Briefs

Debit Card Program Supports Community Giving

Arizona Federal Credit Union believes that charitable giving to nonprofits is one of those things that a lot of people and companies intend to do but, unfortunately, get busy or distracted and never get around to doing it.

When the credit union launched its 100 Club of Arizona debit card program in late 2017, it saw that its member-owners were excited to select and use a debit card that represented something they cared about. Suddenly, just by making everyday purchases, members were supporting their community.

The program was expanded to include Arizona Humane Society in 2018, and Arizona Federal saw the same results — thousands of members selected the card and began helping the local animal welfare agency care for pets in need with every swipe.

Rather than continue expanding with individual programs, the locally operated credit union decided to create the Local Artists, Local Causes program that could benefit many nonprofits serving identified areas of community focus, which are education, equality and social inclusion, community services, children and youth, and sustainability. Based on prior experience, much of the work to create the mechanics of the program was already complete — but needed a design concept that would match the “locally minded” focus. Chosen for his Arizona-centric art, local artist and creator behind High Jinks Apparel, Jon Arvizu, expertly designed the debit card and, a few months later, the Local Artists, Local Causes debit card was in market.

From a business practice perspective, the initiative helps with retention of current members by giving them an opportunity to connect with their community in a simple, organic fashion while also attracting new customers looking for a financial institution that is mindful of the community they operate and live in. But from a corporate social responsibility aspect, Arizona Federal understood this as an opportunity to make small impacts with numerous nonprofits to affect change on a hyper-local level.

Arizona Federal Credit Union is a financial institution that staunchly supports Local First Arizona in its efforts to promote banking, shopping and donating locally to keep money circulating here in the Valley, and this program is a microcosm of what it is doing on a bigger scale.

Through the Local Artist, Local Causes community fund, proceeds will be distributed twice each year to eligible local nonprofits — creating a great opportunity to celebrate their work and to thank members. The Local Artist, Local Causes debit card is available with any of Arizona Federal’s consumer checking accounts, which can be opened online. —Jason Paprocki, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Arizona Federal Credit Union (www.arizonafederal.org) BYTES

by Mike Hunter

Digitizing the Private Investment Marketplace WealthVP is fully launching this month following three months in beta testing. The brainchild of entrepreneur Leif Hartwig, WealthVP acts as a catalyst for investment opportunities, virtually matching qualified private companies seeking capital with purpose-driven Family Office investors in one simple, easy-to-use SaaS platform.

Using information entered in investor and company profiles, the Phoenix-based fintech company’s proprietary algorithm produces a wide range of matches between game-changing companies and Family Offices whose financial needs and strategic investment goals align. The powerful search and connecting methodology plus social graphing technology creates a personal experience that produces multiple results that align directly with investment goals. Once a match is made, investors control the conversation and can reach out directly to the companies they are interested in via the secure messaging tool. wealthvp.com

AI Platform Combats Financial Crime Consilient, a newly formed company dedicated to establishing a next-generation system for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, recently launched a new secure, federated learning platform powered by Intel® Software Guard Extensions. The artificial intelligence platform aims to prevent financial crime and enable secure collaboration among financial institutions while helping to protect privacy and secure data.

According to the United Nations, between 2% and 5% of gross domestic product is laundered globally every year, which amounts to $800 billion to $2 trillion. Recognizing the need to move beyond a manual and fragmented monitoring system, Consilient built an intelligent, collaborative and always-on solution that leverages federated learning and Intel SGX to detect financial fraud. By automating this process through federated learning, access to multiple datasets, databases and jurisdictions are encrypted without ever revealing the data or sensitive customer information to the different parties involved. consilient.com

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy

ACHIEVEMENTS

Local Entrepreneur Awarded for Diversity Leadership Eric M. Bailey, president and co-founder of Phoenixbased communication consulting firm Bailey Strategic Innovation, was presented the 2020 Diversity Leader of the Year award by the Diversity Leadership Alliance and Arizona SHRM. This award recognizes community leaders who have demonstrated excellence in promoting diversity and inclusion, as well as creating ways to hold uncomfortable conversations in the workplace to better unite people. baileyinnovationgroup.com

Sundt Exec Honored with Design-Build Industry’s Highest Distinction The Design-Build Institute of America has named Sundt Construction vice president Marty Hedlund one of the four industry leaders chosen for the 2020 Class of DBIA Fellows. Design-build is a project delivery approach that includes planning, design and construction under one contract, resulting in greater value for the owner and end-user while generating “win-win” outcomes for all. Sundt has been a leader in the use of design-build for more than three decades. sundt.com

PHILANTHROPY

Impact Diversity Solutions Donates Surgical Masks to Senior Home Care Orgs Following its motto to ‘Do well by doing good,’ Impact Diversity Solutions Corporation recently donated 30,000 surgical masks to Valleywise Health partners Home Assist Health and Bandera Healthcare for their skilled, home care nurses. Impact Diversity Solutions is a servicedisabled, veteran-owned, Minority Business Enterprise that is a certified small business Veterans Affairs’ Center for Verification and Evaluation organization. impactdiversity.com • valleywisehealth.org

Customized Chevys Donated to Phoenix Police Reserve Foundation The Phoenix Police Reserve Foundation was recently presented with three new, customized police Chevy Tahoes and one uniquely wrapped Chevy Camaro partially donated to the Foundation by Courtesy Chevrolet. Courtesy, a third-generation familyowned business owned by Scott Gruwell, is one of the largest Chevrolet dealerships for all of General Motors. Individuals who serve as reserve police officers come from backgrounds that span professions from stockbrokers to graphic designers to salespersons. courtesychev.com • phoenixpolicereserve.org Entrepreneur’s Pivot Produces Portable Sanitizing System Coronavirus cases are on the rise once again. battery-powered device that is compatible with It is important to implement effective and easy the EPA and CDC’s recommended solutions. solutions to maintain health safety within public Being an avid outdoorsman and traveler, spaces as we continue to move forward in the ExtremeMist founder Ron Laikind knew there COVID-19 era. The Portable Sanitizing System was a solution to combating dehydration, powered by ExtremeMist®, is a solution dispersal heat and exhaustion in one product. In 2019, mechanism that may well be the most convenient, the ExtremeMist® Personal Cooling System efficient and effective solution to address (PCS) was launched. Following its immediate sanitizing and disinfecting in public spaces. success, the world changed due to the

Designed and assembled in Scottsdale, the COVID-19 pandemic, which led Laikind to pivot ExtremeMist PSS (Portable Sanitizing System) is ExtremeMist’s Blue Pump Technology for use an easy-to-use, wireless, lightweight sprayer that with sanitizing and disinfecting solutions that has a variable speed remote control. It enables could help affected small businesses, schools, users to sanitize areas quietly with atomized churches and residents keep safe in times of mist in close proximity without disturbing others. uncertainty. He repurposed the ExtremeMist PCS By utilizing ExtremeMist’s unique Blue Pump to create the Portable Sanitizing System (PSS) Technology, the ExtremeMist PSS atomizes for establishments. Businesses like Tyson Foods, solutions into a fine mist cloud at 170psi that Texas State University, St. Francis Nursing Home covers evenly and dries quickly, depending on the and Clean Earth Brands have used the PSS to solution. This allows the spraying of solutions continue to do business and service people with indoors without harming people in the process, safety and health as a priority. —Mike Hunter enabling businesses and organizations to quickly sanitize in between events or openings efficiently ExtremeMist PCS extrememist.com and effectively. This PSS is a rechargeable ExtremeMist PSS portablesanitizingsystem.com

Local Face Mask Manufacturer Uses Navy Seal Technology To protect oneself and minimize the spread The technology was originally developed of contagious respiratory illnesses, doctors for the Navy Seals to prevent viral infections suggest a multilayered mask with an insert caused by inhalation of aspirated viruses during filter is a better choice that single-layered dives. The CAMO Smart technology allows for surgical masks without a filter. Mesa-based US POWER3 to be washed and worn up to seven POWER AZ PPE manufactures POWER3, a high- consecutive days before becoming inactivated, quality, reusable 3-Ply smart mask. positively impacting the increased footprint of

Both the coronavirus and the flu can be spread disposable masks and enhanced protection. to others up to six feet away, largely through POWER PPE was started with the intention droplets when coughing, sneezing or talking. of protecting the people in our community Masks block the spread of droplets that can land from coronavirus and other contagious viruses. in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Initially, the individual products for the masks

US POWER AZ PPE currently has two were sourced from Japan and were then products: The POWER3 mask and CAMO Smart manufactured in Mesa. Now, all the products filter insert. Both products are outfitted with are U.S.-made and are manufactured in our the CAMO Smart technology, or Cystic Acid Mesa plant. Manufacturing began at the Metal Oxide, designed to bi-directionally stop, end of August. capture and kill harmful or undesired organisms, Wearing a face mask could make a difference thus protecting both the wearer and others. for the wearer and those nearby staying

The POWER3 smart mask protects against healthy during one of the most serious flu the transfer of microorganisms by blocking seasons in history, so, when selecting a face microbial particles, as confirmed by multiple mask, we recommend users do research and labs, making the mask filters more effective choose wisely. —Kevin Thorpe, CEO of US than surgical-grade masks. POWER AZ PPE (upazp.com)