meetings represent an enormous salary

conversations with a lot of people; there are skills and techniques

investment, and high-performance organizations

to learn that radically improve meeting results.

ensure their people get a good return on that

High-performance organizations provide skills training to people leading meetings. They also train everyone how to

62 JAN. 2024

investment. —J. Elise Keith, co-founder of Lucid Meetings (www.lucidmeetings.com) and author of Where the Action Is

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

# of Meeting Rooms

Largest Room

Total Meeting Space

# of Sleeping Rooms n/a

n/a

Rise Uptown Hotel 400 W. Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85013 (480) 536-8900 riseuptownhotel.com

Phoenix

1

1,000

1,000

79

The Ritz-Carlton – Paradise Valley 7000 E. Lincoln Blvd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85253 (602) 922-2900 ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/arizona/ paradise-valley

Paradise Valley

8

6,500

20,000

215

Secret Garden 2501 E. Baseline Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85042 (602) 268-5522 secretgardenevents.com

Phoenix

4

2,500

3,000

n/a

Stand Up Live 50 W. Jefferson St., Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85003 (480) 719-6100 phoenix.standuplive.com

Phoenix

2

6,500

9,000

n/a

University of Arizona College of Medicine 550 E. Van Buren St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 827-2002 phoenixmed.arizona.edu

Phoenix

3

4,600

6,400

n/a

Valley Youth Theatre 525 N. 1st St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 253-8188 vyt.com

Phoenix

1

2,500

2,500

n/a

Venue at the Grove 7010 S. 27th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85041 (602) 456-0803 venueatthegrove.com

Phoenix

1

2,250

2,250

n/a

The Wrigley Mansion 2501 E. Telawa Trail Phoenix, AZ 85016 (602) 955-4079 wrigleymansionclub.com

Phoenix

13

1,075

3,000

n/a

Herberger Theater Center 222 E. Monroe St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 254-7399 herbergertheater.org K1 Speed 2425 S. 21st St. Phoenix, AZ 85034 (602) 275-5278 k1speed.com/phoenix-location.html MonOrchid 214 E. Roosevelt St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 253-0339 monorchid.com Musical Instrument Museum 4725 E. Mayo Blvd.

Phoenix, AZ 85050 (480) 478-6000 mim.org The Penske Racing Museum 7125 E. Chauncey Ln. Phoenix, AZ 85054 (480) 538-4444 penskeracingmuseum.com Phoenix Art Museum 1625 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 257-1222 phxart.org Phoenix Zoo 455 N. Galvin Pkwy.

Phoenix, AZ 85008 (602) 286-3800 phoenixzoo.org Rawhide 5700 W. North Loop Rd. Chandler, AZ 85226 (480) 502-5600 rawhide.com

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Phoenix

Chandler

6

2

3

6

2

5

16

14

2,980

1,000

4,500

9,300

2,500

6,600

4,000

46,000

9,000

1,500

6,000

30,000

5,000

8,600

4,300

75,000+

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

City

3,000

<20,000

Venue

1,920

5,300

# of Sleeping Rooms

2

9

Total Meeting Space

Phoenix

Phoenix

Largest Room

n/a

Rio Salado Audubon Center 3131 S. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85040 (602) 468-6470 riosalado.audubon.org

# of Meeting Rooms

Heard Museum 2301 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 252-8840 heard.org

City

Special Event Venues (con’t)

Venue

Special Event Venues (con’t)

JAN. 2024

63

CONSIDER US THE LAST RESORT. BECAUSE YOU’LL NEVER NEED TO LOOK ANYWHERE ELSE You’ll know you’ve made the right choice before the meeting even begins. Because we listen. We never rest. Our facilities and support staff handle your meeting with effortless elegance. And we stay focused on you, your vision and your clients. It’s how we work. So it never feels like work to you. It just feels right.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT KIERLANDMEETINGS.COM OR CALL 480.624.1000

© 2014 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. Westin is a registered trademark of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.

Alix, Don, 24

Estis, Ryan, 35

Kjome, Peter, 26

Rapaport, Dawn Marie, 40

Ballard, Becky Bell, 10

Floersheim, Bruce, 13

Kohnen, Alex, 15

Roberge, Darin, 14

Bell, Brandon, 15

Freeman, Dean, 18

MacConnell, Shelly, 66

Rodgers, Thomas, 20

Binsbacher, Bridget, 26

Freeman, Jordan, 42

Maggiano, Joey, 46

Shapiro, David, 40

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, 12

Friedman Howard Steven, 35

Marquez, Leslie, 48

Shilliday, David, 12

Buchta, Heather, 38

Gonzales, Steven R., 26

McQueen, David, 35

Shipley, Liz, 26

Buning, Jordan, 34

Hanke, Stacey, 55

Mustac, Thomas, 11

Swaminathan, Akshay, 35

Butler, Tyler, 40

Hernández-Vargas, Edwin, 12

Newton, Dean, 36

Swanson, Jeff, 10

Carpenter, Cassie, 22

Hitt, Joe, 13

Nowicki, Karen, 48

Taylor, Art, 50

Cassidy, Brian, 16

Hoek, Marga, 43

O’Neal, Chris, 50

Vaughn, Andy, 26

Caudill, Blaise, 12

Hoover, G. Michael, 26

O’Sullivan, Grace, 50

Winans, Lauren, 22

Creamer, Noelle, 22

Kaiser, Laura, 44

Olivo, Edgar R., 10

Yehia, Sara, 12

Credit Union West, 12

Keith, J. Elise, 56, 58, 60, 62

Patel, Nilam, 26

Zylstra, Steven G., 47

De Respino, Lawrence J., 13

Kelton, Justin, 26

Pressler, Stephanie, 26

Estis, Chad, 35

Kerr, Eric, 26

Pugsley, Gary, 26

Alliant International University, 26

HonorHealth, 23

Polestar Scottsdale, 68

Stearns Bank, 6

American Red Cross, 10

Insperity, 24

ProLogis, 17

Sunbelt Holdings, 25

Amkor Technology, Inc., 20

Intel, 26

ProTech Detailing, 17

Sundt Construction, 12

Arizona Commerce Authority, 19

International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis, 20

Quarles, 38

Sundt, 26

Relevance Ventures, 36

Tequila Corrido, 45 Tiffany & Bosco, P.A., 7

Arizona Community Foundation, 41

Jive, 6

Arizona State University, 50

Kenzy Architects, 12

Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children, 10

Arizona Technology Council, 47

Kiterocket Insights, 18

Rosticceria, The, 46

AV Concepts, 67

Kiterocket, 21

Scottsdale Candle Company, 45

BrightlyThrive, 22

KORE Power, 12

SEMICON West, 20

Cactus league, 26

Lucid Meetings, 56, 58, 60, 62

Shapiro Law Team, 40

Carl Zeiss Microscopy Deutschland GmbH, 20

Maricopa County Community College District, 26

SmithGroup, 15

CCBG Architects, 16

Marsh McLennan Agency, 42

CHASSE Building Team, 12

Martens Development Company, 15

ddm marketing + communications, 34

McCarthy Building Companies, 15, 26

De Respino Dispute Resolution, 13

Motorwerks Marketing, 14

DIV Industrial, 16

National Bank of Arizona, 2

DSV, 20

Next Level Benefits, 22

Experience Scottsdale, 26

Next Level Steel, 15

Ford, 45

One Step Beyond, Inc., 10

Foresight Intelligence, 24

onsemi, 26

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, 39

Otter Public Relations, 11

Governor’s Office of Resiliency, 12 GoX Labs, 13 Habitat Metro, 16 Hoenywell Aerospace, 12

Stacey Hanke Inc., 56

Valley of the Sun United Way, 44 Visit Phoenix, 26 Westin Kierland, The, 64 Willmeng Construction, 16 WIN, 66 WM Phoenix Open, 3 Yates Buick GMC, 12

CHECK US OUT

PADT Inc., 25 PayPal, 50 Pedal Haus, 12 Phoenix Raceway, 37

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Phoenix Symphony, The, 5, 26

In each issue of In Business Magazine, we list both companies and indivuduals for quick reference. See the stories for links to more.

Bold listings are advertisers supporting this issue of In Business Magazine.

JAN. 65 2024 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

A CANDID FORUM

Women Are Changing Jobs Left and Right to Access IVF Coverage Family-building matters as an employee benefit

by Shelly MacConnell Businesses are talking about it.

People are changing jobs, and even taking on second jobs, in order to access family-building coverage.

Talent is looking for employers that offer benefits like IVF (invitro fertilization), egg freezing, adoption and surrogacy, and they are willing to change jobs to find it.

Shelly MacConnell is chief strategy officer for WIN, a company that offers family-building and family well-being programs for employer-sponsored benefits. She is a familybuilding-benefit expert; Femtech supporter; and diversity, equity and inclusion advocate.

WIN offers unbiased fertility trained nurse advocates to help guide patients through the process, find the right provider for their unique needs, and help them to pursue the most effective course of treatment while minimizing the chances for multiple births. WIN also offers access to dieticians as well as mental health support for the unique demands and grief that can be associated with any fertility journey. winfertility.com

JAN. 2024

66

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

THE COSTS OF OFFERING FERTILITY BENEFITS TO WORKERS One in six couples around the world experience fertility issues. In combination with the LGBTQIA+ community and single parents by choice, a large segment of the workforce needs help and support to build their families.

Fertility treatment costs vary based on complexity as well as access to insurance and where the treatment is provided. In the U.S., the cost for IVF can range from $12,000 to $30,000. Most people need more than one cycle of IVF before becoming pregnant.

While that cost may be daunting, offering managed fertility benefits with companies like WIN can actually save employers money. Fertility can be medically complex as well as physically, emotionally and financially draining. Employees who have no coverage are more likely to make treatment decisions that can lead to negative and costly health outcomes.

Services are available that can avert the expense and lost productivity related to ineffective treatment. These benefits also focus on single embryo transfers (transferring one embryo at a time rather than transferring multiple) which can reduce the need for medical care for multiples with a higher likelihood of compromised health, NICU stays, and development issues that can last through age 5 and beyond.

WHICH INDUSTRIES OFFER THE BEST BENEFITS FOR FAMILIES In the past, the tech industry led the U.S. in the pervasiveness and richness of family-building benefits. Industries such as

financial services, professional services and life sciences were close followers. But that has changed. Employers across all industries, sizes and industries are embracing this benefit as a way to support employees and as a way to compete in the market for attracting and retaining talent.

The benefits offered by employers vary significantly and there is a continued trend for employers to offer richer benefits to a wider set of employees. Some employers even offer unlimited benefits (why limit fertility treatment if all other medical care is offered with no limit?).

WHY COVERING FAMILY-BUILDING IS CRITICAL

As the largest generations have entered the workforce and want to grow and build their families, employers need to meet this demand as a requirement to engage and retain top talent.

According to a Deloitte study, 90% of U.S. CEOs have named diversity, equity and inclusion as a top business priority.

Family-building benefits are by definition a DEI solution.

The absence of fertility coverage and family-building benefits creates and perpetuates health inequity and financial inequity for the most underserved populations. To start, women bear the burden of most family-building expenses while often already struggling with a wage gap. This is exacerbated for women of color; Black women struggle with infertility at a rate more than 50% higher than White women and seek care nearly half as often. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community require fertility assistance to have biological children, and, without inclusive coverage, the burden of cost falls only to them. And finally, there is an issue of financial inequity; if an employer does not provide benefits, pay levels may dictate whether individuals are able to obtain the care needed to have children.

Simply put, family-building benefits have become a business imperative.

Did you know that infertility is caused by male factors as often as female factors?

According to the CDC, male factors are responsible for about one-third of infertility, female factors for another one third, and one third is either unknown or related to both male and female factors.

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