August 2024 Issue of In Business Magazine

2024 Residential Real Estate Top Leaders Lights. Camera. Action.

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona turns donations into possibilities by providing no-cost services to more than 30,00 Arizonans annually that help them build a better economic future.

Your purchases and donations help support local, no-cost career services, education, sustainability efforts and housing solutions so Arizonans can build better futures for themselves and their families.

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty through the power of work! GoodwillAZ.org

Empowering Arizona: Desert Financial’s Legacy

This month spotlighting Desert Financial Credit Union, Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways businesses give back and the positive ways their programs impact our community.

42 The Pursuit of Success by Engaging Premium Talent

Bruce Weber’s series examines developing and sustaining organizational capacity. 43

Serving Sustainability through Data Center Design

In this recurring feature from global design and architecture firm Gensler, Kaley Blackstock discusses facilities’ potential to restore ecological and social amenities.

FEATURE

34

Best

Practices for Activating Brand Purpose

Mitch Duckler shares an excerpt from his book The Future-Ready Brand: How the World’s Most Influential CMOs are Navigating Societal Forces and Emerging Technologies.

DEPARTMENTS

9 Guest Editor

Matthew Earl Jones, director of the Arizona State Film Office, introduces the “Arizona Film Industry” issue.

10 Feedback

Steve Chucri, Peter McQuaid and Jeremy Pacheco respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month: What are some considerations in planning a seasonal menu while also making it work within a business-day lunch schedule?

12 Briefs

“Eliminating Bachelor’s Degree Requirements: Employment Trend?” “Dailies Top Stories,” “Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy,” “Intel’s Leadership in Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability” and “Arizona Cities among Best in U.S. for Economic Growth”

15 By the Numbers

Research underscores the imperative need for targeted, efficient and continuous upskilling and reskilling learning opportunities.

16 From the Top

Adam Goodman’s focus on employee well-being — with an innovative approach that brings workers back to the workplace in droves — supports his company’s continued success.

17 CRE

“Industrial Real Estate: Positioning for Growth in a Standout Market,” “CapRock West 202 Logistics,” “Chandler Airport Business Park,” “Longbow Industrial Park” and “Celebrating a Decade of Innovation in Arizona’s Single-Family Rental Market”

20 Semi Insights

“Arizona Startup Crystal Sonic Makes (Sound) Waves in Silicon Desert,” “SEMICON West: Stronger Together” and “Meeting the Infrastructure Demands of the Semiconductor Industry in Arizona”

COVER

STORY

28 Lights. Camera. Action: Arizona’s high production value in the film industry

In Business Magazine delves into the economic benefits and potential the film industry offers our state, with input from the film commissioners in Phoenix’s economic development department and Tucson’s tourism bureau, Senator David Gowan, author of the bill that created the new incentive program, and others.

24 Healthcare

“Redefining Spine Health Care with Innovative Nonsurgical Solutions” and “New ‘Home’ Community Serves Cancer Center Patients”

26 Technology

“Smart Communities and Smart Operations Deliver Smart Living for All” and “Why Businesses of All Sizes Can’t Afford to Skip Cybersecurity Monitoring”

35 Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

36 Economy

Jason Royer discusses how businesses can prepare for an uncertain real estate market.

38 Legal

Attorney Haley Harrigan examines the current status of the FTC’s new ban on noncompete agreements and suggests steps businesses should be taking now.

44 Nonprofit

Richard Tollefson adds context to the Giving USA 2023 report that shows donor resilience continues despite economic and social challenges.

45 Assets

2024 Polestar 3 SUV

Plus: Workplaces can improve worker safety by using alternatives to toxic chemicals in common cleaning practices.

46 Power Lunch

Kona Grill Brings East and West to the Table

66 Roundtable

Revolutionizing skills development in the workplace, AI can use data analysis available from industry trends, job market data and new technologies to predict future skills that will be in demand.

Aug. 2024 Words

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., to work 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.” Marsh was awarded 2024 Small Business Journalist of the Year from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Arizona District.

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 creating through their generous outreach efforts.

Kathleen Gramzay

Guest Columnist – Resilience

Kathleen Gramzay, LMT, is an entrepreneur, body/mind resilience expert, speaker, author, and founder of Kinessage LLC. The Kinessage® methods are taught nationally to transform stress, chronic tension and pain, and increase mental resilience and long-term health for greater well-being and sustainable success. Her programs empower leaders and teams to be present, think more clearly and work more productively, confidently and collaboratively.

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 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

Kaley Blackstock is the sustainability director for Gensler’s Southwest Region and local Phoenix office. (Space, page 43)

Mitch Duckler is the founder of FullSurge and brings more than 30 years of brand management expertise from Unilever, Coca-Cola and Prophet. (Marketing, page 34)

Haley Harrigan is a shareholder at Gallagher & Kennedy and chair of the firm’s Employment and Labor Law Department. (Legal, page 38)

Arno Merkle, co-founder and CEO of Crystal Sonic, is an accomplished leader in the capital equipment and deep tech industries. (Semi Insights, page 20)

Jason Royer is vice president, relationship manager at Enterprise Bank & Trust, Member FDIC. (Economy, page 36)

Julia Grace Samoylenko is founder and CEO of Asteri, which she launched from Palo Alto to tackle corporate challenges like inefficient talent use and high turnover. (Roundtable, page 66)

Richard Tollefson is founder and president of The Phoenix Philanthropy Group, an Arizona-based international consulting firm serving nonprofit organizations as well as institutional and individual philanthropists. (Nonprofit, page 44)

Publisher Rick McCartney

Editor RaeAnne Marsh

Web Editor Jake Kless

Graphic Design Benjamin Little

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

James Adkins

Shannon Blood

Kaley Blackstock

Andrius Buinovskis

Tyler Butler

Mitch Duckler

Christina Gialleli

Adam Goodman

Lucas Haldeman

Haley Harrigan

Mike Hunter

Craig Lonsdale

Arno Merkle

Huy Nguyen

Bob O’Neill

Stephanie Quinn

Jason Royer

Julia Grace Samoylenko

Joshua Schwartz

Richard Tollefson

Bruce Weber

ADVERTISING

Operations Louise Ferrari

Business Development Raegen Ramsdell

Louise Ferrari

Cami Shore

Events Amy Corben

WTSM TV STUDIO

General Manager Chris Weir

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.

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President & CEO Rick McCartney

Editorial Director RaeAnne Marsh

Financial Manager Tom Beyer

Office Manager Allie Jones

Accounting Manager Todd Hagen

Corporate Office InMedia Company 45 W. Jefferson Street Phoenix, AZ 85003

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Vol. 15, No. 8 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. ©2024 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.

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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

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

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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

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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

The director of the Arizona Film & Digital Media Program, Matthew Earl Jones has more than 40 years of production experience in the New York, Los Angeles and Phoenix markets. He has also produced more than 50 national and international television commercials, including ones starring Queen Latifah, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ray Charles.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Jones began his career in the fields of advertising and brand management in New York City. He is the son of pioneering actor Robert Earl Jones and half-brother of legendary actor James Earl Jones. azcommerce.com/smallbusiness/checklist-items/mybusiness-activity-will-involve/ film-and-digital-media

Film in Focus

Arizona has a long and illustrious history as a filming destination. With increased collaboration among film partners statewide, Arizona is poised to once again become a premier filming destination. As outlined in this month’s cover story, the economic impact of film and digital media on Arizona is substantial.

The Arizona Film & Digital Media Program (the State’s Film Office) is the statewide, and often first, point of contact for companies and individuals seeking to film in Arizona. Along with Regional Film Offices, the Arizona Production Association and other state agencies, the State Film Office provides assistance and resources to prospective media producers at no cost. Since 2016, the State Film Office has assisted almost 1,600 projects seeking to film in Arizona.

The State Film Office has also expanded Arizona’s location offerings through strategic partnerships with the Navajo Nation and the State of Sonora, Mexico. In addition, two signature programs of the State Film Office, “Film Ready Crew” and “Film Ready Communities” have greatly added to the state’s film infrastructure and viability, including growing the state’s film workforce.

It is Arizona’s time to shine, and we are ready!

In Business Magazine delves into the economic benefits and potential the film industry offers, with input from the film commissioners in Phoenix’s economic development department and Tucson’s tourism bureau, among others. The film industry is gaining strength, thanks to the new incentive program, and Senator David Gowan, the author of the bill that created the program, shares his views on what it will mean for Arizona.

Whether promoting the region to attract business or promoting a business to attract customers, branding is critical. In this month’s feature article “Best Practices for Activating Brand Purpose,” Mich Duckler — who has worked with such companies and Coca-Cola and Deloitte — shares an excerpt from his book The Future-Ready Brand: How the World’s Most Influential CMOs are Navigating Societal Forces and Emerging Technologies.

The impact of AI on business and the workforce continues to be a hot topic whose upsides and downsides are debated from many angles. In this month’s Roundtable feature, Julia Grace Samoylenko explores a potential advantage it offers to impact workforce to employees’ betterment: predicting future skills that will be in demand.

Briefs, Healthcare, Legal and other regular departments present In Business Magazine’s signature variety of articles on industry trends, insights into the local business community and updates on operational issues.

Residential real estate is big business in Arizona and this month In Business Magazine showcases some of the Valley’s top professionals in the Top Residential Real Estate Leaders special section.

I want to thank In Business Magazine for giving me this opportunity to speak about the exciting activity happening in the film industry in Arizona. I hope you will enjoy the many informative stories in this August edition of In Business Magazine

Sincerely,

Director

Arizona State Film Office, Arizona Commerce Authority

Production Value

As someone who has been in the film industry for over 30 years, I am excited to see that we are moving in a direction that will likely entice filmed predictions and the ancillary business to flourish. There are so many factors that are getting worked out (we hope) to ensure that Arizona can be in the spotlight for this economic opportunity.

I am grateful to my longtime friend, Matthew, for leading this edition. I remember meeting him for the first time in 2004

and him taking the lead in driving Hollywood eastward to the desert. He was a champion then and again now as we work to build Arizona as an entertainment production capital and develop industry here that can truly benefit us economically. Thank you, Matthew for your leadership and dedication to improving Arizona. —Rick McCartney, Publisher

Matthew Earl Jones

Editor’s Note: This question generated input also from:

Mike Archer

Chief Executive Officer

Lou Malnati’s Pizzerias Sector: Restaurants

Please visit August’s Feedback entry on our website to learn this company’s approach to menu seasonality.

FEEDBACK QUESTION:

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

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

What are some considerations in planning a seasonal menu while also making it work within a business-day lunch schedule?

STEVE CHUCRI

President & CEO

Arizona Restaurant Association

Sector: Restaurants

Seasonal menus allow chefs to get creative with limited availability or hyper-local ingredients. This is a great way for restaurants to offer something unique beyond their regular menus. It’s also a great way for diners to enjoy new and regional tastes during the business day.

Planning a seasonal menu that works for a business-day lunch schedule should be geared toward lighter fare that is elegant yet easy and approachable. No one wants to leave the table hungry, but a hot and heavy dish can be too much for a midday meeting. Salads, sandwiches and wraps are great for casual business lunches, group networking events and those on the go. These classic dishes can be livened up with seasonal ingredients, appropriate for the time of year.

Choosing a business lunch location that offers a varied seasonal menu as well as a variety of selections that can accommodate different dietary needs and preferences is also a good idea. It’s also fun to focus on seasonal menu items that highlight regional or hyper local ingredients for a true taste of the area.

Arizona Restaurant Association azrestaurant.org

Steve Chucri is an Arizona native whose Lebanese lineage inspires his tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit to this day. He has served as the president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association since 2002. During his more than 20-year career with the organization, Chucri has relentlessly advocated for and promoted businesses within the Arizona hospitality industry, which serves as an economic powerhouse for the state.

PETER McQUAID

Executive Chef

CALA Scottsdale

Sector: Restaurants

Our seasonal lunch menu is carefully crafted with a lot of heart and thought. We start by picking the freshest local ingredients for our limited-time dishes, tweaking them through several tastings until they’re just right. We also make sure to consider everyone’s tastes and dietary needs, creating a menu that blends our popular favorites with exciting new flavors that everyone can enjoy, whether you’re a regular or new to our restaurant.

Tailored for the hustle of a workday lunch, our menu features light and energizing options that keep you fueled without slowing you down. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite between meetings or enjoying a leisurely lunch, our offerings are designed to be enjoyed effortlessly.

For a sophisticated lunch item, we recommend indulging in the signature Harissa Glazed Salmon, accompanied by a fresh herb salad. If you’re in the mood for a lighter dish, the Insalata Cala offers refreshing, but delicious buttery greens with smoked blue cheese, crunchy textures of watercress and toasted almonds.

Cala Scottsdale calascottsdale.com

Peter McQuaid is a dynamic and innovative executive chef based in Phoenix with a profound passion for the culinary arts and hospitality industry. Currently serving as the executive chef at CALA Scottsdale, Chef McQuaid showcases his culinary creativity by crafting exquisite recipes for the restaurant menu, carefully selecting seasonal ingredients to elevate each dish.

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

JEREMY PACHECO

Director of Culinary Genuine Concepts Sector: Restaurants

We take several items into consideration when making menu changes at The VIG and all of Genuine Concepts establishments. We are always following trends in the industry to see what is popular at any given time, whether it’s health and diet to price-conscious items as well as what other restaurants in our competitive set are doing.

For lunch in particular, while working within seasonality we will lean toward lighter items going into summer and keeping things less heavy for lunch items so customers can head back to work after lunch without needing a nap. We also keep in mind the seasonality of the product while making these changes. For example, for our most recent summer menu change at The Vig, we added a couple more salads on the menu. We subbed out our fall vegetable salad of brussels sprouts and roasted squash for a “Superfood Salad” of quinoa blueberries, golden raisins and sweet potatoes. We also changed ingredients in our “Vig Salad ‘’ from fall ingredients of pomegranate and apples to lighter and seasonal ingredients like strawberries and oranges with a lemonpoppyseed dressing.

Genuine Concepts genuineconcepts.us A ninth-generation Arizonan who grew up working on the family farm outside Tucson, Chef Jeremy Pacheco has always had a passion for fresh, delicious food. Now the executive chef and culinary director for Genuine Concepts, Chef Pacheco oversees the entire kitchen team for this Phoenix-based restaurant group behind The VIG, The Little Woody, The Womack, Campo Italian Bistro & Bar and The McMillan.

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.

Growth & Enterprise | Cover Story | July 2024

Advancing Enterprise: How Big Business Is Working to Empower Small Business

by RaeAnne Marsh

As much as business can be a cutthroat world with individual companies fighting for their space in it, it’s also true that it’s an interconnected world in which “a rising tide lifts all boats,” to use the phrase made popular by President John F. Kennedy.

Government & Compliance | inbusinessphx.com | July 17 2024 Arizona’s Mortgage Assistance Program Hits Milestone

inbusinessPHX.com

100 middle class families have closed on a new home using the Arizona Is Home mortgage assistance program. The program, which was first announced in Governor Hobbs’ State of State earlier this year, is tailored to help middle class families across the state purchase their first home through down payment assistance and interest rate relief.

Leadership & Management | Feature | July 2024 Conquering the Karen Conundrum by Kate Zabriskie

She wanted to return a cake that was almost gone. How bad could it have been? Normally, if something is spoiled or not up to standards, it’s returned almost intact. This thing was a pile of crumbs. But it gets better: She demanded cash, yelled at me and started causing a scene. I hope she never comes back.

Growth & Enterprise | Guest Editor | July 2024

July 2024 Guest Editor: Rick McCartney, InMedia Company

Big on Small Business

Arizona always ranks high as a state strong for startups and small to mid-size businesses. While credit for the success so many startups and SMBs achieve must of course be given to the can-do western spirit of the individuals, credit must also be shared with the major companies that make it part of their business model to support SMBs.

Eliminating Bachelor’s Degree Requirements: Employment Trend?

As the job market evolves, a growing number of companies are eliminating bachelor’s degree requirements for certain positions. To learn more about this trend, Intelligent. com recently surveyed 750 U.S. business leaders (intelligent.com/1-in-3-companieseliminated-bachelors-degree-requirementsso-far-this-year).

So far this year, 33% of surveyed business leaders say their company has eliminated the requirement for a bachelor’s degree for certain roles. Among the companies that have removed the degree requirement, 59% have done so for entry-level positions, 54% for mid-level roles and 18% for senior-level roles; all still require a bachelor’s degree for at least a few roles.

Eliminating bachelor’s degree requirements from the hiring and recruiting process is becoming increasingly popular across many industries. The trend shift shows a broader recognition that practical skills, real-world work experiences, and the ability to self-learn can be more important measures of potential success than four years of formal college education in many job functions.

The elimination of degree requirements has been perceived as successful by a majority of companies, with 29% rating it as very successful and 47% as successful. Around 17% have found it to be somewhat successful and only 2% consider it not successful at all. An additional 5% are unsure of its success.

With 64% of business leaders reporting they receive more applications as a result, 83% report that eliminating degree requirements

expands access to talent while 69% note it helps create a more diverse workforce. A smaller percentage (31%) mention that it allows them to offer lower wages.

During the hiring process, 66% of business leaders say they highly value whether a candidate has a bachelor’s degree, and 31% say they value it somewhat. However, when asked whether workers should prioritize work experience over obtaining a bachelor’s degree, 62% of business leaders answered that they should.

While a college degree provides individuals with a good foundation of theoretical knowledge, the information and strategies learned are quickly outdated as industry trends shift rapidly and new technology emerges to meet these demands. Candidates with handson experience bring relevant skills and industry knowledge that can make an immediate impact on the business. Additionally, these experiences may make them more adaptable and resilient, giving them a higher chance for success in the role they are applying for.

Looking ahead to 2025, 25% of business leaders say their company plans to eliminate or further eliminate bachelor’s degree requirements for some positions, while 56% say their company does not have such plans, and 19% are unsure.

This online poll was commissioned by Intelligent.com and conducted on Pollfish in June 2024. In total, 750 U.S. business leaders completed the survey —Huy Nguyen, chief education and career development advisor at Intelligent (www.intelligent.com)

AUG.

With 64% of business leaders reporting they receive more applications as a result, 83% report that eliminating degree requirements expands access to talent while 69% note it helps create a more diverse workforce. A smaller percentage (31%) mention that it allows them to offer lower wages.

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy

ACHIEVEMENTS

10 to 1 PR on Newsweek’s ‘Best’ List

Scottsdale-based 10 to 1 Public Relations, a strategic communications firm servicing clients in various industries across the country, was named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best PR Agencies 2024. 10to1pr.com

Mr. Pickle’s on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop, a franchisor headquartered in Scottsdale, has been named among the Top 100 Movers & Shakers in the United States by Fast Casual, which recognizes growth and sales accomplishments and honors menu trendsetters as well as brands incorporating technology to enhance the customer experience. mrpickles.com

COURSE Earns Top Foodist Honors

Chef/partner Cory Oppold and his team at COURSE, a fine-dining restaurant in Scottsdale, won Top Chef and Emerging Restaurant of the Year at the 2024 Foodist Awards. courserestaurantaz.com foodistawards.com foodistawards.com/awards/2024-finalists

Southwest Gas – Champion of Supplier Diversity

Southwest Gas, a leading energy services provider in Arizona, California and Nevada, was named Local Corporation of the Year by the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council, a testament to Southwest Gas’s commitment to infusing DE&I into every aspect of the organization and an example of how the Company demonstrates sustainability in action. swgas.com

PHILANTHROPY

ECM Technologies, Tolin Mechanical Donate HVAC

ECM Technologies, a local HVAC efficiency and energy conservation technology company, donated its cuttingedge HVAC anti-oil-fouling technology, ThermaClear®, to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley and Tolin Mechanical, the leading innovative commercial HVAC service company in Arizona, is contributing its services to perform the treatments. ecm-technologies.net • tolin.com

TruWest Donates to Phoenix Children’s

TruWest Credit Union recently donated more than $65,000 to Phoenix Children’s in Phoenix. This contribution is comprised of the 2023 donations of credit union employees and board members. phoenixchildrens.org • truwest.org

Intel’s Leadership in Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability

Intel’s longstanding commitment to reducing our environmental footprint and pursuing ambitious sustainability goals remain a key focus for us — even as we grow. From reducing our energy use, to investing in renewable electricity, to conserving and restoring water and upcycling waste, a focus on the environment is a focus on our future.

CONSERVING AND RESTORING WATER IN ARIZONA

By responsibly managing our water use, we can meet our business needs as well as those of our community. Intel invests significant resources to conserve water; in 2023, we conserved 3.4 billion gallons of water in Arizona. In addition to our own conservation, Intel has also funded 21 nonprofit-led water restoration projects that restored more than 1.1 billion gallons of water in 2023 to support Arizona’s water resources. As of the end of 2023, Intel is net positive for water in Arizona, meaning we returned and restored more water than we consumed.

REDUCING WASTE TO LANDFILL

Intel has a goal to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030; in Arizona, our construction teams are recycling 90% of their construction waste, contributing to our 2030 goal. We also have office recycling programs and continually look for opportunities to improve our waste management at both our Chandler and Ocotillo campuses.

HOW INTEL IS ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

Intel is committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in our global operations by 2040 and in our upstream scope 3 by 2050. Our Climate Transition Action Plan, published last year, outlines our roadmap to achieve these goals. Our Arizona operations are supporting these ambitions, including purchasing renewable electricity from utility suppliers and green attributes from multiple sources to meet 100% of our electricity use in Arizona. —Intel Arizona Community Investment Report, 2023-2024 Impact

Arizona Cities among Best in U.S. for Economic Growth

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona has shown resilience and resurgence, positioning itself as a burgeoning “boomtown” and future economic powerhouse. In fact, five Arizona cities earned a place on CoworkingCafe’s study on the best U.S. cities for economic growth: Mesa and Phoenix, for large cities, with total points of 65.60 and 62.80, respectively); Gilbert and Chandler for midsize cities, with total points of 67.15 and 58.74, respectively; and Surprise for small cities, with total points of 59.90.

The CoworkingCafe study underscores Arizona’s trajectory by highlighting significant advancements in key areas. Phoenix and Mesa’s infrastructure growth, marked at 34.26%, showcases strategic investments that support business expansion and enhance quality of life.

The impressive 37.82% GDP growth in Phoenix and Surprise reflects a diversified and robust economic landscape, crucial for post-pandemic recovery and sustained prosperity.

When compared to similar markets such as Texas and Florida, Arizona’s growth is particularly notable. Cities like Austin and Dallas in Texas, known for their strong economic performance, also exhibit significant GDP and infrastructure

growth. However, Arizona’s unique combination of educational advancements, crime reduction and median earnings increase sets it apart. Florida’s cities, such as Miami and Orlando, have seen robust tourism-driven recoveries, but Arizona’s diversified economic base, which includes technology, manufacturing and healthcare, provides a more balanced and sustainable growth model.

“In the aftermath of COVID-19, Arizona is forging ahead as a dynamic ‘boomtown’ and economic powerhouse, as highlighted by our recent CoworkingCafe study,” says Andreea Neculae, who authored the study. “The data underscores significant strides in infrastructure and economic growth across cities like Phoenix and Mesa, reinforcing Arizona’s role as a beacon of resilience and opportunity. These advancements, coupled with improvements in education, safety, and income, position Arizona as a prime destination for both residents and investors, promising a bright future of sustained growth and innovation.” —Mike

Hunter

coworkingcafe.com/blog/top-cities-for-economic-growth [Editor’s Note: For more on Arizona’s growth factors and specifics on cities’ rankings, see this article on our website at www.inbusinessphx.com.]

A Deep Dive into Upskilling and Reskilling

TalentLMS and Workable’s latest research underscores the imperative need for targeted, efficient and continuous learning opportunities

by Christina Gialleli

Technological advancements and shifting market demands have generated a distinct need for employees and organizations to invest in consistent upskilling and reskilling.

What does the state of upskilling and reskilling look like today?

TalentLMS and Workable’s research shows that 71% of employees seek more frequent upskilling opportunities, while 80% would like their companies to invest more in employee upskilling and reskilling.

Employees want to stay up to date with new skills to remain competitive and adaptable.

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATORS FOR UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING

Personal growth and development are the top motivators. Employees have a fond desire for self-improvement and a need to meet job requirements that help them stay ahead of industry changes.

But not all age groups are satisfied with the leadership’s investment. Gen Z feels leadership doesn’t understand their skill development needs, with 29% training outside work hours. Satisfaction with upskilling and reskilling boosts with age. It peaks at 77% for employees over 54. However, it drops to 54% among Gen Zs.

How does upskilling and reskilling benefit people and organizations? For employees, the benefits translate to job security and satisfaction. A notable 64% of employees feel more secure in their jobs as training has positively impacted their job stability. Plus, 77% of employees feel more purpose and satisfaction while learning new skills.

Sixty-five percent of employees credit upskilling and reskilling for helping them adapt to new technologies. When companies provide employees with the skills they need to

Are employees experiencing challenges or barriers while participating in upskilling or reskilling programs?

leverage emerging technologies, they ensure their teams stay agile and able to drive innovation.

COMMON PITFALLS AND CHALLENGES

Limited time between training and work responsibilities leads to poor diversity of training programs. In fact, 2 out of 10 employees are dissatisfied with the variety of skills being offered in training.

Plus, they remarked that training programs aren’t frequently updated to include new industry skills.

TECHNOLOGY IN UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING INITIATIVES

AI and other digital tools have indeed made learning more accessible and efficient.

As the research suggests, 39% of employees use AI skills in their jobs. And 50% of individuals claim that AI can benefit their careers. So, organizations must adopt more eLearning platforms and other digital training tools to support their continuous learning initiatives.

EMBRACING UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING FOR FUTURE SUCCESS

Understanding the motivations and addressing employees’ challenges is the first step to developing effective training programs.

Continuous learning isn’t just a benefit. It’s necessary to stay competitive in today’s rapidly evolving job market.

TalentLMS and Workable Research “The State of Upskilling and Reskilling” talentlms.com/research/employee-upskilling-and-reskilling-report

How satisfied are employees with the variety of offered skills?

Christina Gialleli is director of people and culture at Epignosis, a leading global software house in learning tech that is trusted by more than 22 million people in more than 160 countries worldwide. epignosishq.com

Thirty-nine

GOODMANS SEEKS JUSTICE FOR THE MARGINALIZED

In the summer of 2020, Adam Goodman wondered if systemic racism existed in his own company. He discovered that although the overall census of the company matched the state’s demographics, an insidious unconscious bias called “occupational sorting” was artificially limiting career growth for Latinos. Since then, Goodmans has learned how to use objective diagnostic tools to mitigate unconscious bias in hiring and promotions. As president and CEO, Goodman believes the market will reward his inclusionary practices and competitors will be forced to emulate them.

Goodmans CEO Leads by Listening, Workers Return in Droves

Focus on employee well-being supports company’s continued success by

Adam Goodman

Many businesses have struggled with how to encourage their employees to return to the office voluntarily after the pandemic. Typically, this is due to companies looking for a silver bullet. Free lunches and foosball tables don’t provide long-lasting workplace satisfaction.

At Goodmans, we believe that “One size misfits all.” The old paradigm of a small committee making design choices for the rest of the business is insufficient for today’s return to office challenge. That centralized approach doesn’t consider the nuances of each employee’s motivations and preferences.

That is why we used the power of research-based design to compel our employees to return to the office of their own free will and volition. We recently completed a full redesign of our Phoenix showroom based on the results of that research.

Goodmans is a company that focuses heavily on culture and the well-being of our employees. As the president and CEO of the company, I coach our leadership team that employees have stressful lives with the pressures of kids, spouses, personal finances and so on. On top of that, the job has its own stresses. I believe the leadership team has a responsibility to return employees back to their families at the end of the day in better condition than we got them in the morning. This philosophy drives a number of physical and mental well-being efforts at Goodmans, including the flexibility to work from anywhere. Employees have worked from home since 2020 yet we enjoyed record revenue during and after the pandemic. Goodmans had its highest revenue in the company’s 70-year history in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

I give the leadership team the same three goals, year after year. The first goal is to be recognized as a top place to work in the Valley, followed by a rigorous customer satisfaction goal and finally a financial goal. Those goals are in order of priority, so I instruct the team that if they are going to miss, then miss on the lower priority goals, not the highest. I strongly believe our culture would be completely different if those three goals were in reverse order.

While Goodmans enjoyed customer satisfaction and financial success, we did not achieve Best Places to Work after 12 consecutive wins. This felt like a “gut punch” that reflected a culture fraying from remote and hybrid work. I decided to prove our theory that an expertly designed workspace can attract employees and thereby enhance culture.

But first, we needed to know precisely what would compel our employees to return and be happier in the office. We recognized that an employee survey was inadequate because the topic is simply too complex, and the stakes are too high.

Instead, our leadership team commissioned a third-party research company to conduct one-on-one employee interviews.

The researchers were able to ask follow-up questions, read non-verbal cues, clarify muddled responses and generally have more interactive, nuanced and contextually rich exploration of the topic, leading to deeper insights and understanding.

The results were enlightening and unexpected. For example, we learned that our employees want an office that promotes both socialization and uninterrupted privacy. These two objectives are in direct conflict with each other, but because this is exactly what our employees were asking for, our design team responded to the challenge by innovating a floor plan that isolates heads-down workers while highlighting communal spaces.

This is the kind of insight we would not have discovered from a survey. Guided by the research, our office renovation also offers conference rooms optimized for hybrid in-person and online meetings. Connectivity has been increased to avoid frozen calls, multiple ceiling-mounted microphones are in each conference room so even remote collaborators can hear, and the addition of multiple displays allows attendees to see teammates’ faces and share content simultaneously.

[Examples of even more creative workplace innovations are described in the online version of this article, at inbusinessphx.com ]

We believe that workers are shoppers. Now our employees can select where they want to work based on their tasks and their current mood. Sometimes, work will look like employees basking in the sun on the patio, other times it will be a group of employees chatting around cold brew, and at times it will be a worker typing steadily at a desk. Goodmans knows that diversity, flexibility and variety will keep our employees happy for a long time to come.

Goodmans goodmans.com

Carbon Neutral by 2050: Goodmans has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, using a rigorous methodology of science-based targets to reach the goal. Goodmans is one of the smallest companies in the world to make this climate pledge. With sustainability a major company priority, Goodmans is fostering the circular economy by becoming Arizona’s only commercial-grade recycler for soft plastic film and inviting customers to use its service.

Amid national headlines of a marketcorrecting “normalization,” Phoenix’s industrial real estate market has shown remarkable resilience in 2024 as it returns to steady, pre-pandemic growth levels — a positive development for the industry.

Unlike many parts of the country, Phoenix is experiencing a robust economic expansion, driven by the arrival of global semiconductor manufacturers and the expansion of existing ones, the CHIPS Act, increased U.S. nearshoring, corporate relocations and sustained population growth. This regional economic advancement is driving the need for more high-quality industrial development within the area.

Phoenix’s market stabilization is reflected in the steady increase of rents in certain submarkets and property sizes. Several factors support this tenant interest, notably the exodus of businesses from California seeking lower regulatory burdens and operating costs. Phoenix’s stable real estate costs, abundant labor and strong population growth make it an attractive alternative. In contrast to Southern California’s explosive rent increases (particularly in the Inland Empire) in the last five years, Phoenix experienced more moderate rent growth, which helped to position it as a sound and attractive market for industrial real estate.

This positive perspective doesn’t mean there won’t be some pain felt in the market. Most industrial submarkets of the Valley have seen an abundant supply of new development, and, in the past, the tenant leasing activity has generally kept pace with the new warehouse deliveries; however, some submarkets have experienced a significant increase of new supply coupled with a slowdown in new tenant demand. This has resulted in a softening of

Industrial Real Estate: Positioning for Growth in a Standout Market

rents and an increase in landlord concessions in order to secure tenant leases.

CapRock Partners is at the forefront of Phoenix’s industrial market performance and is seeing consistent tenant interest and finalizing leases across the Phoenix region. The firm has been active in Phoenix since 2016 and has built a portfolio within the market set to reach 8 million square feet at full build-out.

CapRock recently acquired Longbow Industrial Park in Mesa. This state-of-the-art project is poised to meet the growing demand for new, efficient warehouse space. Its location — the Falcon Field submarket — is ideal for corporate tenants in the semiconductor, lithium battery, aerospace, defense, e-commerce and construction materials industries.

With major companies like Boeing, Amazon, Google and Apple already present, Mesa offers a unique mix of residential and commercial uses, a diverse workforce and excellent regional transportation access.

Showcasing its appetite for growth, CapRock continues to seek opportunities for existing building investments and land for ground-up development across the Phoenix area.

CapRock Partners is committed to fostering economic development in Phoenix and contributing to the thriving logistics ecosystem in the Western U.S. Anticipating strong demand for modern warehouse space in the coming years and a decrease in land prices in some submarkets, the firm is well-positioned to acquire new assets and to provide top-tier industrial warehouse solutions for the region’s growing companies. —Bob O’Neill, senior vice president of acquisitions at CapRock Partners (caprock-partners.com), a privately owned investor and developer of industrial real estate in the Western and Central U.S.

CapRock West 202 Logistics

CapRock Partners’ marquee Phoenix asset is CapRock West 202 Logistics, an eight-building, industrial warehouse complex along Loop 202, south of the I-10 interchange. At total project completion, it will offer 3.4 million square feet of Class A industrial space on 183 acres, making it the largest speculative industrial development in Phoenix’s history. The first phase, consisting of 2.5 million square feet across five buildings, is complete and actively leasing. —Bob O’Neill, SVP, acquisitions, at CapRock Partners (caprock-partners.com)

Chandler Airport Business Park

Chandler Airport Business Park is a newly completed 318,683-square-foot Class A industrial property in Chandler. This strategically located asset comprises four modern freestanding warehouse buildings ranging from 56,756 to 103,639 square feet. With convenient access to major regional transportation routes, it supports the robust business growth in and around Chandler’s Airpark Area Business District, attracting major corporations serving the Southeast Valley. —Bob O’Neill, SVP, acquisitions, at CapRock Partners (caprock-partners.com)

Longbow Industrial Park

CapRock Partners recently acquired Longbow Industrial Park, a newly completed two-building Class A complex totaling 244,286 square feet in Mesa’s Falcon Field submarket. This state-of-the-art distribution and manufacturing facility supports the area’s burgeoning businesses and expanding enterprises, particularly around the technology and semiconductor industries. Building features include 30-foot clear ceiling height, speculative office space, warehouse HVAC and LED lighting, ESFR sprinklers, ample power and a fully secured concrete truck court. —Bob O’Neill, SVP, acquisitions, at CapRock Partners (caprock-partners.com)

Celebrating a Decade of Innovation in Arizona’s Single-Family Rental Market

This year marks the 10th anniversary of TRICOR, an opportune moment to reflect on the transformation within the single-family rental (SFR) sector, particularly in Arizona. Over the past decade, the SFR market has evolved from a post-crisis alternative to a robust component of the national and state housing landscape.

EVOLUTION OF THE SFR MARKET

When TRICOR began in 2014, the appeal of SFR was growing, driven by a shift in consumer behavior following the financial crisis. Many sought the privacy and space of single-family homes without the financial burden of ownership, a trend particularly strong in Arizona. Initially, the industry capitalized on this demand by turning foreclosed homes into rentals. As the market matured, it shifted towards constructing homes specifically designed for rental purposes, mirroring broader national trends.

ARIZONA’S DYNAMIC REAL ESTATE MARKET

In Arizona, where TRICOR is headquartered, the SFR sector’s growth has been significant. The Phoenix metro area has been a hotspot for SFR development. According to the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, the median sale price of homes in Phoenix has risen over 150% since 2014, fueled by strong population growth and limited housing supply. This surge in home prices has made homeownership less accessible, boosting the demand for high-quality rentals. TRICOR has responded by not only meeting this increased demand but also enhancing living standards through sustainable and energy-efficient designs.

DRIVING FACTORS AND FUTURE TRENDS

The growth of the SFR sector in Arizona is propelled by several factors. Economic fluctuations and changing demographics, such as millennials delaying homeownership, have bolstered the demand for flexible living arrangements. The Urban Institute projects that millennials will form 20 million new households by 2025, many opting for rental housing. This demographic shift suggests a continued robust demand for SFR, both nationally and in Arizona.

LOOKING AHEAD

As we celebrate this milestone, we are excited about the future. The ongoing economic uncertainties and evolving lifestyle preferences likely mean strong rental demand will continue. TRICOR is well-positioned to meet this demand, thanks to our proven track record and ongoing commitment to innovation and quality.

Reflecting on a decade of achievements, I am proud of TRICOR’s growth and the role we play in transforming the SFR market. Our dedication to creating homes that reflect pride-of-rentership and our focus on sustainability, technology integration and community engagement continues to drive our success and set us apart in the industry. As we look forward, we remain dedicated to advancing the sector and enriching the lives of our tenants through high-quality, sustainable living options.

—Craig Lonsdale, founder and CEO of TRICOR (www.tricorsfr.com), which, since its founding in 2014, has grown to become a leader in the Arizona rental home construction sector.

Not only did Phoenix add more than 4,000 build-to-rent homes in 2023 alone, but it quadrupled its inventory in just five years’ time, according to a RentCafe report that also noted Phoenix boasts the biggest inventory of build-to-rent homes in the nation by far, with 12,357 units to date and most of them new. rentcafe.com/apartments-for-rent/us/az/phoenix

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

Arizona Startup Crystal Sonic Makes (Sound) Waves in Silicon Desert

Collaborations also help advance technology

by Arno Merkle

In the Connect Labs by Wexford in Downtown Phoenix, a passionate group of scientists, engineers and semiconductor materials industry experts are building the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing technology — using sound waves. This Arizona hard-tech startup, Crystal Sonic, is focused on reducing cost and waste. As the Arizona semiconductor industry continues to grow and chip manufacturers continue to drive technology advancements, public and private investments in startups like Crystal Sonic provide the resources needed to commercialize innovations quickly and further secure Arizona’s position as a leading semiconductor hub.

USING SOUND WAVES TO CUT COSTS AND WASTE

Arno Merkle, co-founder and CEO of Crystal Sonic, is an accomplished leader in the capital equipment and deep tech industries. With a robust background in leading product teams and driving business development at renowned companies that include Carl Zeiss, Tescan, Xradia and XRE, Merkle has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of advanced electronand X-ray microscopy instrumentation across various sectors. His strategic contributions led to successful exits at startups Xradia and XRE in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Merkle holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and currently resides in Phoenix.

xtalsonic.com

Chip manufacturing is a capital- and material-intensive process. Legacy manufacturing techniques for wafering and device thinning often waste 90% or more of the substrate material. Furthermore, the substrate itself can often consume 50% or more of the total device manufacturing cost for advanced semiconductors, such as those used in power electronics or radio frequency communications applications. Technological advancements across multiple industries are held back because of these manufacturing costs and waste issues.

On top of that, the next generation of semiconductor devices will be increasingly based on substrate materials, such as silicon carbide, gallium nitride, gallium arsenide and others. These materials unlock new benefits, like being able to create smaller devices that are more energy-efficient and perform better. They also give us new applications for power electronics, sensing and communications. To optimize the use of these materials, chip manufacturers will need a way to better utilize precious substrate materials in the manufacturing process, to reduce waste and costs.

That’s where sound wave technology comes in. Crystal Sonic’s patented Sonic Lift-Off technology harnesses the power of sound to separate thin devices from semiconductor substrate materials. After a device has been lifted from the substrates, the remaining substrate can be reused in the manufacturing process.

PARTNERING WITH UNIVERSITIES TO DEVELOP ARIZONA’S SEMICONDUCTOR WORKFORCE

Crystal Sonic’s product development is based out of the DEfECT Lab, focused on engineering for energy conversion technologies, directed by the company’s chief technology officer and ASU professor Mariana Bertoni. Partnering with ASU researchers gives Crystal Sonic the ability to further develop its technology. It also benefits students studying advanced manufacturing and training future innovators. Students support

Crystal Sonic’s activities in the process development tasks and in the characterization of wafer surfaces post lift-off.

Through the Partnership for Economic Innovation’s Applied Research Centers, Crystal Sonic is able to collaborate with ASU researchers on a deeper level. The partnership enables researchers to leverage funding through the Arizona Commerce Authority to conduct process tests and feasibility studies on product prototypes. Thanks to this partnership, Crystal Sonic has hired an ASU intern for the remainder of the year to assist in the development of the technology.

Crystal Sonic is also able to leverage other partnerships including the Plug and Play accelerateAZ Advanced Manufacturing program. Along with 12 other Arizona-based startups, Crystal Sonic was able to collaborate with other experts to drive innovation in the semiconductor space. Through the program, the startups are able to gain valuable technical requirements and feedback from some of the largest established semiconductor industry participants. Research collaborations with other startups have also commenced, for example, where the Sonic Lift-off technology could assist in improving and commercializing their products.

COLLABORATING WITH THE SEMICONDUCTOR ECOSYSTEM

Another key to Crystal Sonic’s success is being able to collaborate directly with other industry partners. Through programs like PEI’s Applied Research Center and ACA’s Plug and Play, startups like Crystal Sonic are connected to semiconductor companies that may use the Sonic Lift-Off technology in the future. This collaboration provides a direct line of communication for feedback between Crystal Sonic and industry material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and device manufacturers. Partners are able to test and validate the acoustic technology, confirm that it does reduce waste and costs, and apply the technology to an emerging class of chips, the kind that power electric vehicles, solar panels, sensors and a vast array of other technologies.

INVESTING IN STARTUPS TO DRIVE INNOVATION

Startups play a critical role in the semiconductor industry. Their nimbleness and agility give them the advantage of solving complex industry problems at an accelerated pace. Public and private investments have kept Crystal Sonic’s momentum going, opening new opportunities to innovate around industry problems while also providing students with an avenue to build their skills and knowledge.

The investment in Sonic Lift-Off technology itself also ensures future technologies are manufactured in a way that is more sustainable and cost-effective.

Crystal Sonic’s patented Sonic Lift-Off technology harnesses the power of sound to separate thin devices from semiconductor substrate materials.

The future. Pioneered in Arizona.

The Arizona Commerce Authority is helping our state’s manufacturers grow and prosper through meaningful programs like the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Arizona MEP). Using a proven approach that combines decades of leadership, manufacturing, operational and business expertise, Arizona MEP offers custom, hands-on solutions to help clients achieve their goals. Whether you’re looking for minor improvements or a major transformation, we provide the right knowledge, skill set and fl exibility to support your team. Join the more than 375 manufacturers in Arizona who have chosen Arizona MEP to help enhance their business.

SEMICON West: Stronger Together

SEMICON West 2024 highlighted technological advancements and future supply chain challenges, crucial for the semiconductor industry’s projected $1 trillion growth by the decade’s end. This year’s theme “stronger together” rang true and was echoed by Bertrand Loy, president and CEO of Entegris, and Scott Jensen, director of workforce strategy for CHIPS at the U.S. Department of Commerce, when they emphasized the importance of developing local expertise and infrastructure.

Laurie Locascio, undersecretary for Standards and Technology, detailed the U.S. government’s additional $1.6 billion investment in chip packaging technologies. “We now have a diversity of technology that we have not had in decades,” she stated.

The CHIPS Act’s $52 billion investment is spurring the expansion of wafer fabrication facilities. SEMI executives noted that 104 fabs, many in Arizona, are expected by 2027, generating thousands of high-tech jobs.

However, the industry’s growth brings supply chain challenges. Mike Wilson from DSV Supply Chain Solutions emphasized the need for a futureproof, sustainable, digital and flexible supply chain. “We will move from elongated, rigid supply chains to more local, flexible and circular systems,” Wilson said. This shift aims to bring supply chains closer to customers, enhance reliability and reduce risks.

The implications for Arizona are profound and were highlighted with the state’s recent accolades. Maricopa County was ranked No. 1 in economic development by Site Selection Magazine, while the Phoenix/Mesa/Chandler metro area topped Business Facilities’ 2024 Rankings for large manufacturing hubs. Arizona was also recognized as the leading state for the semiconductor industry by Business Facilities Magazine. The ripple effect of this growth enhances Arizona’s economic resilience and continues to position it as a leader in national and global markets. As Phoenix prepares to host SEMICON West 2025, October 7–9, the spotlight will again be on Arizona. —Stephanie Quinn semiconwest.org

Meeting the Infrastructure Demands of the Semiconductor Industry in Arizona

In recent years, Arizona has emerged as a focal point for the semiconductor industry in the United States. With its strategic location, favorable business environment and growing workforce, the state has attracted major investments from leading semiconductor companies. However, this rapid growth has also highlighted the critical need for robust infrastructure to support this booming industry.

THE RISE OF ARIZONA AS A SEMICONDUCTOR HUB

Arizona’s ascent as a semiconductor hub can be attributed to several factors. First and foremost is its geographical advantage. Arizona offers ample space for large-scale semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The state’s dry climate and land availability have been conducive to building expansive semiconductor campuses, which require substantial real estate for manufacturing cleanrooms, research labs and support infrastructure.

Moreover, Arizona’s pro-business policies and incentives have played a pivotal role in attracting semiconductor giants like Intel and TSMC. These companies have made multi-billion-dollar investments in establishing and expanding their operations in the state, creating thousands of hightech jobs and driving economic growth.

INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES

Despite its rapid growth in the semiconductor sector, Arizona faces significant challenges in meeting the industry’s infrastructure demands. One of the primary challenges is water availability. Semiconductor manufacturing is a water-intensive process requiring large volumes of ultra-pure water for cleaning and rinsing silicon wafers. Arizona, known for its arid climate, must carefully manage its water resources to ensure an adequate supply for semiconductor manufacturing and local communities.

Electricity supply is another critical infrastructure consideration. Semiconductor fabs consume vast amounts of electricity to power their cleanrooms, equipment and cooling systems. A reliable and resilient power grid is essential to support uninterrupted operations, especially during peak demand.

Transportation infrastructure also plays a crucial role in the semiconductor industry. Efficient logistics networks are needed to transport raw materials, equipment and finished products to and from manufacturing facilities. Improving road

By investing in water management, energy innovation, transportation upgrades and workforce development, Arizona can ensure sustained growth and competitiveness in the semiconductor industry for years.

and rail connections can enhance supply chain efficiency and reduce transportation costs, making Arizona an even more attractive location for semiconductor companies.

ADDRESSING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS

To address these infrastructure needs, Arizona has embarked on several initiatives aimed at supporting the semiconductor industry’s growth:

• Water Management Strategies: Collaborative efforts between semiconductor companies, local governments and water authorities focus on implementing water conservation measures and exploring alternative water sources such as reclaimed water and desalination.

• Energy Innovation: The state invests in renewable energy projects, such as solar and wind farms, to diversify its energy portfolio and ensure a sustainable and reliable power supply for semiconductor fabs. Energy efficiency initiatives and smart grid technologies are also being explored to optimize electricity usage.

• Transportation Upgrades: Infrastructure investments are being made to expand and improve Arizona’s transportation networks. This includes upgrading highways, expanding rail connections and modernizing logistics hubs to support the efficient movement of goods and materials.

• Workforce Development: Investing in education and training programs is crucial to developing a skilled workforce capable of meeting the technical demands of the semiconductor industry. Collaborations between industry leaders, educational institutions and government agencies foster innovation and prepare the next generation of semiconductor professionals.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Arizona’s semiconductor industry is poised for continued growth and innovation and has won recent accolades for its favorable business climate and ongoing investments in infrastructure and workforce development.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of semiconductor chips in various industries, including healthcare, automotive and telecommunications. This increased demand for chips has further accelerated investment in semiconductor manufacturing capacity, with Arizona benefiting from these global trends. —Shannon Blood

Redefining Spine Health Care with Innovative Nonsurgical Solutions

Escape Spine Surgery was designed for patients who are trying to avoid maximally invasive open surgeries to alleviate their spine pain. We believe in looking at the patient as a holistic whole and understand that their spine pain doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

A patient who presents with serious spine issues usually has a combination of health problems that include systemic inflammation, gut dysbiosis — oftentimes from overuse of anti-inflammatory medication — and a poor diet as well as a weak core due to pain and inactivity.

As such, we don’t just want to treat the symptom of that perfect storm, the back pain itself; we want to address all those factors to ensure both elimination of back pain as well as tackling the root cause, thus leaving the patient in overall better health.

Escape Spine Surgery’s holistic approach gives the patient a very personalized plan encompassing a diet tailored to restoring gut health and lowering inflammation and exercises to naturally stabilize the spine and strengthen the core. Regenerative medical therapies focus on harnessing the power of our own body to heal. We prefer to use both Plasma Rich Platelet (PRP) injections and Bone Marrow Aspirate (B-Mac) in lieu of corticosteroid injections. Furthermore, if a patient has tissue that still needs removing (disc or bone) we use an ultra-minimally invasive endoscopic approach, so we don’t leave collateral damage or have to put metal in the spine.

—James Adkins, D.C , a pioneer in multidisciplinary spine care, CEO of the nationally acclaimed Arizona Pain Treatment Centers and founder of Escape Spine Surgery (www.escapespinesurgery.com), which recently opened its state-of-the-art facility in Mesa

New ‘Home’ Community Serves Cancer Center Patients

“Despite advancements in cancer technology, true healing occurs at home,” says Matthew Callister, M.D., senior physician executive for Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. “These homes provide comfort, safety and hope for vulnerable patients on their cancer journey, serving as a sanctuary away from their home communities. We are grateful to Taylor Morrison, its construction and design teams and community partners for making this patient housing community possible.”

“These houses” that he refers to are a community of homes, which opened this past June, that will house patients and their loved ones while they undergo treatment at Banner MD Anderson in Gilbert, Ariz. Donated and built by Taylor Morrison, the homes are within walking distance of the cancer center, eliminating the financial burden of travel and hotel stays for approximately 80 patients and their care partners each year so they can focus on recovery in a comfortable environment.

While many patients can afford a short hotel stay, few are prepared to pay for long-term lodging, especially those whose treatment protocol requires weeks to months of daily therapy or close post-surgical monitoring. For many, affording a place to stay during treatment can mean the difference between receiving care or not. That spurred the creation of Banner MD Anderson’s “Home Away from Home” program, which covers the cost of local stays at partner hotels for qualifying patients.

Patients who have the longest length of stay will be prioritized to stay in the new homes, while others will receive lodging support through the ongoing hotel program.

“As a homebuilder, there’s no greater gift we could give than to build a community of homes that will eliminate undue stressors like hotel costs alongside rent or mortgage payments, and allow patients to focus on their treatment,” says Taylor Morrison Chairman and CEO Sheryl Palmer. “It was deeply important to us that what we were building was a true community — a place for patients to share experiences and support one another. It will be something quite unique and, we hope, incredibly healing.” —Mike Hunter

Banner Health Foundation bannerhealthfoundation.org

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

BannerMDAnderson.com

Taylor Morrison taylormorrison.com

The community has opened with eight 1,000-square-foot, fully furnished homes with private backyards. Additional space is available within the community for future development, depending on patient demand in the coming years.

Banner MD Anderson Community Built by Taylor Morrison for Cancer Center Patients

IS WHAT GIVES US PURPOSE HONOR

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

Smart Communities and Smart Operations Deliver Smart Living for All

Convenience and efficiency are top priorities for both renters and property managers, which places a premium on technologies that simplify everyday living, reduce energy spending and enhance the productivity of management teams. SmartRent takes the resident experience to the next level via a comprehensive lineup of property technologies and smart home solutions — putting residents in full control of their living spaces while streamlining operations in the process.

Renters have come to expect a level of sophistication and command over their homes, and rental housing operators benefit by catering to these preferences. The ability to control smart-home hardware and access community management platforms through an app has the same advantages for individual apartments as it does in shared amenity spaces. The appeal and the impact are universal.

Each SmartRent smart-home solution — from access controls to thermostats, outlets, lighting, leak and humidity sensors and hubs — delivers its own direct, intrinsic benefit to positively impact resident life. Every proptech platform — whether it’s self-guided touring, maintenance workflow management, audit and inspection management, parking management, package management, or automated call answering — addresses a specific pain point for property teams.

The true tipping point in terms of operational efficiency comes when those smart devices and platforms are synced to work together in a complementary capacity, integrated seamlessly to form a community-specific Internet of Things and supported by SmartRent’s propertywide Community Wi-Fi.

Self-guided touring platforms engage access controls and climate settings to establish an ideal and autonomous prospect experience. In-home sensors automatically generate service requests in mobile workflow systems to ensure prompt response and repairs. Monitored and controlled through a single dashboard, smart devices and proptech platforms drive energy efficiency, mitigate risk and create convenience for residents and property teams alike. —Lucas Haldeman, CEO and founder at SmartRent (smartrent.com)

Why Businesses of All Sizes Can’t Afford to Skip Cybersecurity Monitoring

Businesses are facing a surge in cyber threats. With global cybercrime costs projected to reach $13.82 trillion by 2028, the need for cybersecurity measures has never been more critical. At the forefront of this defense is cybersecurity monitoring — a continuous process of analyzing network traffic and system activity to detect and respond to security incidents.

As businesses rely on digital infrastructure, the implementation of effective cybersecurity monitoring strategies can save them a lot of trouble. The role of cybersecurity monitoring is to safeguard business assets, maintain compliance, and mitigate the potentially devastating impacts of cyberattacks.

THE RISKS OF NEGLECTING CYBERSECURITY MONITORING

Recent studies have shown the projected global cost of cybercrime is set to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025. The risk of ignoring cybersecurity monitoring is further emphasized by research revealing that the average cost of a data breach rose to $4.45 million in 2023, which accounts for a company’s direct financial losses, costs associated with recovery, legal proceedings, and reputational damage.

The threat landscape affects businesses of all sizes, with a survey indicating that 66% of small and medium-sized businesses have experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months. This statistic highlights that no organization, regardless of its scale, is immune to cyber threats.

Perhaps most concerning for businesses is the impact on customer trust. A recent study found that 55% of Americans would cease doing business with a company that experienced a data breach, underscoring the long-term reputational and financial consequences of inadequate cybersecurity measures.

STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTING CYBERSECURITY MONITORING BY A CYBERSECURITY EXPERT

The journey to cybersecurity monitoring begins with a risk assessment. This first step involves identifying valuable assets, potential threats and vulnerabilities within the network infrastructure. By understanding the specific risks an organization faces, businesses can prioritize their security efforts effectively.

Following the risk assessment, selecting the right tools for security monitoring is important. These tools should align with the organization’s unique needs and provide real-time alerts and analysis. Effective monitoring solutions should be capable of detecting and responding to security incidents promptly, offering both threat identification and incident-response capabilities.

Establishing baselines for normal network activity and implementing continuous monitoring form the core of an effective cybersecurity strategy. By understanding typical network behavior and observing traffic and system activity in real time, businesses can identify anomalies, detect potential security incidents and respond promptly.

It’s essential to regularly review and update the cybersecurity monitoring strategy. As cyber threats evolve, so too must the defenses against them. Additionally, ongoing employee training is crucial to ensure that everyone in the organization is aware of the latest security threats and best practices. —Andrius Buinovskis, head of product at NordLayer (nordlayer.com), which utilizes the zero trust network access framework, offering offers tailored security plans and layered solutions that simplify network protection and scale with any size business

The average cost of a data breach rose to $4.45 million in 2023, which accounts for a company’s direct financial losses, costs associated with recovery, legal proceedings and reputational damage

Lights. Camera. Action.

Arizona’s high production value in the film industry

by RaeAnne Marsh

“When the film and television industry was just getting started, Arizona was a huge part of it,” relates Randy Murray, who, as co-owner with wife, Theresa, of Randy Murray Productions, has three decades of experience in Arizona’s film industry. Noting that John Wayne and John Ford both had homes here and Dick Van Dyke built a studio in Carefree near his home, he adds, “We were poised to have a strong, thriving, creative community working and living here.”

History

To start off with some name-dropping of examples of films from Arizona’s heyday as a filming location, Jason Carney, executive director of the Phoenix Film Festival, shares, “There have been many high-profile films shot in Arizona over the years. Among the titles Midnight Run (1988), Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), The Grifters (1990) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006).” Speaking up for the southern part of our state, Peter Catalanotte, director at Film Tucson, part of the Tucson Conventions & Visitors Bureau, shares, “Since 1925, the film industry has relied on Tucson to provide stunning vistas and charming locales to hundreds of feature films of every genre. Some of the best-known examples include Rio Bravo Bonanza (1966), Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Three Amigos (1986), Tombstone (1993), Tin Cup (1996), Three (1999), Traffic (2000) and Goats (2012).” And Phil Bradstock, AZED Pro, film commissioner in the City of Phoenix’s Community and Economic Development department, offers examples from a Phoenix perspective: Psycho (1960), The Gauntlet (1977), Used Cars (1979), Raising Arizona (1987), Terminal Velocity (1994), Waiting to Exhale Jerry McGuire (1996) and The Kingdom (2006).

“Momentum was lost when Canada became the first region to offer huge tax breaks to lure Hollywood in the late ‘90s,” Catalanotte says, explaining, “Big-budget films are expensive to make, so studios are only seeking locations where incentives are available.”

Also affecting the amount and types of projects Arizona attracts have been changes in consumer tastes and viewing habits as well as incentives, Bradstock notes. “In the 1980s and early 1990s, TV Movie of the Week projects were very popular, and we hosted many such projects but fell out of favor with consumers.” Other economic conditions added to the impact of Canada’s film incentive program, as Bradstock explains that Canada’s program, coupled with the U.S. exchange rate versus the Canadian dollar at the time, made that northern migration financially advantageous. “Then, in the early 2000s,” Bradstock continues, “states like Louisiana and New Mexico were at the forefront of crafting their state incentive package, which began to attract production and caused other states (like Arizona)

to develop their own. As a result of the prior film incentive that was active in Arizona between January 1, 2006, and December 30, 2010, Arizona saw 56 projects utilize the program, with a direct spend on qualified expenditures of $110 million.”

However, not only was Arizona “late to the party” in offering incentives, says Carney, but “there was a sunset clause built in the incentive bill. The legislature did not have the appetite to renew the incentives, and productions immediately dwindled.”

“Timing is everything,” Murray observes, noting that just when the streaming services were coming of age, around 2010, Arizona’s incentive sunset in December 2010 and the state closed its film office. “When a studio was looking for a place to bring business, they would click on the state film office webpage and see ‘that site can’t be found.’ At the same time, New Mexico, Georgia and many other states were aggressively marketing to the growing film industry. Their foresight paid dividends, infrastructure, jobs and tax revenue flowed over Arizona and landed in these other states.”

Bradstock reports that, since Arizona introduced its new incentive January 1, 2023, the state has seen a renewed interest by the studios to film in Arizona. Gains, however, have been “hampered by uncertainty in the industry as a result of the recent writer’s and actor’s strikes, which is further complicated by the uncertainty surrounding the IATSE labor negotiations.”

Explains Arizona Senator David Gowan, author of the new incentive bill, “How the industry operates changed a couple of decades or so ago and film incentive programs became a staple for the generation of a significant industry presence in any particular state or location.” He notes this is not very different from major industries across the board. “States must compete for the attraction and retention of all types of major industries. That’s just how it works now,” he says. “The key is to be smart about it and put the returns and benefits to the state first in any type of business attraction program related to any industry. Arizona has, in fact, done an excellent job in these respects.”

Director Randy Murray filming on the campus of NAU; photo courtesy of Randy Murray Productions

Phoenix Film Festival; courtesy Phoenix Film Festival

Benefits

“Job growth and an increase in economic activity provide for natural increases in both income, sales and other taxes paid into the state, and at the local level as well,” says Senator Gowan. “And because of the nature of this particular industry, it is likely to effectuate these benefits throughout the state, not just in one static area.”

Plus, Carney points out, “There will be a core of business and individuals that will operate year-round and pay taxes.”

And Bradstock notes that film production positively affects businesses that are not even affiliated with the film industry or market themselves to the film industry. “When film projects come to town, they usually have nothing more than a script in hand from which to create the project, and they need to source almost everything else locally,” he explains. As examples, he notes this can include — but is not limited to — camera rentals, equipment rentals (jibs, dolly track, lights), wardrobe (retail stores from big box stores to boutique), props (furniture stores, antique stores), hair and makeup items (retail), construction materials (big box or specialized), hotels, vehicle rentals, and restaurants (crew meals on set), not to mention the fact that large productions will bring in the “above the line” talent (director, producer, star talent) who will live locally in a rental house or hotel and will visit local cuisines and spend their downtime exploring the City or state.

Furthermore, he says, “What is interesting to note is that the vast majority of film projects are financed out of state, so the impact is similar to tourism. The money is new to Arizona, goes

towards salaries, rentals, and purchases, and remains in the state after the project wraps.”

Calling film an important American legacy industry and noting it’s a clean, high-tech industry filled with high paying jobs, Murray believes Arizona is “poised reap the rewards of an industry that is going to be a leading force in how we not only tells stories but how we communicate and engage within our world.”

In fact, he’s particularly passionate about the storytelling part, observing that the film about the Arizona heroes who gave their lives protecting us, the Granite Mountain Hotshots, was shot in New Mexico; the film about the brilliant high schoolers from Carl Hayden who beat MIT in a robotics competition was filmed in New Mexico; and the film 510 to Yuma was filmed in New Mexico. “I think it is a matter of pride, we should be telling our own stories.”

Shares Carney, “There is a level of civic pride in community members when they see locations they know on the big screen. Think of Psycho, which was made over 60 years ago and people in the community still talk about the opening shot of The Westward Ho. Even small films filmed in the community get people excited, and the red-carpet events that come along with it.”

By its very nature, the film industry tends to broadly promote and elevate — nationally and even worldwide — the charms and points of interest in the places it focuses on for major film, television and streaming production, Senator Gowan points out, adding, “That is an especially substantial benefit for a tourism- or destination-focused state like Arizona.”

The Motion Picture Association reports the film industry generates $242 billion in wages and $33 billion spent on local businesses throughout the United States, of which Bradstock says, “Securing some of that capital benefits Phoenix.”

“Just like any other major business or industry that comes to and then thrives in our great state, it would ultimately bring substantial economic activity, thousands of quality jobs, and as a result an overall strengthening of our economy throughout the state, as well as increased revenues to our state,” says Senator Gowan. “And new and varying industries provide the state with economic diversity which truly ameliorates the negative impacts of any recession or downturn.”

Spotlight: The Hangover Part III

In September of 2012, Film Tucson brought Warner Brothers to Nogales, Arizona, as a location for a few scenes in ‘The Hangover Part III,’ directed by Todd Phillips (Lost; Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

This project generated:

• 2 weeks of pre-production

• 4 days of filming

• 1,000 hotel room nights

• 400 paid extras

• 50 local crew hired

• 5 student interns hired

• 250 out-of-state crew brought in

• A direct spend of $2 million

Because the cast was made up of four major stars (Ed Helms from ‘The Office,’ Ken Jeong of ‘Community,’ comedian Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper of Wedding Crashers), hundreds of people drove down every day from all over the state to watch the filming. These ‘film tourists’ ate at local restaurants, went shopping at local vendors, bought gas at local convenience stores, et cetera, et cetera. Even this brief amount of filming was able to pump millions of dollars into the local economy of Nogales. It’s not difficult to imagine the huge economic impact which $2 million would have on a city of 20,000 citizens! —Peter Catalanotte, director at Film Tucson

Phoenix Film Festival; courtesy Phoenix Film Festival

Economic Development and Infrastructure

The film industry offers a wide range of employment opportunities. For instance, Catalanotte says, “A typical feature film or TV series employs the usual array of skilled workers: grips, electricians, carpenters, hair and make-up personnel, costumers, location scouts, truck drivers, et cetera.” But he goes on to describe other, less obvious, employment opportunities that can sometimes arise as well: Local owners of vintage cars can make money renting their vehicles for a film set in the past. Local homeowners and businesses can make money renting their homes, restaurants, or shops as a filming location. Local thrift stores and antique shops make money when filmmakers buy their merchandise to be used as props, wardrobe or décor. Local translators are sometimes hired when English is not the first language of the filmmakers. And local residents are sometimes hired as experts to assist the filmmakers with realistic portrayals, such as a local doctor being paid to stay on set during a medically related scene.

We have a strong infrastructure to support the industry. “We have worked with directors from all over the world and they are always so impressed with our crews and talent,” Murray shares.

Says Catalanotte, “Tucson already has a fantastic crew base (we’re particularly strong in the grip department and the art department), but we’re working with one of the local film-related unions to develop a new workforce of carpenters, electricians, and other skilled laborers.”

And noting that there are many companies that provide equipment rental and services, Carney reports the Arizona Production Association has a great online guide that showcases the resources that are

available. However, he notes, “Studios are an area of great need in the community. There are not enough sound stages to support a major influx of productions. This will need to be a priority.”

Film schools, on the other hand, is an area of strength. “ASU’s expanding film program along with private universities like Grand Canyon and Huntington that have smaller programs are great,” Carney says. In fact, Murray describes ASU’s as, arguably, the most future-focused film school in the world. And, in addition to the Scottsdale School of Film+Theatre at Scottsdale Community College, which Variety named among the top film schools in the country in 2023 and 2024, Carney says, “There are also lots of good things happening at Glendale Community College.”

“Arizona now has an opportunity to focus our marketing and incentives on keeping these students here,” Murray says. “If we support them and help them get their careers started, they will put down roots and help us create a creative community in Arizona.” Obviously, growing the industry is critical for this. After all, as Carney points out, “There are many filmmakers in the community who would love to make a living working on productions, however there is rarely enough work to support them all. Additionally, we’ve seen so many filmmakers that have moved out of state for work, who would love to come home for regular production work.”

Festivals help keep the industry in the spotlight, and not just locally. “My work has been featured at festivals from L.A. to New York, from Toronto to Luxembourg, and I think our festivals are some of the best,” Murray shares. “I met a director from London who does a short every year just to submit to the Sedona Film Festival because he loves it so much. The fact that Phoenix Film Festival focuses on independent films sets it apart in a very crowed space.”

“There are many film festivals throughout the state,” Carney says. “Our flagship festival, the Phoenix Film Festival, continues to gather national attention and showcase the best in independent film. The Sedona International Film Festival is also a great festival, along with The Loft Film Festival in Tucson. There are a dozen-plus smaller festivals, including our Peoria Film Fest, International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival and Arizona Student Film Festival, with another fall event to be announced soon.”

Renewed Interest in Building an Arizona Film Industry

Arizona is a good fit for the film industry. Carney makes the point that Arizona’s variety of locations — from the desert to cities to forests — makes it a great place to shoot. Additionally, he says, “The minimal amount of rain days are also attractive to keeping productions on time and budget.”

The reverse — the film industry is a good fit for Arizona — is also true, as discussed above.

But Catalanotte believes that, without film incentives, a state isn’t even on the map, as far as Hollywood is concerned. “The significance of Arizona’s new film incentives law,” he says, “is that it says to the film industry, ‘Arizona is open for business and we’re wanting your industry here.’ The U.S. film industry generates billions of dollars each year, and this new law will help drive some of that economic impact here.”

The film incentive is administered by the Arizona Commerce Authority and marketed by the State Film Office and regional offices, such as the Phoenix Film Office and Tucson Film Office.

Officially titled the Arizona Motion Picture Production Program, the annual film and TV tax incentive provides a refundable tax credit based on qualified expenditures broken out as follows:

• 15% for a motion picture production company that spends up to $10 million;

• 17.5% for a motion picture production company that spends more than $10 million but less than $35 million;

• 20% for a motion picture production company that spends more than $35 million.

Phoenix Film Festival; courtesy Phoenix Film Festival

And it allows for additional bumps, as follows:

• 2.5% on below-the-line resident labor costs;

• 2.5% of the total amount of qualified production costs if:

∘ The production company uses a qualified production facility in the state to produce the motion picture production, or

∘ The production company films primarily at a practical location produces and films the project primarily in Arizona and performs all preproduction, postproduction and editing at an in-state qualified production facility;

• 2.5% of the total amount of qualified production costs if the production is produced and filmed in association with a “long-term tenant,” as defined, of a qualified production facility.

“The industry has a history here, especially in my part of the state in Southern Arizona,” says Senator Gowan. “The interest has always been there, especially in my District. We just needed to

find the right way to make it happen for the state in order to rekindle the industry’s presence in Arizona in a meaningful way. We did that with the 2022 legislation, which struck the right balance to provide assurance of benefit for the state and its citizens while at the same time providing a program that the industry views as useful and competitive.”

Spotlight: Duster

Praising the incentive’s design, Murray says, “This is not an incentive that is designed to just pay studios to come here, work for a while and leave. Our incentive is designed to build infrastructure and build a creative community that loves Arizona and lives in Arizona.”

Pointing out that film is a clean industry, which creates employment opportunities and impacts local businesses in a positive way, Bradstock notes, “Additionally, it can lead to tourism dollars, as has been witnessed with movies like Brokeback Mountain and TV shows like ‘Breaking Bad,’ where the locations it was filmed have become tourist destinations.”

In March of 2021, Film Tucson brought to our region for a pilot episode of a new TV series titled ‘Duster,’ produced by JJ Abrams (The Joker). This project generated:

• 3 months of pre-production

• 28 days of filming

• 9,797 hotel room nights

• Almost 500 paid extras hired

• 185 local crew hired

• 244 out-of-state cast and crew brought in

• More than $10 million of economic impact

—Peter Catalanotte, director at Film Tucson

Learn from the Past and Move Forward

While we use the term “film” to describe the industry, it is much more than just major movies. Observing, “Arizona has cultivated a strong and vibrant industry that has diversified in all multimedia aspects over the years,” Bradstock explains the film industry includes commercials, TV shows (scripted and reality), documentaries, still photo shoots (catalog and car in particular) and music videos, among many other formats. “These types of projects generally do not seek an incentive and can have a strong impact on the local economy,” he says, noting that in 2023, the Phoenix Film Office documented $18.1 million in spending and creating more than 4,600 technical crew and talent positions. He believes having a film incentive will help increase these numbers by attracting larger projects, which will lead to larger budgets and more employment opportunities.

In terms of momentum, Bradstock says, “Should there be a slowdown in one segment — such as feature films, due to a lack of a film incentive — we keep moving forward because of the seasoned

film professionals in our community who are adept at working on various multimedia projects.”

Important aspects of building a strong film industry, Carney believes, include taking care of the local community and making sure the existing film community has a place at the table throughout this process. “Giving them access to the infrastructure that the film incentives are bringing in and keeping them working is a major piece of the puzzle in ensuring success,” he says.

And there are lessons to be learned from previous experience. “Making sure production infrastructure is in place is a major improvement over what was built in the past,” Carney says. “With sound stages, production facilities and other ancillary production companies in place, there is a much better chance in long-term industry survival even if incentives are reduced or eliminated.”

Gowan anticipates the film industry growing exponentially as facilities are constructed that can serve as an Arizona production hub for the industry. “My understanding,” he says, “is that those efforts are substantially underway, and I am excited to see what happens next.”

“Arguably, our economy is built on people coming here: development and tourism,” Murray says, noting we spend tons of tax dollars encouraging people to visit. “One film or television series can do more for Arizona tourism than years of advertising. A film that creates jobs, fills hotel rooms and restaurants can sell Arizona for generations. Now that is a win-win for Arizona.”

Arizona Motion Picture Production Program azcommerce.com/film-media/incentive

Arizona Senator David Gowan azsenaterepublicans.gov/david-gowan

Film Tucson visittucson.org/film/ Phoenix, City of phoenix.gov

Phoenix Film Festival phoenixfilmfestival.com

Randy Murray Production randymurrayproductions.com

Director Randy Murray filming on a set; photo courtesy of Randy Murray Productions

Mitch Duckler is the founder of FullSurge and brings more than 30 years of brand management expertise from Unilever, Coca-Cola and Prophet. His client roster includes Fortune 500 giants like ExxonMobil, Deloitte and Hyatt. A TEDx speaker, Duckler is also a faculty member at ANA, chaired AMA conferences and authored The Indispensable Brand His newest title, The Future-Ready Brand, was released in May 2024.

fullsurge.com/meetmitch-duckler

Best Practices for Activating Brand Purpose

A

business’s decisions must be founded on a crystal-clear sense of its values by

Mitch Duckler

Companies that put purpose first are invariably becoming industry standouts—manifest in their exemplary corporate cultures, publicly recognized competence, or as heralded champions of vital causes. Numerous benefits accrue to these purpose-driven companies, including a proven positive correlation between purpose and profit, outperforming the overall market, an ability to command premium pricing, enjoying greater brand loyalty with Millennials and Gen Z consumers, and winning the war for talent.

LEAD WITH BRAND POSITIONING

As with any brand, the marketing of purpose-driven brands needs to be consistent with the brand positioning. It includes all marketing activation—campaigns, events, experiences, and communications. If the brand purpose is not woven into the marketing in a manner consistent with the brand positioning, the brand risks becoming diluted in the eyes of customers and other stakeholders.

ALLOW PURPOSE TO DRIVE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Thinking about product/service development through the lens of purpose can drive innovation and sharpen a company’s competitive edge. Purpose can spark original ideas and creativity in an organization. It can inspire employees to recast themselves into the roles of problem-solvers and

value providers. A majority of executives in global companies (63 percent of them, based on an Economist Intelligence Unit and EY survey) agree that purpose makes them better able to disrupt, or respond to disruption, with their own transformational changes.

BE READY TO TAKE A STAND

Companies with a strong purpose understand what they do and do not stand for. They are willing to take a stand—even on controversial issues—to create long-term value for customers and employees. To be sure, not everyone in the world will relate to or support the stand taken. Some may even find it off-putting and react negatively in a public manner. What’s important is that the stakeholders who are most important— particularly the target customers—support it. Consistently lean into purpose. Never apologize for it, or waver in support of it, even when consumer sentiment temporarily shifts.

MEASURE RESULTS AND COURSE-CORRECT WHEN NECESSARY

Successful companies set metrics to track business strategy, tactics, and initiatives. It also should be the case for purpose—especially when that purpose serves as the brand’s positioning. Consumer and customer sentiment should be consistently monitored to ensure that purpose remains

A 2018 study done by DDI, the Conference Board and EY found that purposeful companies outperformed the overall market by 42%, a remarkable figure. Additional research done by Deloitte analysts found these purposeful companies attaining 30% higher levels of innovation, 40% higher levels of workforce retention and higher levels of customer loyalty, as well.

relevant and that the brand continues to be associated with the purpose. If the brand is not getting credit for the purpose it espouses, then a review of all marketing activation needs to be conducted. If the purpose is losing relevance with target stakeholders, it may be time to reevaluate its appropriateness as a brand positioning—even if it continues to represent the company’s purpose.

AVOID PURPOSE-WASHING

When a business claims to support a meaningful cause without backing it up with genuine action, that’s “purpose-washing.” And it can seriously harm a company’s credibility fast in today’s always-on world. As all marketers know, one of the key components of a brand’s positioning are the “reasons to believe,” or proof points. These proof points lend credibility to the promise being made. Identifying and clearly communicating these proof points are even more critical when the brand is steeped in purpose. A brand must be willing to back up its purpose with real action if it wishes to remain purpose-driven. Otherwise, it risks coming across as disingenuous at best and a fraud at worst.

The idea of being purpose-driven is certainly not new. It has been on the business radar for several decades. So, it’s reasonable to wonder if the concept has already reached a tipping point, if it’s a trend that will slowly lose steam until it all but disappears as a conscious endeavor.

The future is always unknown, of course. But the paths of generations can be mapped based on their activities in their formative years, and they rarely veer far off course. Millennial and Gen Z generations have made it clear that they expect greater transparency and accountability from companies before giving over their loyalty. They are demanding that companies have a purpose, and so, the concept is not likely to disappear in their lifetimes.

While baby boomers are still alive and kicking, they are primarily driving the agenda on retirement-oriented products and services. The bulk of today’s buying decisions are being made by two new generational cohorts—millennials and Gen Z—and likely will be for the twenty to forty years they will be ascendant financially.

Nonetheless, the value of purpose in brand strategy can only endure if it is also accompanied by value creation and financial performance. As shown with the triple bottom line, having a worthwhile purpose is critically important but not sufficient for success. As economic pressures and shareholder demands continue to increase, the most enduring purpose-driven companies will be those that find a way to stay true to purpose while also driving topline growth, profitability, and shareholder value.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PURPOSE-DRIVEN COMPANY?

To be clear, merely claiming a purpose doesn’t necessarily make a company purpose-driven. It’s easy to understand on face value that a purpose-driven company is committed to more than just making a profit. But in looking deeper into the machinery of establishing that company purpose, it becomes evident that a truly purpose-driven company has a crystal clear sense of its values, and it uses these values to drive its decisions and actions. It focuses on that focus, as it were. At every level of the company, it answers the coupled question: What problem are we solving, or how would the world be worse off if we did not exist?

Excerpt from The Future-Ready Brand: How the World’s Most Influential CMOs are Navigating Societal Forces and Emerging Technologies by Mitch Duckler, used by permission.

The Unbeatable CEO

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The Unbeatable CEO: Navigating Your Leadership Voyage with Ease

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Your Grass is Greener

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168 pages

When people enjoy their work, they’re more successful and any joy they feel on the job spills over into the rest of their life as well. For readers who are frustrated at work or simply looking for better ways to do a job they enjoy, Your Grass Is Greener offers an actionable guide to improve the work they already do, using skills they already have. Each chapter reframes a common workplace challenge and provides a tangible tactic that can be put to work right away. Your Grass Is Greener is not about how to redefine one’s cosmic purpose or find a mythical new job one is somehow supposed to enjoy for the rest of one’s career. Instead, it helps readers transform their underlying approach to work so any job they do instantly gets better.

Your Grass is Greener: Use What You Have. Get What You Want. At Work and In Life.

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From Vision to Action offers a master class in effective negotiation and conflict resolution. It builds on a core strategy of understanding differences and acting on commonalities. Marks uses his own experiences of creating real-life breakthroughs during his time leading Search for Common Ground, which he founded and built with his wife, Susan Collin Marks, into the world’s largest peacebuilding nonprofit. Beginning with an improbable effort to promote cooperation between the CIA and the KGB, this book features examples that range from helping prevent genocide in Burundi to using children’s television to lessen ethnic tensions in Macedonia to creating a culture of mediation in Morocco. Readers learn key lessons, such as adapting to unexpected outcomes, communicating persuasive stories, and being incrementally transformational — or transformationally incremental.

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John Marks $28

Columbia University Press Available 8/31/2024

A 2020 study of 8,000 consumers and 75 companies/brands worldwide found a striking 92% of Gen Z saying they “would act in support of a purposeful brand.” Not far behind Gen Z are millennials, with 90% of them indicating likewise. If these two generational cohorts are passionate about a cause or issue, they will purchase from companies that ally with their values.

208 pages

Jason Royer is vice president, relationship manager at Enterprise Bank & Trust, Member FDIC. He

How Businesses Can Prepare for an Uncertain Real Estate Market

Manage risk while navigating the everchanging state of the real estate industry

by Jason Royer

If there’s one common theme that resonates across the real estate market, from property owners and investors to developers and asset managers, it’s uncertainty.

Constant changes in the market, such as interest rates, inflation and rising operational costs, to name just a few, have the potential to negatively affect real estate businesses. With no crystal ball to illuminate a sure path, all levels of ownership are seeing changes to their investments and bottom lines.

This uncertainty applies to not only the owners but also their tenants. Changing work environments in the wake of the pandemic, an increase in automation and the rise of AI are just a few factors contributing to income shortfalls that result in late rent and lease payments.

Thankfully, uncertainty in the real estate market doesn’t have to spell misfortune.

IDENTIFYING THE BEST APPROACH FOR THE BUSINESS

The way in which companies are adapting to stay in good financial standing looks different for each business owner, but one thing is clear: Financial decisions made now have the potential to impact a business’s long-term financial state.

A few initial steps business owners need to take in order to manage risk while navigating the ever-changing state of the real estate industry include:

• Ensuring they have a comprehensive understanding of their current financial position with respect to real estate holdings, loan maturities and current interest rates.

• Communicating thoroughly, regularly and clearly with a banker who has experience working with real estate owners/investors and understands the full spectrum of market factors and solutions that can boost their business’s success.

• Evaluating the financial position and health of any tenants they may have, and assessing their revenue streams.

• Transparency with their banker regarding their short- and long-term goals, and remaining open to new products and services their bank offers that may help them achieve those goals.

While many real estate companies focus on maintaining a strong cash position, owners and investors alike are concerned with rising costs.

To avoid cash flow impact in the short term, real estate companies may pass rising costs along to customers by raising rents. Despite high competition to acquire tenants, potential renters often have to accept those rent increases, as many real estate companies will be in the same position, weathering market-wide expense fluctuations.

BUILD A CUSTOMIZED STRATEGIC PLAN

For any business, financial strategies should consider efficiency and risk alongside growth. For investors, owners and asset managers alike, securing the best loan possible for acquisition, construction or refinancing is more important than ever.

For some real estate businesses, taking advantage of tax credit programs or nontraditional loans can prove essential in successfully positioning a company for future growth — even in the midst of market instability. Owners should consider exploring specialized financing options, such as historic tax credits, bridge loans or the federal New Markets Tax Credit program.

To take an even more well-prepared approach to positioning for the future, owners can include the following measures as they continue to strengthen their financial position:

• Consider all the ways commercial real estate may change moving forward. Explore the opportunities and challenges that the different scenarios present.

• Assess current cash management. Determine how priorities will shift on the business’s list of future capital expenditures and tenant improvement costs.

• Identify existing efficiency levers based on the underlying performance of properties. The goal is a balance between increased rental income and increased expenses.

• Develop a plan for any short-term liquidity management issues. Consider creative funding options to explore with the bank to maintain liquidity in the short and long term. Most banks today require deposits in order to provide financing.

• Diligently research technology and outsourcing solutions that drive top- and bottom-line growth. Owners should evaluate the advantages in their business process for automating operations, payments and processing.

As we continue to traverse an increasingly unpredictable path in the real estate sector, it is more essential than ever that business owners have a nimble financial strategy that aligns with their business goals, and to have good communication with their banker.

Haley Harrigan is a shareholder at Gallagher & Kennedy and chair of the firm’s Employment and Labor Law Department.

She regularly advises employers regarding the complicated patchwork of both state and federal employment laws, including wage and hour laws, restrictive covenants, Title VII claims and workplace issues.

She frequently drafts employment agreements, policies, handbooks and separation agreements, and counsels employers on best practices and how to avoid legal pitfalls in the workplace. gknet.com

Employer Alert: The FTC’s New ‘Non-Compete Rule’

Federal courts are split on enforceability of the FTC’s nationwide ban on non-compete agreements; what does that mean for employers?

by Haley Harrigan

The Federal Trade Commission recently announced a nationwide ban on Non-Compete Agreements, set to take effect on September 4, 2024. The enforceability of the FTC’s ban has been challenged in Texas and Pennsylvania federal court. The results of those two cases are still pending, but some initial rulings by those two courts have left business owners scratching their collective heads.

The Texas court held that the FTC overstepped its authority, but it stopped short of issuing a nationwide injunction that would have prevented the ban from going into effect. In contrast, the Pennsylvania court held that the FTC ban was valid and enforceable.

Below is a more in-depth summary of the two court’s preliminary rulings:

THE TEXAS COURT’S RULING

On July 3, 2024, the Texas federal judge held that the FTC likely exceeded its authority when it issued its rule largely prohibiting employment-based noncompete agreements (the “Non-Compete Rule”). The court issued an order to temporarily suspend the effective date of the FTC from enforcing the Non-Compete Rule — but only as it relates to the parties to the case. This means that, unless there is another order issued in the meantime, the FTC’s ban on non-compete agreements remains valid and enforceable for all companies and employees across the U.S.

The court’s decision (and accompanying analysis) strongly suggest that the court will strike down the rule on the merits. The court committed to issuing a final decision on the merits by August 30, 2024. In the interim, the parties will further brief the merits issues, including whether the injunction should be extended on a nationwide basis. .

THE PENNSYLVANIA COURT’S RULING

The Pennsylvania court reached a near-opposite conclusion. It held that the FTC’s ban on non-compete agreements was within its broad statutory authority to prevent unfair methods of competition. The court accepted the FTC’s argument that noncompete agreements are not justified by legitimate business purposes and are exploitative and coercive when entered into with employees who are not senior executives.

WHAT NOW?

Because the Texas court declined to implement a nationwide preliminary injunction — and may not do so until three business days before the Non-Compete Rule takes

effect, if at all — and because the Pennsylvania court intends to uphold the ban, employers should continue to plan for implementation of the rule on September 4, 2024.

A few things employers can do to prepare for the NonCompete Rule include:

• Identify and review all agreements a business has with former and current employees that impose post-employment restrictive covenants, including non-competition agreements that would be banned under the FTC rule as well as other agreements (confidentiality, non-disclosure agreements and non-solicitation agreements) that may not be subject to the ban. Employers should consult legal counsel if they are uncertain whether these agreements fall within the scope of the ban.

• Consider improvements and clarifications to strengthen non-solicitation, confidentiality agreements and nondisclosure agreements regardless of the noncompete ban’s future. Clear, precise and narrowly tailored drafting is essential. Employers with workers in multiple states must account for the many different and evolving state laws in their agreements.

• Prepare to provide the required notice to workers under the final rule. It will likely take time to identify the workers who are subject to non-competes or equivalent employee policies, compile the relevant worker address information, and draft and send the notices. If the rule becomes effective on September 4, 2024, the notification must be made by the effective date. Employers who fail to comply with the new rule could face significant legal and financial repercussions.

Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A. will continue to monitor and report on the developments and progress concerning the rulemaking, the lawsuits challenging the ban, and its potential impact on employers and their operations.

While state courts have raised questions about its ultimate fate, businesses need to prepare for the Federal Trade Commission’s recently announced ban on non-compete agreements that is set to take effect on September 4, 2024.

Learn more about how Desert Financial Credit Union provides support to communities by visiting desertfinancial.com/en/ who-we-are/communityinvolvement/how-wegive-back.

Empowering Arizona: Desert Financial’s Legacy

Focus blends community impact and philanthropy

by Tyler Butler

Desert Financial Credit Union was founded by educators in 1939 with a modest sum of $78.75. Rooted in the principles of cooperation and community, this not-for-profit credit union has grown over 85 years while maintaining its foundational mission of sharing success with members, the community and its team. Strengthening education throughout Arizona remains a core focus for Desert Financial, a testament to its origin and ongoing commitment to community upliftment.

Desert Financial’s impact is most evident in its community initiatives and partnerships, which aim to promote financial well-being and education. Jeff Meshey, president and CEO of Desert Financial, encapsulates this mission: “You can’t have financial well-being without knowing a little about finance, and we’re excited to be bringing that to schools and to parents through our partnership with Gnosis. The earlier we can teach children the basic financial concepts, the better, and the more success they’ll have in life.” Through the Gnosis IQ partnership, Desert Financial reaches more students, teachers, schools and parents across Arizona, providing essential skills and education for financial well-being.

across various community projects. An impressive 92% of team members are engaged in volunteering and monetary giving, demonstrating a collective passion for helping others. Whether through team projects, virtual volunteering opportunities or individual efforts, Desert Financial’s employees embody the organization’s commitment to community service.

Desert Financial’s corporate social responsibility extends to awarding grants to nonprofit partners. In 2023, $300,000 in community grants were distributed to 26 nonprofit organizations, addressing critical areas such as education, housing and human services, hunger and food insecurity, and youth education. Since 2013, more than $1.5 million has been awarded to Arizona nonprofits, supporting vital education programs and workforce development initiatives.

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/tyler.butler

Founded in 2015, the Desert Financial Foundation plays a pivotal role in supporting organizations and individuals to enhance financial capability through education and scholarships. The foundation’s continuous growth is fueled by the generosity of its donors, and its programs reflect Desert Financial’s broader mission of giving back. One of the standout programs supported by the foundation is the “1 Darn Cool School” at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. With more than $10 million raised, this fully accredited K-12 school employs eight full-time master-level teachers who provide both classroom and bedside instruction to hospitalized children. This initiative ensures that children fighting illnesses and injuries can continue their education, a crucial element of maintaining normalcy and hope during challenging times.

Scholarships are another vital component of Desert Financial’s philanthropic efforts. Since 2017, the Desert Financial Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to Arizona residents. These scholarships are not limited to traditional high school students; they also support adults pursuing certificates or degrees and student-athletes who have overcome significant obstacles. This broad scope ensures that educational support is available to a diverse array of individuals, helping them achieve their academic and professional goals.

In addition to financial support, Desert Financial emphasizes hands-on community involvement. In 2022 alone, Desert Financial team members volunteered more than 15,000 hours

The credit union’s commitment to financial well-being is further evidenced by its workshops and webinars. These educational resources are designed to empower members, the community and nonprofit partners with the knowledge needed to achieve financial stability. The partnership with Gnosis IQ is particularly impactful, as it allows Desert Financial to leverage an existing educational platform to reach more students and their families. This initiative ensures that financial literacy starts at a young age, laying the groundwork for a stronger and more financially savvy Arizona.

Desert Financial also encourages its executive and senior management teams to serve on nonprofit boards, contributing their expertise and leadership to organizations such as the American Heart Association, Greater Phoenix Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Boys & Girls Club of Scottsdale. This involvement not only benefits the nonprofits but also aligns with Desert Financial’s ethos of active community engagement and leadership.

Desert Financial’s corporate philanthropy and community initiatives exemplify a deep-seated commitment to making Arizona a better place for all. Through strategic partnerships, generous scholarships, dedicated volunteerism and robust educational programs, Desert Financial continues to honor its founding principles while adapting to the evolving needs of the community. As the credit union looks to the future, its passion for helping others and strengthening community bonds remains unwavering, ensuring that the legacy of giving back continues to flourish.

Desert Financial Credit Union desertfinancial.com

Desert Financial Credit Union presents workshops and webinars as educational resources designed to empower members, the community and nonprofit partners with the knowledge needed to achieve financial stability.

Photo

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.

When you are ready to take the next step in your personal charitable giving journey, we are here to help you achieve your goals.

Bruce Weber is founder, president and CEO at Weber Group. Weber brings more than 25 years of experience to the for-profit and nonprofit community, working with startup, growth and mature organizations. His focus is on strengthening organizations through strategic planning, leadership and board development. He is a BoardSource Certified Governance trainer and a graduate of the Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park. webergroupaz.com

The Pursuit of Success by Engaging Premium Talent

Committing to employee development can drive a company’s success

by Bruce Weber

In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, the pursuit of success hinges on a company’s ability to engage premium talent. The most successful organizations recognize that their greatest asset is their people — those who bring unparalleled expertise, creativity and drive. By attracting and retaining top-tier professionals, companies can harness the full potential of their workforce to achieve extraordinary results and sustain long-term growth.

DEFINING PREMIUM TALENT

Premium talent refers to individuals who possess exceptional skills, knowledge and experience. These professionals are often at the cutting edge of their fields, consistently delivering high performance and innovative solutions. Engaging such talent involves more than just recruitment; it requires creating an environment where these individuals can thrive and contribute to the organization’s success.

CONTINUOUS GROWTH

One of the critical factors in engaging premium talent is providing opportunities for continuous growth and development. The best professionals are lifelong learners, always seeking to expand their knowledge and improve their skills. Companies that invest in robust training programs, advanced education and opportunities for career progression can attract top talent and keep them motivated and engaged. For instance, Google and Amazon are renowned for their commitment to employee development, offering extensive resources for learning and professional growth, which in turn drives innovation and success within the organizations.

RECOGNITION AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Another vital element in engaging premium talent is fostering a culture of recognition and reward. High-performing individuals want to be acknowledged for their contributions and achievements. Companies that implement effective recognition programs, whether through financial incentives, career advancement opportunities or public acknowledgment, can significantly boost employee morale and loyalty. Recognized and appreciated employees are more likely to stay with the company and continue to contribute at a high level.

Work-life balance, too, is crucial in engaging premium talent. The most talented professionals often have demanding roles, but they also value their personal time and well-being. Organizations that prioritize work-life balance by offering flexible working hours, remote work options and comprehensive wellness programs can attract and retain top talent. This approach not only improves employee satisfaction but also

enhances productivity, as employees are more likely to perform well when they are not overwhelmed by work-related stress.

COLLABORATION

Creating a collaborative and inclusive work environment is another key strategy for engaging premium talent. The best professionals thrive in settings where they can collaborate with diverse teams and share ideas freely. Companies that promote diversity and inclusion, and encourage open communication, can foster a culture of innovation and creativity. Diverse teams bring different perspectives and solutions, which can lead to more effective problem-solving and improved business outcomes.

ROLE OF LEADERSHIP

Furthermore, leadership plays a pivotal role in engaging premium talent. Effective leaders inspire and motivate their teams, set clear goals and provide the necessary support and resources for employees to succeed. By demonstrating strong leadership, companies can build trust and loyalty among their workforce, making it easier to attract and retain top talent.

COMPENSATION

Finally, offering competitive compensation packages is essential in engaging premium talent. While financial incentives alone are not enough to keep top performers engaged, they are a crucial component of a comprehensive talent engagement strategy. Competitive salaries, bonuses, stock options and other financial rewards can help attract the best professionals and keep them committed to the organization.

In conclusion, the pursuit of success by engaging premium talent involves a multifaceted approach that includes providing opportunities for growth, recognizing and rewarding achievements, ensuring work-life balance, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment, demonstrating effective leadership, and offering competitive compensation. Companies that excel in these areas can attract and retain the best talent, driving innovation, productivity and long-term success. In an era when human capital is the most valuable resource, engaging premium talent is not just an option but a necessity for organizations aiming to achieve and sustain success.

“Companies that recognize the importance of employee engagement and development are better positioned to attract and retain talent.” —Jack Altman in People Strategy

Serving Sustainability through Data Center Design

Potential to restore ecological and social amenities

by Kaley Blackstock

The past decade has seen a boom in data center development. AI, smart devices and advanced technologies have accelerated the demand for data processing, projecting a global generation of 2,100 zettabytes of data by 2035. Arizona is well positioned as a prime location for these facilities due to the low-risk climate and large parcels of land. However, not all see data centers as valuable newcomers, especially those concerned about energy and resource conservation. But what if these projects could help rather than hurt the community?

As momentum builds around data centers, Gensler sees three areas of opportunity for this building type to advance sustainable design and benefit communities.

DATA CENTERS CAN DRIVE NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDING DESIGNS AND MORE AFFORDABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

Data center developers require optimal use of power for their facilities. Unlike other buildings defined by square footage, a data center’s scale is defined by power demand. For data centers, the golden metric is PUE, ideally a PUE of 1.0 — a power usage effectiveness in which the total power consumption of the facility equals the total power consumed for computing. Sustainable data centers achieve a PUE of less than 1.15, with a 2023 market average of 1.58. Most data centers, therefore, spend more than one-third of their energy demand on facility operations (lighting, pumps, fans, etc.).

Chasing a PUE of 1.0 requires a zero-energy footprint for the building, driving net zero energy building design. Data centers can pilot new cooling technologies, improve controls integration, explore reuse options for waste heat, and hone design skills for high-performance buildings. They also have the potential to incorporate large-scale on-site renewable energy systems, increasing market supply and driving down costs. Furthermore, the high energy needs for data centers facilitate alternative low-carbon energy solutions such as small-scale nuclear power.

DATA CENTERS CAN SHIFT OUR DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO CONSERVE WATER AND MAKE WASTEWATER REUSE IN BUILDING DESIGN MORE FEASIBLE

About 40% of data center energy consumption is for cooling, which is traditionally provided by evaporative cooling towers. Many regions cannot support the water demands of these systems, with some hyperscale data centers consuming up to 500,000 gallons a day, enough water to supply more than 3,400 households in Arizona. In response, many municipalities limit potable water supplies for large industrial and data center facilities.

Data center developers are committing to significant reductions in water consumption and investing in water recycling systems. Several data centers are moving to 100% dry-cooling, which may incur higher energy usage but preserves the water supply. These strategies generate critical performance data and expertise for project teams, helping to reduce the cost of these systems and facilitate implementation in other project types.

Conservation goals in data center development place the energy-water nexus at the forefront of systems design conversations. Like PUE, data centers can set WUE targets (water usage effectiveness) to reduce water consumption relative to computing energy (liter/kWh). When viewed in tandem, these metrics can drive symbiotic resource conservation measures at a utility scale, especially since nearly three-fourths of a data center’s water footprint is due to electricity generation.

DATA CENTERS CAN REHABILITATE

DERELICT SITES AND RESTORE ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL AMENITIES FOR A COMMUNITY

Given the energy and water concerns for data center developers, choosing a site is a critical first step. Long lead times for equipment, infrastructure and power delivery directly impact the bottom line for projects. Old industrial buildings often have the infrastructure and power supply prepositioned and can spatially and structurally support large and heavy data halls.

The data center typology can revive blighted buildings and restore stranded assets. If located next to city centers, they can save costs of laying down fiber. Even for new build projects, there is the potential to remediate contaminated sites. For large-scale, phased projects, there is an opportunity to engage in slower, more natural remediation strategies. Once the site is restored, the land could become a community amenity such as a walking trail or nature park with preserved habitats for keystone species.

Data centers present an exciting opportunity for innovation, requiring critical evaluation of resource allocation at an unprecedented scale. Because of projected growth, they necessitate advancing sustainable design solutions quickly. All design options are on the table, and all experts need to be involved. As a global firm, Gensler is leaning into our network of practitioners to advance this sector’s potential in creating a more sustainable future for all.

About 40% of data center energy consumption is for cooling, which is traditionally provided by evaporative cooling towers. Several data centers are moving to 100% dry-cooling, which may incur higher energy usage but preserves the water supply.

Kaley Blackstock is the sustainability director for Gensler’s Southwest Region and local Phoenix office. As a senior in-house sustainability expert, Blackstock assists architectural project teams across the firm in establishing sustainability performance goals for design projects. She works closely with clients to understand how their spaces contribute to their overall environmental footprint and community impact. She also collaborates with clients to realize how the sustainable design strategies of their assets can be captured in ESG reporting and sustainability commitments.

Blackstock has a Master of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard College. She brings more than eight years of experience to her clients and is a LEED- and WELLaccredited professional, Fitwel ambassador and a certified Construction Document Technologist. gensler.com

Comarch Data Center / courtesy Gensler

WHERE DID THE DOLLARS GO?

Philanthropic contributions by designation in 2023:

• Religion:

$145.81 billion

• Human Services:

$88.84 billion

• Education:

$87.69 billion

• Foundations:

$80.03 billion

• Public-Society Benefit: $62.81 billion

• Health: $56.58 billion

• International Affairs:

$29.94 billion

• Arts, Culture, Humanities:

$25.26 billion

• Environment/Animals:

$21.20 billion

Individuals: $20.66 billion

Remember, a nonprofit rarely fits into only one category; often, it offers programs and services in other areas as well. To expand fundraising dollars, nonprofits should explore institutional and individual donors who have a track record of supporting these top categories.

Donor Resilience Continues Despite Economic, Social Challenges

Giving USA 2023 report highlights philanthropic growth

by Richard Tollefson

If one thing has become clear over the past six years of bumpy roads, it’s that philanthropy is resilient. American generosity has weathered major tax legislation changes, a worldwide pandemic, natural disasters, humanitarian crises, political unrest and supply chain disruption.

Even above-average rates of inflation and changing norms around the transparency of large gifts haven’t deterred philanthropists.

The lesson to be learned is that all challenges don’t impact all donors in the same way or at the same time, and those challenges don’t happen in isolation. For every challenging influence out there, in the majority of cases there are countervailing influences that lessen impact.

For instance, a substantial tax law expected to decrease philanthropic output might be coupled with a strong economy, lessening its impact. Likewise, challenges in a single sector don’t equate to the entire economy. Some industries and some geographies may be impacted, yes, but it’s not universal. People and the nonprofits they support can and do flourish, even during hard times.

The proof is in the latest numbers from Giving USA 2023, which indicate Americans gave a generous $557.16 billion to charity in 2023, up 1.9%, or $57.83 billion, from the prior year. Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy is the seminal publication reporting on the sources and uses of charitable giving in the United States; its research, conducted by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, estimates all giving to all charitable organizations across the United States. Measuring the previous year’s philanthropic performance, the 2023 report showed increases in giving by individuals (1.6%), foundations (1.7%), bequests (4.8%) and corporations (3%). Likewise, the top designations for charities — religion, human services, education, foundations, and public-society benefit — all increased this year.

As usual, corporate executives sitting on nonprofit boards can help their organizations interpret these giving trends and turn that insight into future fundraising success.

has grown to nearly 20% of charitable giving, surpassing $100 billion. Focus attention here, as well.

• Focus on Planned Giving. From 2019 through 2023, the wealth of older adults grew 30%. Target individuals aged 60-plus. After all, they make up 24% of the population — which is 77 million Americans. In their twilight years, they are looking to give, and those with bequest intentions also often give more while they are alive.

• Be flexible, adaptable and rigorous. During times of turmoil, implement the nonprofit’s plan with discipline and rigor, but be open to adaptation. If a donor is facing financial challenge, consider delaying current asks but continuing to articulate the case for support for the future.

• Instill trust. Become bona fide partners with donors, communicating openly and respectfully about shared visions, values and challenges. Build and instill trust that, together with the donor, will achieve the nonprofit’s — and the donor’s — goals and optimize impact.

• Take an expansive view of generosity. Fundraising is about more than the number of dollars donors give. It’s about their connection to issues and causes that will make a positive impact in the world; sometimes the non-monetary rewards to nonprofits — donors who volunteer, host events to introduce new people to the organization, advocate with family and friends for the cause — can be formidable, helping the charity or institution elevate its profile and achieve its vision tenfold.

LOOKING FORWARD

Richard Tollefson is founder and president of The Phoenix Philanthropy Group, an Arizona-based international consulting firm serving nonprofit organizations as well as institutional and individual philanthropists. phoenixphilanthropy.com

WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY Nonprofits should:

• Build bold ideas to generate bold investments. With the continuing trend of larger gifts and fewer donors, nonprofits must be able to articulate big, bold, groundbreaking initiatives and ideas in order to attract aspirational philanthropic partners who can bring them to fruition.

• Go where the money is. The numbers indicate that 84% of total giving (accounting for all the ways a person may give) comes from individuals. Start there. Foundation giving

Bright Spot: While inflation increased during the Giving USA reporting period, so did the GDP, S&P 500 and disposable personal income.

Do economic and social challenges exist? Yes. Is there increased competition in the growth of nonprofits? Yes. Those realities, alone, aren’t, however, reasons to pull back on or be pessimistic about fundraising.

As this year’s numbers illustrate, people are giving more. They want to continue to make the world a better place. And the good news: They exist everywhere, those unknown millionaires next door who, at first blush, don’t appear to be the obvious choices but who were smart investors, who own current or inherited real estate in strategic locations, or who married someone of wealth. It’s just a matter of finding those individuals and connecting their passions with the nonprofit mission.

2024 Polestar 3 SUV

With a sleek, technical look, optimized aerodynamics and a responsive drive, Polestar 3 reimagines the SUV while retaining its character. This is an SUV designed for the thrill of driving. Perfectly tuned suspension, balanced power delivery, true torque vectoring and low battery placement all add up to a responsive car with unparalleled road stability. Pairing two high-performance, liquid-cooled electric motors with computerassisted power distribution, the Polestar 3 powertrain provides optimal traction and control in all circumstances.

Placing the seat rows further apart provides generous legroom. The minimalist design and carefully curated interior themes emphasize the spaciousness of the cabin. True Scandinavian minimalism, integrated technology and mindful materials, this is an inner space designed to stimulate the senses. With the Bowers & Wilkins audio system, engineered for the ultimate sonic experience, every drive becomes a unique journey.

Working with acclaimed automotive leather-makers, Bridge of Weir, ensures that the perforated Nappa upholstery adheres to strict animal welfare and quality standards. It’s chromefree, traceable and available in three colors: Zinc, Charcoal

and Jupiter. Inspired by furniture design, the Black Ash deco sports a unique finish achieved by staining the physical wood structure, reducing material waste without compromising on quality or aesthetics.

Adding a spacious feeling to the Polestar 3 interior, the panoramic roof is made of acoustic, laminated glass, which lowers cabin noise levels and decreases ultraviolet radiation by 99.5%. Besides reducing glare and heat from the sun, it also enhances climate control efficiency.

Forward-thinking design with a familiar feel is so Polestar. Polestar 3’s digital displays and car controls offer a modern take on driver information without compromising on intuitiveness. The result is a uniquely uncluttered experience that appeals to the senses without overwhelming them.

Featuring a large-capacity 111 kWh battery and highly efficient motor technology, the Polestar 3 powertrain is perfectly suited for traveling long distances or making frequent urban trips. Drivers who prefer power and acceleration over range can add the Performance pack. —Mike Hunter

Polestar polestar.com/us/

Electrolyzed Water in Cleaning Routines Improves Worker Safety

In the world of commercial and industrial cleaning, the safety of workers is paramount. Traditional cleaning agents, while effective, often contain toxic chemicals that pose significant health risks. Electrolyzed water, a sustainable and costefficient alternative, offers a promising alternative. By integrating electrolyzed

water into cleaning routines, businesses can enhance worker safety without compromising on cleaning standards.

Electrolyzed water, produced through the electrolysis of a salt solution, results in a potent disinfectant (hypochlorous acid) and a cleaning agent (sodium hydroxide). Its effectiveness is comparable, if not superior, to traditional cleaning methods. It can eradicate a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. Studies have shown it to be particularly effective in high-touch areas prone to contamination.

Unlike some harsh chemicals, electrolyzed water is non-corrosive and safe for various surfaces, including metals, plastics and fabrics. This makes it versatile for different cleaning applications.

Electrolyzed water decomposes into harmless substances, making it an

environmentally friendly option and reducing the environmental footprint associated with chemical cleaning agents. Most importantly, it’s completely safe for users. The absence of toxic fumes and residues significantly enhances worker safety, reducing the risk of respiratory issues, skin irritations and other health problems associated with chemical exposure.

Integrating electrolyzed water into cleaning routines presents a viable solution for businesses looking to enhance worker safety while maintaining high cleaning standards. As demand for safer and more environmentally friendly cleaning solutions grows, electrolyzed water stands out as a promising option benefiting both workers and the environment. —Joshua Schwartz, president and co-founder of Viking Pure Solutions (vikingpure.com)

CHICKEN SATAY

Grilled skewers on skewers with Thai peanut sauce, cilantro and cabbage slaw

$21

Angry butter-sautéed shrimp, chipotle mayo and Asian slaw in flour tortillas

$25

KG CHEESEBURGER

Double-stacked quarterpound ground beef patties, American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and secret sauce on a brioche bun, served with French fries

$9.99

Kona Grill Brings East and West to the Table

by RaeAnne Marsh

Kona Grill welcomes the lunch crowd with its own “power lunch” — a prix fixe three-course meal offered every weekday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Designed to be easy and fast to fit within a traditional “lunch hour,” the dishes are a dine-in quality alternative to fast food.

First course options are an Asian salad that draws on Kona Grill’s fusion cuisine with its cabbage, green onions and a sweet soy dressing, and soups that include Lemongrass Clam Chowder, speckled with chili flakes that add both color and flavor to a dish thick with clams rather than the common heavy use of potatoes.

Of course Kona Grill would offer sushi rolls among the entrée options, but there are also comfort food staples of Avocado Chicken Club, Bacon Cheeseburger, Fried Chicken Sandwich and Cheese Flatbread.

Dessert is limited to Brownie To-Go — but, as a Kona Grill spokesperson expressed, “Who doesn’t like chocolate?”

Beyond Kona Grill’s “power lunch” menu, the variety on the full all-day menu supports the restaurant’s tagline of “America’s Grill,” offering a selection of additional meal options, from starters of soups, wraps and sliders to burgers, salads and a long list of sushi and sashimi to heartier entrées such as Miso-Sake Chilean Sea Bass, Surf & Turf, Baby Back Ribs and Kona Stir-Fry (with chicken and/or shrimp and/or tofu). Sides range from standards like French fries and fried rice to more unusual items like Sweet Chili Green Beans and Crispy Soy Brussels Sprouts. Sweet endings include more chocolate offerings plus cheesecake and carrot cake.

North Phoenix (Desert Ridge) is the newest, the first to open since One Hospitality Group purchased Kona Grill five years ago. The interior is lightly bathed in sunshine from large windows in front and back while still offering guests’ eyes a serene respite from our desert environment’s extremes. Design and décor elements help divide the interior into distinct dining and lounge spaces while the restaurant maintains a structurally open and welcoming ambience.

Kona Grill

21001 N. Tatum Rd., Phoenix (480) 507-4121

2224 E. Williams Field Rd., Gilbert (480) 289-4500 konagrill.com

The impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry was harsh, but a recent report from the Arizona Restaurant Association indicates that dining out is back and more in-demand than ever.

Photos courtesy

of Kona Grill

SHRIMP TACOS

IN THIS ISSUE

Intelligent Conversations Committee created to leverage shared knowledge about arti cial intelligence

Focus

on the Future

Public policy e orts continue despite state’s budget de cit Dynamic Duo

E-mobility, clean energy companies make mark in Arizona

Study Reveals Arizona Still on Top in Tech Job Growth

WHO WE ARE

The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies.

Phoenix O ce

2800 N. Central Ave., #1530, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: 602-343-8324 • Fax: 602-343-8330 info@aztechcouncil.org

Tucson O ce

1215 E. Pennsylvania St., Tucson, AZ, 85714 Phone: 520-388-5760 tucson@aztechcouncil.org

MANAGEMENT AND STAFF

Steven G. Zylstra President + CEO

Diana White Chief of Sta

Deborah Zack Vice President, Membership Services

Karla Morales Vice President, Southern Arizona Regional O ce

Leslie Marquez Director, Marketing + Communications

Darryle Emerson Director, Programs + Events

Jamie Neilson Director of Operations + Events, Southern Arizona Regional O ce

Angelica Espinoza Bookkeeper

Rae Johnson Administrative Assistant

Don Rodriguez Editor

Ron Schott Executive Emeritus, Phoenix SCITECH INSTITUTE

Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO

Jeremy Babendure, Ph.D., Executive Director

Claire Conway, STEM Ecosystem Director

Maiya Cheeks, STEM Ecosystem Program Manager

Eileen Healy, CSO International Program Director

Mary Chisholm, CSO International Program Coordinator

Sarah Cundi , CSO International Program Coordinator

Ashton Grove, CSO Arizona Program Manager

Brittany Sweeney-Lawson, Marketing & Communications Manager

Vanessa Thompson, Finance Administrator

Mark Paulsen, Workforce Development Coordinator

Makenna Littell, Event Coordinator

Arizona Technology Report

Arizona Technology Council: The Voice of the Technology Industry

President’s Message

Like most people who live here, the summer heat is something we at the Arizona Technology Council endure or dread, depending on the day.

That is one of the reasons we tune in to developments related to clean energy technology. No matter your stance on climate change, there is no denying that power generated by renewable sources does not generate carbon dioxide and other emissions that can lead to increased heat, droughts and health risks.

Clean Power, a strategic communications organization focused on climate, has issued a scorecard of the value of clean energy developments — that is, dollars invested and job creation — under the In ation Reduction Act of 2022 signed by President Joe Biden. More commonly, it’s known as the clean energy plan.

Throughout the nation, 312,900 new clean energy jobs have been created. The sectors and their share of the job total are:

• Batteries – 41.6%

I wasn’t entirely surprised by the categories since the Council and its members have been active in these areas. In fact, some content in this section of the magazine will share details of those activities.

But how we compare to the rest of the nation shows we are claiming a large share, which is good for our economy. For example, Arizona is among the 10 states with the majority of new clean energy jobs. Clean Power counted 20 projects with new investments valued at more than $11.24 billion combined. This is expected to result in 15,570 new jobs.

Six projects are valued at $3.56 billion total and expected to create 2,795 jobs in lowincome communities, which is good news for job creation in areas in need. And one project in a rural community is valued at $2.16 billion and expected to create 1,100 jobs in the type of area often ignored by major projects.

The report went further by tying the projects to congressional districts. The bulk of the clean energy projects are in districts represented by Republican members of the House of Representatives. For Arizona, the representatives, their districts and the totals are:

• Rep. Andy Biggs (District 5) – Two projects valued at $5.6 billion are expected to create 3,750 jobs.

• Rep. Juan Ciscomani (District 6) – Three projects are expected to create 245 jobs.

• Rep. Debbie Lesko (District 8) – One project is valued at $559 million.

• Rep. Paul Gosar (District 9) – Five projects valued at more than $1.66 billion are expected to create 7,940 jobs.

In districts represented by Democrats, the details are:

• Rep. Greg Stanton (District 4) – Two projects are expected to create 70 jobs.

• Rep. Raul Grijalva (District 7) – Five projects valued at $3.42 billion are expected to create 2,850 jobs.

It’s clear that, together, we are cleaning up when it comes to claiming a share of progress through clean energy.

Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO Arizona Technology Council SciTech Institute

Intelligent Conversations

Committee created to leverage shared knowledge about artificial intelligence

As the business world begins wrestling with the challenge of how to incorporate arti cial intelligence into company operations, the Arizona Technology Council has stepped forward to help sort through the clutter.

The Council’s Arizona Arti cial Intelligence Ecosystem (AAIE) Committee’s mission is to lead the state’s journey into the era of arti cial intelligence by providing thought leadership, expertise and recommendations to the community and lawmakers on AI-related best practices, usage and policies.

The committee already counts more than 100 members with about 40 to 50 actively participating in virtual monthly open forums, as well as meetings of subcommittees based on industry, says Committee Chair Minky Kernacs, co-founder and CEO of Mercurio Analytics. “By bringing people together who share a common interest and diversity of thought, the discussions we are having, the connections we are making and the networking that we are doing is wonderful because it helps people understand how to take advantage of the advancements, share best practices and collaborate,” she says.

While open forum participants may include those who just want to get a grounding in AI topics, the subcommittees are comprised of members who participate in the sectors — such as aerospace and defense and advanced

manufacturing — already impacted by the evolving eld. “There’s so much that we can learn from each other about this rapidly transforming technology to create something very useful,” Kernacs says.

The AAIE Committee is unlike other AI organizations that focus on startups and funding. “We’re talking at a higher business level: This is how AI is transforming your industry and here are some interesting ways to use it. We hope to share insights to increase adoption,” says Kernacs.

In the subcommittee meetings, members discuss advances and best practices because things are moving so quickly in AI. “You want to be talking to people with hands-on knowledge and thought leaders,” Kernacs says. “We want the community’s input and experience so we can make Arizona stronger.”

Even the forums operate differently. For one, they are open to anyone regardless of whether they are Council members. This is to share how to incorporate AI and information to consider as well. Subcommittees focus on Arizona industries, such as health care, hospitality, aerospace and defense, communication, and workforce development.

But it’s the featured speakers who cause the most buzz. For example, plans called for the July forum to focus on how to develop AI use cases and the August forum topic to be

people development. Kernacs explains the term “workforce development” is changing in the sense that AI is also becoming part of the workforce. “Now it’s time to equip our people with the appropriate skills to leverage the bene ts of working with AI to increase productivity while enhancing work-life balance,” she says. “Employees know the nuances of how a company operates, which no code on its own can replicate. Empowered with the speed and accuracy that AI delivers, the employees will only get better and their job satisfaction will soar.”

Kernacs says she tries to nd interesting speakers like those who talk about the practical aspect of generative AI because everyone is overwhelmed with the new capabilities. “GenAI is moving so quickly, and everyone’s being bombarded by ‘look at what you can do,’” she says. “We look at the practicality of it for the open forum to answer the questions around ‘What’s the plan?’ So how do you determine which features and capabilities are right for your organization and how do you handle a workforce that may be anxious? Let’s face it, everyone’s a little anxious.”

For more information about the Arizona Arti cial Intelligence Ecosystem Committee, please visit www.aztechcouncil.org/ committees/arizona-arti cial-intelligenceecosystem-aaie-committee/

Focus on the Future

Public policy

efforts

continue despite state’s budget

With public policy being one of the mainstay activities of the Arizona Technology Council, it stands to reason that the Legislature is the place to nd the group’s members as they work to progress a pro technology agenda.

But in a year when the legislative session focused on dealing with the state’s huge budget de cit, it was understandable for the Council to pick key legislative priorities to focus on that did not add costs.

Members of the Council leadership and group’s Public Policy Committee still headed to the Capitol and rolled up their sleeves to raise support for their agenda. Even when funding is tight now, they consider their efforts to be investments in the future of Arizona.

For example, the top legislative priority in the legislative session was continuation of the Arizona Commerce Authority. This included ghting the efforts to repeal and consolidate the agency, as well as repeal the key economic development programs that the Council has supported or even had created in Arizona statutes, like the Angel Investment tax credit. While a continuation should not have been as dif cult as this was, the ACA was continued for another ve years when Gov. Katie Hobbs signed HB2210, which prevents future continuations from occurring during an election year.

Another priority the Council continued to advocate was career and technical education and STEM education to ensure Arizona’s technology companies have a pipeline of trained talent to meet the various levels of employees they need. A victory was the governor’s signing SB1113 to update continuing high school and workforce training program statutes.

In related action, the Council worked with Rep. Justin Wilmeth, chair of the House Commerce Committee, to hold an informational hearing that helped raise awareness of the importance of computer science being offered in every high school to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn the required skills for the workforce needs of the state’s technology companies.

Additionally, the Council met with various education stakeholders to share that Arizona is lagging behind other states in offering computer science and suggest how they can work with the Council to help ensure all students have access to computer science prior to graduation.

However, with the state de cit, the Council did not run legislation on funding computer science in the 2024 session. Regardless, the Council plans to continue the advocacy of the issue in future sessions.

Clean energy and air quality were other areas of focus in the session, which included stopping several legislative proposals that were introduced. Some of the bills the Council was able to help defeat were HB 2130, which would have required counties to come up with maximum acreage policies for renewable energy production; HB 2133, which would have established a surcharge on solar panels to establish a Solar Panel Disposal Fund; and SB1010 and HCR2018, which would have had negative impacts on business programs to help reduce emissions and result in credits to allow manufacturing.

The Council also stayed true to other priorities, which included looking for opportunities to support economic development programs that have proven to work for the state; seeking opportunities to positively impact the diversity, equity and inclusion of Arizona’s workforce and leadership; and consistently, equitably and sustainably funding the state’s P-20 education system.

The Council had several other policy wins in the 2024 session focused on the Arizona Space Commission, Arizona-Ireland Trade Commission, continuation of the Department of Homeland Security, and defeating legislation that would have negatively impacted technology in the areas of arti cial intelligence and working internationally.

Diana White Joins Council as New Chief of Staff

Diana White has been appointed the new chief of staff for the Arizona Technology Council, bringing her experience in the technology and entrepreneurial communities.

In this role, White is responsible for partnering with the Council’s president and CEO to represent the association with its board of directors and external constituency groups. She will also serve on the executive team to provide resources and strategy, as well as overall support and management for the Council.

White most recently was executive director of Entrepreneurial Programs for Moonshot®, the Flagstaff-based technology incubator. She previously served as executive director of Moonshot’s Flagstaff Incubator/Accelerator. White also was CEO of Chandler Innovations, a technology incubator formed by a partnership with the City of Chandler and Moonshot.

She earlier supported the entrepreneurial community by establishing D.E.W. Business Solutions to provide consulting services to small businesses. Before moving to Arizona, she managed retail locations in New York City.

“My work in Arizona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has brought me all around the state and has provided me with a deep understanding of the needs of the technology industry and our members,” says White. “I am honored to apply that knowledge in my role with the Council, an organization that serves the entire Arizona technology community.”

Diana White

Dynamic Duo

E-mobility, clean energy companies make mark in Arizona

When trying to gauge where the focus of the technology community is these days, the Arizona Technology Council needs only to look at the makeup of its membership — and toward the White House.

The Council is seeing a great deal of interest among members in the elds of electric vehicles — more commonly known as e-mobility — and clean energy. New types of companies whose pro les likely would have been considered low-key at best a decade ago are setting up shop in Arizona.

Helping these two sectors of Arizona’s technology ecosystem quickly move from infancy to the fast lane was actually the stroke of a pen. Make that two strokes: when President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in November 2021 followed nine months later with his endorsement of the In ation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022.

The IIJA gave life to an electric vehicle charging program in the U.S. with funding of up to $5 billion over ve years, as well as making various EV charging and refueling competitive grants available at a value of up to $2.5 billion over ve years.

One e-mobility member that has made a lot of news in recent years has been Lucid, which has put Casa Grande on the map as it works to meet its mission of inspiring the adoption of sustainable transportation through its line of electric vehicles.

Whether the source of vehicle power is battery electric or hydrogen-electric, Nikola is making its own news as an integrated truck and energy company. At its Coolidge

facility, the company is changing commercial transportation with Class 8 models carrying the Tre brand and the energy brand HYLA created to support a hydrogen refueling ecosystem.

Other e-mobility members are Tempebased BreatheEV, which is working to bring EV chargers to multifamily housing and of ce sites. Also, Cruise of San Francisco is spreading here its message of creating selfdriving cars with safety and lifestyle in mind.

Clean energy is a target of the IRA. In that sector, member KORE Power is planting roots in Buckeye with a planned 1.3-millionsquare-foot battery manufacturing facility. Its products will be at the heart of e-mobility systems and energy storage beyond our state.

In Southern Arizona, Utah-based American Battery Factory is building a 2-million-squarefoot lithium-ion phosphate gigafactory — the nation’s largest. The signi cance of this type of battery is it can store energy from sources such as solar and wind while reducing strain on existing power grids.

Tucson-based Sundial Energy is a solar development company focused on resiliency of critical network infrastructure support. Also headquartered in Tucson, Carbon Utility is partnering with commercial customers to lower their carbon footprint while meeting carbon reduction goals by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to create lowcarbon consumer products.

Also showing interest in Arizona with its membership is XNRGY Climate Systems US of Washington, D.C., which creates sustainable innovative solutions to reduce carbon footprint and energy consumption. And our state is a destination for Californiabased Avantus, a developer and operator of the nation’s largest solar power plants and storage facilities.

These members and others were the impetus behind the Council adding to its roster of events the annual E-mobility and Clean Energy Summit. The inaugural version in 2023 was a sell-out and was followed recently by the second Summit, with both organized by the Council’s Arizona E-Mobility & Energy Ecosystem Committee.

Collectively, the efforts so far are making a clean sweep of new innovations in Arizona.

Nikola’s Tre BEV

Lucid Air

Study Reveals Arizona Still on Top in Tech Job Growth

Arizona still leads the Southwest states in technology job growth, according to the Arizona Technology Council’s Q4 2023 Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report. In addition, tech industry earnings across Arizona reached $30.65 billion, a 12-month earnings increase of 9.8%.

In addition to Arizona having the top job increase in the Southwest — including Nevada, Utah, Texas and California — and the continued rise in tech earnings, other noteworthy data points included:

• Jobs in Arizona’s tech sectors reached 234,000, a 5.57% one-year gain.

• Software developers led the way in total jobs in 2023, with 42,951. The next closest roles included computer user support specialists (24,699) and computer systems analysts (15,808).

• More than 80% of tech job postings in the state required one to two or three to ve years of experience, positioning Arizona as a great place for young technology professionals.

• Gender diversity in tech remains a challenge. In 2023, 69.8% of the workforce was male vs. 30.2% being female. The percentage for females was 0.4% higher in 2022.

On the Council’s behalf, the quarterly report is compiled by Lightcast (formerly eImpact), an organization that creates webbased data-reporting solutions designed to help cities, industries and planners drive

effective policy, create new growth and engage stakeholders. The report is based on Lightcast’s analysis of data from Emsi, Brookings Institution, CompTIA, AngelList, National Science Board and others.

Members Up Benefit Packages with 401(k) Multiple Employer Plan

At a time when only the best talent will do when hiring staff to take a business to the next level, salary alone often isn’t enough. The bene ts package also needs to reach a higher level to beat the competition.

That’s where the Arizona Technology Council’s partnership with Empower and Legacy Wealth Management comes in by providing a robust 401(k) Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) to Council members. The MEP is designed to offer member companies the bene ts and exibility of a standalone 401(k) plan without the usual expenses, duciary liabilities and administrative burdens.

From a government reporting standpoint, the MEP is treated like one large plan. The end result for members is a retirement plan with competitive investments and outstanding service while someone else does the legwork, allowing business leaders to focus more on running their businesses effectively.

Organizations in the MEP can take advantage of many key bene ts:

• No annual audit – Members are exempt from the yearly audit requirement.

• Cost savings on investments – The plan features institutional lowcost investments.

• No individual Form 5500 reporting

• Minimal plan maintenance – The plan simpli es maintenance to save time and resources.

• Flexible plan features – They include safe harbor, Roth and pro tsharing options.

• Customizable plan design – Options include eligibility, matches and vesting schedules.

• Reduced duciary responsibilities – Related to that are minimized liabilities.

For more information on the Council’s 401(k) MEP, visit www.aztechcouncil.org/401k-multiple-employer-plan/

Experts & Expertise in Our Home Market

Positive Signs Showing in Residential Real Estate’s Challenging Market

New listings climbed 15.8% for the rst half of 2024 compared to last year, based on the latest data from Phoenix REALTORS®. The month-over-month median sales price was up just 1.5%. Days on the Greater Phoenix market dropped more than 11% for the year’s rst half.

“It’s still a challenging marketplace, and the number of homes on the market is growing,” says Sheryl Bowden, board president of Phoenix REALTORS. “With interest rates down nearly a point from last winter, houses are selling faster.”

For the rst half of 2024, the days on the market dropped from 72 last year to 64 this year, down signi cantly from the same period in 2023. Even with more homes on the market, homes are moving more quickly than a year ago.

The median sales price climbed just 5.7% compared to the rst six months of 2023, now at $479,900 compared to $454,000 a year ago. The percentage of asking price buyers receive remains steady at more than 98%, a level that has been constant for more than a year.

“It’s encouraging to see more people putting homes on the market,” Bowden says. “With the over 6,100 new listings in June,

About This Section

we have a strong 3.6-month inventory of more than 16,400 homes right now.”

Sales activity for the year’s rst half was down compared to 2023. Pending sales dropped 9.9%, and closed deals fell 4.8% across the metropolitan area.

Four North Valley cities are starting to see real estate changes due to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company fabrication facility ramping up hiring in Deer Valley. The large employers opening in the Valley to support the giant semiconductor fabrication plant are adding more employees, which is a positive sign for the real estate market. The companies have started their rst rounds of hiring, paving the way for a promising future.

“Many new employees are coming from outside Greater Phoenix,” says Bowden. “Housing demand will increase with their arrivals. Phoenix, Scottsdale, Peoria and Surprise will be most impacted, as the data shows that the market is changing in those areas.” —Mike Hunter

Phoenix REALTORS phoenixrealtors.com

Top Residential Real Estate Leaders and Companies

As a part of our issue on housing, we have profiled the Top Residential Real Estate Leaders and Companies in the Valley. These leaders are among the most experienced and successful real estate brokerage firms and agents in all parts of the Valley. Each has been asked to provide information on their organizations and expertise. In Business Magazine officially recommends these residential real estate companies, individual leaders and their agents to our readership. We hope our readers will see the benefit of this information as they or their friends and colleagues are looking for residential real estate services in Greater Phoenix.

At-a-Glance

COMPANY NAME: America One Luxury Real Estate

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE:

6900 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 860

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

PHONE: (480) 390-6050

WEBSITE: sandrawilken.com

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• Luxury Sales and Development

• Paradise Valley

• Gainey Ranch

• Scottsdale

• Concierge Services

At the top

Steven H. Nielsen, Broker

Sandra WilkenAmerica One Luxury Real Estate

Maximilian de Melo & Patrick Niederdrenk, Owners & Managing Partners

Allison Ikeler, Realtor, Transaction Manager PRINCIPAL AGENTS/ EXECUTIVES

Wilken

Sandra Wilken has earned a long-standing reputation for providing her clients with highquality professional services — all with a personal touch. Drawing on Wilken’s unique background in architecture, design, marketing and sales, she worked with developers to complete several world-class developments, the latest being Gainey Ranch from 1985 to 1995. Through her extensive network of clients, she is the go-to associate broker and real estate advisor for anyone looking to buy or sell in Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Wilken’s goal is to truly offer rstclass service for any and all needs of the seller or buyer — essentially offering a ONE-STOP-SHOP for all real estate needs

She was approached by a company that she held high regard for: America One Luxury Real Estate. Over the years, they have taken real

estate, construction, and concierge to a new level. She decided to join America One Luxury Real Estate, a boutique one-stop-shop trusted and established in the Valley since 1988. Wilken is proud to extend the service offerings, including concierge services, to her clients and partners. She prides herself in being aligned with the best in the business and continuously services prestigious clientele in Arizona and the remainder of the U.S. with America One’s exclusive partnership with Douglas Elliman / Eklund Gomes Team, the most successful luxury team in the country.

“Since joining the rm, Sandra and Allison have been top producers! We are honored to have them as part of our great team,” say Maximilian de Melo and Patrick Niederdrenk, owners & managing partners.

Sandra

Bridge Real Estate & Relocation Concierge

Bridge Real Estate & Relocation Concierge is a long-standing Phoenix-based real estate company with residential sales and corporate relocation expertise. All Bridge clients receive the support of their personal Bridge Concierge Team, so they need to focus on decision making only, not the myriad of details associated with real estate transactions.

For executives considering selling homes or investment properties, their Bridge Concierge team manages all aspects of the project: from vendor management during property preparation to professional staging, culminating with widespread international marketing exposure. Since rst impressions are paramount and buyer decisions can occur in split seconds, Bridge offers clients the service and expertise to maximize their investment and sell within desired timelines.

For all buyers, including those relocating from other parts of the world, Bridge Real Estate Concierge has a Relocation Division specializing in helping ensure smooth housing transitions. Unlike most relocation companies, Bridge helps with all types of housing: renting or purchasing homes, luxury properties or investment properties.

With Metro Phoenix being so vast and diverse, Bridge Relocation Division helps clients focus rst on the community. This is different from other real estate rms. We rst look at what ts with lifestyle and hobbies, then schools, and only then …

housing. Using this approach, Bridge helps people avoid making costly mistakes.

In our 20+ years in Greater Phoenix, we’ve served more than 1,000 clients, from local Phoenicians to professionals from 26 different countries To help smooth the move, our domestic and international concierges answer people’s transition questions before they arrive and long after they move here. Whether it be the right tennis club, dance studio or dentist, the Bridge domestic and international concierge helps create a smooth transition.

All Bridge Realtors come from corporate backgrounds and must earn their certi cation as a Bridge Local Area Housing Expert. This certi cation builds deep negotiation skills, local market knowledge of unique community amenities available today and what’s coming soon. Fluent in six different languages, Bridge also has bilingual real estate professionals on staff who have strong cultural understanding of people from different parts of the world.

All Bridge clients experience white-glove treatment, including enjoying their favorite drinks and snacks while doing community tours and house hunting.

Attesting to its value delivered, Bridge enjoys long-term client relationships and double-digit revenue growth. Executives and Arizonans call on Bridge Real Estate Concierge whenever residential housing or relocation comes to mind.

COMPANY NAME: Bridge Real Estate & Relocation Concierge

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE: 2801 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85015

PHONE: (602) 770-3311

WEBSITE: BridgeRelocation.com, BridgeREConcierge.com

NATIONALLY HEADQUARTERED: Phoenix

MANAGING PARTNER: Paige Heavey

NO. OF YEARS WITH FIRM: 19

YEAR ESTABLISHED LOCALLY:

Paige Heavey Fine Properties Group established 2005; Re-named Bridge Relocation Concierge, LLC in 2018

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• Concierge service o erings taking the workload o busy people so they only need to focus on decision making.

• All licensed realtors are Bridge certified, including negotiation and local market expertise.

• Domestic and international relocation concierges.

• Business owners, executives and physicians.

• Professionally certified in home staging.

At the top

PRINCIPAL AGENTS/ EXECUTIVES

Paige Heavey, Founder and President

Certified Bridge Housing Specialists:

Wendy Chovnick

Alli Dubberly

Rebecca Chen

Martin Lopez

Jim Casartelli

Christine Cothrun

Kristy Morgan

Lynne Edson

Susan Evans

Concierges: Marsha Kennedy

At-a-Glance

COMPANY NAME: Cambridge Properties

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE: 14602 N. Tatum Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85032

PHONE: (602) 493-5100

WEBSITE: cambridgeproperties.com

NATIONALLY HEADQUARTERED: Phoenix

MANAGING PARTNER: Keith Mishkin

CEO & President, Designated Broker

NO. OF YEARS WITH FIRM: 30

YEAR ESTABLISHED LOCALLY: 1994

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• New Homes

• Urban Living

• Builder Services

• Commercial

Cambridge Properties

Cambridge Properties has felt the growing pulse of luxury + urban living in the Metro Phoenix area for more than 20 years, and is recognized as one of the Valley’s premier residential brokers. With more than $2 billion in sales and more than 10,000 new-build and single-family homes sold at all price points, Cambridge Properties is at the forefront of this exceptional market for smart, vibrant, urban dwellers.

In addition to nding and selling our clients’ dream homes, Cambridge Properties has worked with developers across the Valley, providing them the edge needed to exceed their sales goals.

Founded in 1994, Cambridge Properties is recognized as one of the Valley’s premier brokers for luxury residential living. Most notably, since 2003 Cambridge Properties has closed more than $2 billion in new home sales of urban-lifestyle developments as well as single-family homes in Metro Phoenix. CEO Keith Mishkin directly oversees a highly experienced team of seasoned industry professionals and all aspects of the sales and marketing of a community from inception through completion.

With more than 10,000 homes sold in all price points, notable experience includes The Residences at 2211 Camelback, Esplanade

Place across from Biltmore Fashion Park, and Montelucia in Paradise Valley. In addition to the award-winning New Home Sales division, Cambridge Properties has a boutique resale and investment division with several of the top sales professionals in the market today.

By combining experience, knowledge and a true passion for the industry, our team of professionals has an unwavering commitment to exceeding expectations. Since 1994, our goal is to create lifetime relationships by helping clients de ne and achieve their own real estate objectives. Each relationship begins by listening with genuine care and understanding, then making suggestions and developing strategies based upon years of experience and a keen awareness of the current real estate market. We negotiate on our clients’ behalf with the highest level of professionalism, ability and con dence.

Everyone on the Cambridge Properties Team understands the only way to achieve our professional success is to help our clients realize theirs. We honor that level of trust by treating each client and their transaction the same as we would a valued family member. We look forward to working together.

Portico by Belgravia Group; an incredible luxury 112 condominium community coming soon

Keith and Cory Mishkin

Joan Levinson Realty ONE Group

Consistently one of the Top 50 agents in the nation, Joan Levinson won awards as the Number 1 Real Estate Agent in Arizona in various media outlets in each year from 2017 to 2022. This includes ranking as #1 in 2022 in “The Thousand, as advertised in The Wall Street Journal”, #1 in the Phoenix Business Journal in each of 2020,2021 and 2022, and being named by Newsweek as one of “America’s Best Realtors, 2020”. She has ranked among the Top 250 Realtors in the Nation in each year since 2017, including ranking #40 in 2022. She is Arizona’s Premier Luxury Real Estate Expert.

For over 35 years, Joan has specialized in the nest estates in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Arcadia. Joan and her properties have appeared throughout TV and multiple major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Newsweek, Fox, ABC, NBC, Architectural Digest and more.

A record-breaking Realtor with a median sale price around $7 Million and over $2 billion in career sales, Joan is laser focused on the highest end of the luxury market and the most prestigious properties. According to all-time Arizona MLS records as of May 2023, she has represented twice as many clients in residential purchases

and sales over $12 million than any other agent in state history. This includes multiple sales featured in The Wall Street Journal, the most expensive home sold in Paradise Valley history, and the then most expensive home sale in Arizona history.

Her real estate work is focused on discretion and white-glove concierge service. Many of her properties are sold off-market in private “pocket” listings. Her discerning clientele including multiple owners of professional sports teams, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, and celebrities, who have come to rely on her honesty, creativity, enthusiasm, negotiating skills, and comprehensive knowledge of the luxury real estate market.

Over 80% of Joan’s business is from referrals of past clients.

Early in her career, Joan was named to the “International Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs” and also specialized in Commercial Real Estate, where she was multiply recognized as a “Top 5 Commercial Realtor in Scottsdale”.

Joan has lived in Paradise Valley for over 35 years and has acted as an advisor to the Town. She is currently serving a fourth term on the Board of Trustees of the Paradise Valley Mountain Preserve Trust.

COMPANY NAME: Joan Levinson Luxury Agent / Realty ONE Group

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE: 11211 N. Tatum Blvd.

Paradise Valley AZ 85028

PHONE: (480) 998-5673

WEBSITE: www.joanlevinson.com

MANAGING PARTNER: Joan Levinson

NO. OF YEARS WITH FIRM: 36

YEAR ESTABLISHED LOCALLY: 1988

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• Luxury

• O -market Private Listings

• Concierge Service

Joan Levinson

COMPANY NAME: Silverleaf Realty

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE:

18801 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy., Suite 100 Scottsdale, AZ 85255

PHONE: (480) 502-6902

WEBSITE: silverleafrealty.com

HEADQUARTERED: Scottsdale, AZ

MANAGING PARTNER: Mike Sweeney, Designated Broker/Sales Associate

NO. OF YEARS WITH FIRM: 24

YEAR ESTABLISHED LOCALLY: 2000

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• Luxury Real Estate

• Relocation Services

• International Buyers

• Concierge Services

• Athlete Representation

Silverleaf Realty

Silverleaf Realty’s exceptional expertise and focus on luxury properties is incomparable — no one understands the community, the lifestyle or the allure like we do. In addition to continually attracting new quali ed buyers, we have represented repeat buyers and sellers in multiple transactions. We understand our audience; we know what they want, where to nd them, and the best channels to reach them. Clients may work with one of our associates exclusively, but our entire team stands behind each individual. We devote 100% of our time providing the highest level of service to our clients. Since 2002, our exceptional expertise and depth of experience speaks for itself.

The Silverleaf Realty team is comprised of experienced, results‐driven individuals who are passionate about real estate. We know the luxury home market and understand the af uent community. Carefully selected, we bring passion, expertise and enthusiasm — all invaluable when delivering the outstanding performance that our clients deserve.

Silverleaf Realty has been an integral part of the Silverleaf community before the rst roads were even paved. The Silverleaf Realty team has

the most expertise on the past, present and future of this remarkable community.

Silverleaf Realty is a locally owned and operated real estate company dedicated to providing a luxury buying and selling experience throughout Arizona. A team of highly regarded Arizona-based agents assists customers with real-time knowledge and expertise from three locations: North Scottsdale, Old Town Scottsdale and Northern Arizona.

Silverleaf Realty specializes in real estate services throughout the Valley. Because of our team’s long-term involvement with homes and land for sale in these cities and communities, we are able to offer our clients – buyers, sellers and builders alike – a matchless level of knowledge, experience and expertise when it comes to the real estate services they need in Arizona’s marketplace.

Experts in luxury real estate, Silverleaf Realty agents specialize in providing guidance to buyers and sellers in the Valley’s most prestigious addresses. Located in the Silverleaf Sales and Information Center in Canyon Village in DC Ranch, our team offers in-depth knowledge about the many real estate opportunities and rich lifestyle available in the area.

Steele & Davis Private Client Group

In the thriving landscape of Phoenix’s West Valley, the Steele & Davis Team of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty stands out as a beacon of expertise and dedication. Comprised of Camden and Britany Steele, along with Patricia Davis, this dynamic trio brings an unparalleled blend of strategic insight, creative vision, and meticulous attention to detail to every real estate transaction.

Camden’s strategic mind, Patricia’s creative air, and Britany’s precision ensure a seamless and rewarding experience for their clients. This family team is part of the exceptional Private Client Group, committed to serving the growing community of Verrado and beyond. For the Steele & Davis Team, real estate is not just a business; it’s about building stronger communities and helping individuals achieve their dreams.

Their commitment to philanthropy and service is at the heart of everything they do, making a positive impact on the lives of those they work with. The team’s association with the Private Client Group at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, further elevates their capabilities. The Private Client Group’s mastery in marketing, real estate, and business development provides the

Steele & Davis Team with resources and exposure that ensure client transactions are handled with thoughtful and artful precision.

The Steele & Davis Team leverages the heritage and integrity of the Russ Lyon brand, a name synonymous with luxury and superior market expertise for over 70 years, combined with the 270-year legacy of Sotheby’s. This collaboration brings a tradition of character, equity, and exceptional service, bene ting sellers locally and globally.

As part of the chairman’s board of the Private Client Group, Steele & Davis and their fellow PCG team members sold over $300 million in 2023, ranking #1 in Arizona for large teams by volume and #30 nationally. They are among the top 0.0165% of agents nationwide, a testament to their formidable presence in the industry. This powerhouse team is proud to offer high-quality service to all in the West Valley, generating exceptional business with intentional care.

For those seeking unparalleled real estate expertise backed by a legacy of excellence, the Steele & Davis Team is ready to serve with dedication and distinction.

COMPANY NAME: Steele & Davis Private Client Group

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE: 6900 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 110

Scottsdale, AZ

PHONE: (602) 573-2288

WEBSITE: steeleanddavisrealtors.com

PRINCIPAL AGENTS/EXECUTIVES:

Patricia Davis, Market Expert

Camden Steele, Market Expert

Britany Steele, Marketing Director

NO. OF YEARS WITH FIRM: 30

YEAR ESTABLISHED LOCALLY: 1994

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• New Homes

• Urban Living

• Builder Services

• Commercial

Camden Steele, Britany Steele and Patricia Davis (l to r)

At-a-Glance

COMPANY NAME: Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE:

6900 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 110 Scottsdale, AZ 85251

PHONE: (480) 287-5200

WEBSITE: russlyon.com

OFFICES IN METRO PHOENIX: 13

NATIONALLY HEADQUARTERED: Scottsdalre, AZ

MANAGING PARTNER: Jim Lyon, Chairman; Todd Gillenwater, CEO

NO. OF YEARS WITH FIRM: 20

YEAR ESTABLISHED LOCALLY: 1952

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• Luxury Real Estate

• Relocation Services

• International Buyers

• Concierge Services

• Rental Properties

• Property Management

At the top

PRINCIPAL AGENTS/ EXECUTIVES

Kevin Gonzales, Branch Manager, Pinnacle Peak

David Friedman, Branch Manager, Carefee & Desert Mountain

Cathy Green, Branch Manager, Southeast Valley

Sherri Monteith, Managing Broker, Camelback Tower

Will Rose, Branch Manager, Tucson

Tod Christensen, Branch Manager, Sedona

Gary Brasher, Branch Manager, Tubac

Bret Lamberson, Branch Manager, Flagsta

Cindy Smith, Branch Manager, West Valley

Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty

Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty has gathered realty craftsmen dedicated to the ideals of integrity and professionalism. From the ownership, management, agents and af liate services, every person involved in the company utilizes innovative skills, programs and technologies to create the nest real estate services company to be found.

The mission of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty is to provide its clients with the most responsive personalized service attainable — nothing less will do. The environment within Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty is unique in the industry. Seasoned management innovatively supports the efforts of the company’s members to create a dynamic and inspiring

atmosphere that invigorates and hones the skills of everyone involved.

Collaboration and networking are fostered to create a synergy that puts the whole company to work for every client. The artistic blending of proven traditions and state-of-the-art innovation is unsurpassed. These assets are positioned on a base of nancial stability and corporate staying power.

Our agents bring the highest level of service and technology to today’s homebuyers and sellers, expanding our reputation as the most respected name in real estate. Our agents strive to deliver real estate experiences beyond expectations to enhance the lifestyles of our clients.

Walt Danley Christie’s International Real Estate

Walt Danley Christie’s International Real Estate is one of the nation’s most prestigious and successful luxury real estate rms, specializing in Arizona’s most af uent neighborhoods. Named one of the “35 Most In uential People in Luxury Real Estate,” founder and president Walt Danley started his real estate career in Paradise Valley more than 40 years ago and has consistently placed among the top 1% of real estate agents in the United States. He has assembled a growing team of top luxury real estate specialists and opened his namesake brokerage in 2011.

Our rm consistently lands a place on REAL Trend’s The Thousand list in the categories of top-producing agent and teams, including the No. 1 ranking in Arizona. We have earned a reputation as the premier luxury residential real estate brokerage in Arizona by combining profound market knowledge, expertise and the largest inventory of million-dollar estates within Arizona.

In collaboration with our partners at Christie’s Luxury De ned, we present international homes with special spaces to survey the stars. From a Gothic Irish castle with its own glassed-in viewing area to a Caribbean waterfront retreat with a private observatory, these spectacular residences are ideal vantages for gazing at the stars and observing celestial events.

Our team knows this market and we know the luxury brand. Arizona luxury homes are always in high demand, and those that offer spacious home of ces or libraries with impeccably designed wood elements tend to attract the most exclusive homebuyer. From wood-coffered ceilings to towering bookcases made of mahoganies and oaks, interior spaces featuring a high attention on wood often invoke a more relaxing and cozy atmosphere. These decorative features also blend perfectly with the surrounding Arizona landscape, where nature’s beauty is often easily viewable from the windows of the library or home of ce itself.

Nothing about selling one’s home is easy. The process proves nancially and emotionally complex for even the most seasoned seller. For a smooth transaction and stress-free transition, a seller must put the same thought and care in deciding with whom to list as they would a nancial advisor, attorney or CPA.

With an unparalleled track record of successfully delivering results to our clients, our agency’s comprehensive marketing methodology is customized for each property, ensuring that each home is put in front of the largest pool of quali ed buyers. We refer to this systematic approach to marketing as The Danley Method.

COMPANY NAME: Walt Danley Christie’s International Real Estate

MAIN LOCAL OFFICE: 3545 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018

PHONE: (480) 450-1518

WEBSITE: waltdanley.com

HEADQUARTERED: 1

MANAGING PARTNER: Walt Danley

NO. OF YEARS WITH FIRM: 13

YEAR ESTABLISHED LOCALLY: 2011

TOP SPECIALIZED AREAS:

• Luxury Real Estate

• Relocation Services

• International Buyers

• Concierge Services

Adkins, James, 24

Archer, Mike, 10

Blackstock, Kaley, 43

Bowden, Sheryl, 55

Bradstock, Phil, 28

Buinovskis, Andrius, 26

Callister, Matthew, 24

Carney, Jason, 28

Catalanotte, Peter, 28

Chucri, Steve, 10

Danley, Walt, 63

Davis, Patricia, 61

10 to 1 Public Relations, 14

Alliance Bank of Arizona, 7

Arizona Commerce Authority, 21, 28

Arizona Community Foundation, 41

Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 21

Arizona Office of Tourism, 54

Arizona Pain Treatment Centers, 24

Arizona Restaurant Association, 10

Arizona State Film Office, 9

Arizona Technology Council, 47

Armstrong Properties, 56 Asteri, 66

AV Concepts, 67

Banner Health Foundation, 24

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, 3

Bridge Real Estate & Relocation Concierge, 57

CALA Scottsdale, 10

Cambridge Properties, 58

CapRock Partners, 17

COURSE, 14

CoworkingCafe, 14

Crystal Sonic, 20

Desert Financial Credit Union, 40

ECM Technologies, 14

Enterprise Bank & Trust, 36

Duckler, Mitch, 34

Gialleli, Christina, 15

Gillenwater, Todd, 62

Goodman, Adam, 16

Gowan, David, 28

Haldeman, Lucas, 26

Harrigan, Haley, 38

Heavey, Paige, 57

Jones, Matthew Earl, 9

Levinson, Joan, 59

Lonsdale, Craig, 18

Lyon, Jim, 62

Epignosis, 15

Film Tucson, 28

FullSurge, 34

Gallagher & Kennedy, 38 Gensler, 37, 43

Genuine Concepts, 10

Goodmans, 16, 64

Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, 2, Goodyear, City of, 13

HonorHealth, 25 Intel, 14 Intelligent, 12 Jive, 8

Joan Levinson Realty ONE Group, 59 Kiterocket, 23

Kona Grill, 46

Lou Malnoti’s Pizzeria, 10

Mr. Pickle’s, 14 NordLayer, 26

PADT, 27

Phoenix Film Festival, 28

Phoenix Philanthropy Group, The, 44

Phoenix REALTORS, 55

Phoenix Symphony, The, 11

Phoenix, City of, Community & Economic Development, 28

Marks, John, 35

McQuaid, Peter, 10

Merkle, Arno, 20

Meshey, Jeff, 40

Mishkin, Keith, 58

Murray, Randy, 28

Nguyen, Huy, 12

O’Neill, Bob, 17

Oppold, Cory, 14

Pacheco, Jeremy, 10

Palmer, Sheryl, 24

Royer, Jason, 36

Samoylenko, Julia Grace, 66

Schwartz, Joshua, 45

Silver, Jason, 35

Steele, Camden, 61

Sweeney, Mike, 60

Tollefson, Richard, 44

Vitulli, Clark, 35

Weber, Bruce, 42

White, Diana, 49

Wilken, Sandra, 56

Zylstra, Steven, 47

Polestar, 45, 68

ProTech Detailing, 19

Randy Murray Productions, 28

Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, 14, 62

SEMICON West, 22

Silverleaf Realty, 60

SmartRent, 26

Southwest Gas, 14

Stearns Bank, 8

Steele & Davis

Private Client Group, 61 Sunbelt Holdings, 27

Taylor Morrison, 24

Tiffany & Bosco, P.A., 39

Tolin Mechanical, 14 TRICOR, 18

TruWest Credit Union, 14

Tucson Conventions & Visitors Bureau, 28

UnitedHealthcare, 5

Viking Pure Solutions, 45

Walt Danley Christie’s International Real Estate, 63

Weber Group, 42 Workable, 15

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

Founder and CEO, Julia Grace Samoylenko launched Asteri from Palo Alto to tackle corporate challenges like inefficient talent use and high turnover. With more than a decade of Fortune 500 experience, Samoylenko leads Asteri in using AI to turn chaotic employee work data into strategic skill insights. This innovation helps organizations adapt, innovate and thrive, driving global economic growth. asteri.ai

The Future Workforce: Revolutionizing Skill Development with AI

Forecasting needs and potential skill gaps

by Julia Grace Samoylenko

The fast pace of AI/ML evolution and other domains has created a new revolution across industries, which has never been seen before. The shift is not only showing up in how we work, but it is also forcing employees and companies to ask deep, profound questions. As the future of work becomes increasingly uncertain, individuals are confronted with a pivotal quandary: “Will the relevance of my job be compromised by automation? What steps can I take to be ready for the challenges that will be posed in the future?”

SKILL ASSESSMENT: MOVING BEYOND TRADITIONAL METHODS

We need to rethink how we assess skills in the workforce. The conventional approach is limited since it depicts the skills required for tomorrow in the competencies of today. AI has an enormous potential to create skill baselines, identify gaps and determine meaningful results, but the challenge lies in appropriately interpreting that data. In the context of today’s workforce transformation, traditional methods of evaluating employee skills will struggle to keep pace with the pace of technology and the need to reskill. Traditional assessment and performance evaluation are based on the existing abilities of an employee and will not forecast future needs or reveal potential skill gaps. This is where the chance for AI-driven solutions to add significant value comes forth.

IDENTIFYING EMERGING TRENDS

AI can use data analysis available from industry trends, job market data and new technologies to predict future skills that will be in demand.

For example, if AI identifies that a sector needs a particular programming language or data analysis skills to grow, it can alert organizations to make training in those areas their priority to stay in the lead.

REDEFINING SKILL DEVELOPMENT: A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE

Normally, organizations have tended to pay little attention to the issue of developing the necessary skills, considering it as an issue secondary to solving immediate problems. Conversely, the growing automation of tasks is a matter of the moment and necessitates the development of workers’ skills. This transformation of the perspectives implies the reexamination of the notion of what the skills are and how they should be cultivated in the corporate environment.

Businesses that intend to be digital-first should be applying AI to do a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and, in addition, find areas that can be improved on. The evaluation of large databases that contain information about previous successes, new industry tendencies and individual learning styles allows these projects to offer inspiring perspectives of

the evolving talent space. As an example, data science may highlight the demand for upskilling in subjects such as data analysis or programming languages so that workers can keep up with the data-driven economy. Similarly, it can provide ways to learn new skills in growing fields like cybersecurity to change careers when industries need different types of jobs.

THE COMPLEXITY OF SKILL EVALUATION: EXPLORING NEW APPROACHES

The complexity of evaluating skills is even more visible in areas like interpersonal and leadership competencies. It provokes doubts regarding the most efficient evaluation method and puts into question the traditional view of knowledge gaps. Understanding these nuances requires a blend of impartial data science and practical observation to capture the full spectrum of an individual’s capabilities:

• Data-driven ideas used in conjunction with practical observation will provide a more holistic view of how employees use their skills.

• Data science methods are good for observing patterns and trends, while practice observation provides a realworld context.

Therefore, technology can drive data-driven assessment and decision-making on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, providing the basis for formulating better talent assessment and training methods.

TOWARD A FUTURE-READY WORKFORCE

With industries undergoing continuous changes due to digital transformation, meeting the demand for a flexible and adaptable workforce — a workforce that can adjust to various changes becomes a necessity. Holistic skills development needs a broader approach that goes beyond the usual methods of evaluation.

The use of innovation and the exploration of new assessment methods will not only help companies to better prepare their employees for the challenges of tomorrow, but it will also help to maintain a competitive edge in a rapidly changing world.

To be successful in the growingly sophisticated and everchanging workforce, it is imperative to learn how to recognize and develop the required skills quickly and efficiently. Through creating a culture of continuous learning and readiness to adapt, organizations can take the lead in the process of industry transformation, therefore putting workers in the limelight of the changing world.

Despite 57% of C-suite executives wanting their companies to provide necessary AI training, only 6% of companies have trained more than a quarter of their employees on AI tools, leaving 48% of U.S. professionals fearing being left behind in their careers due to inadequate AI training opportunities.

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