inside Tucson Business 111822

Inside Tucson Business is published 26 times per year (once every other week on Fridays) plus the Book of Lists in January. Cost is $1 per single issue, $50 for 26 issues, $85 for 52 issues and $105 for 78 issues. The Book of Lists is included in annual and multi-year paid subscriptions. Back issues from within the past 12 months are $1 each.

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ADMINISTRATION

Steve T. Strickbine Publisher

Michael Hiatt Vice President

Claudine Sowards Accounting, claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL

Christina Fuoco, Executive Editor, christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Katya Mendoza, Staff Reporter, kmendoza@timespublications.com

Hope Peters, Staff Reporter, kmenhpeters@timespublications.com

Karen Schaffner, Staff Reporter, kschaffner@timespublications.com

PRODUCTION

Courtney Oldham Production Manager, TucsonProduction@timespublications.com

Nathalie Proulx Graphic Designer, nproulx@timespublications.com

CIRCULATION

Aaron Kolodny Circulation Director, aaron@phoenix.org

Brian Juhl Distribution Manager, brian@timeslocalmedia.com

ADVERTISING

TLMSales@Tucsonlocalmedia.com

Kristin Chester Account Executive, kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Candace Murray Account Executive, candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Tyler Vondrak Account Executive, tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Gary Tackett Account Executive, gtackett@tucsonlocalmedia.com

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

Zac Reynolds Director of National Advertising, zac@TimesPublications.com

EDITORIAL & AD CONTENT

Inside Tucson Business expresses its opinion in the editorial. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author. The content and claims of any advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Tucson Local Media assumes no responsibility for the claims or content of any advertisement. Publisher has the right to edit for size or refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion.

UA student wins big at business game tourney

By Hope Peters Tucson Local Media

In a Sims-style video game, students from UA and Pima and Cochise community colleges com peted to make the most revenue for their virtual businesses.

During the tourney, students played entrepre neur and put their busi ness skills to the test. UA freshman Oliver Ston er-German walked away with the $2,500. He grew his in-game revenue to $92.8 million. The event included the UA Venture Expo showcasing student businesses, products and prototypes.

Travis Gramm won the $1,000 second prize by building businesses worth $76 million, and Zane Al jazzazi won the $500 third place. Twelve other stu dents won part of the total $5,000 in cash giveaways and prizes.

University of Arizona FORGE partnered with Venture Valley, a fastpaced multiplayer business simulation game from the nonprofit Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneur ship, for the recent tourney at Roy Place.

“We had almost a hun dred competitors,” said Erika Mitnik, manager for University of Arizona Marketing & Communi cations, FORGE. “The winner racked up about $92 million (revenue for his simulated business).”

Added Paul Valdez,

FORGE Student Venture Pathways program man ager, in a statement, “As part of our quest to bring entrepreneurship oppor tunities to our students, we partnered with the Venture Valley mobile and PC game, as it encompasses what we teach on a daily basis.

“All of our students had a blast playing the game and walked away from the competition with a real sense of all of the factors and intricacies involved in being an entrepreneur”

Mitnik said Stoner-Ger man, who is studying pre-business and is looking to go into the Eller pro gram, told her the video

game gave him the chance to test his economics stud ies.

“I signed up for it (after hearing about the tourna ment at a club fair),” Ston er-German said. “After ward, I got more involved in the FORGE organization and I’m looking further to get more involved in that.”

Nick Night, Venture Valley game maker, started the simulated business video game about four years ago through the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneur ship.

Gear up for Small Business Saturday

Every year, the day after Black Friday, we celebrate small businesses. Small Business Saturday encour ages people to holiday shop in their favorite local small businesses and mom-andpop shops.

Cox supports small businesses in Southern Arizona and encourages them to take part in the national movement every year. Here are some tips on how to prepare yourself for this year’s Small Business Saturday.

1. Plan an event: En courage customer visits to your store by hosting an event. Whether it’s a shop and sip happy hour or a kid-friendly event, be sure to keep your target audi ence in mind.

2. Extend your hours: Staying open later makes it easier for people to come in after their other obli gations. Be sure to market your extended hours ahead of time to make it known.

3. Partner up : Partner with nearby businesses and cross-promote to drive more customers to your location. This is a great way to build relationships with businesses nearby who you can continue working with in the future.

4. Reward your customers: Reward the customers that regularly shop with you. For example, send an email to past customers with an exclusive “loyal customer” coupon. This will encour age them to come and shop with you on Small Business Saturday.

5. Spread the word: Tell everyone, from customers to people on the street, about Small Business Sat urday. Spreading the word is easy and a virtually free way of getting the message out. Many people love to support local business

but don’t know about this special day.

6. Turn to social media: Head to social media to promote your sales. Con sider setting aside a small budget to help promote your social media posts on Facebook and Instagram to reach more people.

7. Stock up: Stock up on your most-popular items. The last thing you’ll want to happen is run out of an item that people are going to want to purchase.

8. Offer “Doorbuster” sales: Steal a page right out of the Black Friday playbook and offer doorbuster deals. Drive shoppers to your store by offering special deals right when you open. Who knows, you may even gener ate a line waiting to come in and shop your sales!

9. Utilize free resources: American Express offers free resources each year to encourage small business es to take part in Small Business Saturday. It offers signs, email templates, posters and other free mar keting materials.

10. Send a thank-you: Many businesses often overlook the impact a fol low-up can have on a cus tomer. A brief thank-you email or social post can go a long way and only takes a few minutes to create.

Consider posting a photo of your event or store with a message to thank cus tomers for participating in Small Business Saturday.

Lisa Lovallo is the Southern Arizona market vice president for Cox Communications. A Tucson native, Lovallo serves on numerous community boards including Sun Corridor Inc., the Southern Ari zona Leadership Council, the Ari zona-Sonora Desert Museum and The Arizona We Want. To learn more about Cox’s philanthropy projects, visit coxcharities.org.

(Steve Peters/Contributor)

Nick Night is a Venture Valley video game maker.

PEOPLEINACTION

Agents affiliate with Coldwell Banker Realty Arizona

Maria Limon has associated with the Green Valley-Continental office of Coldwell Banker Realty Arizona as an affiliate agent. She comes to the office with 32 years of real estate experience.

“Working in real estate gives me endless possibilities to grow, care, service and meet the real estate needs of my clients,” Limon said. “I am happy to continue my good work in the community as an agent affiliated with Coldwell Banker.”

Most recently, she was an agent with Copper View Realty and was an agent with Home Smart. While working in real estate part time, she was a diagnostic radiolog ical technician for nearly 12 years with the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, where she received numerous recognitions for her customer service. Before working in real estate, she owned two full-service beauty salons, including one in Downtown Los Angeles for 10 years and another one in San Gabriel for two years.

Manuel Maldonado has associated with the Tucson-Foothills office of Coldwell Banker Realty Arizona as an affiliate agent. He comes to the office with 18 years of experience in the real estate market.

“I decided to affiliate with Coldwell Banker Realty because I believe in their products and they have a lot to offer for me to grow my business. During the interview, I was comfortable, and the affiliate agents, manager and front desk made me feel at home,” Maldonado said.

Most recently, he was a sales agent for HomeSmart Advantage Group. From 1984 to 2018, he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service. He has supported the work of Planned Parenthood, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, the AARP Foundation and Tucson Veterans.

Coldwell Banker Realty in Arizona, a residential real estate brokerage company, op erates 22 offices with approximately 1,465 independent agents throughout Arizona.

Coldwell Banker Realty is owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Real Estate Inc., the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States.

Info: coldwellbankerhomes.com.

Maria Limon

Manuel Maldonado

Philabaum Glass Gallery fetes its anniversary

By Sue Kern-Fleischer Tucson Local Media

Southern Arizona’s only all-glass fine art gallery, Philabaum Glass Gal lery, celebrated its 40th anniversary by honoring five legendary Arizona glass artists during a recent special reception.

The 40th anniversary exhibition, which runs through Jan. 21, features vibrant contemporary new and classic work by renowned glass artists Tom Philabaum, Dan Enwright, special show to honor five outstanding glass artists and her husband, Dylan, purchased the gallery when

creative gifts. More than 60 diverse glass artists from all over the country are represented by Philabaum Glass Gallery, which is considered one of Tucson’s “hidden gems,” even after 40 years.

The five legendary Ari zona glass artists featured in the 40th anniversary show include:

Tom Philabaum: Widely revered by collectors and his peers, Philabaum start ed Tucson’s first glass blow ing studio in Tucson in 1975 after receiving his MA in glass from the University Wisconsin, Madison, in 1973. He studied under Harvey Littleton, who is considered the father of the American Studio Glass Art Movement. Founder of the gallery, as well as the Sono ran Glass School, Phila baum has been a strong arts advocate in Tucson for over four decades. He is

responsible for many series of work throughout his career, including blown, fused, cast and painted glass. While Philabaum retired from glass blow ing in 2018 and from the gallery business in 2020, he continues to create a series of fused and painted glass in the gallery’s current location.

Dan Enwright: A Tuc son resident, Enwright was an established stained-glass artist before he found his passion for hot glass. He worked alongside Tom Philabaum for more than 20 years. A skilled glass blower, his current mixed media wall pieces incor porate his love for both glass and metal. Dynamic wall art composed of metal treasures and blown glass vases dance with light and movement.

Michael Joplin: Joplin

studied printmaking before learning how to blow glass in 1972. He opened his first studio in 1978 in Prescott and eventually moved to Tucson. He has studied with Dale Chi huly, Mark Peiser, Klaus Moje, Fritz Dreisbach, Jack Schmidt and Ann Warff. In addition, he was very active with the Sonoran Glass School, serving as a board member from inception in 2001 until 2017. After owning several glass studios in Tucson, he joined his wife, Margaret, in making unique glass works using the lost wax method to create public art as well as lighting and other decora tive and functional items.

Carole Perry: Best known for her stunning glass tapestries, Perry works out of her desert studio in

(Philabaum Glass Gallery/Submitted)

Southern Arizona’s only all-glass fine art gallery, Philabaum Glass Gallery, celebrated its 40th anniversary by honoring five legendary Arizona glass artists during a special reception on Oct. 15 at its Downtown Tucson gallery. The special exhibit runs through Jan. 21.

PHILABAUM

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Cave Creek. She “ran after the executive brass ring for 20 years before admitting it could never hold the same sparkle as the art glass.” A strong arts advocate, Perry set aside a successful career in computers to pursue her passion for glass full time. She creates her glass tapestries by fusing fine glass cane before manually contorting the hot fusion into her finished shape. Each one-of-a-kind piece is composed of over 9,000 individual threads of glass. The resultant pieces are mysterious and reminiscent of old-fashioned ribbon candy or actual fabric.

Louis Via: A master glass artist, Via worked alongside Tom Philabaum since the 1970s. His skill and ideas

go beyond the Philabaum work, and over the years, he created his own styles, often incorporating blown, cast, fused and painted glass. His current series of sophisticated sculptures features pulled canes of glass that have been handcut and expertly arranged and fused in a kiln. Via resides in Tucson and continues to create unique glass works. ITB

Philabaum Glass Gallery

711 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson Five Points neighborhood 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, or by appointment 520-884-7404 philabaumglass.com

“We wanted to take fi nance education and make it fun and engaging (for business/entrepreneur ship education),” Night said. “How do you make it not just about education? Something that people want to play and have fun, but secretly learn something.”

Night said the video game simulates how to build or model your business in a fast-paced multiplayer game. Venture Valley is a free (no in-app purchas es or ads) PC and mobile (iOS and Android) game.

The game has card play events, both good and bad, and real-life situations that are “a bit cartoonish,” Night added. He equated it to having a coffee shop

the street with less expen sive drinks.

“And how do you handle that,” he said. “Maybe make your coffee gourmet or you have espresso for sale, you sell more espresso.”

Night said as players build their businesses, they have to figure in costs for running it — such as research and development and marketing. They have to be prepared for emer gencies, too, like plumbing problems or storms that flood the building.

FORGE (Finding Op portunities and Resources to Grow Entrepreneurs) is an entrepreneurial community that combines startup acceleration along

(UA FORGE/Submitted)

From left are Travis Gramm, second-place winner; Nick Night, Venture Valley game maker; Oliver Stoner-German, first-place winner; and Zane Aljazzazi.

(Steve Peters/Contributor)

UA senior Karla Arias is ready to participate in the tournament.

Not a bank account.

TOURNEY

side experiential student and community education.

FORGE programs provide entrepreneurial educa tion, mentoring, coaching, exposure to the venturing process, and readiness assessment tools. FORGE maintains an entrepre neurial resource hub in Downtown Tucson (Roy Place) and several locations on the UA campus and throughout the state.

Asked about his plans for his winnings, the 19-yearold Stoner-German will handle his prize money wisely.

“I will probably invest it into the market and grow more money and use that to fund my college educa tion,” he said. “Put it in my portfolio; I have a stock market portfolio.”

Stoner-German said he was determined to win the tournament, which ran

from 2 to 9 p.m. Students/ participants were welcome to start their games any time during those hours.

“We got to do a bunch of tries at the game, and we had 15 minutes for every single try … to create the business and create as much revenue as we could for said busi ness,” he said. “I was there for about seven hours play ing. … I was there for the whole entire tournament. … I was there to win it.

“We got to choose from three business options. We had options for floral, pizza and hovercraft. I fo cused basically fully on the hovercraft one because it made the most money and seemed really cool.” ITB

FORGE forge.arizona.edu forge.arizona.edu/ royplace Venture Valley venturevalleygame.com

(UA FORGE/Submitted)

The FORGE Student Venture Pathways team worked with Venture Valley to organize the event. From left are Kelly Kling, Julie Barbier Bularzik and Paul Valdez, FORGE Student Venture Pathways program manager.

(Steve Peters/Contributor)

FORGE marketing and communications manager Erika Mitnik and Paul Valdez, FORGE program manager for Student Venture Pathways, watch the games begin.

(Steve Peters/Contributor)

Leslie Teran, a UA student with FORGE Student Venture Pathways, helps with registration and infor mation for the event.

(Steve Peters/Contributor)

The FORGE/Venture Valley gaming tournament and Venture Expo location at Roy Place.

New Businesses

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Local Media

Salad and Go

Salad and Go recently opened a location at 2080 W. River Road, adding to its three stores it has in the area.

“After opening the first location in Arizona almost a decade ago, Salad and Go is now approaching 50 locations in its home state amid a year of growth and expansion to new territo ries,” said Charlie Morri son, CEO of Salad and Go.

“Our mission to provide fresh, nutritious food that is convenient and afforda ble for all is at the forefront of each new store opening.

As we continue to expand throughout Arizona and beyond, we’re proud to be democratizing fresh food and giving back to each new community we serve.”

Salad and Go’s expan sion is on pace to double its 2021 location count by the close of this year and yet again by the end of 2023. Plans include more loca tions in its home state of Arizona, as well as in Texas and Oklahoma.

At Salad and Go, guests can purchase salads, wraps, breakfast burritos and soups from a chef-created menu.

Info: saladandgo.com

Black Rock Coffee Bar

Black Rock Coffee Bar, known for its premi

um roasted coffees, teas, smoothies and Fuel energy drinks, opened its fourth store in Tucson.

Located at 6393 E. Grant Road at the intersection of East Grant and Wilmot, the new Black Rock Store is the 27th in the state.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to provide the Tucson community with

fast and friendly service,” said Josh Pike, CEO of Black Rock Coffee Bar. “Our baristas set out to make someone’s day better by serving them with grace, because you never know what they may be going through that day.”

Incorporating Black Rock’s signature industrial modern design, the new

2,000-square-foot store features a large Arizo na-themed mural that is designed to connect to the region.

Guided by its three principles — coffee, com munity and connection — the popular coffee chain’s mission is to be a positive force in the communities it serves.

Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market recently unveiled its new store at 4800 S. Landing Way in Tucson.

The Tucson community can find locally produced products line the shelves, including fresh fruits and vegetables from Martori Farms, Pacific Organic and Pinto Creek Ranches. Blue tags indicate the products are local.

As part of the grand opening celebration, the Sprouts Healthy Commu nities Foundation awarded $100,000 to the Commu nity and School Garden Program at University of Arizona, which supports over 60 school gardens throughout Tucson.

This location will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit sprouts.com. ITB

In partnership with the City of Tucson

SCAN ME

(Black Rock Coffee Bar/Courtesy)

Black Rock Coffee Bar opened at 6393 E. Grant Road.

Five Strategies to Help Avoid Unexpected Medical Bills

By Heather Kane,CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona

Nearly everyone wants to save more money, in cluding when it comes to paying for medical care. To help encourage that, various recent federal reg ulations have spurred a greater focus on health care cost transparency, both by hospitals and health plans.

For instance, the No Surprises Act is designed to help reduce the likelihood of people receiving an unexpectedly large medical bill, something that more than half of Americans have experienced. Other recent regulations require hospitals to post prices online, while health insurers have been man dated to do the same.

While these efforts offer important protections, there are various other ways to help avoid an unexpected medical bill. Here are five strategies to consider:

• Comparison shop based on quality and cost. Health plans are now required to pub licly disclose contracted rates with health care providers and facilities, with additional requirements for more consumer-friendly disclosures slated to start in 2023. Fortunately, some health plans already offer transparency resources. For instance, millions of Unit edHealthcare members have access to health care quality and cost information for more than 820 common medical services, with the information available online, via a mobile app or by calling customer service. Before scheduling a medical appointment, check with your health plan to review quality and cost information, ideally for estimates based on actual contracted rates and customized based on your individual plan.

• Stay in-network. While the No Surprises Act helps reduce the chance you will be left with a big bill if an out-of-network provider is involved with your care, it’s important to always start with in-network health care professionals and facilities for nonemergency care. That includes when referred by a primary care physician to labs for bloodwork, imaging (e.g., MRIs) and other tests. To help reduce the risk of surprise charges, some health plans such as UnitedHealthcare are proactively contacting members before they go out of network, sending a text message, emailing or calling to notify them about more affordable in-network options.

• Recognize remaining risks. Even with upfront research, there are still a few potential risks to be aware of. Many health plans cover preventive services, such as wellness visits, mammograms or colonoscopies. However, some advanced screenings may not be con sidered preventive services and can result in an out-of-pocket charge. To help avoid that, confirm with your health plan that any services or tests are covered under your benefits, potentially working with your care provider to complete a preauthorization form in ad vance.

• Negotiate surprise bills. In the event of a surprise bill, talk with the support staff at the hospital or doctor’s office to request that the charge be waived or reduced. If needed, some health plans offer access to resolution support to help negotiate on behalf of members with hospitals and care providers. If you receive a surprise bill from an out-of-network care provider, call the number on the back of your insurance ID card to alert your health plan and check on assistance.

• Consider plans with upfront pricing. Rather than receiving medical care and then wait ing for the bill to arrive weeks or months later some new health plans such as Surest enable members to review – and pay for – out-of-pocket expenses before medical care is delivered. The goal is to make navigating the health system simpler and more transparent, in part by eliminating deductibles and using clear pricing to encourage people to select quality, cost-efficient health care providers and facilities.

In view of increasing price sensitivity due to rising inflation and other factors, considering these strategies may help contribute to your physical and financial well-being while reducing the risk of a surprise medical bill.

New security business opens in Tucson

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Local Media

Lionheart Security Ser vices expanded into Tuc son, bringing its customer service-focused security, training and consulting to the area.

Since its inception in 2010, Lionheart Security Services has strived to meet and exceed client expecta tions.

CEO Bill Herzog said they accomplish this by utilizing internal and exter nal active management techniques focusing their services to the client’s hier archy of needs.

“When looking at the Tucson area, we saw a need in the community for high-quality security guard

services,” Herzog said. “Initially we were looking at extending the quality service we provide in the Phoenix area and expand to Tucson to provide our high-level of security services they aren’t used to getting.”

Jesse Schoonejongen is the general manager of the Tucson office.

“As Tucson continues to grow, it is the perfect market for us to come down here and grow with it,” Schoonejongen said. “Tucson provides the best opportunity in Arizona, and we are looking forward to offering our profession al-level guard services to the people and businesses in the area.”

LionHeart Security Services trains its security

guards to meet Arizona De partment of Public Safety standards.

“We pride ourselves on our advanced in-house training and instructors,” Herzog said. “We provide top-of-the-line armed and unarmed guard services to our clients by providing careers to our guards, not just jobs.”

LionHeart Sercurity Services is 100% veteran owned and a fully in dependent provider of exceptional security services to a varied range of clients throughout Arizona. LHSS prides itself on having a “Hometown Feel,” while backed by international experience.

Info: 520-554-6255, lionheartsecurityservices. com ITB

Peress recognized

robotic cardiac ablations

Tucson Medical Center cel ebrates a significant milestone of Dr. Darren Peress, a car diologist and clinical cardiac electrophysiologist at Pima Heart & Vascular, for success fully treating more than 1,500 patients who were challenged by an irregular heartbeat with the help of robotics for cardiac ablation.

Peress is the leading provid er of robotic cardiac ablation in Arizona, having performed the most procedures using this technology, and is among the top 10 in the world.

Tucson Medical Center is among 100 hospitals around the world offering Stereotaxis Robotic Magnetic Navigation technology for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Electro physiologists use the tech nology to repair misbehaving electrical circuits of the heart, called arrhythmias, with robot ically assisted cardiac ablation.

Peress and the electrophys iology team at Tucson Medical Center became pioneers of robotic ablation, performing their first procedure with Ster eotaxis technology in 2009. Since then, they have treated a broad range of patients with robotics, many of whom would

otherwise be unsuitable for traditional treatment methods.

Stereotaxis’ Robotic Mag netic Navigation technology introduces the benefits of robotic precision and safety to cardiac ablation, a common minimally invasive procedure to treat arrhythmias.

Tens of millions of indi viduals worldwide suffer from arrhythmias — abnormal heart rhythms that result when the heart beats too quickly, too slowly or with an irregular pattern. When left untreated, arrhythmias may significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and sudden car diac arrest. ITB

Made in Tucson Market is where the makers hang

By Jimmy Magahern Tucson Local Media Contributor

Maybe it was the ap pearance of the T-Mobile booths. Or the growing preponderance of sunglass racks. Or maybe it was just the sheer crowd size at Tucson’s biannual Fourth Avenue Street Fair, which was beginning to resemble a sidewalk Coachella.

Whatever the impetus, in 2017 a small group of craft speople and shop owners in the Fourth Avenue district took a step back to look at what a behemoth the then-47-year-old arts and crafts fair had become, and decided it needed a reboot.

The Made in Tucson

Market was created as a smaller, more local and more community-based alternative to the Fourth Avenue Street Fair — a kind of throwback to the fair’s ’70s roots, when the street was a hippie hodgepodge of natural food co-ops, thrift shops and offbeat book stores. And, like its bigger sibling, MinT is back after a long pandemic postpone ment for its third event since the 2020 lockdown.

“The street fair was just getting too big for small makers,” explained Libby Tobey, manager of Pop-Cy cle, a shop that features locally created art made from recycled materials.

“It was getting too costly

(Julius Schlosburg/Submitted)

“The street fair was just getting too big for small makers,” explained Libby Tobey, manager of Pop-Cycle (right, with co-founders DeeDee Koenen, Shannon Riggs and Jennifer Radler). “Finally, we just came together as a group and did it on our own.”

to get a booth, and because so many people come, sometimes the booths were too small to really showcase their art,” Tobey added. “It’s hard for a little maker or an individual artist to recoup their cost from something like that, especially if they’re just a beginning maker.

“But we realized in our shop alone we sell works from over a hundred local artists, and we felt there was a need for them to have their own showcase. So we kept asking the Fourth Ave nue Merchants Association (operators of the street fair) if we could do this. And

then finally we just came together as a group and did it on our own.”

The first MinT was organized by Pop-Cycle, Tanline Printing and its Tiny Town retail shop/ gallery space and Rosie’s Barkét, a D.I.Y. dog wash and boutique that started on Fourth Avenue but has since relocated to Oro Valley. It featured the works of about 50 local artists and merchants, many of whom were well known to the community — but not for their hidden artistic talents.

“The people who came to shop would see the

names on the pieces and say, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s my baker that I see every day, but I didn’t know they did jewelry!’” Tobey said. “Or, ‘That’s my neighbor that I wave to every morning when I’m walking my dog. Who knew she made cloth ing!’ It’s like everyone kind of knew each other in some capacity, which was really cute.”

Alexandria Baxley, a former crew member at Rosie’s Barkét, was one of those shy hobbyist artisans who was persuaded to bake

By Karen Schaffner Tucson Local Media

The Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce has a new president, filling the posi tion left open when Dave Perry retired after more than 11 years.

Kristen Sharp took his place as president and CEO on Halloween. As such, she is determined to welcome all businesses to the organi zation, no matter the size.

“We want what is best for the community as a whole, and I would say 70% of our members are small busi nesses,” she said. “(Howev er), we are here to support all local businesses.”

Sharp has a vision for the chamber as the organiza tion moves into the future.

“I think currently the chamber’s got a lot going for it,” she said. “We’ve got a good reputation, and we’re very well known with in the business community. What I would like to see — and one of my goals moving forward — is to be more of a known entity within the community as a whole.”

Sharp already has a plan for achieving that.

“One way that I would really like to do it (is) through social media and newspapers,” she said.

“We need to put out more information and education regarding different things that are happening, for example, the Oro Valley Marketplace.”

Sharp has been with the chamber for three

years, serving as the events director. She has a bach elor’s degree in agricul tural education from the University of Missouri and taught high school for two years. When she decided to get her master’s degree, she came to The University of Arizona, where she met her husband. After gradua tion she went into retail

management, working at Abercrombie and Fitch and another store at La Encan tada. After that, it was pre school education. Then the job at the chamber came open, and because of her experience teaching, Sharp knew she had the goods.

“Going back to when I was teaching agriculture, I didn’t get to just teach,” Sharp said. “It was also running the agriculture de partment, which required me to do budgeting. It required me to work with vendors and plan banquets and contests.”

Perry recognized Sharp’s talent and ability, so when he began considering retirement, he also began

mentoring Sharp.

“He and I started having, I guess you could call them, transfer-of-knowledge sessions,” Sharp said. “One week we would talk about finances; one week we would talk about member ship.”

Because of this, when she officially applied for the job and was interviewed by the chamber’s board, she was ready. Evidently the learn ing time paid off.

“They unanimously accepted my application,” Sharp added.

What did Perry see in Sharp?

“I certainly saw the character of commitment and hard work,” he said.

“I saw someone who has pretty remarkable experi ence. She used to be a retail manager. She used to be a schoolteacher. She’s had these leadership positions that were different than running the chamber, but I knew it was there.”

Perry is satisfied with her appointment, knowing he stepped down at the right time.

“I think she’ll do a great job,” he said. “There are different questions out there. She’s going to do so much better with digital and social media, which is not my interest.”

Sharp lives in Oro Valley with her husband and two children. ITB

Sharp/Submitted)

some of her one-of-a-kind cookies for the MinT last November. The exposure gave her the courage to de vote more time to her own home-based small business, Ali B Confectionary, where she sells her whimsical creations via her Instagram page (@alibconfectionary).

“It was exciting and it was nerve-wracking all at once, but it was mostly exciting to see the com munity’s reaction to my cookies,” she said. “And for so many people to like what I was selling and what I was doing was so validating and so encouraging.” Baxley said networking with other makers in the area is a winwin for them all.

“The community sup ports everyone who’s a part of it, and so whenever you get to meet other artists, we can cross-promote and support each other.”

This winter, the one-day fest, set from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27, is

expected to have more than 275 participants and take up the full two-and-a-halfblock stretch on Seventh Street between Fourth Av enue and the train tracks.

But Tobey insists the event will retain the connected

community feel that was built into its foundation: All artists included in the Market must be Tucson res idents and must make their goods locally.

“For big things like the Fourth Avenue Street Fair or the Tempe Festival of the Arts on Mill Avenue, they actually bring in all kinds of vendors that are not necessarily local,” she said. “And sometimes corpora tions sign up, where you end up with big retailers like Sunglass Hut operating booths. I understand the need for that, but we like to show that your community has all these makers and you can buy things from them rather than buying from corporate vendors. There’s just so much you can do within your own community, and that’s what it’s cool.”

“

The community supports everyone who’s a part of it,” Alexandria Baxley said. “And so whenever you get to meet other artists, we can cross-promote and support each other.”

— as well as a lot of Fourth Avenue shops. Although he regularly hosts his own booth at the events, he sees himself less as a vendor and more as a “facilitator” for the other local makers.

“It feels good to see other artists just grow and get better with their craft,” he said. “Doing what they’re passionate about it, build ing up big collections and bringing them to the mar ket. To see a little maker or somebody who’s doing artwork kind of on the side take their creations to the market is so cool. Because the marketplace is the true validator of what you do. You sell, you see what is popular, and that gives you a lead on what direction you should be pursuing to be more lucrative.”

textiles, collage makers — it runs the full gamut.

“The street fair is a lot of fun, too, and some of the vendors here participate in that,” Carrillo added.

“But that’s a pretty huge

event. This one is more focused on handmade goods, and that’s it. And it’s all from local Tucsonians! It’s everything I love about Tucson, and it just feels like such a good thing.” ITB

Made in Tucson Market

(Submitted)

“The marketplace is the true validator of what you do. You sell, you see what is popular, and that gives you a lead on what direction you should be pursuing to be more lucrative,” artist Johnny Carrillo said.

Artist Johnny Carrillo has also been there from the start and now creates the signage for the event

The vendors lined up for this month’s MinT include its biggest variety of artisans ever. “Jewelry makers, can dle makers, soap makers, print artists, people who do

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27

WHERE: On Seventh Street between Fourth Avenue and the train tracks

COST: Free admission

INFO: facebook.com/madeintucson

(Julius Schlosburg/Submitted)

(Alexandria Baxley/Submitted)

(Julius Schlosburg/Submitted)

Advertising Agencies

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1

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2 Good News Communications

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Ackerley Advertising

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i3 Media Solutions

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Landau and Company Marketing Services

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Minced Media

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NüPOINT Marketing 6083 N. Grant Road Tucson, AZ 85712

Words, Ink 2620 N Tyndall Ave Tucson, AZ 85719

(520) 207-8910 deb@taglinegroup.com taglinegroup.com

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(520) 797-7867 steve@landaumarketing.com landaumarketing.com

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(520) 360-7028 maxie4350@gmail.com www.prioritywords.com

$500,000 4 Web design

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N/A N/A Full-service agency, branding, strategic marketing, digital, social, & broadcast production company

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N/A 1 Writing, editing. Digital media strategy and production. Content development.

N/A 15 Branding, creative, web, digital, strategic planning, market research

N/A 1 Environmental, art, general, health, travel, business consulting

Pima JTED, Seven Cups, Fly Tucson, Reid Park Zoo, Irvine Company, Mister Car Wash, Taco Bell Foundation, Anthem Equity

Debra Weisel 2001

Edward Martin 1985

Ed Ackerley William Ackerley 1968

Tim Bowen 2003

JVCKENWOOD

Elaine Walsh 1995

Doug Myers Michelle GarciaEstrada

1986

Frankie Lemer 2015

Steve Landau 2005

Kim M Bayne 2004

Mary Rowley Jan Howard 2003

Maxine Ruth Goodman 2010

Rowley Jan Howard 2003

Maxine Ruth Goodman 2010

How to Fix Your Credit Score

history, your credit utilization shows lenders how financially responsible you are. A debt-toincome ratio compares your available credit and the amount you’ve spent (your balance).

A good credit score can help you get a better rate on a loan, help you rent an apartment, and in some cases, your credit history can even affect your employment opportunities. If your score could use a little help, here are a few tips to up your number.

Check your credit report Start the repair process by looking at your credit report. Thanks to The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), this federal law gives every consumer the right to request all of the information collected about them. You are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each credit bureau (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax). You can get your free credit report by visiting AnnualCreditReport. com. Your credit report will contain all

of the credit activity reported to each of the three credit bureaus for the past ten years. Look for errors. If you don’t recognize a listing or see that an error has been submitted, contact the credit reporting agency and dispute it by following the steps outlined by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Pay bills on time Missing or making late payments can significantly impact your score, staying on your credit report for up to seven years. Your credit score is made up of many factors, but the biggest and most important component is your payment history which makes up 35% of your score. Help yourself remember to pay on time by setting up autopay and never miss a payment again.

Keep your credit utilization low Along with payment

The goal is to keep your utilization at 30% or less. The lower, the better. If your cards at maxed out, you may want to start looking to pay down your debt. If you’ve received a pay raise, you could consider asking your credit card issuer for an increase in your credit limit to help increase your available credit and lower your credit utilization. But remember to inquire if the request will result in a “soft” or “hard” credit pull. A soft credit pull won’t impact your score, whereas a hard pull will.

Pay down debt

It’s easier said than done but paying down debt should be a priority on your credit repair list. While there are several ways to pay down debt, two popular methods are the snowball method and the avalanche method. The snowball method centers around paying off small debts first and the avalanche method focuses on tackling

high-interest debt first. If your interest rates are high, you may want to consider consolidating your debt or transferring your balance to a card with a better interest rate. If your budget schedule allows it, try making several payments a month before the end of the billing cycle. This will help lower your balance which will work to improve your credit utilization ratio.

Become an authorized user If you know someone that has a good credit history and high credit limits, you could ask them to become an authorized user on their accounts. This “piggybacking” method allows the authorized user to “borrow” the primary account holder’s

good payment history without having to worry about making payments. The primary holder’s credit limit is also added to your credit limit and will improve your debt-to-income ratio.

Use a secured credit card

Adding more positive credit history is crucial if your score is in the red but if you’re unable to actually acquire a credit card, consider getting a secured credit card instead. A secured card uses money in a savings account as collateral which means lenders feel a lot more comfortable lending you the credit. Be sure to look for a secured credit card that reports to all three major credit bureaus to get the benefits of

making payments on time.

Check your score regularly

Staying on top of your finances will help ensure you don’t miss anything that could be negatively impacting your score. Utilize credit score tools like Hughes’ CreditSmart which will allow you to get a breakdown of your score according to all of the scoring factors: payment history, credit utilization, debt owed, new credit, length of credit history, and credit mix. You can also set credit monitoring alerts to help you address any changes in your score and get the most up-to-date offers that can help reduce your interest costs or lower your monthly payments.