North Valley May 2015 Issue of CITYSunTimes

Page 1

Carefree/Cave Creek

Community News Excellence for Over a Decade

news.CITYSunTimes.com

SCOTTSDALE

PARADISE VALLEY

NORTHEAST PHOENIX

CAREFREE

CAVE CREEK

BLACK CANYON CITY

FOUNTAIN HILLS

ANTHEM

MAY 2015

Spring Restaurant Week

WHAT’S WORKING LOCALLY

41

Innovative, independent entrepreneurship in the Valley By Kathryn M. Miller

Cool Off In Prescott

47 Recovery Sundays

6

PAGE

44

ver the past few years, Arizona has risen as one of the best states in the country for companies to start, expand or relocate a business. Named a “Top 10 Best State for Starting a Business” by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2013, Arizona was also ranked among the best in entrepreneurial activity by Fast Company and projected job growth by Forbes. Add to that a growing technology corridor the stretches from Scottsdale’s SkySong to Phoenix and beyond, renewed efforts to reinvigorate Downtown Phoenix and connect it with education and entertainment hubs in Tempe and Mesa and a vibrant localism movement that is bringing entrepreneurs and communities together and the momentum is in Arizona’s favor. Long a resource for small businesses and community builders, Local First Arizona (LFA) is leading the way in educating stakeholders, business leaders and policymakers about the significant economic, civic and cultural benefits of strong local economies. As part of this mission, LFA will host the 13th annual BALLE (Business Alliance of Local Living Economies) Conference in Phoenix June 10-12. “Our annual conference is the national forum for visionary local economy

connectors who are making a difference in their communities,” says Michelle Long, executive director of BALLE. “We are excited to head to Phoenix this June to experience the city as a rising star of Localism.” The BALLE Conference (www. bealocalist.org/conference) is a three-day event that explores how locally rooted economic systems solve environmental, financial and social problems. Hundreds of local business leaders, social entrepreneurs, community funders, policymakers and local economy leaders of all kinds from across North America and beyond are expected to attend this year’s conference. “Phoenix is a hub for independent entrepreneurship and innovation and we’re proud to be hosting the international BALLE Conference,” says Kimber

Lanning, executive director of LFA. Some of the innovations taking root in Phoenix include incubators like SEED Spot (www.seedspot.org), coworking spaces Co+Hoots (www.cohoots.com) and Hive at Burton Barr Central Library (www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/hive) and accelerators like High Tide – Luhrs City Center (http://hightide.tallwave.com). In his 2015 State of the City Address, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said, “What we have now in Phoenix is a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem that is empowering co-workers and makers, accelerators and incubators, designers and developers. It’s spurring innovation in a way that is contagious.” If fortune favors the bold, then the Valley is fortunate indeed. |CST We’ve compiled some resources online to help Valley entrepreneurs. Visit news.CITYSunTimes. com now and click on the GET MORE link.

Celebrating The Craft Beer Movement SanTan Brewing presents the Fifth Annual Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Festival at Scottsdale Civic Center May 16. Supporting and celebrating the craft beer movement during the recognized American Craft Beer Week, the event features live entertainment, craft food, VIP quarters, nano beer garden, beer Olympics and more than 80 local and national beers. Scottsdale Civic Center is located at 3939 North Drinkwater Boulevard. The cost is $35-45. For a list of this year’s participating breweries and tickets, visit www.cannedcraftbeerfest.com.


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