October 2020 issue of In Business Magazine

OCT. 2020

Roundtable: Develop Intuition as a ‘Superpower’ in Business

Commitment to

HONORING OUR

Culture Aids Recovery

WOMEN LEADERS

Compensation Negotiations

NEEDED MOST

Psychedelics:

AT A TIME WHEN LEADERSHIP IS

Executives: Maximize Value in

Past, Present and Future

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THIS ISSUE Arizona Technology Council

Stay Healthy.

Return Smarter.

Return Stronger.

With public health top of mind, Arizona is moving forward safely and responsibly together.

Since the start, the state of Arizona has worked hard to keep Arizonans safe and healthy while slowing the spread of COVID-19. By continuing to follow the data and recommendations of public health officials, we can safely move forward with the next steps of Arizona’s economic recovery. And as our state’s businesses gradually reopen their operations, the Arizona Commerce Authority is here to continue offering tools and resources for families, workers and businesses to return stronger.

azcommerce.com

We’re Making Our Mark on Medicine OptumCare® believes that great health begins by providing forwardthinking leadership in the discipline of medicine. So we proudly serve Phoenix with advanced health care at 16 clinics with over 40 providers, all dedicated to putting the patient first. We’re here to stay—and to move care in our community in bold new directions.

Find out more at professionals.optumcare.com.

©2020 Optum, Inc. All rights reserved.

OCTOBER 2020 COVER STORY

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Leadership & Achievement: Honoring Our 2020 Women of Achievement

In Business Magazine honors the talents of women business owners, managers and leaders who have achieved great success in and for our Greater Phoenix business community.

FEATURES

42

Commitment to Culture Accelerates Company Recovery

TireHub CEO Peter Gibbons discusses the broad benefits to a company when its employees feel valued.

49

To Thrive, You Must Dare to Risk

Eileen Rogers’ series explores the strength of risk in leaders’ calculations of risk and return in business.

50

Maximizing Value: How to Negotiate Executive Compensation in Turbulent Times

Kris Yamano discusses compensation packages that eschew the “cash is king” approach for one that may be more appropriate in an uncertain business climate.

DEPARTMENTS

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Guest Editor

Sharon Harper, president and CEO of Plaza Companies, introduces the “Women of Achievement” issue.

10

Feedback

Lauren Bailey, Katherine Kemmeries Cecala and Dr. JP Martin respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month.

PARTNER SECTION Fall 2O20 • aztechcouncil.org

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Staying Connected

Arizona Technology Report

Arizona Technology Council: The Voice of the Technology Industry

President’s Message

Pandemic or no, we have all learned that we still need to stay the course 3 2020 Vote TechSmart Guide no matter how choppy the waters may Technology Industry become. For the Arizona Technology Impact Report Council, that meant pursuing a public policy agenda in a legislative session 4 STEM Resource Directory where lawmakers understandably had a lot of pressing matters to consider.

5 Modernizing Energy Rules A key reason we continued to make Time to Enroll in Health Plan our presence known at the Legislature Newest Board Member instead of taking a break for COVID-19 Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO was our representing a membership Arizona Technology Council responsible for being a critical driver of Arizona’s economy. And while a number of our priorities didn’t get the final vote as we had hoped, we saw enough movement to The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for remain positive when lawmakers return. science and technology companies.

One of our priorities for the 2020 legislative session was to ensure proven economic development programs such as the Angel Investment Tax Credit and current levels of Phoenix Office the Research and Development Tax Credit are reauthorized past their sunset dates of 2800 N. Central Ave., Suite 1530 June 30, 2021. I’m happy to report that the Legislature granted an additional 10 years Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: 602-343-8324 • Fax: 602-343-8330 for the R&D tax credit, which places a value of 24% for the first $2.5 million in qualifying info@aztechcouncil.org expenses and 15% for expenses in excess of that amount.

As for “mirror bills” in both the House and Senate to extend until 2031 the Angel Tucson Office Investment Tax Credit — formally known as the Small Business Investment Credit — 1215 E. Pennsylvania St. these measures did not receive their final votes due to the session ending prematurely.

Tucson, AZ 85714 Phone: 520-388-5760 But we haven’t given up. We are working to get the legislation passed in a special session tucson@aztechcouncil.org dealing with economic recovery if one is called or reintroducing them in the next session.

Another House bill sought to obtain $3 million annually in state support for five years to cultivate a statewide Arizona STEM ecosystem by strengthening MANAGEMENT AND STAFF the learning opportunities offered by organizations across sectors, and fueling a Steven G. Zylstra President + CEO strong, diverse talent pipeline by expanding business and education opportunities Leigh Goldstein COO + Vice President, Programs + Events Jill Brownley Director, Marketing + Communications throughout the state’s rural and urban communities. The measure was scheduled Deborah Zack Senior Director, Membership Services Laura DeGeorge Executive Assistant to President + CEO to be heard in the Senate Appropriations committee but that hearing was canceled Jeff Sales Executive Director, due to the Legislature halting normal business.

Southern Arizona Regional Office Jamie Neilson Director, Operations, Another priority was to consistently and sustainably fund the state’s education Southern Arizona Regional Office system, including career and technical education district (CTED) programs. During Laura Anne Di Meo Accounting Manager Angelica Espinoza Bookkeeper the Great Recession, the Legislature cut fourth-year funding for CTED despite Don Rodriguez Editor many school districts needing the money to support students pursuing industry Ron Schott Executive Emeritus, Phoenix certifications throughout their entire time in high school while balancing all of their SCITECH INSTITUTE academic requirements. While mirror bills made their way through the House and Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO Jeremy Babendure, Ph.D., Executive Director Senate, they did not get hearings in committees of the respective chambers.

Kelly Greene, Chief Operations Officer As you can see, we came so close to getting support for the priorities we Kaci Fankhauser, STEM Ecosystem Coordinator Jake Lounsbury, Director of Global Partnerships believe that under different circumstances would ultimately have made it through Hope Parker, Curriculum & Training Specialist the Legislature. Good things come to those who wait. We can wait.

Michele Roy, Grants Manager

WHO WE ARE

Katy Reno, Community Outreach Coordinator Dee Quintero, Business & Office Manager Tammy Doerksen, CSO Advisor Training Destiny Madaje, Resource & Event Manager Fritz Smith, Arizona CSO - Rural Support Caillou Pena, Government Relations Specialist Lisa Ristuccia, Festival Team Member Denise Hicks, Festival STREET Team Lead

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

aztechcouncil.org

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57 Arizona Technology Council

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Briefs

“Tortilla Flat: Local History, Local Vendors,” “Beekeeper Streamlines Frontline Communications,” “Improving Recruitment for Employers and Employees,” “Solutions Help HR Create Caring Culture,” “Walmart Hosts Virtual Open Call for U.S.-Manufactured Products,” “Gainey Business Bank to Open with Strong Local Market Experience,” “New Program Assists Arizona’s Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers,” “Meeting the Surging Need for Professional Imagery” and “Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy”

14

By the Numbers

A national study uncovers a generational divide on leadership, trust and returning to the office.

15

CRE

“Phoenix High in Strong Data Center Market,” “Block 23 Grabs Major HQ Commitment,” “Tolleson Industrial Space Attracts Global Supplier,” “SkySong TI Project for Unique Restaurant Concept,” “Alamar to Provide Workforce, Revenue for Avondale’s Growing Economy” and “Major Project at the Confluence of Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa”

OCT. 2020

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INBUSINESSPHX.COM

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From the Top

From humble beginnings to a marketing empire, Wilbur You builds success on valuing employees.

19

Startups

“Ninja Focus Platform Aims Mindfulness Benefits to Kids” and “Online Dealty, Inc. Benefits Homebuyers, Sellers and Agents”

20

Healthcare

“RexPay Tech Solves Healthcare Headaches” and “Stop Medical Distancing: Its Cause and Effect”

22

Technology

“Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?” and “Buildings Built for Sustainability with the IoT”

43

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

44

Economy

Local tax specialist discusses the R&D tax credit, an oftenoverlooked tax credit available to businesses that engage in qualified research activities.

46

Legal

Local attorney delves into the background of psychedelics in the marketplace plus what future opportunities exist for business.

48

Social Impact

Focusing this month on the Arizona Lottery, Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways businesses give back and the positive ways their programs impact our community.

52

Nonprofit

There are new ways for nonprofit organizations to connect and deepen donor relationships in a virtual world.

54

Assets

2021 Ram 1500 TRX Plus: Check out some gifts employees would actually like to receive in the upcoming holiday season.

56

Power Lunch

Angry Crab Shack: Asian Cajun Serves Its Communities

64

Roundtable

Sue Hawkes discusses how intuition is a “superpower” that enables innovation — and how to access it.

In March, the World Economic Forum reported: “The overall number of women in top business roles is still painfully low — only 5% of CEOs of major corporations in the U.S. are women — but there are reasons for optimism. Since 2015 the number of women in senior leadership has grown, particularly in the C-suite where the representation of women has increased from 17% to 21%.” weforum.org

Celebrate Leadership at a Time When We Need it Most!

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Oct. 2020

Hi Phoenix, Let’s spend smarter.

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 Kristen Merrifield, CEO Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits (602) 279-2966 www.arizonanonprofits.org Jess Roman, Chief Executive Officer Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 www.asba.com

Learn more at getdivvy.com/phx1

Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 www.aztechcouncil.org Doug Bruhnke, Founder & President Global ChamberÂŽ (480) 595-5000 www.globalchamber.org Jean Briese, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (480) 289-5768 www.nawbophx.org Anne Gill, President & CEO Tempe Chamber of Commerce (480) 967-7891 www.tempechamber.org Our Partner Organizations are vested business organizations focused on building and improving business in the Valley or throughout Arizona. As Partners, each will receive three insert publications each year to showcase all that they are doing for business and businesspeople within our community. We encourage you to join these and other organizations to better your business opportunities.

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

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

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Oct. 2020

VOL. 11, NO. 10

Publisher Editor En Negocios Editor Graphic Design

Rick McCartney RaeAnne Marsh Edgar Olivos Benjamin Little

Contributing Writers John Bradley

Tyler Butler Peter Gibbons Cristian Grossmann Sue Hawkes Mike Hunter Carla Vargas Jasa Lindsay Jorgenson Jamie Killin Praveen Mamnani Clarke Morrison Eileen Rogers Gary Michael Smith Lauren Strait Jordan Taylor Sandra Watson Luc Wing Kris Yamano ADVERTISING

Operations Louise Ferrari

Business Development Louise Ferrari Cami Shore

Events Amy Corben 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.

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

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www.inmediacompany.com Vol. 11, No. 10 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. Š2020 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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SHARON HARPER, PLAZA COMPANIES

Leadership & Diversity

As CEO, chairman and cofounder of Plaza Companies, Sharon Harper oversees all facets of company operations, including ownership, development, leasing or management of nearly 13 million square feet of Arizona projects, medical healthcare companies, senior living communities and bioscience centers. Her forward-thinking commitment to commercial real estate has helped Plaza Companies emerge as one of the premier real estate firms in the Southwest, earning numerous awards and designations under her leadership. theplazaco.com

Leadership and diversity are in the news, but they have likely been important aspects of success in achievements of any kind — certainly in business. With this fifth annual Women of Achievement celebration, In Business Magazine is helping to shine a light on the tremendous contributions of women who exemplify leadership within our business community.

Arizona has always been a place where women have an impact on our communities, our economic development and the state’s public policy. We have been fortunate to have a large number of strong, intelligent and highly regarded women in leadership positions in the public and private sector over the course of the state’s history. Their perspective has been invaluable in ensuring that our state has grown and evolved in a way that maximizes the impact of all Arizonans and creates opportunities for people from all walks of life.

Moving forward, the women in leadership roles will have a critical role in helping our state come out of the pandemic and move toward a brighter future. It is through strong leadership, creative thinking and hard work that we will help Arizona continue to become an even better place to live, work and play.

The cover story of this October edition shares the stories of the 2020 Women of Achievement honorees — 14 accomplished women whose leadership inspires others — representing a solid cross-section of business and community organizations.

Continuing the focus on leadership, this edition’s Feedback features three of the women whose proven accomplishments earned them a place in 2019’s Women of Achievement speaking to the qualities they see as critical in today’s challenging environment.

In the feature article “Commitment to Culture Accelerates Company Recovery,” TireHub CEO Peter Gibbons uses his company as example as he discusses the broad benefits attained for a business and the individuals within it when employees feel valued.

With marijuana also a recurring hot topic, this edition presents “The State of Psychedelics Today” as the legal feature discussing some perhaps surprising history as well as business opportunities.

From articles on how executives can most advantageously negotiate compensation in turbulent times to how certain professionals whose greatest asset is intellectual property can avail themselves of R & D tax credits to the impact experienced by healthcare businesses of an unintended consequence known as medical distancing, this October edition offers In Business Magazine’s signature broad coverage of information focused on celebrating and strengthening our business community.

I am honored to be this year’s recipient of the Linda M. Herold Lifetime Achievement Award, and to help present this October edition of In Business Magazine.

Sincerely,

Sharon Harper President and CEO Plaza Companies

Story Ideas/PR: editor@ inbusinessphx.com We are so pleased to have Sharon

and community, and leadership will be the skill set we need

Harper as this issue’s Guest Editor and our

most to get back on track. From the pandemic to the economic

Lifetime Achievement Honoree. We talk

downturn, Arizona will benefit greatly from strong and

about what a great example any honoree is for the award being

meaningful leadership. In this issue of In Business Magazine,

bestowed; however, Sharon Harper walks the walk and talks the

we are fortunate to identify 15 incredible, strong leaders who

talk to a level of effectiveness and success that makes this year’s

exemplify the attributes that will get us out of this time and

Lifetime Achievement Honoree so worthy. In a time when leadership

into a prosperity that will be sustainable and beneficial for

and effort are so important, her example gives great hope for a

Greater Phoenix.

prosperous future for Arizona.

—Rick McCartney, Publisher

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Psychedelics: Present

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SPEAKING OUT

As a former Women of Achievement honoree, you’ve been recognized for outstanding leadership. What do you feel are the most important leadership qualities for the times we are in now?

LAUREN BAILEY CEO and Co-Founder Upward Projects Sector: Restaurants

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

Right now, it is more important than ever to have positivity, creativity and flexibility, but also grit. Inspiring your team with the vision of what’s on the other side has never been as critical as it is today. You need the grit to be able to endure rapidly changing tides and the creativity to come up with new solutions and ways of doing business. Lean into this new environment and focus on what you can do versus what you cannot.

For example, it takes positivity and creativity to constantly keep people coming in and create a consistently great experience. But equally important is the ability to come up with the best laid plans, then the flexibility to ditch them when the situation inevitably changes.

The best leaders demonstrate perseverance and grit when overcoming adversity. Put simply, the secret to Upward Projects’ success is encapsulated in my favorite quote: “It’s hard to beat someone who never gives up.” The restaurant industry requires discipline, never settling for substandard, tolerance for risk and waking up excited to do it again the next day to be successful.

Upward Projects upwardprojects.com

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

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Lauren Bailey is CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects. Named to the Nation’s Restaurant News “Power 50” list in 2019, Bailey focuses on strategy, conceptualization and development for 17 restaurants over five brands in three states. Upward Projects places an emphasis on preparing high-quality food and adapting and reusing historically relevant buildings that are an integral part of the neighborhoods they serve.

KATHERINE KEMMERIES CECALA President Junior Achievement of Arizona Sector: Nonprofit Leadership during these multiple crises is more important than ever.

Leaders need to help guide employees, donors and the people we serve through the uncertainty and into the new reality.

I believe that the three most important leadership qualities for these times are: Communicate with transparency.

Communicate frequently, share what you know and do not know, update constantly, be open and honest sharing the bad news as well as the good, share your thinking and ask for their ideas.

Empathize. Provide support and understanding, be sensitive to the impact on employees’ work and personal lives, promote work/life balance and flexibility, and continually demonstrate that you truly care.

Envision the future and inspire.

Provide hope, remind people why your mission is so important, communicate your long-term vision and current priorities, rally everyone to work together, help everyone see their value, acknowledge the uncertainties and empower employees to be part of the solution, encourage innovation, be flexible, make it safe to fail, and celebrate successes.

Junior Achievement of Arizona jaaz.org Katherine Kemmeries Cecala is the president of Junior Achievement of Arizona, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing young people to succeed in work and life by teaching them financial concepts and about the working world. Cecala has a background in industrial engineering, business and law. She has a passion for community service and has served on more than 40 nonprofit boards.

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

JP MARTIN, PH.D., M.A. President & Founder Positively Powerful / Triad West Inc. Sector: Business Consulting Frustration with the challenges of racism, injustice, discrimination and inequities ultimately led me to my commitment to change lives and businesses for the better through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Transformational Leadership Development. Why? Because the more diverse and inclusive leaders we have, the more problems will get solved. Leaders choose to be alive, awoke and engaged changemakers rather than numbed out and shut down.

Leaders make stronger communities and businesses happen through their actions, the examples they set, the words they use and the way they listen.

They have a magnificent capacity for treating individuals with respect and authentic connection.

They are known to be honest, kind, empathetic and caring — caring for themselves first and then for others.

They are responsible individuals who know they must stay healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in order to create solutions, contribute, build and pivot — which is vital right now. Even when exhausted, which can happen, they accept support. They are resilient and they will rise, take a stand and be someone’s sheroe or hero. And … they will vote.

Positively Powerful / Triad West Inc. positivelypowerful.com DEI and leadership consultant Dr. Joel Martin provides culture change initiatives, transformational coaching, training and development, events and presentations. She is also the founder of Positively Powerful Woman Awards and Education Summits. Dr. Martin is dedicated to changing lives and businesses for the better. Her PosPowLearnOnline programs are set to launch soon.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

BYTES

Beekeeper Streamlines Frontline Communications Beekeeper’s mobile platform is the single point of contact for your frontline workforce. With all communications and tools in one place, teams can improve business agility, productivity, and safety. Teams can resolve issues faster and manage non-routine work more efficiently, thanks to an intuitive employee experience and seamless

Photo courtesy of Tortilla Flat

Tortilla Flat: Local History, Local Vendors Tortilla Flat, a Western town approximately an hour outside of Phoenix in the Tonto National Forest, has served as a familyfriendly destination for generations, providing Arizonans a look at the state’s timeless history.

The town itself dates back more than 100 years, established as a stop along the Apache Trail and as a settlement for workers who hand-built the Roosevelt Dam. Over the years, it has withstood fires and floods, and welcomed several notable guests such as President Theodore Roosevelt, Clark Gable, John Wayne and Barbara Streisand.

Today, the town is owned by Katie Ellering and a team of partners who are dedicated to preserving the property and maintaining the town’s Old West feel for another 100 years.

The town has already enjoyed several positive changes in the year since Ellering took over as operator, including public-facing updates — such as a revamped saloon menu and fun, photoworthy design elements to make the property even more popular on social media. However, in her role as caretaker, Ellering has also made less noticeable but equally important upgrades, like installing a new walkway along the town strip and a completely renovating the kitchen.

Another critical aspect of preparing Tortilla Flat’s future is incorporating more local vendors and art into the property’s mercantile and within the buildings’ design.

As part of this process, the team has brought in Andrea King as the town’s art curator. King

integrations. —Cristian Grossmann, CEO and co-founder of Beekeeper (beekeeper.io)

Improving Recruitment for Employers and Employees HireUp is a simple, powerful platform for internal mobility, employee referrals and alumni networks that empowers the modern workforce. The suite of HireUp solutions work together to help companies achieve future hiring success, whether they are looking to promote internal talent or hire new talent through networking. The company, a leading talent technology solution provider, won the Most Innovative Talent Technology Award 2020, presented by Enterprise Ireland, Ireland’s trade and innovation agency; the winner of the award was voted on by a group of global heads of U.S. talent acquisition and human resources, and by various other senior industry professionals. —Mike Hunter hireuponline.com

is known for her expertise in finding order in chaos as well as her work as a creative designer and photographer. Her work at Tortilla Flat so far has included repainting worn signs and rearranging the mercantile, with more aesthetic changes planned for the months ahead.

Local vendors featured in the mercantile include wire-wrapped and clay jewelry by Sam Art, photography by Joanne West, rustic hidden drawer boxes by Things Western as well as lotions and soaps from Organic Crown — to name a few. Many of the mercantile’s new products also put a focus on environmentally conscious products, like the Beekeeper Candles made in antique jars and using unique, reused items.

—Jamie Killin

Solutions Help HR Create Caring Culture

Tortilla Flat tortillaflataz.com

torchlight.care

Torchlight recently launched Torchlight Manager, a solution that supports Human Resources departments in guiding managers to create a caring culture at work during and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Designed for HR leaders, the new offering provides managers with key resources so they can support employees who are struggling to balance the intensity of work and life demands during a pandemic. Torchlight Manager provides on-demand digital guides, tip sheets and tools, all informed by Torchlight’s leading expertise across caregiver support, compliance and policy domains, to help managers adapt to the new demands of the evolving workforce. —Mike Hunter

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QUICK AND TO THE POINT

Walmart Hosts Virtual Open Call for U.S.-Manufactured Products Walmart’s seventh annual Open Call event, ahead of us on as we go to press, will see approximately 850 small and medium-sized businesses pitch Walmart merchants on October 1. Fourteen of these are Arizona-based businesses, and three of them share their stories in the online version of this article on www.inbusinessphx.com.

This year, more than 4,800 businesses representing 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and Mozambique applied for the chance to pitch a Walmart merchant, a 44% increase in submissions from last year.

Participants in this year’s first-ever virtual Open Call event could secure deals that range from a handful of local stores to supplying hundreds of stores and Sam’s Clubs as well as Walmart.com and Walmart Marketplace.

In addition to the pitch meetings, the one-day program includes a series of breakout sessions designed to inform, empower and encourage business owners of all sizes. Many of the sessions will be open to the general public as the virtual nature of this year’s event makes the program accessible to more businesses and convenient for them to participate regardless of location.

Walmart’s Open Call is one way in which the company continues to invest in the commitment it announced in January 2013 to help boost job creation and U.S. manufacturing through buying an additional $250 billion in

products supporting American jobs by 2023.

“During this year of unprecedented challenges for U.S. businesses, Walmart remains committed to sourcing products made, grown or assembled in the U.S. By Investing in products that support American jobs, we are able to bring new exciting products to our customers, support new jobs in our local communities and invest in small business across the country,” says Laura Phillips, Walmart senior vice president for Global Sourcing & US Manufacturing. “Walmart’s Annual Open Call event gives us a unique occasion to identify new suppliers who can meet our customers’ needs with unique and innovative products manufactured or produced in the U.S. For the first time, this year’s Open Call event will be virtual, enabling even broader participation from potential new suppliers. We know how important this opportunity is for many small businesses, especially this year, and we are looking forward to seeing the new product submissions and meeting potential new suppliers.”

The public is invited to wish the chosen companies and other local entrepreneurs luck on their journey to Open Call by joining the conversation on social channels using #WalmartOpenCall.

—Mike Hunter Walmart Inc. corporate.walmart.com

Gainey Business Bank to Open with Strong Local Market Experience We have a shortage of community banks in Arizona — in 2008, there were 32; today, there are four. Into the virtual void, Gainey Business Bank will be opening in early Q1 2021 to serve a target market of Maricopa County, specifically Paradise Valley, mid to north Scottsdale and parts of northeast Phoenix.

While local banks tend to be smaller than national ones, with assets below $10 billion, the critical difference for customers is local control.

“National banks tend to be more tightly controlled, with approvals a lot time coming from out of state,” explains Joe Stewart, CEO of Gainey Business Bank. “We will have local board [of directors] and local advisory board, so decisions can be more rapid — with knowledge of the local marketplace.

So, customers can count on the fact that we would be a little more nimble, a little quicker.” He notes that, for customers, it can be trickier to get to a decision if the bank does not know where they’re operating from or their background locally.

Gainey Business Bank will concentrate on commercial and industrial sectors, as opposed to being primarily real estate focused. And, says Jim Unruh, chairman of the board, “With the more intimate knowledge of the market and the bank’s customers, we can tailor both our savings and the precise nature of our products to the needs of this market and these customers.”

Gainey Business Bank is being led by a strong management team.

President and CEO Stewart’s 30 years at JPMorgan Chase, Arizona, include eight years at its head; and to that big-bank experience Stewart also has four years as the market lead for a small bank. Chairman Unruh is a former

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chairman and CEO of Fortune 500 company Unisys, where he increased its value five times before leaving, and held key positions on the boards of other Fortune 500 companies. The CFO and the chief credit officer are similarly experienced.

“You depend on your background to recognize what you can and can’t do in terms of, let’s say lending: Problems are caused when a decision is made without enough experience to know what might go on. And we don’t have that problem,” Stewart says. “The customers will benefit and we will benefit by us having been down the road before.”

—RaeAnne Marsh Gainey Business Bank gaineybusinessbancorp.com

Arizona-based companies that made the cut to pitch Walmart merchants at Walmart’s Open Call 2020: Almond Brothers; Bees4Seas; Craigador Marketing Corporation; DeVita Sin Care; Fixture Zone; Future Pharm, LLC.; Herbal Brands Inc.; Infinitum Health, LLC; La Canasta Mexican Food Products Inc.; Organic Excellence; Pearce Outdoors LLC (ChumPODS); Stone Edge Surfaces; Tucson Tamale Company; and WR Group Inc.

New Program Assists Arizona’s Small and MediumSized Manufacturers The ACA’s Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Arizona MEP) team has launched a new program to assist small and mediumsized manufacturers in our state that have had their operations impacted by the pandemic.

The Arizona MEP has been working diligently to help Arizona manufacturers navigate the challenges and overcome the impacts of COVID-19. These efforts are now being accelerated by an allocation received through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NIST MEP Emergency Assistance Program.

Arizona MEP is offering valuable business support services, subsidized by the funds from NIST, to help manufacturers overcome the effects of the pandemic or to assist with shifts to accommodate the production of PPE; this is not a cash grant.

Additional information and the application form are available on the website.

—Sandra Watson, president and CEO of Arizona Commerce Authority Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership azmep.com

Photo courtesy of Captured Moments

Meeting the Surging Need for Professional Imagery In a world where our social networks have become central to everyday life in business, first impressions now rely more heavily on digital imagery than ever before.

Unfortunately, low-quality imagery has the power to deteriorate a professional’s credibility before that professional even has a chance to meet potential clients, so having a strong professional profile image is imperative. “Truly business-savvy professionals are actively placing themselves above their competition by hiring expert photographers,” observes Sydney Sherman, CEO of Captured Moments, a longtime family-owned and -operated portrait photography studio in Scottsdale.

This inspired the company to recently expand its offerings of timeless family and special occasion portraits and launch CM Elite as an entirely new division focused exclusively on providing modern head shots and corporate team portraits for both large and small companies, to help local professionals elevate their businesses and gain new clients through high-end, top-quality portraiture.

To accommodate its new service offerings, Captured Moments recently renovated its original studio located in the historic Stable Galleria on the northeast corner of Cattletrack Road and McDonald Drive, adding an additional 600 square feet to the studio to

have more room for large groups, along with a private sales and viewing area.

With 27 years of experience in the highend portrait industry, Captured Moments has seen the market for top-notch professional corporate imagery explode, and Sherman notes, “The industry is hotter than ever before. Professional portraiture is a key element for any business in order to build credibility and reputation.”

Captured Moments is completely womanowned and -operated. Rita Sherman founded it in 1993 and now runs it in tandem with her daughter Sydney Sherman, who oversees all day-to-day operations. The company also includes a production director/lead photographer, associate photographer and social media coordinator, all of whom also are female.

—RaeAnne Marsh Captured Moments capturedmomentsaz.com

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy ACHIEVEMENTS

Local Companies Are Repeat Performers on Inc. 5000 List For the second year in a row, OpenWorks, a national facility services and commercial cleaning and disinfecting service provider, has earned a coveted spot on Inc. magazine’s 5000 list. During the past three years, OpenWorks’ revenue growth was 141.3%; the company has doubled in size, growing its national footprint to more than 20 regional offices across the country. openworksweb.com Phoenix-based Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Arizona’s top-ranked HVAC company, has been named to the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies in the United States for the third consecutive year.

Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing ranked 2,499 on the prestigious list. goettl.com For the eighth consecutive year, WebPT, the leading rehab therapy software platform for enhancing patient care and fueling business growth, has been named to the Inc. 5000 list. With a three-year revenue growth rate of 145%, the Phoenix-based software-as-aservice company ranked No. 2,750 on the 39th annual list of top independent companies. Only 1% of Inc. 5000 companies have made the list eight times. This tremendous achievement has secured WebPT’s fourth consecutive appearance on the Inc. 5000 Honor Roll — an elite group of companies that have made the list at least five times. webpt.com

PHILANTHROPY

Valley Toyota Dealers Help Provide Lifesaving Firefighter Gear The Mesa Fire Department recently received $47,132 from The 100 Club of Arizona’s Safety Enhancement Stipend Program generously funded by Valley Toyota Dealers to purchase lifesaving, practical extrication turnout gear that is regularly outside MFD’s budget.

Valley Toyota Dealers continues to generously donate to this program, with more than $300,000 in donations to date. www.valleytoyotadealers.com

Burch & Cracchiolo Awards a Monthly Star Teacher Burch & Cracchiolo, one of the Southwest’s premier law firms, chooses a Valley teacher each month to receive $500 through a nominating process on the firm’s website, to alleviate the burden many teachers take on of augmenting the costs of classroom supplies with their own money.

Melanie Liddy, a 3rd grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary School in Phoenix, was the August 2020 recipient of the “B&C Star Teacher Award.” bcattorneys.com

When intended for print, high-resolution imagery is a must to ensure the fine details and characteristics of an image are not lost during the digital-to-print transition. Low-resolution images can become blurry and the quality of the product is lost. Highresolution images are far more versatile as they can be further edited and can be used for a much larger array of purposes.

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METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

The Hidden Impact of Remote Work during the Pandemic National study uncovers generational divide on leadership, trust and returning to the office

by Mike Hunter

The Center for Generational Kinetics is the leading generational research, keynote speaking, and strategic advisory firm focused on Gen Z, Millennials, and solving crossgenerational challenges.

CGK’s team helps leaders around the world solve challenges such as recruiting, retaining, and training Gen Z employees, and how to sell and market to each generation of customers.

The custom 2020 Study on Leading Multiple Generations Remotely was designed by CGK, administered to 1,000 U.S. respondents ages 18–90 and weighted to the current U.S. Census data for age, region, gender and ethnicity. genhq.com

Remote work in the time of the pandemic is having unexpected impacts across America — and different impacts for each generation. A recent, national study by global research firm The Center for Generational Kinetics reveals that trust, expectations of leaders and future employment expectations have been deeply affected in this time of remote work.

The discoveries from The 2020 Study on Leading Multiple Generations Remotely are both compelling and concerning: Most shockingly, a majority (53 percent) of Americans do not want to work remotely even part-time after the pandemic ends. Forty-two percent of Americans do not have the tools they need to successfully work remotely. And less than half of Americans (48 percent) believe their manager is acting with integrity during these tough times Gen Z (born from 1996 thru 2015) is the generation whose work has been most impacted by the pandemic. More than any other generation, Gen Z’s work hours have decreased

(45 percent), they have been furloughed (37 percent), the focus of their job has changed (32 percent), and their salary or wages have decreased (25 percent).

“The study reveals that the experience of remote work is uneven and rife with anxiety. More importantly, the study showed what leaders need to know and do now,” says Jason Dorsey, acclaimed generational speaker and president at CGK. The top three things that Americans want from their managers right now: being honest and candid, communicating clearly, and being caring and empathetic. What they wanted least: showing strength and resilience. In short, candor and honesty trump bravado and bluster.

“Each generation is having a different experience during the pandemic. This is important to understand, as organizations must remotely lead four or five generations simultaneously.

Gen Z’s emergence could herald in a new era of hybrid work that is normal to them and for the youngest members of Gen Z,

Survey Results by Generation Gen Z

Millennials

Gen X

Baby Boomers

A majority (53 percent) of Americans do not want to work remotely even part-time after the pandemic ends.

54%

52%

54%

52%

Forty-seven percent of Americans say they’re working completely from home or remotely.

40%

50%

48%

43%

Forty-two percent of Americans do not have the tools they need to successfully work remotely.

52%

42%

35%

43%

Forty-nine percent of Americans have used Zoom or a video chat platform for the first time ever.

67%

60%

45%

33%

Less than half of Americans (48 percent) believe their manager is acting with integrity during these tough times.

42%

60%

56%

33%

Decrease of work hours has hit Gen Z strongest.

45%

35%

31%

41%

Gen Z has been hit hardest by furloughs.

37%

15%

11%

19%

Gen Z, more than other generations, has found the focus of their job changed.

32%

23%

22%

21%

Decrease in salary or wages has also hit Gen Z strongest.

25%

22%

22%

23%

Source: genhq.com/leading-generations-remotely-study

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all they’ve ever known,” says Denise Villa, Ph.D., CEO of CGK and author of the new book, Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business—and What To Do About It. Villa recommends organizations reinforce their guiding principles and mission in creative ways that connect with individual employees in a remote work world, offer communication options aligned with each generation’s primary preferences, and increase the frequency of information that is shared by leadership to keep employees engaged and aligned.

The bottom line, as revealed by the study: It’s important for organizations’ leaders to understand where each generation is coming from to best engage, support and get the most from their employees in novel ways during this critical time.

The Center for Generational Kinetics genhq.com

Gen Z (born from 1996 through 2015) is the generation whose work has been most impacted by the pandemic. More than any other generation, Gen Z’s work hours have decreased (45 percent), they have been furloughed (37 percent), the focus of their job has changed (32 percent), and their salary or wages have decreased (25 percent).

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

Phoenix High in Strong Data Center Market According to JLL’s recently released Data Center Outlook report, Phoenix ranks as a top location among all U.S. markets, performing second in the nation for year-over-year absorption in one of real estate’s strongest sectors.

The report notes that companies were migrating to the public cloud before the pandemic, but this trend accelerated in the first half of the year due to the just-in-time nature of the cloud.

David Barnett, manager of JLL’s Americas Research, summarizes the findings of its 2020 Data Center Outlook: • According to Nareit, data center REITs outperformed other sectors amid the pandemic in total returns, due to immediate demand for e-commerce and virtual connectivity. “While they have challenges with manned operations and increased demand, we project data center REITs will continue to outperform other sectors throughout the year,” he says.

• Public cloud services accelerated demand in the first half of 2020.

Eight of the 14 markets in the United States recorded an increase in net absorption. Last year, select major domestic markets absorbed 171.2 megawatts in H1 2019, compared to 288.2 megawatts in H1 2020.

According to the report, Phoenix ranks as a top location among all U.S. markets, performing second in the nation for year-over-year absorption, with 18.5 megawatts absorbed during the first half of the year. The amount of metro Phoenix data center projects under construction is also strong at 24 megawatts, representing a combination of speculative and build-to-suit space that ranks the market fifth in the U.S. for new build activity.

From their analysis of the Phoenix Market for JLL’s 2020 Data Center Outlook, JLL Phoenix’s managing director Mark Bauer and Kevin Bauer, both with JLL’s Data Center Solutions group, report:

• Compass and Stream are primed to have commissioned space available for end users by October in Goodyear. Due to existing client demand, Aligned continues to build out its existing building and has started construction on the West Wing. NTT, which owns land in Mesa, is underway with its substation, showing promise to their commitment to build out space in the future.

• Early demand by retail customers has been either put on hold or pushed out to a later date due to the pandemic. Many end users have started looking at right-sizing their existing contracts and consolidating their existing footprints. New entrants into the market include Landmark Dividend, through the purchase of an enterprise data center facility, and STACK Infrastructure, who announced in June its commitment to build out its land in Avondale. —Mike Hunter JLL jll.com

Photos courtesy of JLL, Colliers International in Arizona, Sigma Contracting, Inc. (bottom, l to r)

GET REAL

Block 23 Grabs Major HQ Commitment Marking one of the largest metro Phoenix leases to sign since the onset of the COVID pandemic, office experts from the Phoenix office of JLL have completed a 30,000-square-foot downtown Phoenix office lease for CVO Holding Company LLC, an industry-leading transportation technology provider.

CVO will relocate and expand its corporate headquarters from its existing downtown Phoenix offices into Block 23 at Cityscape, downtown Phoenix’s newest and most advanced high-rise, mixed-use project by Red Development and Street Lights Residential. jll.com

by Mike Hunter

Tolleson Industrial Space Attracts Global Supplier

SkySong TI Project for Unique Restaurant Concept

MiTek, a diversified global supplier of services

Scottsdale-based Sigma Contracting, Inc. is

and products to the residential and commercial

collaborating on a unique restaurant concept

construction sectors, has expanded its presence

opening this fall on the campus of SkySong, the ASU

in Arizona, working with Colliers International in

Scottsdale Innovation Center. It is providing design-

Arizona in renewing its lease of 259,200 square feet

build tenant improvement services for locally owned

at 7890 W. Lincoln St. — where it will be relocating

Born & Raised Hospitality, which anticipates opening

some out-of-state operations — for eight-plus years

its newest concept, Broth & Bao, in November. A

and adding a new 10-year lease of 153,721 square

bao bun, also known as a steamed bun, is a type of

feet at 7506 W. Lincoln St. The industrial space is in

bread-like dumpling that originates from Chinese

two Class A manufacturing buildings located within

cuisines. The $550,000 tenant improvement project

Tolleson Corporate Park. colliers.com

comprises 2,500 square feet. sigmacontracting.com

Data centers measure their absorption by megawatts instead of square footage. One megawatt is equal to one million watts or one thousand kilowatts, and, as a general rule of thumb, each megawatt of a coal power station's capacity can supply around 650 average homes.

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PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

Alamar to Provide Workforce, Revenue for Avondale’s Growing Economy

Major Project at the Confluence of Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa With delivery on track for next month, Union Building One is the first of four four-story to eight-story Class A office buildings planned at the confluence of Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa. When complete, the project will bring a new, 1.35 million-square-foot corporate hub to the heart of Mesa Riverview.

Union Building One will total 238,348 square feet in four stories, with an adjacent four-level parking structure that, with some surface parking, provides tenants a 6/1,000 parking ratio. Like all of the buildings at Union, Building One will deliver a creative office environment with a modern glass exterior, an active first floor, large office floorplates with high ceilings, outdoor balconies and 10-foot vision glass providing sweeping views of the surrounding city, mountains and adjacent Riverview Park and Lake. In fact, the building will connect to a larger built environment that is packed with indoor-outdoor areas enhanced with water features.

Adding to the creative office vision, Union will be peppered with custom artwork ranging from commissioned wooden

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From a cultural perspective, Brookfield has partnered with top Arizona artists to create Alamar’s highly anticipated Public Art Program, an extension of Avondale’s own Public Art Campaign. Together, these programs represent a commitment to maintaining the history of Avondale’s agrarian heritage and mountain-view setting, even as the city undergoes rapid change. The artist’s creations will be featured in each of the more than 30 neighborhood parks and three community parks.

In addition to its partnership with the City, Brookfield has also aligned with several outstanding professional partners: high-quality homebuilders Shea, Gehan, Taylor Morrison, Landsea, Capital West and David Weekley, to achieve great home design and craft beautiful neighborhoods, and famed architecture and land planning firm Swaback Partners and DMB Community Life, to provide residents with the cultural connectivity and long-term tools important to successful placemaking.

—John Bradley, Arizona president of Brookfield Residential (www.brookfieldresidential.com)

furniture and lighted glass art in the lobby to parking deck stair towers painted by local artisans.

“We have a clear vision for Union, and our development team has worked hard to keep that vision on track during a very unique time,” says David Krumwiede, executive VP of Lincoln Property Company, which is working with Harvard Investments on the project. “Revised protocols and strategic additions to our amenity package – such as touchless features and ionizing air purifiers – will ensure that Union is even more creative and relevant in a ‘new normal’ work environment.”

Building One is located on the northeast corner of the Union project, a 28.2-acre site offering direct frontage to the Loop 202 and monument signage seen by approximately 160,000 cars per day. It is accessible by two freeway interchanges, at the Loop 202 at Dobson Road and the Loop 101 at Rio Salado Parkway.

—Mike Hunter Harvard Investments harvardinvestments.com Lincoln Property Company lpcdesertwest.com

Building One’s many indoor-outdoor amenities will be linked by the Rio Salado Pathway to encourage connectivity with the Union campus and with Mesa’s mixed-use Riverview district, which offers 1.2 million square feet of retail, restaurants and hotels.

Photos courtesy of Brookfield Residential (top) , Lincoln Property Company (bottom)

Brookfield Residential is unveiling Alamar to the public on Saturday, Oct. 10, but with an innovative twist due to the safety concerns of the pandemic. Potential homebuyers will be able to tour Alamar from the comfort and safety of their own car, while a prerecorded radio message (available with all car AM/ FM radios) plays on loop and guides them with details of what they are seeing throughout the 1,127-acre community. brookfieldresidential.com

With a strong focus on economic growth and smart city planning, Avondale has fast become a top destination for new development. And this month, the city welcomes a valuable addition to its economic engine with the grand opening of Alamar, a 3,695-home, 1,127-acre master-planned community near the proposed Arizona State Route 30. This innovative community is the result of years of planning and collaboration between Brookfield Residential and the City of Avondale — with a goal of creating a carefully orchestrated community that complements Avondale and helps shape the future of the City and West Valley.

This is great news for Avondale, as Alamar will contribute to the local economy in various ways, adding new income, jobs and additional tax revenue. According to estimates based on a recent report by the National Association of Homebuilders, the community could contribute as much as $188 million annually to the local economy once Alamar’s homes fill out and the project is complete. Alamar comes at an opportune time for the region, as housing inventory holds tight, demand remains healthy and employers seek fresh talent needed for continued growth.

As the largest masterplan to come to the Valley since Mesa’s Eastmark in 2013, Alamar will also serve as the site for several important local additions: a 40-acre regional park and a new K–8 elementary school. Brookfield is working closely with the Littleton Elementary School District to introduce a curriculum that can enhance academic achievement of the school and the District as a whole.

At JLL, we know smart real estate strategy is simply good business. We bring together the right combination of skills and match them with valuable data, powerful connections and a deep understanding of real estate. The result is one-of-a-kind advice and solutions. Buildings that operate at peak performance. Workplaces where employees can thrive.

Our JLL Phoenix real estate experts in all property types look forward to helping you achieve your business ambitions with our local services: • • • • •

Tenant representation Landlord representation Real estate consultation Capital markets Debt and equity financing

jll.com

I

+1602 282 6300

(@)JLL Jones Lang LaSalle© 2019 Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. License#: C0508577000 All rights reserved.

• • • • •

Financial analysis Property valuation Property tax services Facilities and property management Project and development management

MINDING THEIR BUSINESS

Wilbur You: From Humble Beginnings to Marketing Empire Young entrepreneur builds success on valuing employees

by Mike Hunter

GETTING TO KNOW YOU • An immigrant of Chinese descent, Youtech & Associates’ CEO and founder Wilbur You was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, before making the move to Chicago with his mother at the age of three, after his father had passed away. There, he learned what it was to be an American while watching his mother learn a second language and attend night school to become a CPA. • Wilbur You met his best friend in third grade when his glue stick was stolen

by Shawn Herrick. You told him if he didn’t play basketball with You at recess, You would tell the teacher Herrick stole it.

Herrick later became the first employee of Youtech.

• Having grown up as an immigrant himself, You learned the value of acceptance and bringing out the best in people from an early age and continues to embrace team members who hold similar values.

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With $600 and nothing to lose, then-22-year-old Wilbur You launched a marketing agency — and, in just seven years, built it into a $20-million-plus award-winning marketing agency.

Now 29, You, CEO and founder of Youtech, sits on various advisory boards and is a published author, with his first book, Happy, Humble, Motivated, released this year.

What began in 2012 as a team of three, Youtech now has more than 50 employees throughout its offices in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Naperville, Illinois — with only more plans to expand. From humble beginnings of working on $500 websites, the Youtech team now works on million-dollar deals with some of the largest companies and franchises in the United States.

What You is most proud of, though, is that Youtech has done business the right way and created an environment wherein everyone brings value and feels like an asset to the company.

You founded Youtech & Associates in June of 2012 after a month of researching the marketing industry, tech trends and contemplating if he could seriously do this thing called business. Prior to starting Youtech, You began his career working in corporate America as a marketing director, gaining experience and learning how real corporations function.

Although it was frightening, he figured he had nothing to lose on this new venture.

With his goal of completely shaking up the marketing industry, it took You’s young instincts, determination, a lot of networking and caffeine to get Youtech off the ground.

At 21, You quit his job in the city and abandoned everything he used to do wrong. He decided to find and build a team that could help him do this project right and, on July 24th, Youtech & Associates was born. An integrated marketing and development agency, Youtech embraces the connection between data and the organic generation of consumers for its clients’ products and services through marketing, development, branding and public relations.

Youtech & Associates is not the first business You has started. He’s had the entrepreneurial itch to start a business since he was 10 years old. With the means of computer programming, You created a game server and started selling virtual items, eventually earning on average 15,000 active users and making about $5,000 per week — before receiving a cease and desist order from the developers.

Youtech & Associates was recently recognized as an Inc. 5000 Company for the fourth year in a row, coming in at number 2,683.

Creating something from nothing to make a positive difference in the world was — and still is — what You knew he wanted to do. With Youtech, everything seemed perfect when it all began. The team had visions of being successful and having everything they could ever want. But quickly, reality struck, and he realized they had no money, no connections and, most importantly, no clients.

According to You, starting Youtech saved him. In that period of his career and life, he faced several hardships. He was struggling to define who he was, what he wanted to do, and who he wanted to surround himself with. He always enjoyed being busy, working toward a goal and making things happen. But life doesn’t always follow the path we have laid out, and, as he quickly learned firsthand, neither does business. He had to learn to let go of what he could not control. In the end, everything Wilbur learned from starting Youtech changed his life.

In the first couple of months, the team welcomed anyone and any project, large or small, to build Youtech’s client base.

They would work 80 to 100 hours a week, day and night, to acquire new clients, brand the Youtech name and work toward more stable earnings. With $2,000 they had saved up, the team took a leap of faith and signed a lease for an office in downtown Naperville, Ill. They had no way of knowing if Youtech would be successful nor did they have the funds to sustain the business much longer. Their risk and incessant hard work were soon rewarded as the phones started ringing from other business owners who saw and heard about their work around town in the following weeks. Before long, Youtech had a powerhouse list of clients and businesses waiting for their top-tier services.

For Wilbur You, it is the best feeling in the world to know that Youtech was built from nothing into something greater than just one man. The team is immensely proud that, over the years, it has not taken a penny from outside investors or seen a red line of debt. They bootstrapped their way to the top, proving that, with hard work, passion and no shortage of good ideas, even those who come from humble beginnings can build an empire.

Youtech & Associates, Inc. youtechagency.com

BY RAEANNE MARSH

ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS

Ninja Focus Platform Aims Mindfulness Benefits to Kids Founded in Spring 2019, Ninja Focus is a mindfulness SaaS platform designed for kids age 3–12 to improve sleep, enhance focus, regulate emotions and encourage positive behavior.

Our mission is to have kids around the world be mindful and become more compassionate at an early age. We want to provide a tool for parents in helping their kids self-regulate emotions and drive positive behavior. The Ninja Focus platform promotes healthy screen time using audio content designed by development experts, behavioral pediatricians, parents and mindfulness experts.

To bootstrap the SaaS platform development, we leveraged Gate6 (a leading digital software technology company led by my brother, Manish Mamnani, for more than 20 years) mobile and user experience engineering resources. Our head of engineering, Sushil Pandey, has played a pivotal role in building a scalable, customizable cloud platform providing flexibility to roll out features and fixes within days.

Because Ninja Focus is centered around mindfulness content for kids, it was imperative to have a lead domain expert who has worked with kids in the area of mindfulness. We brought in our other co-founder (Kamala Alcantara) to compose organic content, including bedtime stories, binaural music for deep sleep, mindful eating, positive affirmations and pep talks to drive positive behaviors for kids. Alcantara has an amazing voice and storytelling experience that resonates with kids.

We have spent the past 12 months building the platform foundation. Finding the product-market fit continues to be a key challenge and we are spending a lot of time with parents in focus groups to refine the problems we are solving and build a product that would keep kids engaged on the platform on a

regular basis. To drive adoption with users, we are providing free content to parents.

The most valuable advice I have received is that one must test hypotheses on the problems being solved at an early stage with real end-users before investing a lot in building a solution. Our team applied this principle early during the development phase and we elicited end-user feedback with an agile and iterative product development model. However, it’s an ongoing challenge and we have to keep listening and engaging with end-users, especially as we scale up and add a diverse set of users from different regions, cultural backgrounds and countries.

—Praveen Mamnani, CEO of Ninja Focus (www.ninjafocus.com)

Online Dealty, Inc. Benefits Homebuyers, Sellers and Agents

Photo courtesy of Ninja Focus

Designed to benefit sellers, buyers, iBuyers and home builders as well as real estate agents, Dealty is a marketplace application disrupting and reshaping the real estate industry with a transparent open architecture platform posting homes for sale from all sources and providing all the tools and services needed to go from listed to closed. Founded in 2018, Dealty provides virtual tours, an online offer system, electronic contracts and electronic earnest deposits, to Title/Escrow and SOLD! “Sellers are often frustrated with the limited options they have to sell their homes, feeling obligated to use an agent and give up 6% of their home’s sales price, which translates to a lot or all of the equity. And agents were equally as frustrated with third-party sites selling their listing leads to other agents,” explain co-founders Renee Tulliani, CEO, and Gary Stringer, CRO, who believe the standard commission structure has

resulted in everyone in the process being taken advantage of.

Tulliani and Stringer note the biggest challenge in starting and growing Dealty has been getting real estate agents to understand that, “unlike other sites that appear to be similar,” it is not a threat. “Our ongoing challenge is earning everyone’s trust. With Zillow selling expensive advertising to agents with little results for the agents, agents are weary of online sites. Buyers list on Zillow to only be bombarded by sales calls and solicitations until they give in to listing with an agent or selling their property to Zillow Offers, Zillow’s in-house ibuying division.” And for real estate agents and homebuilders, Dealty provides direct leads to them and a platform where they can sell their listing direct to the buyer with no middleman to intercept their leads.

—RaeAnne Marsh Dealty, Inc. yourdealty.com

“Everyone knows 90% of buyers search for homes on their own online,” say Renee Tulliani and Gary Stringer, co-founders of Dealty, who designed the online marketplace application to benefit sellers and buyers as well as real estate agents.

MINDFULNESS INSPIRED – THE STORY BEHIND NINJA FOCUS My brother Manish Mamnani (founder and chairman of Ninja Focus) and I grew up in India where we were surrounded by Eastern philosophies and rituals at home for meditation during prayers. I have been practicing meditation and mindfulness for the past 10-plus years.

However, meditation is not only difficult but very frustrating for most people.

As we become adults, we find that our brains are pre-wired with repeated habits and it’s extremely hard to calm your mind and self-regulate emotions.

Over the years, my brother and I discussed the possibilities of introducing mindfulness education in schools — similar to physical education. It was an audacious goal that would have required working at the state and county level to pilot and test the idea. Besides, directly engaging with schools is a high-touch sales engagement model requiring major investments.

Given our backgrounds in business and technology, we decided instead to build a platform for kids. After conducting primary market research and competitive analysis, it was apparent that existing products in the mindfulness space were built for adults with a focus on sleep and meditation.

We believe the mindfulness and meditation space is still in its early days, with tremendous opportunity to raise awareness with parents and drive growth globally. —Praveen Mamnani, CEO of Ninja Focus

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YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL

RexPay Tech Solves Healthcare Headaches Local startup RexPay has developed an app designed to help people manage all their medical bills and payments easily in one mobile app.

Individuals can download the app and create an account for free, snap a picture of their bills and RexPay will import all of the information so they can manage and pay all their medical bills in one place. In addition to offering convenience, it can also detect if a user scans in a duplicate bill, which is an all-too-common mistake when they receive multiple paper bills for the same claim.

RexPay will also partner with healthcare providers, offering bonus features for their patients. “We import the bills digitally, directly from the doctor’s system, so there is no need to scan in a picture of the paper bill. We can also show which payment plans the provider is offering for each bill, and can set up auto-payments for the patient if they choose to break their bill up over multiple months,” says Alex Mersereau, VP of Product. Provider practices also gain significant benefits from RexPay’s extensive features that automate and optimize their patient engagement around billing and insurance, including a chatbox to answer common billing questions.

RexPay uses AI to continuously improve the accuracy of scanning in information when patients upload pictures of paper bills, and Mersereau says, “Through this, we have achieved over 90% field accuracy when our system sees a brand new bill format, and close to 100% accuracy when scanning bill formats it’s seen before.”

Noting that most bill-pay apps that aren’t medically specific have teams of people who haven’t been HIPAA certified review and input bill data, with the result that many aren’t HIPAA compliant, Mersereau points out that RexPay is HIPAA compliant “in part due to our AI scanning.” —RaeAnne Marsh RexPay rexpay.com

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Here we are, six months into the worst pandemic in a century. We have learned how to protect ourselves, how to adapt our behaviors and what matters most in our lives.

In the process, our caution and new behaviors have had unintended consequences in — of all places — our health and wellbeing. Foregoing medical care to adhere to medically recommended social distancing recommendations is known as medical distancing, and it can have serious consequences.

“When the medical world doesn’t, or can’t, intervene for people with chronic diseases or conditions, these diseases progress and patients get into trouble,” says James Dearing, DO, partner at Synergy Physicians.

Chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer and heart disease impact about 60 percent of Americans, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with about 40 percent of American’s living with more than one chronic disease.

“Because of the physical distancing and the fear of a very real and potentially dangerous virus, we have patients jeopardizing their health daily,” says Dr. Dearing. “Two of my diabetic patients who were stabilized became too afraid to go to the pharmacy and pick up prescriptions. Both of these patients ended up hospitalized in serious condition with diabetic ketoacidosis. Thankfully, they didn’t contract COVID-19, but if they had, it would have been exponentially harder to recover from either.”

In a study published with the National Institutes of Health, a global survey found most providers experienced a change in their patients’ routine care, with diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension being the conditions most impacted due to reduced care. However, the study also found that 80 percent of providers reported patients having worsened mental health during the pandemic with social distancing.

The adverse mental health outcomes providers are seeing right now is significant. A study by the

CDC found that during June, 40 percent of adults in the U.S. reported struggling with mental health and/or substance abuse.

“Throughout this pandemic, only a handful of things will impact us all, and the lack of human contact is one of them,” explains Dr. Dearing.

“Human contact and relationships are vital to us as a species, and going without that leads to other problems. We are seeing spikes of depression in people who have never experienced major depression before.”

Helping in part, telehealth has seen a significant and expected uptick since March of 2020 compared to previous years. According to FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit that collects and manages data for the nation’s largest health insurance claims and Medicare Parts A, B and D, there has been a national increase of 4,347 percent in virtual care for March 2020 compared with March 2019.

Synergy Health was one of the providers to take telehealth a step further by developing an app into which patients input data like weight, blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar. “So we can monitor real-time data,” says Dr. Dearing.

Whether it is the virus itself, the fear of the virus or the fear of the unknown, patients have taken medical distancing to a concerning level.

“We have seen between a 40 and 50 percent decrease of patient business,” says Dr. Dearing.

“The safest places right now are actually healthcare facilities. The precautions we are taking are much better than anywhere else, and providers need to remind their patients that they are safe at their facilities and that prevention and wellness cannot be neglected.”

As we await whatever the Phase 2 of COVID-19 looks like, schools reopening or not, economic ups and downs, one thing is clear from Dr. Dearing and other providers: Medical distancing is unnecessary and can be harmful to us individually and as a community.

—Lauren Strait Synergy Physicians synergyphysicians.org

Shortly after forming as a company in February 2018, RexPay was admitted to the Fennemore Craig’s Venture Accelerator Program. It was also one of 10 start-ups to be recognized as an awardee last fall in the Arizona Innovation Challenge, which semiannually provides grants from the Arizona Commerce Authority and support for some of Arizona’s most promising startups. fclaw.com • rexpay.com

Photos courtesy of StopMedicalDistancing.org

Stop Medical Distancing; Its Cause and Effect

Let’s talk.

INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

Buildings Built for Sustainability with the IoT

TECH NOTES

Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?

There are some good things about working in an office: constant supplies of tea and coffee, gossip with co-workers and paper clips in every color.

But one of the best things has to be that when something goes wrong with our computer, there’s an in-house IT helpdesk to sort out the problem.

Working from home has been a whole different ball game; this time, we’re on our own.

And that applies to the tech we use for work, too. Video wiki, software and media company Ezvid Wiki surveyed 4,020 workers across the nation, which revealed that 53 percent of Arizona employees working remotely during the pandemic say their work is regularly disrupted by technology problems. And workers in The Grand Canyon State spend, on average, 1.6 hours per week trying to figure out the problem (and probably just turning things off and back on again).

These issues seem to affect some workers more than others. To find out how each state compares, check out the interactive map for “Working from Home” frustrations in the site’s “surveys” section.

Nationwide, 37 percent of employees working remotely say they’ve had to cut video conference calls short because someone on the call had poor internet connection. Almost one in 10 employees with poor internet admit they have tried to guess a neighbor’s Wi-Fi password and piggyback on their service without asking. And, understandably, nearly two-thirds of all employees working remotely think their employer should be paying for their internet costs.

“While some employees may enjoy the benefits of working from home, there is no denying that tech issues can make or break your productivity during the day,” says Caroline Eliasson from Ezvid Wiki. “If you find yourself struggling consistently, it could be worth checking to see if your company offers virtual tech support for employees who are working from home, as well as double checking your software and features are up to date.” —Mike Hunter wiki.ezvid.com

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Buildings are responsible for using a large percentage (42 percent) of the world’s energy consumption for their operations. Worse yet, inefficient systems waste 30 to 50 percent of the energy used in buildings. With recent advances in technology, such as large data storage in the cloud and the decreasing costs of valuable sensing devices, the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Owner/Operations (AECO) industry is poised for a new era of sustainable, automated buildings.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is being researched and applied in fascinating ways within the industry. IoT is the interconnection via the internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.

At its simplest, IoT is all our “things” (devices, equipment, spaces) connected to the internet.

As a relatively new field, the application and understanding of IoT and building management systems is evolving rapidly. Building sensors and IoT support many important goals, from security and operational cost efficiency to occupant health and sustainability.

Building sensors allow operators to pull, analyze and utilize the data that gets collected. By integrating these assets in a network, designers, occupants and building owners can begin tracking countless data points. The key is understanding how this data can inform decision-making and create more efficient, healthy places to live, learn and work.

This goes beyond putting an occupancy sensor in a room to control lighting. Rather, it’s about being able to control electrical and mechanical systems holistically while leveraging data to inform space utilization, equipment performance and energy use. For example, building automation systems can detect when people leave for the day, turning off lights and switching heating or cooling systems to nighttime mode to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

With the current global challenges related to health, building systems data is more important than ever. Indoor air quality impacts occupant health and productivity and also affects energy use.

Individual rooms with temperature and humidity sensors can track conditions as more outside air is introduced — assuring that energy isn’t being wasted in spaces where the indoor air is meeting standards. Pressure sensors in ducts can monitor pressure drops and detect when air filters need to be replaced before energy is wasted with fans running at higher rates or circulating unhealthy air.

The introduction of renewable energy strategies can augment fuel and electric use in the form of solar panels and wind turbines. By connecting these systems to an overall building automation platform, power can be stored on site for use when the grid goes down or electricity prices peak. Smart sensors can automatically switch between grid power and locally generated power when necessary.

Recent sustainability research and development has investigated how the IoT will help decrease the amount of energy consumed by buildings and allow operations to run more efficiently.

Smart building management systems teaches how people and the building interact, allowing us to better plan for improvements and future renovations and allocate maintenance and operation funds accordingly.

Further, predictive analysis can inform an operations team when equipment is nearing failure.

Coupled with a digital twin, sensor data can help avoid unplanned shutdowns of large spaces and make maintenance and repairs much more efficient.

These processes are not limited to new buildings, as sensors can be placed in existing buildings to harness that insight and utilize a circular data workflow to inform and influence the design process.

When designers and owners understand all aspects of the building lifecycle, they can think beyond current capabilities and the status quo.

IoT offers the opportunity to be more efficient in designing, operating and maintaining facilities, saving time and money and, often, promoting sustainable practices.

—Clarke Morrison and Luc Wing of Microdesk (www.microdesk.com).

Morrison brings a background in architectural design and AEC technology to his position as strategic BIM consultant and is responsible for growing client relationships, uncovering new business partnerships and ensuring quality service; Wing is an architecture solutions specialist, who has made it his mission to promote integrating sustainable solutions and mindsets into BIM throughout the lifecycle of a project.

According to Ezvid Wiki’s “Working from Home” frustrations survey, one in 10 employees working remotely admit there have been times when they have worked from their car in an attempt to get some peace and quiet. wiki.ezvid.com

Honoring Our 2020 Women of Achievement

Leadership & Achievement: Honoring Our 2020 Women of Achievement In spite of the fact that study after study concludes that businesses with women in the C-suites do better than those without, we are still on the road to universal parity. And in spite of proven achievement, women are, in many ways, still pioneering. Toward an end when, someday, women will not be singled out as a separate population, In Business Magazine celebrates the success of women in business in our community.

This issue presents our 2020 Women of Achievement — 14 women who have each proven her involvement in our business community and her connection to doing good for our community while demonstrating leadership in achieving success in business. Bringing their diverse backgrounds and strengths, they help bind and support the greater community, attesting to the collective achievement of women in business.

To honor and celebrate these women, we present on the following pages profiles of our honorees, in which they share their stories in their own words so that we can get to know them. And they will share the spotlight again at our Women of Achievement virtual event on Oct. 28 in a unique format that combines live broadcast with an individually catered lunch. We also honor Sharon Harper, this month’s Guest Editor, as this year’s recipient of the Linda M. Herold Lifetime Achievement Award.

Please meet our 2020 Women of Achievement. —RaeAnne Marsh, Editor

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Lifetime Achievement Honoree

"Plaza Companies is a connecting influence in business, civic leadership and philanthropy while always working honorably and with integrity."

Sharon Harper Chairman and CEO Plaza Companies

Organization Name: Plaza Companies Main Office Address: 9401 W. Thunderbird Rd., Suite 200 Peoria, AZ 85381 Phone: (623) 972-1184 Website: www.theplazaco.com No. of Years with Company: 38 Year Established Locally: 1982

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As CEO, chairman and co-founder of Plaza Companies, Sharon Harper oversees all facets of company operations, including ownership, development, leasing or management of nearly 13 million square feet of Arizona projects, medical healthcare companies, senior living communities and bioscience centers.

But Harper is defined by so much more. She is deeply involved in civic and political leadership and in community philanthropy. Her involvement includes leadership campaign roles for Senator John McCain, Governor Doug Ducey, Sheriff Paul Penzone and many others. Harper also was chairman of Prop. 123, which is providing $5 billion to public education.

Harper has been heavily influential in the widespread success of SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, of which Plaza Companies is the master developer and investment manager. In addition to earning NAIOP’s Best of NAIOP Economic Impact Project and Spec Office Building (for SkySong 4) awards in 2017, Plaza’s project earned recognition as a RED Award finalist that same year. Plaza also secured the AZ Big Media RED Award for Mixed-Use Development of the Year, 2015 for SkySong as well as two 2015 Best of NAIOP awards, including the Economic Impact Award for SkySong and an additional office building award specific to SkySong Building 3.

Plaza Companies is also the co-developer of the renovation of the Park Central Mall property, which earned Transaction of the Year and Talk of the Town nods at the Best of NAIOP Awards in 2019. Along with converting the mall to a new, innovative and creative office and retail environment, Plaza is also the developer for the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus. The project now includes additional restaurants, multifamily apartments and a large parking deck and has announced a dual brand hotel.

Harper received NAIOP’s 2019 Award of Excellence, was named among the 2019 Leaders of the Year in Public Policy for the Economy by Arizona Capitol Times, earned recognition as 2017’s Woman of the Year by Valley Leadership, and was listed among the Phoenix Business Journal’s Landmark Leaders the year prior. In May 2019, she was inducted into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame.

In 2020, Harper co-founded the Arizona PPE initiative in response to the pandemic and shortage of protective equipment for hospital workers, nonprofits, public safety and first responders. This initiative delivered 11 million units and six tons of equipment to the State of Arizona.

She currently serves as vice chairman for the ASU Trustees, trustee for Creighton University, chairman of the Creighton University President Advisory Board for Phoenix, trustee for the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, past chairman and executive board for Banner Health Foundation, Greater Phoenix Leadership and Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Board of Governors for TGen, and is a trustee for the McCain Institute for International Leadership.

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Honoree

"If I can do it, anyone can do it. Just believe in yourself and never stop learning."

Laura Capello President and CEO Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona Growing up, I was always fascinated with animals and spent hours watching “Wild Kingdom.” My dream was that someday I would be able work with animals myself. I even filled several spiral notebooks with notes from everything I learned.

My best thoughts came out when I wrote them down. I really wish I would have kept those spiral notebooks filled with the words of a 10-year old me. Fast forward to life after high school: I still loved animals but I loved boys more. So, I ended up leaving my home of Rockford. Illinois, and followed my boyfriend to Arizona. We got married and had two boys pretty quickly, and my dream of working with animals faded away. However, my passion for writing grew stronger.

The marriage didn’t last, but I eventually enrolled myself into Arizona State University and studied journalism. I focused on public relations and marketing.

The only two things I knew for sure was that I loved writing and I wanted to make a difference. I didn’t know how I was going to do this but, as life happens, I think the universe figured it out for me.

I first interviewed at Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters in March 1998 for the position of Public Relations Manager. I knew immediately after the interview that I wanted the job. The pay was awful and the work hard, but I knew in my gut that I had to take it. I spent the next seven years working my way up to VP of marketing and loved every minute. As a child who grew up without her biological father, I could relate to the mission of helping kids from single-parent homes find a mentor. However, in 2005, I left the agency to pursue other dreams. For the next six years, I worked as a consultant for other nonprofits and some for-profit companies, helping them with their marketing and strategic planning. Then in 2011, I was approached by the new CEO of the now Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona to lead the marketing and development team. I was flattered that someone was pursing me for a job, but I definitely needed to consider whether this would be a good choice for my career. After a few days of soul searching, I decided to take the job. And one year after that, when the CEO left the agency, I was approached by the board to apply for the job. In no time in my life had I ever had the desire to lead a nonprofit agency. However, the universe seemed to have other plans for me, and I applied for and was given the job.

Eight years later, I’m still here supporting kids in need with volunteers who help them discover their potential. By matching and supporting more than 1500 volunteers, we are able help kids develop social, emotional and intellectual skills.

We bring two people together who may never have met otherwise. As for me, I still love animals and my TV is always on the National Geographic Channel. But as it turns out, I hate camping, so I would never have made it in Africa studying animals. I think I ended up doing exactly what I was meant to do, and I am okay with that.

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Organization Name: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona Main Office Address: 4745 N. 7th St., Suite 210, Phoenix, AZ 85014 Phone: (602) 264-9254 Website: bbbsaz.org No. of Years with Firm: 22 Year Established Locally: 1960

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Honoree

"I hope passionate individuals see opportunity in public service — in my case, starting as a frontline epidemiologist and now leading this dedicated, inspiring team."

Cara M. Christ, M.D. Director Arizona Department of Health Services

Organization Name: Arizona Department of Health Services Main Office Address: 150 N. 18th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: (602) 542-1025 Website: azhealth.gov No. of Years with Firm: 12 Year Established Locally: 1974

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As director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, Cara Christ, M.D., M.S., leads a dynamic team responsible for leading Arizona’s public health system, which includes responding to disease outbreaks, licensing health and childcare facilities, operating the Arizona State Hospital, and improving the overall health and wellness of all Arizonans.

Being in love with public health her whole life, Dr. Christ joined the Arizona Department of Health Services in 2008, and her passion has been protecting and promoting the health of all Arizonans. Appointed director in 2015 by Governor Doug Ducey, Dr. Christ has led the statewide response to the opioid epidemic, including developing and implementing the statewide system for real-time data reporting of overdoses and coordinating with law enforcement and the emergency medical system to launch naloxone training for first responders. She is also managing the state’s Zika prevention activities, and previously led Arizona’s successful responses to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza, 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, and the 2015 and 2016 measles outbreaks.

“To be an effective leader, you must be able to make daily decisions that take the positive and negative outcomes into account,” Dr. Christ says. “To do this, you need to have all the facts and listen to the advice from your key staff. Develop your team with people who are smarter than you and bring different strengths than you have to the team.”

Her agency’s main focus in 2020 has been the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to operating an emergency operations center and promoting ways Arizonans can reduce the spread, Dr. Christ’s staff developed a data dashboard that is used widely by the public and news media. “At the start of 2020, nobody could have ever predicted that in less than a month we would be responding to a global pandemic,” Dr. Christ says. “You need to be prepared to be flexible and change course quickly. Even when you have the best plans, you can’t plan for everything.”

Throughout her public health career, Dr. Christ has coordinated Arizona’s public health surveillance systems, implemented public health interventions, recruited and supported hospitals for certification as “Infectious Disease Treatment Centers of Excellence,” and overseen the development and implementation of 20 articles of rules, allowing for integration of behavioral and physical health while streamlining and decreasing regulatory burden for Arizona’s healthcare institutions. Dr. Christ provides leadership and public health expertise for the Arizona State Health Improvement Plan, and one of her priorities is to improve population health by implementing strategies that address the leading public health priorities. In addition, she oversees the development and implementation of the ADHS Suicide Prevention Action Plan to address suicide and social isolation statewide. Before her appointment as director, Dr. Christ had many roles with ADHS and, most recently, was deputy director for Public Health Services and the department’s chief medical officer.

Dr. Christ earned a Bachelor and Master of Science in microbiology from Arizona State University. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Arizona, College of Medicine at the Tucson Campus. She is an avid Disney fan and also holds a “Ducktorate” from Walt Disney University focused on Disney-style management. When she’s not busy working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids or training for her next RunDisney Half Marathon.

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Honoree

"I am spreading the message to the Arizona community and to society in general what life is like when you’re deaf; my goal is that every child who is hard of hearing, deaf or deafblind has full access to language and the opportunity to lead a successful life."

Sherri Collins Executive Director Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sherri Collins is the executive director of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing, a position she has held since May 1998, where she acts as the Commission’s executive director by advocating, strengthening and implementing state policies affecting deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind individuals, and their relationship to the public, industry, healthcare and educational opportunities.

She has worked with the state and federal legislations on passing multiple bills to improve the quality of life for the deaf and the hard of hearing community not only in Arizona but nationwide. She is constantly thinking ahead on what can be done to better assist those who are deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind to continue to improve technical functionality, communication access and quality of life. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Collins has dedicated herself to increasing awareness of the challenges the hearing-impaired community faces, including lack of inf ormation, communication barriers, telemedicine obstacles and feelings of isolation.

Collins also recommends strategic goals and policies to the board, develops and monitors the annual operating plan, administers day-to-day operations, develops programs to ensure constituents are informed, and acts as the spokesperson within the community and legislature. In fact, she is the first and only deaf lobbyist registered in the nation. She also is the Commission’s first deaf director and currently is the longesttenured state director for ACDHH. Prior to moving to Arizona, Collins was an administrator at the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She was also the assistant director of the Gallaudet University Regional Center at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. Collins has a Bachelor of Science in child development from Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C., and a Master’s in adult education, organizational development from North Carolina State University.

Collins is a mentor to countless women in the areas of health and wellness, selfadvocacy and, above all, leadership development. She helped establish and served as president of Phoenix Deaf Women’s Organization, whose mission is to promote education, advocacy, empowerment and networking within the diverse community of the deaf and hard-of-hearing women in the metropolitan area of Phoenix.

Collins has been extremely active in multiple organizations and currently is the president of the National Agencies Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Associations and governing body board member for Sequoia School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She has also served as board chair for the Interpreter Preparation Program Advisory board, board member and past president of the Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind, board member with Arizona Center for Disability Law, council member of the Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council, and chair for Phoenix College Interpreter Preparation Program Advisory Board.

Aside from serving on several boards and committees, Collins enjoys learning about different energies in crystals and stones and making her own jewelry. When given the chance, she and her husband, Randy, love to travel (internationally). Otherwise, she enjoys slow and easy weekends spent reading, hiking, walking her dogs and making healthy meals in the kitchen.

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Organization Name: Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing Main Office Address: 100 N. 15th Ave., Suite 104 Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: (602) 542-3323 Website: acdhh.org No. of Years with Firm: 23 Year Established Locally: 1977

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Honoree

"I am passionate about the work, I push for perfection, and I value every team member I am privileged to work with."

Lisa Dancsok Chief Brand and Impact Officer Arizona Community Foundation

Organization Name: Arizona Community Foundation Main Office Address: 2201 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 405B Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 682-2023 Website: azfoundation.org No. of Years with Firm: 3.5 Year Established Locally: 2017

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Lisa Dancsok was named the chief brand and impact officer for the Arizona Community Foundation in May 2017. She moved from Michigan to Arizona for her dream job. This position enables her to work for a statewide community foundation where she leads ACF’s strategic initiatives, marketing and communications, branding, strategy and analysis, market research, resource development, and assessing the social and financial impact for the greater Arizona community. Dancsok says her most important and rewarding work today includes engaging and learning the community; leading a team of professional communicators; and providing support for donors, nonprofits, corporate partners and other philanthropic organizations. Building upon a strong brand, a complete refresh of the ACF brand has been rewarding experience for her first three years at ACF. Previously, as vice president of corporate philanthropy, marketing and communications for Rock Ventures, Dancsok helped create and implement the “Opportunity Detroit” marketing campaign and oversaw Rock Venture’s philanthropy program that distributed more than $50 million annually into the city. She is proud of the work she did to help launch the Detroit Homecoming program with Crain’s Communications. More than $500 million in new investment was created from expats from across the country coming together to help in rebuilding the city.

One of her proudest accomplishments includes the creation and implementation of the award-winning “Pure Michigan” campaign for the State of Michigan. As senior vice president at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, she was responsible for turning the tourism industry around following the economic downturn of 2008/2009. The advertising campaign was extremely successful and is recognized as one of the top three tourism campaigns of all times.

When asked what her greatest accomplishments have been, she cites the mentoring and development of the next generation of leaders. She takes time to engage, understand and challenge future leaders to think beyond the education they received to the application for profit and not-for-profit organizations. She helps them understand the opportunities and pushes them to grow and take risks.

Today, Dancsok serves as a board member on the Clearinghouse CDFI and the Pakis Center for Business Philanthropy, She previously served on the boards of Delta Dental of Michigan, Renaissance Health Services, Inforum, Michigan State University’s Eli Broad Alumni Board, the Knight Foundation’s Detroit Advisory Committee and the customer advisory board of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. She holds an Executive Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in advertising, both from Michigan State University.

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Honoree

"Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives. I strive to be a mentor for all HCS team members and provide exceptional healthcare for my patients to assist them to live a life of optimal health — building relationships with trust, honesty and integrity!"

Frances J. Ducar, FNP-C Founder, President and CEO Healthcare Solutions Centers, LLC Frances Ducar is the founder and president of Healthcare Solutions Centers, LLC. She has an entrepreneurial spirit that has led her to develop a team of talented and dedicated medical providers who will provide client companies with the highest quality of medical care while reducing their overall healthcare cost. Ducar shares her enthusiastic love for medicine and preventive care with all the medical providers and staff at Healthcare Solutions. After working for more than 20 years in various medical settings, Ducar developed a mission to bring healthcare to the employee at their workplace.

Ducar was raised in a family of very strong business leaders throughout the Southwest. She understands the importance of a company being able to provide healthcare for its employees. With the assistance of Healthcare Solutions’ on-site medical clinics, client companies will be able to not only keep their company’s medical benefits, it will assist them in decreasing their overall healthcare costs and claims while increasing employee health, productivity, morale and retention.

Ducar’s medical experience ranges from first assistant in various specialties in surgery to Family Nurse Practitioner and providing front-line care for patients.

Her talents range from working with many of the finest world-known physicians and surgeons at UCLA in cardiothoracic surgery and then returning to Phoenix to work with the finest physicians in the specialties of family medicine, urgent care, urology, men’s health, cardiology and preventive care. She brings all these talents to provide the highest quality care to all her patients.

As an educator, Ducar consistently provides guidance to all the providers and staff at Healthcare Solutions. She also collaborates on a daily basis with all her physician mentors, and many of the physicians are a great referral base.

Ducar graduated from Arizona State University, UCLA and University of Phoenix, all with first honors, and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau. She is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse First Assistant.

She remains active in all her family nurse practitioner organizations and has prescribing privileges with her DEA certification. She is a leader, educator and entrepreneur and takes pride in all these roles. She is actively involved in the dayto-day operations at Healthcare Solutions Centers and leads a dedicated team in the guidance of patient care.

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Organization Name: Healthcare Solutions Centers, LLC Main Office Address: 100 N. 15th Ave., Suite 104 Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: (602) 424-2101 Website: hcsonsite.com No. of Years with Firm: 17 Year Established Locally: 2003

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Honoree

"Leave the world better than you found it, don’t accept the status quo, open your mind to new thinking and new ways of doing what you once thought impossible or too bold to imagine."

Sybil Francis, Ph.D. President and CEO Center for the Future of Arizona

Organization Name: Center for the Future of Arizona Main Office Address: 541 E. Van Buren, Suite B-5 Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 496-1365 Website: www.arizonafuture.org No. of Years with Firm: 18 Year Established Locally: 2002

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Sybil Francis, Ph.D., was part of the founding team of the Center for the Future of Arizona and was appointed president and CEO in 2018. Dr. Francis brings her passion for creating positive change, her love of Arizona and her national public policy expertise to her leadership of CFA, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission to bring Arizonans together to create a stronger and brighter future for our state.

Her leadership has been instrumental in driving CFA’s success and statewide impact. CFA is committed to achieving The Arizona We Want, a shared vision of success based on what matters most to Arizonans that expresses their hopes and aspirations for the future. To accomplish its work, CFA listens to Arizonans about what matters most to them, shares trusted data about how Arizona is doing in those areas, brings critical issues to public attention, and works with communities and leaders to solve public problems. More than a think-tank, CFA is a “do-tank” taking good ideas and turning them into action for Arizona. CFA launched “The Arizona We Want” Progress Meters, a set of data-based tools designed to measure and report on how Arizona is doing in areas critical to Arizona’s future. CFA’s signature programs include major initiatives in education, civic health and workforce development. CFA’s programs involve multiple partners at local, state and national levels, including nonprofit, K-12, higher education, community-based organizations, government, philanthropic, and business and industry partners.

Committed to achieving prosperity, quality of life and opportunity for all Arizonans, Dr. Francis is more passionate than ever about the importance of CFA’s mission and work and has built an equally committed team to rise to the challenges of the day. She believes that how we position our state to succeed in these changing and challenging times is key to emerging stronger, more connected, and more committed to each other and to our communities.

She believes that including the voices of Arizonans is more important than ever in shaping Arizona’s future success. Dr. Francis recently renewed CFA’s partnership with the Gallup organization to launch the “Gallup Arizona Project,” a groundbreaking initiative that will provide critical insights into how Arizonans are thinking about life in Arizona today, what unites us as Arizonans, and what is needed to create a stronger and brighter future for our state. The results will be communicated broadly at a virtual event in April 2021; it will help inform decisions and actions by leaders in the public and private sectors and be used by communities to create positive change.

Dr. Francis earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Oberlin College and her Ph.D. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has worked as a legislative director in the U.S. Congress and as a senior policy analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She is the daughter of educators and a first-generation heritage French speaker. She lives in Paradise Valley with her husband Michael Crow.

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Honoree

"I believe my passion, courage and tenacity coupled with my desire to help those in our community who have been marginalized have been an inspiration for others. "

Rachel Frazier Johnson Principal and Managing Attorney Rachel Frazier Johnson Law Rachel Frazier Johnson is an accomplished attorney, a formidable pro tem judge and a successful business owner. Her private law practice, Rachel Frazier Johnson Law, was established in 2013 is still serving the Greater Phoenix area. Prior to founding her own firm, Johnson served the state of Arizona as a senior attorney for the Securities Division of the Corporation Commission and as the managing attorney for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Civil Litigation and Advice Section of the Child and Family Division. As a public defender, Johnson represented indigent clients facing serious felony charges, in which role respect, compassion and cooperation were essential to her success.

Johnson is currently in her 18th year of serving as a pro tem judge and appellate judge for the Tohono O’odham Nation. She also serves the state as a member of the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board, which addresses pertinent issues that affect Arizona citizens’ civil rights, including interfacing with law enforcement leadership, proposing human trafficking legislation, spearheading sexual harassment education for small businesses and ensuring that disabled Arizona citizens are being accommodated according to the law.

Appointed to the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Johnson demonstrates her support of the arts on a statewide basis. She also participates on the Arts and Culture Commission for the City of Phoenix as the vice chair of the Commission and as the chair of the Grants Committee. For the past four years, she has served as the chair of the Public Art Committee. She, fellow committee members and the Phoenix Arts and Culture staff were instrumental in enhancing public art projects throughout the city. In addition to her appointments and commitments, Johnson is the chair of the Village Planning (and Zoning) Committee for Central City Phoenix.

As the executive producer of two theatrical productions, the award-winning Letters from Zora, about the life of literary luminary Zora Neale Hurston, and Dreaming of Harlem Under a High Southern Sky, Johnson’s creativity and love of the arts continues to emerge as an integral part of her life. She is also a producing her first feature film.

Johnson learned the importance of service from her mother and grandparents and is determined to pass on that same rich legacy to those around her. She has volunteered her time and offered her resources in countless ways to ensure a better community for all. Her primary goal in life is to lead by example and to serve others.

As a member of the African American Women’s Giving and Empowerment Circle through the Arizona Community Foundation, Johnson pledges an annual gift, which, pooled with other resources, provides grants to nonprofit organizations that serve the needs of African American women and girls. She remains an active contributor to the organization and has conducted grantee site visits and has served on the Grants Committee to review funding requests.

Johnson is committed to working with the children and families who have been impacted by the child welfare system. She serves on various panels to educate foster parents and relative placements and agency program staff regarding Juvenile Law and the Juvenile Court process. She believes there is a direct correlation between our future as a nation and how we treat our children. Her work and dedication to others as a volunteer, mentor and mother speak volumes about her character and her determination to serve.

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Organization Name: Rachel Frazier Johnson Law Main Office Address: 4808 N. 24th St., Suite 150 Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 777-3577 Website: rfjesq.com No. of Years with Firm: 7 Year Established Locally: 2013

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Honoree

"I have a clear vision that is inviting and engaging and starts with meeting people where they are at and valuing each individual’s contributions to our collective goal. "

Angela Hughey Co-Founder and President ONE Community

Organization Name: ONE Community Main Office Address: P.O. Box 17836 Phoenix, AZ 85013 Phone: (480) 355-0088 Website: onecommunity.co No. of Years with Firm: 12 Year Established Locally: 2008

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Angela Hughey is the co-founder and president of ONE Community and ONE Community Foundation. Founded in 2008, ONE Community is the coalition of socially responsible businesses and organizations moving diversity, inclusion and equality for all Arizonans forward. ONE Community Foundation provides educational opportunities to ensure better understanding of nondiscrimination and the importance of being LGBTQ-inclusive.

In 2013, Hughey and the ONE Community team launched the UNITY Pledge — a concerted effort by Arizona businesses and individuals to advance workplace equality and equal treatment in housing and public accommodations for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and their allies. More than 3,200 businesses and organizations and more than 20,000 Arizonans have taken the UNITY Pledge — the largest equality pledge in the nation. Hughey is also credited with the Multicultural Conversation with the Candidates, Spotlight on Success Local Heroes Awards and The State of LGBTQ Arizona collaborative report.

Hughey is a 2012 graduate of Valley Leadership Institute. She has won awards for her work as an independent filmmaker and was honored with the YWCA 2013 Tribute to Leadership Award for Public Service. She has received the HRC Individual Equality Award and was inducted into Echo Magazine’s Hall of Fame. Hughey is a 2012 Business Journal Diversity Champion and sits on the President’s Advisory Council for Phoenix College. ONE Community is the recipient of the 2012 Phoenix Pride Howard and Patricia Fleischmann Community Spirit Award. Hughey is a 2013 inductee into the Phoenix College Alumni Hall of Fame. Hughey and ONE Community led the Open For Business To Everyone coalition in the first quarter of 2014 in response to SB1062, which led to an educational campaign of the same name that focuses on diversity, inclusion and equality for all Arizonans to ensure the economic sustainability of the state. Echo Magazine named Hughey its 2014 Woman of the Year. In 2015, Hughey became the founding chair of Valley Leadership’s Leadership Advance Program for high-potential leaders, overseeing the program for two years. She was the 2016 recipient of the Anti-Defamation League’s Al Brook’s Community Leadership Award, is the recipient of the 2018 Positively Powerful Woman of Equality Leadership Award and is a 2018 Diversity Leadership Alliance Diversity Leader honoree.

Hughey was a member of the Arizona Community Foundation’s LGBTQ Philanthropy committee from 2016 through 2018. She currently sits on the City of Phoenix and State of Arizona 2020 Complete Count Census Committees, and also serves on the boards of the Phoenix Community Alliance and Visit Mesa.

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Honoree

"I work for others to make things a little better every day for my community, for the organizations I serve and for the people I come in contact with."

Chevy Humphrey President and CEO Arizona Science Center Chevy Humphrey is the first Black American to lead a science center in the United States. Since 2005, Humphrey has been president and CEO of Arizona Science Center. While there, Humphrey has created a strong, well-run nonprofit organization that has adopted best practices from business. She leads with sound management, entrepreneurship and strategically deployed resources to gain market share and respect, donor confidence and public support.

Humphrey has helped to accelerate strategic growth of Arizona Science Center, now a 200,000-square-foot facility, both financially and through high-impact science programming. During her tenure, Humphrey has grown the Center’s assets from $3 million to more than $42 million, increased revenue growth in annual operations by 216%, and acquired two nonprofits to maximize programming for the community. At the same time, Humphrey has formed a conscious culture through a transparent, collaborative and highly communicative team that values accountability, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, and works in partnership with the board of trustees and the community.

Humphrey has secured numerous national competitive and prestigious grants for Arizona Science Center from organizations such as the National Institutes for Health and the National Science Foundation. She served as the chair of the Selection and Annual Review Committee (2005–2011) for what was at the time the National Science Foundation’s largest informal science initiative, called Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network.

Before coming to Arizona Science Center, Humphrey held leadership positions at The Phoenix Symphony, Houston Symphony, University of Houston and The University of Texas at Austin.

Humphrey is a global leader in the field of informal science education. She currently serves as board chair of the American Alliance of Museums, the world’s largest museum association. She is a former board chair of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, which serves more than 500 science centers in more than 50 countries.

Humphrey is the first Black American to hold that post. She also was the first person to receive ASTC’s Award for Service.

In Phoenix, Humphrey serves on a number of nonprofit boards, including Sandra Day O’Connor Institute, College Success Arizona and Downtown Phoenix Partnership.

She also serves as director and chair of the Compensation Committee for Grand Canyon Education, Inc., a publicly traded company. In 2017, The Phoenix Business Journal named Humphrey its Mentor of the Year, the first time the award was given. The Phoenix Business Journal also named Humphrey one of its Most Admired CEOs. She was named a Visionary Leader by the Women’s National Basketball Association and by BBVA Compass. She was selected in the 2001 inaugural class of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Fellows, the only non-CEO selected at that time.

Humphrey has an MBA from Northeastern University, with specializations in marketing and entrepreneurship and innovation. She received an honorary Doctor of Science and Technology from the University of Advancing Technology. She has attended advanced management courses at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Yale University School of Management. She is pursuing her doctorate in Business Administration at Grand Canyon University, with an expected graduation date of December 2020.

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Organization Name: Arizona Science Center Main Office Address: 600 E. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 716-2000 Website: azscience.org No. of Years with Firm: 22 Year Established Locally: 1984

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Honoree

“I want to encourage others to grow by their reaching further and achieving the exceptional.”

Christine Mackay Community and Economic Development Director City of Phoenix

Organization Name: Phoenix Community and Economic Development Main Office Address: 200 W. Washington St., 20th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 262-5040 Website: phoenix.gov/econdev No. of Years with Firm: 6 Year Established Locally: 1881

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“Every day I have the privilege of helping to build our city of the future for businesses and residents,” says Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay.

Mackay has served the people of Phoenix since August 2014. She is responsible for leading and fostering an environment where businesses can create and retain jobs, make capital investment and reinvestment in the community, and connect our workforce to employers and training opportunities. During Mackay’s tenure with the city of Phoenix, the department has facilitated the creation of more than 63,000 high-value jobs, seen the average wage of those jobs increase from more than $30,000 in 2014 to more than $70,000 in 2019, and closed deals with more than $58 billion in capital investment.

Mackay leads a department of more than 55 full-time staff that encompasses the full spectrum of economic development areas, including business attraction, business retention and expansion, community development, international relations, Sister Cities, the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board, administration, research, marketing and the city-owned Talking Stick Resort Arena.

She is a two-time honoree as Economic Developer of the Year, Large Community by the Arizona Association for Economic Development. Mackay was recognized as Leader of the Year in Economic Development–Public Policy by the Arizona Capitol Times, and Industry Leader of the Year — Economic Development

by Arizona Commercial Real Estate Magazine. She has also been on the list of the Phoenix Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential Women in Arizona.

She is a member of the Economic Development Director’s Team for Greater Phoenix, Maricopa Association of Government’s Building a Quality Regional Community committee, Flinn Foundation Biosciences Roadmap committee, the International Economic Development Council, Commercial Office Real Estate Executives (CoreNet), the Arizona Association for Economic Development and the Arizona Business Incubator Association.

Mackay has more than 20 years’ experience in economic development overlapping 30 years of commercial real estate experience. She has spent both her personal and professional life here in the Valley.

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Honoree

"I am a born and bred Asian-American generating substantial economic impact while positively contributing to the greater society, and I wouldn’t be here without my hard-working parents who were refugee immigrants."

Jenny Poon Founder and CEO CO+HOOTS Jenny Poon is a serial entrepreneur and founder of CO+HOOTS. Ranked the No. 4 co-working space in the U.S. by Inc.com, CO+HOOTS currently houses more than 280 scaling entrepreneurs and small businesses and has been integral in creating hundreds of jobs locally. She has led CO+HOOTS from its inception in 2010 to being recently ranked the No. 1 most innovative co-working space in the world.

Through her background in business, design-thinking and marketing, she built a place where she could connect with like-minded professionals who believe business growth comes from collaboration between different industries. She speaks regularly on leadership and the importance of nurturing innovation in the workspace, and works tirelessly to bring visibility to co-working as a new economic development tool for building vibrant and equitable cities.

Poon is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and was born and raised in Minnesota.

She grew up helping her parents navigate the ins and outs of running a business, spending most days after school at her parents’ small restaurant with her brother and sister, helping cut carrots and serve tables. From loan rejections to lack of access to trusted advisors, she saw her parents navigate the overly complex world of business without knowing the language and having no connections. It also exposed the great disparity between opportunities available for entrepreneurs of color and their white counterparts. Her upbringing led her to devote her time in combating the deep and systemic issues that plague communities of color in the business world.

During COVID, she saw the critical need to support entrepreneurs across the nation who have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. Knowing COVID has unevenly impacted minority-owned businesses, she jumped into action to support municipalities in creating solutions for businesses in need to get faster access to support. She led the launch of HUUB, a data-driven entrepreneur support platform for municipalities.

HUUB increases the success of diverse entrepreneurs by providing important resources to businesses while enabling cities to attract, develop and retain high-potential entrepreneurs of all different backgrounds. She describes herself as an automation and efficiency nut, and has been building tools to help support entrepreneurs from the ground up and now from the top down.

Poon believes, as Freada Kapor Klein, Ph.D., (American venture capitalist, social policy researcher and philanthropist) put it, “Genius is equally distributed, opportunity is not.”

With an end goal of creating more vibrant and inclusive entrepreneurial communities, Poon aims to expand HUUB to other cities to help more than a million people create strong livelihoods for themselves and future generations. Poon and her husband, Odeen, have a fiery daughter named Ayda who can often be found running the front desk at CO+HOOTS. Poon credits much of her success to having an incredibly supportive husband who is an equal partner in business, life and parenting.

Poon serves as an advisor for numerous startups, board chair of CO+HOOTS Foundation (a 501c3 nonprofit) and mentor for several young entrepreneurs. She was named Phoenix Business Journal’s 2016 Phoenix Businessperson of the Year — the first minority and the first woman to receive the honor.

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Organization Name: CO+HOOTS / HUUB Main Office Address: 221 E. Indianola Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (602) 738-8001 Website: cohoots.com No. of Years with Firm: 10 Year Established Locally: 2010

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Honoree

"Creating adventure and community impact, all while leading my business, I’ve blended travel, family, mentorship and feminist advocacy into a life of joy and meaning. "

Eileen Rogers Leadership and Life Coach One Creative View

Organization Name: One Creative View, LLC Main Office Address: 3213 N. 81st Place, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Phone: (602) 531-4963 Website: onecreativeview.com No. of Years with Firm: 8 Year Established Locally: 2012

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I’ve loved my life and career as an entrepreneur and community leader in Arizona. The original plan in college was to become a more traditional corporate executive working globally in a large organization. Life is about exquisite pivots; mine happened when I packed up my worldly possessions and drove to Arizona after college. I walked into a print shop that I never left. A creative and imaginative sweat equity deal for a job made me a new business owner. On-thejob training made me want to be a good leader. Endless relationships with clients, employees, boards and other leaders provided so many opportunities for me to grow, learn and evolve. I became a national leader in our franchise and was the first woman to chair the franchisee council. Each bit of success and involvement helped me realize how easy it was to make a positive difference.

Growing up included moving and attending 12 schools. Coming to Arizona in 1980, I was ready to put down my roots. With Shirley Chisolm’s quote in my heart, “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth,” I got down to business right away. I gave of my time to organizations and causes that matter to me, including the City of Scottsdale Human Services Commission and Housing Board, chamber boards in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Valley and Scottsdale leadership classes, community bank boards, nonprofit boards and much more. I embraced my global community with medical mission trips to Nepal and Africa. My mentors taught me that being a successful businesswoman was more than about making money — it was about making a difference for the people I led and served. Life was more than what was left over when I came home from work.

Having taken a unique path to owning my business, I was determined to have a graceful planned exit when the time was right. After 39 years, I sold my shares and said goodbye to a wonderful team and amazing partner. One Creative View is my encore company and career. I now leverage my life and leadership lessons, bruises, experiences and adventures to serve others as a leadership evangelist.

My intent is to create and nurture more courageous and braver leaders through my women’s forums, speaking, individual coaching and sharing Dr. Brené Brown’s courage building training as a Dare to Lead™ certified facilitator.

Oh . . . and work life continues to be blended with a lot of travel, connecting with friends and family, being outdoors and creating new adventures.

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Honoree

"As a fourth generation Arizona Latina, my life’s mission is to bridge the divide between multicultural markets and corporations/governments to build mutual benefit and respect."

Lisa Urias President and CEO Urias Communications After more than 15 years in international marketing and communications, Lisa Urias founded her advertising and public relations agency, Urias Communications, in 2006. The agency provides strategic advertising and public relations services to various Fortune 1000 clients and government agencies throughout the United States. Urias founded the agency on the ability to authentically and successfully connect corporations, governments and large nonprofits to the fast-growing multicultural markets of the U.S. Southwest.

Today, Urias Communications is considered one of the most respected agencies in the region.

Now a local and national award-winning advertising and public relations agency, Urias Communications has represented various corporate and large nonprofit clients that include APS, Dignity Health, the Phoenix Zoo and the Phoenix Art Museum. The agency was named the Hispanic Agency of Record for the 2015 Arizona Super Bowl.

During her time in international marketing, Urias served as partner with Alesco Consultores, a Mexican energy consulting agency whose managing partner was the former Mexican Undersecretary of Energy and Director General of the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission).

She also spent nine years at Salt River Project in Phoenix as the director of international markets in the Strategic Planning division and as the director of international affairs in the Public and Communications division, marketing SRP’s technology to more than 70 countries annually.

Urias holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in political philosophy from Arizona State University and completed the Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Institute program from Stanford University. She is recognized for her business acumen and commitment to the community and has received numerous awards: Arizona’s Most Influential Minority Business Leaders from Arizona Business Magazine in 2014, named one of 13 to Watch in 2013 by The Arizona Republic, Most Admired CEOs from the Phoenix Business Journal in 2012, and Business Woman of the Year from the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2010.

Urias is clearly a go-to leader, sitting on numerous boards and commissions and providing an important voice for her community. She currently serves on the boards of National Bank of Arizona, Greater Phoenix Leadership, the ASU Morrison Institute, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Arizona Community Foundation. She is also an appointed member to the Arizona Supreme Court Judicial Counsel.

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OCT. 2020

Organization Name: Urias Communications Main Office Address: 5343 N. 16th St., Suite 240 Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (480) 751-5569 Website: uriascommunications.com No. of Years with Firm: Founder, 14 years Year Established Locally: 2006

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Honoree

"As a professional woman in a historically maledominated field, I believe many look to me as an example of progress they desire for career success."

Jeri Williams Phoenix Chief of Police City of Phoenix

Organization Name: City of Phoenix Police Department Main Office Address: 620 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85003 Phone: (602) 262-6747 Website: phoenix.gov/police No. of Years with Firm: 31 Year Established Locally: 1881

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Jeri L. Williams was appointed police chief of the Phoenix Police Department in October 2016. She leads the largest police agency in the State of Arizona, which is responsible for providing law enforcement services to the fifth most populous city in the country. Chief Williams oversees a staff of nearly 4,000 employees and manages an annual operating budget that tops $700 million.

Chief Williams is a 31-year law enforcement veteran and accomplished police executive. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University.

She is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police.

Under her leadership, the Phoenix Police Department is advancing a number of progressive strategies essential in contemporary law enforcement. This includes a focus on community engagement and professional standards. In 2017, she worked with the Greater Phoenix Chamber to establish the Blue Business Council, which continues to serve as a collaboration with business leaders dedicated to working with the Police Department on sustainable opportunities.

She has also built lasting relationships with various business leaders and associations, such as the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Biltmore Area Partnership.

Chief Williams values her role as a wife and mother more than anything else in her life. The Williams family has been in the public eye for a number of years thanks to their commitment of service in her hometown. Her husband, Cody Williams, serves as a Maricopa County Justice of the Peace in the South Mountain Justice Court. Her son Alan is a professional basketball player and her son Cody is growing his career with the Phoenix Fire Department.

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A PATH TO FOLLOW

Commitment to Culture Accelerates Company Recovery Peter Gibbons assumed his role as chief executive officer of TireHub in 2018.

As CEO, Gibbons is focused on positioning TireHub as the leading tire distributor in the United States. His passion for customers and employees drives his dedication to building culture and saying “yes” to the needs of customers.

Gibbons is a veteran business and supply chain executive with 25 years of experience leading manufacturing and supply chain activities in the consumer, retail and specialty chemicals industries. He most recently served as executive vice president of global development and product supply for Mattel, Inc., and previously served as executive vice president of global supply chain operations for Starbucks and executive vice president of supply chain for ICI Paints North America.

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INBUSINESSPHX.COM

There are broad benefits when employees feel valued

by Peter Gibbons

As the U.S. continues to cope with the negative effects of COVID-19, companies have taken on greater responsibility to keep employees safe and healthy. Leaders are balancing heroic efforts to show appreciation for their employees with the tough decisions needed to keep their companies afloat.

Mark Cuban said it best: “How companies respond . . . is going to define their brand for decades. How you treat your employees today will have more impact on your brand in future years than any amount of advertising, any amount of anything you literally could do.”

One positive change organizations can make now to help their businesses and employees thrive is to commit to culture.

In fact, a recent article in Human Resource Executive reported that 57 percent of companies plan to make a change in their culture as a result of the pandemic. According to a study by Culture Amp, companies that have a strong culture find it much easier to bounce back in times of crisis, and their employees are more likely to have confidence in leadership.

When national tire distributor TireHub, a joint venture between Goodyear and Bridgestone, formed in July 2018, we committed to creating a culture that would bring together employees who were once competitors. It started with a unique brand identity — we refer to our employees as “Hubbers.” To be successful, we needed a culture that would give TireHub our own identity and Hubbers a shared sense of purpose. While there is always more that can be done, having this culture already in place has helped sustain our business during the economic downturn.

To experience the benefits of a strong culture, leaders must plan for it in the same way they plan to increase sales or gain new clients. Developing a strategy that engages all employees,

establishes the new normal and includes ways internal culture extends to customers creates employee satisfaction and loyalty while accelerating company recovery and growth.

MAKING WORDS MATTER

Outlining a mission, vision, promise and commitment that speaks to the core of an organization can serve as the foundation for building culture. These words provide consistent direction for business strategy while giving employees a purpose and identity as part of the team.

At TireHub, we say that words matter. The right words drive both the focus and clarity necessary to inspire the right actions. The TireHub commitment to being adventurous, approachable, relentless and speedy is reinforced in signage, across internal communications and celebrated throughout the organization. These commitments are also prominently displayed throughout corporate headquarters, known as the Hub, and across distribution centers. These traits are applied to the way we approach the business and treat customers.

They are also the basis for internal culture and the standard for how employees treat one another.

Words do matter. They set the tone for an organization and drive action. To make a difference, they must be communicated, shared and engrained in the heart and mind of an organization.

DEVELOPING A PLAN

Words matter, but so does action. Developing culture cannot be accomplished alone or in a vacuum; it requires teamwork.

Because culture is a shared experience, the process of creating it should be, too. Forming a diverse culture committee that

“How companies respond … is going to define their brand for decades. How you treat your employees today will have more impact on your brand in future years than any amount of advertising, any amount of anything you literally could do.” —Mark Cuban

STRATEGIES FOR WORKING REMOTELY includes employees from all departments at all levels not only leads to better ideas, but it also makes for easier implementation.

With a committee firmly in place, the next step is to develop a plan and identify the strategic outcome. The strategic outcome should define what the plan aims to accomplish for the organization. From there, the committee can determine the divisions that will achieve that outcome.

For example, divisions can focus on employee engagement, safety, diversity and inclusion, or processes and procedures. For each one, teams should create a plan with actionable items to hold the group accountable in completing the goals, as well as a timeline with deadlines that help keep projects on track.

DEFINING THE NEW NORMAL

Creating culture in the midst of a pandemic is challenging. Even if an organization already has a plan in place, chances are it needs to be revised to incorporate strategies for a virtual workforce and essential workers. All companies should be committed to best practices for employee health, safety and well-being. This includes a safe work environment, but it goes beyond the basics to recognize and address the stress employees are facing in worrying about their health, balancing family life and being productive workers.

Employee engagement during this time is critical. According to Human Resources Executive, little things like one-on-one check-ins between team leaders and members are important. A thoughtful check-in that recognizes employees’ hard work, rather than a check-up that focuses on tasks and makes workers feel micromanaged, can go a long way in making employees feel valued.

Purposefully adding moments of fun into virtual meetings can help employees feel connected to one another. This can be as simple as allotting a few minutes at the end of a staff meeting for employees to discuss what is important to them. Flexibility is important, but creating some structure for engagement can make employees feel more comfortable participating.

One tactic that can be quickly implemented is to re-visit opportunities that were in place prior to COVID-19 and make them virtual. For example, awards and recognition programs lend themselves to a virtual experience; so do random acts of kindness challenges. Although it requires a bit more creativity, initiatives that were once done in person can find their place in a virtual world.

Unapologetically Ambitious Full of empowering wisdom from one of Silicon Valley’s first female African American CEOs, this inspiring leadership book offers a blueprint for how to achieve one’s personal and professional goals. Shellye Archambeau recounts how she overcame the challenges she faced as a young Black woman, wife and mother, managing her personal and professional responsibilities while climbing the ranks at IBM and subsequently in her roles as CEO. Through the busts and booms of Silicon Valley in the early 2000s, this bold and inspiring book details the risks she took and the strategies she engaged to steer her family, her career and her company, MetricStream, toward success.

Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms Shellye Archambeau and Ben Horowitz

$28

Grand Central Publishing

288 pages

Belonging This book is a groundbreaking investigation into diversity and equality in the workplace, and a clarion call to the people in power who need to rethink their place in the boardroom and become part of the solution. One in four U.S. workers feels they do not belong at work. Structural racism, the patriarchy of the boardroom and pay disparities are just a few of the obstacles in our workplaces that systematically alienate and repress employees of color, women, LGBTQ workers and employees with disabilities, but the statistics are clear: Companies with diverse management teams report 19% higher revenues, and are far more likely to perform above their industry medians. Diversity in business is good for everyone, so why do women and minorities make up only 34% of boards of Fortune 500 companies?

Belonging: The Key to Transforming and Maintaining Diversity, Inclusion and Equality at Work Sue Unerman, Kathryn Jacob and Mark Edwards

$30

Bloomsbury Business

288 pages

To experience the benefits of a strong culture, leaders must plan for it in the same way they plan to increase sales or gain new clients.

Available 10/27/2020

Launching While Female

EXTENDING CULTURE TO CUSTOMERS

A good employee experience leads to a good customer experience.

According to Forbes, customer experience and employee experience are linked. Companies that want to improve their customer experience should first focus on creating the best employee experience.

For TireHub, this meant clearly defining the mission, vision, commitment and promise that extends to a culture of saying “yes” to customers. Employees are given permission to be creative about solving customer problems and finding solutions. Saying “yes” also means going the extra mile for customers and for each other.

For better or worse, internal culture will be reflected in the way employees treat customers. With no clear culture or purpose, employees are left to make their own decisions about company values and vision and how that translates to customer service.

When culture is prioritized and an organization champions the process, employees become true brand ambassadors. Building culture requires planning, work and a team effort, but the benefits to employees, customers and the company’s bottom line provide the ultimate return on investment.

Available 10/6/2020

Launching While Female is an exposé of the gender gap in entrepreneurship and a road map for a more inclusive and economically successful future for us all. Journalist and professor Susanne Althoff investigates the obstacles women and nonbinary entrepreneurs — especially those of color — face when launching, funding and growing their companies, obstacles that persist because the current startup world was engineered by and for white men. Through interviews with more than a hundred founders across the country and in all industries, Althoff paints a picture of an entrepreneurial system rife with bias and discrimination, where women receive less than 3% of this country’s venture capital, struggle to find mentors in the wake of #MeToo and are dismissed as “mompreneurs.”

Launching While Female: Smashing the System That Holds Women Entrepreneurs Back Susanne Althoff Beacon Press

$25.32 Available 10/27/2020

208 pages

OCT. 43 2020 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Economy

DEVELOPING & GROWING BUSINESS DYNAMICS

The R&D Tax Credit: An Overlooked Tax Saving Opportunity for Architects and Engineers This dollar-for-dollar tax credit is available to businesses that engage in qualified research activities

by Jordan Taylor

Jordan Taylor is lead advisor for Capital Review Group, a leading incentive/tax advisory firm based in Phoenix that specializes in maximizing tax savings for businesses in various industries, including architecture, engineering, and manufacturing, as well as commercial building owners. Its team of tax experts stays current on the latest laws and IRS regulations affecting business taxpayers.

Capital Review Group also partners with CPAs, CFOs and other tax and financial professionals to help them develop customized tax strategies that harness drastic savings for their clients. capitalreviewgroup.com

OCT. 2020

IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Roundtable: Develop Intuition as a ‘Superpow er’ in Business

WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT

HONORING OUR

WOMEN LEADERS

OCTOBER 2020

AT A TIME WHEN

LEADERSHIP IS

NEEDED MOST

Commitment to

Culture Aids Recovery Executives: Maximize Value in

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By designing impressive new buildings and developing solutions for challenging structural issues, architects and engineers serve as beacons of growth and innovation in society. Yet, many architecture and engineering firms do not realize that their routine activities may qualify them for a powerful opportunity to significantly boost their bottom lines: the Research and Development Tax Credit.

As one of the most lucrative incentives in the federal tax code, the R&D Credit saves large companies billions of dollars every year. However, many smaller and medium-sized businesses miss out due to the common misconception that the R&D Credit is available only to taxpayers that spend vast amounts of capital on R&D or engage in high-tech or scientific research. In reality, the credit is available to businesses of all sizes in a wide variety of industries, including architecture and engineering — and, due to changes under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, it is now more valuable for smaller and newer businesses.

WHAT IS THE R&D CREDIT?

The R&D Credit was added to the federal tax code in 1981 with the goal of spurring innovation in the U.S. Until 2015, the credit was not a permanent part of the tax code but was, instead, subject to Congressional renewal each year.

Fortunately, the PATH Act made the R&D Credit permanent and allowed certain businesses to use it against tax liabilities other than income tax — which has expanded the credit’s utility for many smaller businesses. Specifically: • Businesses that have averaged $50 million or less in gross receipts over the past three years may now apply the credit towards their alternative minimum tax (AMT) liabilities.

• Businesses that have been operating for fewer than six years, had no gross receipts for the previous five tax years and have $5 million or less in gross receipts for the current year may use the R&D Credit against their FICA payroll taxes.

This dollar-for-dollar tax credit is available to businesses that engage in qualified research activities. To constitute qualified research, a taxpayer’s activities must fulfill the following criteria: • The goal must be to create or improve the functionality of a product, process or software; • The taxpayer must seek to resolve some uncertainty about the activity, such as its optimal design or the best method for completing the project;

• In striving to eliminate the uncertainty, the taxpayer must complete a process of experimentation designed to evaluate one or more alternatives; and • The process of experimentation must be technological in nature and rely on the physical or biological sciences, engineering or computer science.

For architecture and engineering firms, a few examples of activities that may be considered qualified research include: • Developing designs that include energy efficiency measures or accommodate unique site conditions, municipal codes, or client requirements • Incorporating new design or construction techniques • Performing engineering calculations • Evaluating and testing designs through modeling, computational analysis, informal trial and error, or other means • Performing construction planning

HOW TO CLAIM THE R&D CREDIT

To claim the R&D Credit, businesses must provide thorough documentation of qualified research activities, including project lists and cost summaries, tax returns, and the payroll records and time sheets for employees who engaged in R&D. The R&D Credit amount is based on the taxpayer’s qualified research expenses (QREs), which are the costs that a business incurs — such as employee wages and amounts paid for supplies — while conducting qualified research.

In addition to the federal credit, most states offer their own tax incentives for businesses conducting R&D activities. For example, Arizona’s R&D Credit is equal to 24 percent of a taxpayer’s first $2.5 million in QREs, plus 15 percent of QREs more than $2.5 million. Qualified research must be conducted in Arizona and must comply with the requirements for the federal credit.

Based on routine activities that they conduct in the course of their business, many architecture and engineering firms may find that they are eligible for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax savings at the state and/or federal level. In light of the changes under the PATH Act, now is the time for businesses in these industries and many others to consult their tax professionals and determine whether they may be eligible for this valuable incentive. With the potential savings available through the R&D Credit, businesses can cut their tax bills and boost their net profits, thereby powering future growth and innovation.

Through routine activities such as developing energy-efficient designs, incorporating new design or construction techniques, and performing engineering calculations, architecture and engineering firms may be eligible for five- or six-figure tax savings through state and federal Research and Development Tax Credits.

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LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

The State of Psychedelics Today And future business opportunities Gary Michael Smith, Esq.

Gary Michael Smith is an attorney and arbitrator and founding member of Phoenix-based Guidant Law Firm. He is also a founding director and current president of the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association, board member of the Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, and contributing author to Green Entrepreneur. guidant.law

While widely used in various forms for thousands for years, psychedelic substances that have been admonished in recent decades are receiving renewed interest for their medicinal properties. For instance, phase 3 studies are underway for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, setting the stage for a probable return to prescription status. Following close behind, psilocybin mushroom medicines are on fast track by the Food and Drug Administration for approval for treatment of anxiety and depression. It is anticipated that within two years, the FDA will approve MDMA (methyl​enedioxy-​methamphetamine, commonly known as Ecstasy) and psilocybin therapies.

Investors are looking at these psychedelics and other traditional plant medicines, considering what business opportunities lie ahead. But many variables need to be weighed, and the experiences of medical marijuana might prove an insufficient model for these alternative substances.

Also, many religions venerate psychedelic plant medicines, and most legislators are paralyzed at the thought. There will be many voices at this table.

WHAT ARE PSYCHEDELICS?

“Psychedelic” is Greek and literally means mind-manifesting.

Psychedelic generally describes a class of drugs that affect and impact human consciousness through effects brought about when the drug binds with receptors in the human brain.

Many psychedelic substances are serotogenic, i.e., variations of serotonin, the brain’s primary neurotransmitter chemical.

Serotonin and its variations exist throughout most of the animal, plant and fungi kingdoms. In fact, the human body, as well as many plants, naturally produces psychedelics such as dimethyltryptamine.

HOW ARE PSYCHEDELICS USED AS MEDICINE?

Gary Michael Smith authored Psychedelica Lex, the first comprehensive book to examine the laws governing psychedelics.

In addition to a deep legal dive, he provides notable context related to archaeology, anthropology, biology, religion and spirituality, as well as future outlooks.

The book is available on Amazon. psychedelicalex.com

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Archeological records and living communities around the planet attest that for thousands of years humans shared a deep and intimate connection to plant medicines, including many psychedelics. When psychedelics bind to brain receptors, they open the brain to higher function and expand connectivity between discrete regions of the brain. The primary effects are temporary, as the substance is inevitably metabolized and swept clean from the brain receptors.

However, during the initial effects and after-effects, human mood improves, and many people express profound and lingering reduction or elimination of depression and anxiety.

AREN’T PSYCHEDELICS ADDICTIVE?

No. Actually the opposite. Not only are psychedelics generally regarded as not addictive, psychedelics are used in the treatment of addiction. LSD has many studies showing favorable treatment of alcoholism. Ibogaine, a naturally occurring psychoactive substance found in the Apocynaceae plant family, is used to treat opioid addiction.

WHAT WOULD A PSYCHEDELICS BUSINESS LOOK LIKE?

Since most psychedelics are Schedule I, there is no licit market for them. But assuming states began to decriminalize or accommodate plant and fungi medicines, there would be opportunity for cultivators, clinic operators, clinicians, testing labs and the raft of support that typically surrounds any business.

Much depends upon whether the FDA reschedules certain psychedelics, and whether psychedelics would be available by prescription without being tied to in-clinic use. In the instance of ketamine, an old and well-regarded surgical anesthetic, it found new off-label life inside private ketamine clinics to treat depression. Ketamine patients sign up for a series of ketamine infusion sessions, where they will go to a ketamine clinic to receive intravenous doses of ketamine under supervision. If the FDA restricts psychedelics to in-clinic use only, ketamine clinics might serve as a more accurate business model than marijuana dispensaries — unlike cannabis, psychedelics are not typically taken on a daily basis in any significant volume.

However, unlikely as it might be, the FDA might inevitably permit home consumption of certain psychedelics. Along these lines, communities such as Denver, Oakland and Santa Cruz ran out of patience waiting for the bureaucrats and decriminalized certain psychedelics in their communities. This year, Oregonians will vote on a statewide psilocybin initiative that would create a well-regulated, patient-focused, clinic-like structure. Oregon might set the example for the nation.

Anyone interested in a psychedelic-friendly future needs to start taking action today. Foremost will be the reshaping of state laws to create the legal lattice necessary to bring licit psychedelics into a licit marketplace. With a literal epidemic of depression, fueled by the COVID pandemic, there is no shortage of persons who potentially would benefit from psychedelics’ healing effects. The investment today, however, is in creating the laws and regulations to allow this to occur, and no one yet has the corner on that market. A lot of different structures can be considered, and there are many spots at the top for good policy ideas.

It is anticipated that within two years, the FDA will approve MDMA (methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, commonly known as Ecstasy) and psilocybin therapies. Investors are looking at these psychedelics and other traditional plant medicines, considering what business opportunities lie ahead.

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Social Impact

BUSINESS GIVES BACK

The Arizona Lottery, Fostering Change for Kids in Need Support of Recycle Your Bicycle enables lifeline for kids in foster care

by Tyler Butler

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Since 1981, the Arizona Lottery has generated more than $4.4 billion in net funding in support of programs that help to improve the quality of life for the people in Arizona.

“This year, Recycle Your Bicycle took an extra meaningful turn with the onset of COVID-19,” says Joe Jacober, bike coordinator for Recycle Your Bicycle. “Thanks to the support of the Arizona Lottery, we gave hundreds of bikes to children in foster care with no other way to receive a bike. We are grateful to the AZ Lottery and all Arizonans for their support of children in foster care.”

The Arizona Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents is the parent organization to RYB and it provides essential support to foster and adoptive families. Naturally, there are costs involved to the program and that is where the Arizona Lottery was able to step in. In 2019, it allocated a $5,000 sponsorship to help buy parts and supplies to refurbish these bikes and, during its live annual holiday social media event last year, it raised another $20,000 for RYB to continue that work.

“This year, given the pressure that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on bicycle manufacturers and parts suppliers, and the difficulties of maintaining social distancing while reconditioning these used bikes, RYB was facing almost insurmountable challenges in getting bikes to these kids,” says Rogers. “Bicycles are so important to these children, who have lost so much, because they give them a sense of normalcy and freedom, as well as healthy outdoor exercise at a time when it’s needed most.”

Through its Gives Back sponsorship program, the Arizona Lottery was able to step up and give RYB $18,000 to purchase 300 new bikes and helmets, and then distribute them to foster and adoptive families across Maricopa County. Given the enormous and lasting impact this work has already had on hundreds, if not thousands, of foster and adopted children, it has been an unmitigated success that will be felt for years to come.

Arizona Lottery arizonalottery.com Recycle Your Bicycle recycleyourbicycleaz.com

Photo courtesy of Recycle Your Bicycle

Tyler Butler (“Tyler Butler | Giving in Style”), founder and CEO of 11Eleven Consulting, is a corporate social responsibility practitioner and expert leader in the corporate citizenship space. She has served on numerous national and local boards and is often cited as a subject matter expert by Forbes, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report and more.

11elevenconsulting.com givinginstyle.net

If a worldwide pandemic has taught our society anything, it is the value of access. Access to everything from tissue paper and masks to food or even to bicycles. Items we’ve become accustomed to having easy access to have more recently become quite the commodity. While providing freedom, fun and an activity is at a premium these days, simple pleasures such as riding a bicycle have become a priority and a luxury simultaneously. Whether what’s wanted is a commuter or fitness bike, though, both are in limited supply.

It is these types of community problems that the Arizona Lottery is committed to assisting with. The Arizona Lottery has been raising funds and awareness for causes in need since 1981. Through its diligent efforts, it has generated more than $4.4 billion in net funding in support of programs that help to improve the quality of life for the people in Arizona. This support has impacted programs in higher education, economic development, environmental conservation, and health and human services. And, considering the uncertain times we are living in, these valuable resources have never been as critical for our community as they are right now.

Through an existing partnership, the Arizona Lottery has committed its efforts to support the Recycle Your Bicycle program. The RYB program comes to our community thanks to the Arizona Association for Foster & Adoptive Parents. RYB’s mission is to provide bicycles to children and youth in foster care. Throughout the 10-year history of the program, RYB has provided more than 10,000 bicycles for foster families.

“The Arizona Lottery exists to do good in our communities.

Supporting our most vulnerable, our foster children, has huge impact for Arizona.,” says Gregg Edgar, executive director of the Arizona Lottery.

This support could not come at more opportune time.

According to the N.P.D. Group, a market research company, sales of children’s bikes has gone up 59%. With fewer resources than ever, many families simply cannot afford bikes.

For children and youth in foster care, bikes can serve as a lifeline. Bikes provide freedom, exercise, transportation to work and school, and a chance to have fun.

“Our work with Recycle Your Bicycle goes back to July of 2019, when we learned about their work to benefit foster and adopted children by refurbishing and gifting them bikes that they would otherwise not be able to own,” says Chris Rogers, Arizona Lottery deputy director of marketing and products.

“There was a real connection there, for us, as proceeds from Arizona Lottery ticket sales fund Court Appointed Special Advocates, which trains volunteers to speak on behalf of foster children in the court system and advocates for them during this difficult time in their lives.”

DARING TO BE BETTER

To Thrive, You Must Dare to Risk

Risk

“If we don’t have the skills to get back up, we may not risk failing. And if we are brave enough, often enough, we are definitely going to fall.”

—Dr. Brené Brown

Resilience is a crucial strength

by Eileen Rogers

The world needs braver and more courageous leaders — successful and inspiring leaders who will remove the barriers to good work and healthy workplaces.

In this series of articles, I’ve covered the four skillsets of courage-building as identified by Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW, in her academic research and in her book Dare to Lead. The skills she describes are observable, measurable and, most importantly, teachable.

DR. BROWN’S SKILLSETS FOR BUILDING COURAGE

Here are the four critical competencies: • Rumbling with Vulnerability: This is by far the most important skill – the ability to have difficult, clear, kind, and accountable conversations.

• Living into Values: Who we are is how we lead.

Leadership style is simply one’s core values translated into everyday action.

• BRAVING Trust: BRAVING stands for Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Non-judgment and Generosity. This kind of trust is the glue that holds teams and organizations together. No trust, no connection.

• Learning to Rise: This means building resilience to setbacks, surprises and failures.

The final skill, learning to rise, is an everyday topic among my friends and leader peers, especially in today’s pandemic environment. With Zoom and video meeting fatigue and trying to teach children at home while working at the same time, we’re struggling every single day to stay healthy, productive, engaged and connected. Almost no one is feeling “good enough” in any of their roles — as a leader, parent, friend, child, partner — and we’re often dealing with shame or vulnerability, and likely both. The stress of showing up and “rising up” every day often results in showing up as our not best selves.

THE PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO BUILD RESILIENCE AFTER THE FACT

“If we don’t have the skills to get back up, we may not risk failing. And if we are brave enough, often enough, we are definitely going to fall.”—Dr. Brené Brown In her research, Dr. Brown’s discovered that many leaders and executive coaches try to teach resilience skills after there has been a disappointment or failure. Shame and vulnerability always accompany failure, and fixing and problem-solving are not useful approaches to building courage. With millennials now constituting most of the workforce, embracing failure is more important than ever. Sadly, the long-term effects of “helicopter parenting” leaves many of our colleagues without well-developed or practiced resilience skills to use in their roles at work.

Learning to rise is about getting up and dusting ourselves off from the hurt of mistakes, rejection of ideas and not feeling “good enough,” and doing it in a way that will allow for wisdom and learning to come in. Most often, falling and failing result in made-up stories — mostly negative ones — that diminish our lovability, creativity, connection and trust.

“When we don’t own our stories of failure, setbacks and hurt — they own us.”—Dr. Brené Brown It is up to leaders to understand this and prepare their teams to be brave. That means we also expect them to fail and fall. As brave leaders ourselves, we must talk about vulnerability (defined as risk, uncertainty and emotional exposure) and make it a point to model habits and behaviors that build trust and safety. We can teach new employees about shame, and show them how to use empathy to connect and support. We can have clear, kind and direct conversations that create powerful accountability and learning.

LEADERS MAKE THEIR TEAMS A SAFE PLACE TO STUMBLE

Organizations are being pressured to innovate faster than ever just to survive. Yet, innovation as a value is just lip service if leaders are not rewarding and prepping teams for outcomes of failure and setbacks. In this pandemic environment, leaders who have the courage to model and teach teams about resilience will be the ones who come out of this with stronger teams and evolved business models for future success.

These courageous leaders are brave every day in the face of their fears. They sit in these daily moments of discomfort and make the choice to stay with that discomfort. They fall down and then pick themselves back up. They learn from the results.

They embrace the vulnerability, then step into the fear again and again. They share their wisdom with others.

What inspires me to coach is being a witness to the amazing outcomes that are possible when a person chooses vulnerability, values, connection, self-trust, empathy and resilience. There are no limits for brave and courageous leaders. We “Dare to Lead” by taking off our armor and showing up instead with courage, compassion and connection.

After 40 years as president of her print and marketing company, Eileen Rogers’ encore career is now as a leadership coach and business advisor through her company One Creative View. She is a seasoned and accomplished entrepreneur and recognized community leader who is fiercely passionate about supporting and growing more vulnerable and courageous leaders.

She is a certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator, Integrative Enneagram practitioner and executive coach. onecreativeview.com

OCT. 49 2020 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Maximizing Value: How to Negotiate Executive Compensation in Turbulent Times Beyond a “cash, now” mindset

by Kris Yamano

EXECUTIVES: DON’T FORGET OTHER BENEFITS Executives shouldn’t forget about more traditional benefits and compensation such as health, dental, life and disability insurance plans, as well as pension or 401(k) offerings that can and should be negotiated.

A business looking to save on cash may be amenable to providing additional PTO or vacation days.

For many executives, cash is king when negotiating a compensation package. But amid challenging economic times such as the current pandemic, companies may hesitate to commit to large base salaries when cashflow is tight and the business climate remains uncertain.

In such unpredictable circumstances, companies prefer to tie executive compensation to future success. This means executives should pivot their negotiating tactics — and mindsets — toward alternative forms of compensation that focus less on cold, hard cash and more on overall value and total worth. For executives confident in the company’s vision and their own ability to help it grow, this approach can lead toward a package that adequately compensates for their talent and expertise while providing the business with cashflow and operational flexibility during turbulent times.

Here is a breakdown of common compensation alternatives to explore in negotiations:

DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS

Kris Yamano is a market leader with BMO Wealth Management.

She leads a team of professionals dedicated to providing high-networth families, closely held businesses and charitable organizations with a full range of customized wealth services that include investment management, private banking, trust and estate services, and comprehensive wealth planning. wealth.bmoharris.com

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Deferred compensation plans may be worth considering, especially by executives in a high tax bracket. As the name implies, these plans allow an executive to defer receiving — and paying taxes on — a portion of income until a future date.

For example, a salary or bonus deferral plan might enable an executive to receive an annual bonus in January rather than December. This would allow the business an extra month of cashflow flexibility while also providing the executive the benefit of deferring taxes on the bonus by a full year.

Another deferred compensation option is a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, in which an employer will set aside funds in a separate account that can’t be touched for a period of time. Eligibility to receive the benefit of these discretionary contributions typically requires an executive to stay with the company for a certain period of time, but distributions from the plan can supplement the executive’s future retirement income.

EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION

Equity-based compensation is the most common alternative for an executive looking to maximize compensation with an employer that is unwilling or unable to commit to a high base salary. But not all equity options are created equal. Executives must take care to understand the differences among the various equity awards when negotiating for them.

• Stock options: Broadly speaking, an “option” provides an executive the right to buy shares of company stock at a predetermined price in the future. The benefit is that at the

time of exercise, the difference in the price paid for shares and current market value of those shares may be significant.

However, contrary to popular belief, not all stock options are created equal. Consider, for example, the difference between qualified Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and Non-Qualified (also called Non-Statutory) Stock Options or NSOs. Although no tax is due on the issue date of either option type, the tax due upon the exercise and future sale of each differs substantially. With ISOs, no tax is due upon exercise, but the future sale of ISO shares may qualify for long-term capital gain tax treatment. In contrast, NSOs are subject to ordinary income tax on the spread (the difference between the exercise price and fair market value) upon their exercise. This difference can be very important in determining an exercise strategy.

• Restricted stock: This is a stock award granted to an executive that cannot be sold or transferred until a scheduled date in the future. Unlike stock options, executives don’t have to pay out of pocket for shares of restricted stock. Shares are subject to income tax the year they become vested.

• Phantom stock: Phantom stock is a compensation award in which a company agrees to pay the recipient a cash payment in the amount equal to the market value of company stock at a future date. This type of award provides executives with “skin in the game” without actually owning shares of stock.

The value of the payout increases along with the value of the company’s stock.

• Stock Appreciation Rights: SARs are a form of compensation tied to the value of a company’s stock price during a fixed period of time. Unlike stock options, SARs are usually paid out in cash and do not require an executive to own or purchase shares.

FOCUS ON PERSONAL VALUE

Regardless of the type of compensation executives pursue in negotiations, it is incumbent upon them to make the case to their prospective employer. They must help the company understand why the compensation request makes sense and is deserved.

In other words, executives should focus on articulating the value they bring to their prospective employer rather than dwell on how the potential package compares to their current or previous compensation.

Even in a challenging business climate, emphasizing value in negotiating executive compensation ensures the interests of both employer and executive are in alignment, with risk and reward shared equally between both parties.

During negotiations, executives ought to ask for everything they want up front instead of negotiating items individually. This approach helps keep the focus on the value of the total compensation package, which is critical to understanding and maximizing total earnings beyond base salary.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

OUR VIRTUAL REALITY CREATES NEW OPPORTUNITIES While nothing beats faceto-face donor meetings, the virtual world enables more staff and board members to engage.

Involve all staff and board to make donor thank you calls. Empower staff to make quick videos of their work on their phones and email those to donors and volunteers. Strong relationships are built on connections, and in this virtual world, everyone can play a role.

Carla Vargas Jasa is the president and chief executive officer of Valley of the Sun United Way in Phoenix, which partners with businesses, donors, volunteers, nonprofits and others to serve the people of Maricopa County and is among the largest United Ways in the nation. vsuw.org

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Deepening Donor Relationships in a Virtual World New ways to connect in our new normal

by Carla Vargas Jasa

As local and global communities grapple with the immediate and long-term effects of the pandemic, many organizations and businesses are struggling to stay afloat in these uncharted waters. Meanwhile, the nonprofit sector is feeling the severe economic impact of the crisis at the same time that requests from individuals and families they serve are at record highs and growing.

With change as the new normal, it can feel overwhelming to know which direction to take and the digital tools to use when connecting with donors. When the pandemic hit, our organization pivoted from a community-based planning initiative to emergency response. Efforts focused on timely donor outreach, innovative ways to engage in our work and social media, and an invitation to participate in advocacy work.

Here’s what we learned along the way.

Connect personally with donors when accessibility is high and an “ask” is not the goal. With many people still working from home and avoiding travel, accessibility to donors has never been greater. Consider a phone or email outreach campaign just to “check-in” on donors. The end goal is not to make a formal “ask,” but rather to make a human connection.

Feedback we received from our outreach was extremely positive. A supporter who had received a call shared, “It meant a lot that you took the time to reach out.”

An outreach campaign is the perfect opportunity to communicate current program delivery barriers with donors or grantors and ask for their input on ways to overcome these challenges. Open dialogue will deepen the relationship, discover new ideas and, potentially, lead to funding down the road.

Embrace virtual tools to create new experiences that connect to the work. The current crisis is creating an urgent need for human connection in a time when virtual experiences might be the only option. Investing time in adjusting current volunteer programs or creating virtual experiences will keep donors connected to the organization’s mission and can keep important programs front and center.

For example, nonprofits can push out an email campaign to promote a virtual gifts-in-kind or holiday drive that is set up to deliver items directly to those in need. Or consider emailing personalized selfie-style “Thank You” videos to donors from staff or board members, with a message of gratitude and an update on how their dollars are helping the cause. Other innovative options include virtual tours, Facebook Live discussions and Zoom events focused on education and engagement.

Encourage two-way communication with donors on social media. Utilizing social media in today’s climate is an imperative. Nonprofits can take social media interaction beyond the “like,” “follow” or “share” and ask donors to complete a poll or survey about current needs in the community to learn more about what’s on the donor’s mind.

Also, when posting content remember to tag companies whose interests align. Twitter is known to have a high corporate presence. Staff and board members can use their personal Twitter account as a tool to connect with the broader community and retweet partners’ social posts.

Provide ways for donors to engage in advocacy and public policy. Although it can be a challenge to mobilize people in an age of social distancing, nonprofits involved in public policy can create simple ways for donors to engage directly in its advocacy work and communicate how addressing local and national issues can advance the organization’s mission.

Consider serving as an information hub where donors can access credible information on issues and policy, including a calendar for upcoming events and actions. Use links such as https://cqrcengage.com/unitedway/lookup?0 to connect donors directly with their state and federal delegations.

In this time of uncertainty, focusing on deepening donor relationships will help anchor nonprofits and provide clarity in the storm. Even when problems are complex and the work is difficult, when donor relationships are strong, great things can happen.

Valley of the Sun United Way launched the United for the Valley COVID-19 Fund to ensure Maricopa County local health and human services and education nonprofits, as well as schools, receive resources to meet urgent needs. Nearly $3 million was distributed, providing aid to more than half a million individuals and families.

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OCTOBER 2020

AT A TIME WHEN

LEADERSHIP IS

NEEDED MOST

Commitment to

Culture Aids Recovery Executives: Maximize Value in

Compensation Negotiations Psychedelics:

•

Past, Present and Future

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

THIS ISSUE

$7.95 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Arizona Technology Council

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Get a year of In Business Magazine. Subscribe now at inbusinessphx.com

Gifts Employees Would Actually Love to Receive It’s that time of year when business managers need to start thinking about ways to show employees their appreciation, and that often means gifts. So, are there gifts out there that employees want more than others? The answer is yes, and here are some of this year’s top contenders.

Rawlogy

Clarkson Ave Crumb Cake

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and employers know that. This year, think

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charging cables and

about giving the gift of “at-home massage”

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Supercharged 6.2L HEMI® V8 Perhaps one of the best engines ever made, this HEMI with 702 horsepower, 650 pound-feet of torque and zero to sixty in 4.5 seconds speaks for itself. A robust cast-iron block restrains a forged-steel crankshaft with induction-hardened bearings, all engineered to withstand firing pressures of 1,595 psi — the equivalent of 20,000 pounds of force. ramtrucks.com

Photos courtesy of Dodge (top, left), Rawlogy, Clarkson Ave., Classy Chagers (bottom l to r)

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HONORING OUR

WOMEN LEADERS

OCT. 2020

The first performance-focused steering wheel on a Ram truck boasts integrated aluminum shift paddles, a flat-bottom shape and available carbon fiber and Alcantara suede accents — exactly what we should expect in a performance truck.

Many modes match the many modes a TRX can find itself in.

Sport Mode for quicker shift times, a tightened suspension, a 30/70 torque split, and sport-tuned stability control empower TRX with the optimal performance-truck setup on paved surfaces. Then there is Snow Mode, Custom Mode, Mud/Sand Mode and Rock Mode — all with attributes to ensure optimum performance and ride given each terrain. This makes the TRX a truly all-terrain vehicle.

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OCT. 2020

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Roundtable: Develop Intuition as a ‘Superpow er’ in Business

With eight extra inches of overall width, massive 35inch tires and a menacing stance, TRX asserts itself as the most muscular truck to ever leave the Dodge factory.

The supercharged 6.2L HEMI® V8 is not only famous, it is advanced. When an engine boasts Best-in-Class horsepower and torque, it doesn’t need any artificial noise enhancements to create an authentic sound in this TRX. The twin-screw supercharger provides near-instantaneous torque, has a maximum speed of 14,600 rpm and can regulate boost pressure up to an astounding 11.0 psi. The high-performance air induction system filters four times as much dirt and debris than the Ford Raptor, all while consuming up to 32.9 liters of air per minute.

The fenders and box-outers are flared eight inches to accommodate a wide track, while seven strategically placed air flow features provide optimal cooling and aerodynamics via functional scoops, heat extractors, air curtains and vents.

TRX is the first Ram truck to be equipped with Launch Control with Launch Assist, which regulates engine RPM and monitors wheel slip feedback to always achieve the fastest possible acceleration rate. The all-new Bilstein Black Hawk e2 shock system is the most sophisticated ever offered on a production truck and it’s found only on TRX.

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MEALS THAT MATTER

SOFT SHELL CRAB PO BOY Toasted baguette with Cajun mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle and fried soft shell crab, served with Angry Crab Shack Cajun fries $15

GRILLED SALMON BOWL Salmon filet grilled with garlic butter, vegetables and choice of rice or linguine $15

by Andrew Diamond

Operating a restaurant during a global pandemic brings its fair share of challenges. Despite the obstacles, Angry Crab Shack did not concede to the crisis; instead, we displayed our resilience by facing the new economic and situational realities head-on through our philanthropy and community support, enhancing guest experience, adapting restaurant operations and strengthening our franchise owner support.

At Angry Crab Shack, we consider the community as part of our family, which our brand is built and centered on. We always receive endless amounts of support and love from the communities since the first location opened in Mesa in 2013, and we want to reciprocate that. At the beginning of COVID-19, the importance of supporting those in need became greater and more dire. To help our community get through these hard times, we donated more than $100,000 to local organizations — including $10,000 to United Food Bank and $10,000 to St. Mary’s Food Bank, which supplied a total of 120,000 meals; $2,000 to American Service Animal Society; and $90,000 to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in addition to increasing our quarterly endowment.

We remain committed to bringing our communities the bold and enticing flavors of our famous seafood boil, as we continue to adapt our menu and overall operations. To help us do this, we’ve hired a new executive chef, Sloan Emden, who brings more than 30 years of restaurant experience and knowledge to our team. Emden will help oversee the menu

As the president of Angry Crab Shack franchise, Andrew Diamond heads up franchise sales and leads the support and operations teams for franchise owners. In addition to this role, he is also CFO and the owner-operator of multiple Angry Crab Shack corporate restaurants.

OCT. 2020

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INBUSINESSPHX.COM

and food packaging so guests can have the same experience and delicious flavors in the comfort of their home. Additionally, Angry Crab Shack has added online ordering and third-party delivery services with DoorDash and GrubHub in order to reach more guests and serve them with greater efficiency.

Along with ensuring the quality of carryout orders, we’ve also focused on adapting our restaurant operations, including properly trained staff. Angry Crab Shack has gone above and beyond to protect the health and safety of our guests and employees by implementing screenings for the staff and guests, improved cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and switching to single serving and disposable items. We’ve strengthened our training program and will retrain all employees in-person at the new, larger home office as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Considering the unexpected challenges the pandemic has had on our franchise owners, we’ve worked nonstop to help ease the financial burden on them. In order to maintain revenues, Angry Crab Shack transitioned from a full-service sit-down restaurant to focusing on takeout and delivery. And to help our franchise owners navigate through the economic struggles, we immediately waived their royalties for an indefinite period of time. Also, we assisted them in completing PPP loans and working through program laws and regulations to access critical funds enabling them to retain and pay their employees. Helping to alleviate these economic burdens will allow them to focus on adapting their business operations and keeping their community safe and healthy.

At Angry Crab Shack, we pride ourselves on being able to adapt and overcome any obstacle thrown our way. Even though the coronavirus pandemic has impacted practically every aspect of our business, we’re committed to working day in and day out to be innovative, think outside the box and to help every franchise owner succeed. Our resiliency would be nothing without the loyalty of our guests and the motivation our franchise partners have demonstrated as we navigate these uncharted territories together.

Angry Crab Shack Multiple locations Valley-wide angrycrabshack.com

Angry Crab Shack is a Mesa-based restaurant chain and franchise that opened its first restaurant in 2013.

Photos courtesy of Angry Crab Shack

BOIL MIX BAG Cajun seafood boil made from scratch with mixing a mind-blowing combination of palate-pleasing spices and herbs: Customers pick their favorite seafood items, choose a savory sauce, and spice it up with one of the seven spice levels. Add seasonal vegetables, corn, potato and other sides into the boil bag (additional costs will vary).

Priced by the pound

Angry Crab Shack: Asian Cajun Serves Its Communities

Fall 2O20 • aztechcouncil.org

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Staying Connected

Arizona Technology Report

Arizona Technology Council: The Voice of the Technology Industry

President’s Message

Pandemic or no, we have all learned that we still need to stay the course no matter how choppy the waters may become. For the Arizona Technology Council, that meant pursuing a public policy agenda in a legislative session 4 STEM Resource Directory where lawmakers understandably had a lot of pressing matters to consider.

5 Modernizing Energy Rules A key reason we continued to make Time to Enroll in Health Plan our presence known at the Legislature Newest Board Member instead of taking a break for COVID-19 Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO was our representing a membership Arizona Technology Council responsible for being a critical driver of Arizona’s economy. And while a number of our priorities didn’t get the final vote as we had hoped, we saw enough movement to The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for remain positive when lawmakers return. science and technology companies.

One of our priorities for the 2020 legislative session was to ensure proven economic development programs such as the Angel Investment Tax Credit and current levels of Phoenix Office the Research and Development Tax Credit are reauthorized past their sunset dates of 2800 N. Central Ave., Suite 1530 June 30, 2021. I’m happy to report that the Legislature granted an additional 10 years Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: 602-343-8324 • Fax: 602-343-8330 for the R&D tax credit, which places a value of 24% for the first $2.5 million in qualifying info@aztechcouncil.org expenses and 15% for expenses in excess of that amount.

As for “mirror bills” in both the House and Senate to extend until 2031 the Angel Tucson Office Investment Tax Credit — formally known as the Small Business Investment Credit — 1215 E. Pennsylvania St. these measures did not receive their final votes due to the session ending prematurely.

Tucson, AZ 85714 Phone: 520-388-5760 But we haven’t given up. We are working to get the legislation passed in a special session tucson@aztechcouncil.org dealing with economic recovery if one is called or reintroducing them in the next session.

Another House bill sought to obtain $3 million annually in state support for five years to cultivate a statewide Arizona STEM ecosystem by strengthening MANAGEMENT AND STAFF the learning opportunities offered by organizations across sectors, and fueling a Steven G. Zylstra President + CEO strong, diverse talent pipeline by expanding business and education opportunities Leigh Goldstein COO + Vice President, Programs + Events Jill Brownley Director, Marketing + Communications throughout the state’s rural and urban communities. The measure was scheduled Deborah Zack Senior Director, Membership Services Laura DeGeorge Executive Assistant to President + CEO to be heard in the Senate Appropriations committee but that hearing was canceled Jeff Sales Executive Director, due to the Legislature halting normal business.

Southern Arizona Regional Office Jamie Neilson Director, Operations, Another priority was to consistently and sustainably fund the state’s education Southern Arizona Regional Office system, including career and technical education district (CTED) programs. During Laura Anne Di Meo Accounting Manager Angelica Espinoza Bookkeeper the Great Recession, the Legislature cut fourth-year funding for CTED despite Don Rodriguez Editor many school districts needing the money to support students pursuing industry Ron Schott Executive Emeritus, Phoenix certifications throughout their entire time in high school while balancing all of their SCITECH INSTITUTE academic requirements. While mirror bills made their way through the House and Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO Jeremy Babendure, Ph.D., Executive Director Senate, they did not get hearings in committees of the respective chambers.

Kelly Greene, Chief Operations Officer As you can see, we came so close to getting support for the priorities we Kaci Fankhauser, STEM Ecosystem Coordinator Jake Lounsbury, Director of Global Partnerships believe that under different circumstances would ultimately have made it through Hope Parker, Curriculum & Training Specialist the Legislature. Good things come to those who wait. We can wait.

Michele Roy, Grants Manager

3 2020 Vote TechSmart Guide Technology Industry Impact Report

WHO WE ARE

Katy Reno, Community Outreach Coordinator Dee Quintero, Business & Office Manager Tammy Doerksen, CSO Advisor Training Destiny Madaje, Resource & Event Manager Fritz Smith, Arizona CSO - Rural Support Caillou Pena, Government Relations Specialist Lisa Ristuccia, Festival Team Member Denise Hicks, Festival STREET Team Lead

aztechcouncil.org

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

1

Staying Connected

AZTechBase offers new way to link state’s tech community AZTechBase, a new platform unveiled by Arizona Technology Council, originally was designed to provide information about who we are as an industry. The timing couldn’t be better for this tool to help bring together our burgeoning technology ecosystem.

The Council partnered with the Arizona Commerce Authority and IT services firm AccountabilIT to launch AZTechBase, an online database of tech companies, people and investors with a presence here. The platform actually illustrates the great progress the state has made in becoming one of the nation’s top technology hubs.

The goal of AZTechBase is to further elevate Arizona’s technology ecosystem by providing accurate, current datasets and making the data easily accessible to the community. Currently, there are nearly 2,900 Arizona-based companies on the platform, which represents about a third of the state’s existing tech firms.

More importantly now, the platform helps support communication and interaction that has been limited by social distancing mandates in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. AZTechBase provides a virtual environment for technology leaders, businesses, investors, talent and economic development organizations to safely monitor the technology ecosystem, as well as collaborate and continue moving the industry forward.

AZTechBase provides a substantial benefit to Arizona’s economic development organizations as they recruit companies from out of state, as well as to companies in state searching for resources to start up or grow.

Everyone has basic access to AZTechBase and can receive a

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ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

premium membership through the Council — all at no charge. To take a test drive, go to www.aztechbase.com.

Premium membership provides users with additional accessibility, search functionality and customization options. This membership’s benefits include access to: • A user-friendly dashboard to analyze high-level trends and gain insights by aggregating recent financing, acquisitions, average revenue and employee growth; • Filters and a data export option to create customized reports by sector on revenue, size, years in business, growth and more; and • Ability to discover, view and connect with emerging startups, established technology companies, people and investors.

The platform also plays a critical role in organizing data and industry insights gathered through the Council’s quarterly Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report to track the progress of companies, attract talent, and discover and connect with new companies and people. This quarterly report provides an update on several vital datasets, including technology career wages, number of technology jobs, venture capital, new technology companies/startups and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards.

To add your company and become a premium member at no charge, contact Membership at www.aztechcouncil.org. Individuals, companies and organizations on the site that want to update their profile can also contact the Service Desk at accountabilit.com.

2020 Vote TechSmart

Guide grades, endorses pro-technology Legislature candidates To help its members and others make informed decisions during the legislative election season, the Arizona Technology Council has released its 2020 Vote TechSmart voter’s guide.

In order to provide guidance on Arizona legislators who support the technology industry’s agenda, the biennial guide includes the Council’s 2020 legislative endorsements. The support of these candidates is based on several factors, including the most recent two-year voting records of incumbents, written responses to a survey and interviews of new candidates.

Endorsements are focused on candidates for the state Legislature, and the Council backs only those candidates who support a technology agenda, so some districts may have no recommendation. The guide also assigns a letter grade (A – F) to each incumbent in the state’s 30 legislative districts.

“The Vote TechSmart guide is a critical resource to help educate our members for the upcoming election,” says Steven G. Zylstra, the Council’s president and CEO. “Elections are an important time to work to ensure the success of candidates who support enhancing Arizona’s standing as a technology center and help make it a place where not only large corporations but also startups are able to start, grow and thrive here.”

A digital version of the guide, which was published before the primary election, is available at www.aztechcouncil.org/vote_techsmart.

In an effort to provide complete transparency, the guide features a detailed overview of the review process by the Council’s Public Policy Committee followed by an in-depth explanation of the endorsements.

The voting guide also includes a summary of the state’s 2020 public policy efforts, which include:

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Vote TechSmart AZTECHCOUNCIL.ORG

• Expanding access to investment capital.

• Supporting tax policy to incent research and development investments.

• Advocating for enhanced technology infrastructure.

• Improving Arizona’s public education system from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary with technology-based and blended learning.

To stay current on politics and policies affecting the state’s technology industry, visit the Technology Advocacy and Public Policy page on the Council’s website at www.aztechcouncil.org/public-policy

Quarter Notes

Technology Industry Impact Report shows sector growth in Q1 2020 Employment growth in the technology sector along with wages totaling more than $20 billion are just a few examples of the good news highlighted in the latest quarterly Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report released by the Arizona Technology Council.

Specifically, data from the Q1 2020 report revealed a steady 3.45% growth in technology sector employment, with the wages exceeding $20.9 billion. Also, a Supply Chain Gap Analysis added to the report showed 76% of Arizona’s technology industry supply chain purchases — a $4.5 billion value — are sourced in-region.

“Our Q1 2020 industry report shows that Arizona’s technology industry continues to grow steadily,” says Steven G. Zylstra, the Council’s president and CEO. “While we do anticipate a downturn due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our technology sector has

aztechcouncil.org

become well-diversified, which will allow us to recover quickly.”

One of the most encouraging findings in the Q1 2020 report is that 29% of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates are staying in Arizona to work. This is attributed to: • 9,563 technology companies operating in Arizona • More than 197,000 total technology jobs • A 5.42% rise in technology wages over the past year • Average annual industry wages of $86,303 — 1.1 times the national average Additional findings of the Q1 2020 report include: • The Arizona technology industry had a 3.74% job growth over the past year.

• The state boasted two of its strongest years for venture capital investment — $944 million in 2018 and $864 million in 2019.

• The state received more than $38 million in total tax contributions from Arizona technology firms.

The Council offers its quarterly Technology Industry Impact Report to provide its members, partners, leadership and the community at-large with an update on economic development related to the state’s technology sector. The quarterly report based on an analysis of data from a variety of sources is compiled by eImpact, an organization that creates web-based, datareporting solutions designed to help cities, industries and planners drive effective policy, create new growth and engage stakeholders.

Download or view the complete report on the Arizona Technology Council website at www.aztechcouncil.org/q1-2020_tech-report

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

3

Parents: Help Is Here

Resource directory supports STEM learning at home Faced with school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, families looking for quality resources to support their students learning at home now have help with the online STEM Resource Directory from the SciTech Institute.

The comprehensive directory compiles educational opportunities in a single place, organized clearly by audience and topic.

“We want to help parents and children find other ways to explore the wonder and intrigue of science and technology,” says Jeremy Babendure, executive director of the SciTech Institute, an educational nonprofit organization focused on cultivating, promoting and enhancing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and awareness in Arizona and beyond.

The annual Arizona SciTech Festival, a collaboration of more than 800 organizations collectively holding events in more than 50 communities across the state, normally helps to generate enthusiasm and strengthen Arizona’s STEM culture through hands-on activities. This year, however, the pandemic cut the festival season short, so SciTech Institute stepped up to create a single set of resources to help fill the void.

The directory offers families access to a wealth of engaging content in an easy-to-navigate format that is fun to search and explore.

SciTech’s mascot Nova showcases the site’s main categories: Science;

STEM Careers; Coding & Problem-Solving; Environmental Education; Virtual Field Trips; Try This at Home; STEMonstrations; Art, Music, Videos & Learning Games; Resource Hubs; Language Arts; Math and Social Studies.

The directory features engaging and interactive content from local organizations, including the Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Zoo, Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, Boeing, Phoenix Public Library, Arizona State University and i.d.e.a. Museum.

Families also can explore zoos, nature centers, aquariums, museums and national parks from around the world. Provided are links to content from leading national and international organizations, including National Geographic, PBS Kids, NASA, Mystery Science, The Kennedy Center, Microsoft, DK and Crayola. Also featured are webinars to enjoy, scientists you can connect with and hands-on activities to try at home.

To tour SciTech Institute’s STEM Resource Directory, visit scitechinstitute.org/resources. Plans call for this “virtual festival of learning” to continue growing to support STEM education and collaboration throughout the pandemic and beyond.

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ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

@inbusinessPHX

Renewable Energy Hike

Council makes case for boosting Arizona’s standard The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically altered our economic landscape both nationally and here in Arizona.

Climbing back onto the state’s perch as one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing economies in the country is going to take hard work and innovation.

Fortunately, what remains constant is our foundation as a technology and innovation hub. This is especially true in our renewable energy sector.

Renewable energy is a powerful solution to restoring economic security at a time when residents need it most. That is why Arizona must get on a fast track toward modernizing our energy rules.

In a move toward this goal, the Arizona Technology Council has called upon the Arizona Corporation Commission to increase the state’s Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff (REST) to at least 50% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% carbon-free by 2050. At press time, a public hearing on the matter was scheduled for Sept. 24 in Tucson.

Technology plays a huge part in this endeavor. Arizona’s innovation ecosystem is making electric and autonomous vehicles, testing zero-emission semi-trucks, building the solar grid, installing energy-efficient devices, flying electric airplanes, and making global advancements in water technology, just to mention a few examples of the cleanenergy space.

In March, the business nonprofit entity Ceres published a report that for the first

time measured the impact of Arizona’s renewable energy standard since it was established in 2006. The report found REST has provided significant economic and environmental benefits, including scaling investments and driving down energy costs through technology. Solar industry investments alone were pegged at almost $12 billion, which has stimulated job growth and market development.

The time to invest in renewables is now, especially when our economy needs solutions so badly. Clean energy helps businesses save money, hedge against volatile fuel prices and stay competitive. In fact, a 2017 analysis issued by Ceres and other groups showed clean energy saved 190 companies nearly $3.7 billion in 2016 alone, freeing up significant capital that could be reinvested into our businesses, students, employees and local communities.

It’s important to know that even Arizona Public Service, our state’s largest utility, already took a major step forward in putting forth a goal to reduce carbon emissions, committing to 45% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% clean energy by 2050. Raising REST to reflect these more ambitious energy rules would ensure APS’ goals become reality. It also would send a clear signal to the market and give certainty to utilities and customers in the state.

Renewable energy is the answer to moving toward a cleaner, more prosperous and healthy future.

Time to enroll in Association Health Plan October marks the period for renewing participation in the Arizona Technology Council’s Association Health Plan (AHP), as well as securing a quote for your company.

The AHP was launched last year in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. It targets Council member employers with fewer than 100 employees.

When multiple small businesses join together as one association, they can take advantage of affordable health plans that can help attract and retain top talent. “The ability to provide comprehensive group coverage allows us to make it practical for more companies to save on their benefits program and invest the money back into talent, R&D and growth.” says Steven G. Zylstra, the Council’s president and CEO. The ability to offer AHPs to its members comes after the Council’s support of SB1085, which passed the Arizona Legislature in 2019. The Council’s Public Policy Committee rallied the business and technology community to support the bill introduced by Sen. Kate Brophy McGee. For more information or to get a quote, visit aztechcouncil.org/ahp.

aztechcouncil.org

Newest Board Member

Three-year term for Tech Park Arizona leader Carol A. Stewart, associate vice president, Tech Park Arizona, The University of Arizona, has been elected to the Arizona Technology Council’s board of directors. She was elected unanimously to serve a three-year term at the Council’s quarterly board meeting held in July.

“Her leadership, skill set and extensive experience will help advance our agenda, which is designed to grow Arizona’s technology industry and break down barriers that inhibit success,” says Steven G. Zylstra, the Council’s president and CEO. “Carol’s election also pushes us closer to our goal of achieving gender parity on our board, a critical initiative for myself and the Council.”

Stewart is also president of The University of Arizona Center for Innovation, a technology business incubator network serving the university, Tucson and the international community. Previously, she served as the CEO of the Association of University Research Parks, which represents 200 research parks (80% of which are located in the United States and 20% international). In this role, she collaborated with numerous leaders worldwide to build and grow universityrelated research parks through education, unification and collaboration.

The Council’s board of directors serve an advisory and fiduciary role by representing the interests of the state’s technology industries in the Council’s strategic planning and ongoing operations.

The current board includes 33 members representing a diverse set of organizations.

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

5

2020

GOVERNOR’S CELEBRATION OF

INNOVATION .............................................

Celebrating Arizona’s innovative tech ecosystem.

Wednesday, Nov. 4 4:00 – 5:00 PM | Virtual Tech Showcase 5:00 – 5:15 PM | Opening Remarks 5:15 – 5:45 PM | Keynote Speaker 5:45 – 7:30 PM | Awards Presentations

Register: www.aztechcouncil.org/event/gcoi2020

Alcantara Kamala, 19

Diamond, Andrew, 56

Jasa, Carla Vargas, 52

Stewart, Joe, 12

Althoff, Susanne, 43

Dorsey, Jason, 14

Johnson, Rachel Frazier, 34

Stewart, Carol A., 61

Archambeau, Shellye, 43

Ducar, Frances, 32

Krumwiede, David, 16

Stringer, Gary, 19

Bailey, Lauren, 10

Edwards, Mark, 43

Liddy, Melanie, 13

Taylor, Jordan, 44

Barnett, David, 15

Eliasson, Caroline, 22

Mackay, Christine, 37

Tulliani, Renee, 19

Bauer, Kevin, 15

Ellering, Katie, 11

Mamnani, Manish, 19

Unerman, Sue, 43

Bauer, Mark, 15

Francis, Sybil, Ph.D., 33

Mamnani, Praveen, 19

Unruh, Jim, 12

Bradley, John, 16

Gibbons, Peter, 42

Martin, JP, Ph.D., 10

Urias, Lisa, 40

Brown, BrenĂŠ, Ph.D., 49

Grossman, Cristian, 11

Mersereau, Alex, 20

Watson, Sandra, 13

Butler, Tyler, 48

Harper, Sharon, 9, 27

Morrison, Clarke, 22

Williams, Jeri, 41

Capello, Laura, 28

Hawkes, Sue, 64

Phillips, Laura, 12

Wing, Luc, 22

Cecala, Katherine Kemmeries, 10

Horowitz, Ben, 43

Poon, Jenny, 38

Yamano, Kris, 50

Christ, Cara M., 29

Hughey, Angela, 35

Rogers, Chris, 48

You, Wilbur, 18

Collins, Sherri, 30

Humphrey, Chevy, 36

Rogers, Eileen, 39, 49

Zylstra, Steven G., 57

Dancsok, Lisa, 31

Jacob, Kathryn, 43

Sherman, Rita, 13

Dearing, James, 20

Jacober, Joe, 48

Sherman, Sydney, 13

Alamar, 16

Center for Generational Kinetics, The, 14

Mesa Fire Department, 13

Triad West Inc., 10

Microdesk, 22

UMB Bank, 7

MiTek, 15

Union, 16

Ninja Focus, 19

UnitedHealthcare, 21

ONE Community, 35

University of Arizona Center for Innovation, The, 61

Angry Crab Shack, 56

Center for the Future of Arizona, 33

Arizona@Work, 66 Arizona Commerce Authority, 2, 13, 62, 66 Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 30 Arizona Community Foundation, 23, 31 Arizona Department of Health Services, 29

Clarkson Avenue, 54 Classy Chargers, 54 CM Elite, 13 CO+HOOTS, 38 Colliers International in Arizona, 15 Dealty, Inc., 19 Divvy, 6

Arizona Lottery, 48

Equality Health, 7

Arizona Science Center, 36

Ezvid Wiki, 22

Arizona Technology Council, 57

FirstBank, 8

Beekeeper, 11

FSW Funding, 47

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona, 28

Gainey Business Bank, 12

BMO Harris Bank, 53 BMO Wealth Management, 50 BOK Financial, 55 Brookfield Residential, 16 Broth & Bao, 15 Burch & Cracchiolo, 13 Cake, 51 Capital Review Group, 44 Captured Moments, 13

Gate6, 19 Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing, 13 Guidant Law Firm, 46 Harvard Investments, 16 Healthcare Solutions Centers, LLC, 32 HireUp, 11 Jive, 8 JLL, 15, 17 Junior Achievement of Arizona, 10 Kiterocket, 65 Lincoln Property Company, 16

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

One Creative View, 39, 49 OpenWorks, 13 OptumCare, 3 Phoenix, City of, 37, 41 Plaza Companies, 9, 27 Positively Powerful, 10 Quarles & Brady, 47 Rachel Frazier Johnson Law, 34 Ram, 54 Rawlogy, 54

Upward Projects, 10 Urias Communications, 40 Valley of the Sun United Way, 52 Valley Toyota Dealers, 13 Walmart, 12 WebPT, 13 YESS! Your Extraordinary Success Strategies, 64 YouTech, 18

Recycle Your Bicycle, 48 RexPay, 20 Sigma Contracting, 15

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Tech Park Arizona, 61

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OCT. 63 2020 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

A CANDID FORUM

BY

Intuition Is Your Superpower At the intersection where peace meets grace is where innovation happens

by Sue Hawkes

Sue Hawkes, author of Chasing Perfection, is more than just a bestselling author.

She is a keynote speaker, Certified EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter chair, award-winning and globally recognized seminar leader, and an entrepreneur. As CEO and founder of YESS! Your Extraordinary Success Strategies, she brings more than 25 years of experience to her clients and has designed and delivered dynamic, transformational programs for thousands of people. She has been featured and is a regular contributor to INC, Forbes and Fast Company, among others.

Her numerous awards include being named a 2018 Enterprising Woman of the Year. sayyess.com suehawkes.com

OCT. 2020

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INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Several years ago, I participated in a women’s leadership program focused on embracing what power was in all senses of the word. Intuition wasn’t one of the topics listed on the agenda. However, it was an incredible component of our leadership work together. On Friday night, the 26 of us were given an assignment: We were to transform a nursing home facility to have a significant, positive impact for its residents and staff — the next day! We were told to bring everything we needed with us. We couldn’t spend any of our own money, but we could get people to donate money, items or their talents.

In addition, we could each bring one partner to double the number of our teammates. We didn’t know how important that would be.

So, we brainstormed and planned for a few hours; people came up with all kinds of things, from doing the residents’ hair to clipping nails and doing manicures, to cleaning hallways and walls and bringing in scented candles to improve the institutional smells. Some brought music; some brought games and crafts to do with the residents; someone even received a large food donation. The plan included personal care, creating ambiance, cooking, cleaning, and other activities.

Sounds simple, right? On the day itself, we were told we could not speak. We couldn’t talk to anyone to coordinate anything when we arrived; we had our plan and had to trust it. The good news was our guests could speak. However, none of them were in on the planning. When you invited your guest, you couldn’t explain exactly what that person was going to be doing. You could only explain when and where to meet you.

Surprisingly, this was the most flawlessly executed event I’d ever participated in: Nobody overthought, nobody overstressed. I was moved to tears many times that day by the graceful experience that unfolded. It was beautiful.

Intuition is recognizing a need and filling it easily without effort or stress, offering your unique contribution with nothing more for you to do. It’s knowing the answer so deeply you do not need data to validate your actions. You don’t have to know how you know; you just know. And we all have this although we aren’t always able to access it.

If you’re not in the habit of trusting your intuition or aren’t sure you can rely on it, you can connect with your intuitive abilities by learning to listen to your inner voice. The key to reconnection is creating the quiet space in which it can happen, disconnecting and unplugging technology, and allowing intuition to happen in that space.

When you’re in touch with your intuition, you’re more effective — and you’re less stressed. I believe you create your own stress. For example, traffic is not an inherently stressful event; you bring the interpretation of stress to it. Some people react to it with gratitude: “Awesome, more time to listen to my audio book,” or “I’m enjoying the person in the car with me and now we have more time together.” Some people see it as a business opportunity: “Great, I was able to make seven phone calls.” Others scream at the cars, flipping them off and driving erratically.

So, what’s behind the difference in these attitudes? When you’re at the intersection where peace meets grace, you’re centered enough to ask, “What’s the good news about this?” or “How do I make this work for me?” When you’re tuned in to it, there’s usually a dramatic reduction in stress because when you’re “on” with your gut, you’re aligned with energy well beyond your intellect. The logical mind is a wonderful tool, but it has its limits. When you’re truly aligned — mind, body, spirit, intellect — you’re open and receptive to bigger things. This is when innovation happens.

I will warn you, your brain will try to stop you. When we find ourselves in a corner, we’re going to instinctively rely on logic or past experience. Often, logic fails us, and what worked in the past doesn’t always work in a new, similar situation.

Letting go of the past and being open to questioning what’s possible unlocks the door to your inner wisdom.

Grace is there to be found, if you can quiet your mental chatter and plug into it, through practices such as meditation, journaling and being in nature. Intuition is heard when you crack the door open to let what’s gnawing at you into your conscious awareness. Some people are more skilled at letting it in. The rest of us can quiet ourselves for temporary periods and access it. The more you practice quieting your mind, the more freely your intuition — your superpower — will flow.

Intuition is recognizing a need and filling it easily without effort or stress, offering your unique contribution with nothing more for you to do. It’s knowing the answer so deeply you do not need data to validate your actions.

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