come from. Should it come at the state level? Should the state as an entity, through something like the Arizona Commerce Authority, be the organization that is the focal point for representing aerospace to the world? Or should it be a private, nonprofit organization that represents the industry. Colorado and Florida both have successful nonprofits which advocate for the industry. We need a consistent vision for what the state should do. On the economic side, what types of programs could cities, counties, the state offer? Is it matching grants, R&D tax credits, zones that are designed for lower taxes based on the types of research you’re doing? That’s what is needed for this industry to flourish.”
the state as a hub for certain industries such as technology. This will bring a lot of positive attention to Arizona and as well create more jobs and revenue.”
Technology
Nate Reis, founder and CEO, Railway Technologies: “The future of Arizona’s knowledge-based economy will be a direct correlation of our ability to attract, develop and retain talent which is largely dependent upon access to capital. Community support for our startup community is growing. It’s critical we put a few wins on the board to develop a reputation for investors and entrepreneurs that Arizona has what it takes to build companies with a high probability of success.”
Jacob DiMartino, founder and CEO, RAADR, Inc.: “I think we
need to work as an ecosystem more closely. We should be helping everyone elevate his or her businesses. We can do this by working together through partnerships and competing for bringing more dollars into Arizona for all sizes of businesses alike. This would really strengthen our economy in Arizona. More than that, we need to proactively get others outside Arizona to start recognizing
Jeffrey Trent
Tomas Gorny, CEO, Nextiva: “I believe it’s less about policy, and more about providing opportunities that challenge and excite people. Arizona is a great place to live and a friendly state for doing business. We need to keep a pulse on what businesses are doing both locally and across the country so we can stay competitive and keep top talent here to grow with us. Bringing national awareness to the innovative companies and career opportunities right here in Arizona is going to be vital to our growth and success.”
Peter Vedder
Ed Zito
AB | May - June 2016
57