Elevate AZ | Fall 2021 by Elevate AZ

National Bank of Arizona®

PAG E TURNER

At the center of the Grand Circle, Page proves it’s more than a natural wonder

SUCCESS IN THE TIME OF COVID A mix of moxie and might gave Arizona businesses the drive to succeed

TECHNOLOGY BOOM STATE Against many odds, Arizona’s tech industry is more than thriving

FALL 2021

NBAZ.com | A division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Member FDIC

in this issue DEPARTMENTS 02 @NB|AZ What’s happening at National Bank of Arizona

04 AZ WORKS Thinking Big in Microlending

FEATURES

Powerhouse program helps get money into the hands of small businesses

16 Success in the Time of COVID

06 FOOD & DRINK Shift-ing Perspectives Flagstaff chef embraces change and welcomes challenges

A mix of moxie and might gave Arizona businesses the drive to succeed during the pandemic

08 ARTS & CULTURE Rail Life

22 Page Turner

Chasing trains gives Phoenix photographer a second shot at something meaningful

At the center of the Grand Circle, Page proves it’s more than a natural wonder

10 TRAILBLAZERS Canine Comfort

28 Technology Boom State

12 AZ NONPROFIT Lasting Impact

Against many odds, Arizona’s tech industry is more than thriving Manufacturing in Arizona for 40 years, Intel recently opened Fab 42, its newest facility in Chandler, Arizona.

Photo: Intel

Scottsdale organization proves that dogs are more than man’s best friend

PUBLISHER National Bank of Arizona EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jenavi Kasper, jenavi.kasper@nbarizona.com PROJECT EDITOR Matthew Pazik, matthew.pazik@nbarizona.com COPY EDITOR Tyler Gatlin, tyler.gatlin@nbarizona.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michelle Jacoby, michelle@pb-jcreative.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nathan Joseph, nathan@responsecreative.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Chris Adams, cwadams@me.com CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Berman, Jessica Dunham, Julia De Simone, Bruce Farr, Debra Gelbart, Jake Poinier PHOTOGRAPHER Mark Lipczynski, mark@marklipczynski.com

Elevate AZ magazine may contain trademarks or trade names owned by parties who are not affiliated with National Bank of Arizona, Zions Bancorporation, or its affiliates. Use of such marks does not imply any sponsorship by or affiliation with third parties, and National Bank of Arizona does not claim any ownership of or make representations about products and services offered under or associated with such marks. Articles are offered for informational purposes only and should not be construed as tax, legal, financial or business advice. Please contact a professional about your specific needs and advice. © 2021 Zions Bancorporation, N.A. All rights reserved. A division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Member FDIC

NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA® 6001 N 24th St Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-235-6000

PB+J CREATIVE content + photography + design pb-jcreative.com

A career in parks and rec proves more rewarding than most people imagine

32 EXPERIENCE AZ A moment in Cottonwood

ON THE COVER Thanks to its spectacular scenery and rugged landscape, Page is a must-see for visitors and residents alike. But there’s more to this northern Arizona city than meets the eye. Find out how Page is thriving developmentally and economically, making it one of Arizona’s most burgeoning destinations. Page 22. Photo by Mark Lipczynski

Fostering a Culture of Belonging and Celebrating Our Differences mission is to embed diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of our business. This work is not only important to how we do business, but it’s a vital part of who we are as a company. From our local communities and partnerships to the experiences of our clients and associates, we are committed to making sure that each person feels valued, respected and has a sense of belonging. NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA’S

Diversity At NB|AZ, we define diversity as a variety of collective thoughts, perspectives, experiences, ideas and backgrounds that embody each person’s heritage and cultural experiences. Equity Equity creates access and opportunities for all associates. At NB|AZ, we foster a workplace that emphasizes and creates opportunity for the development and success of all associates. Inclusion Inclusion is when every employee feels like they belong. We strive for an environment that is safe for all associates.

Our people The people who make up our organization continue to help us define and navigate the diversity, equity and inclusion work at National Bank of Arizona. These are our talented associates, loyal clients, community members, and business leaders with whom we associate. Each of us comes from different walks of life, contributing innovative perspectives that keep us grounded and elevate our business. I’m committed to ensuring that every person feels they belong, are valued and, more importantly, respected. Because each person connected to NB|AZ matters. Sincerely, Mark Young P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O | N AT I O N A L B A N K O F A R I Z O N A

Our Guiding Principles

· Lead with empathy · Demonstrate allyship · Be open-minded · Learn from mistakes · Practice accountability

· Call out bad behavior · Avoid stereotypes · Pay attention to own biases · Always promote inclusion

Q&A: Kristin Slice, Sr. Program Manager, J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute Q. How did the pandemic affect entrepreneurship? A. The pandemic gave communities a deeper appreciation for entrepreneurs and small business owners. People now have a greater awareness of the vibrancy and life that local ventures and new ideas bring to neighborhoods and cities. As a community-embedded university, we work closely with our communities to integrate innovation, to be more resilient, and to create sustainable resources for local entrepreneurs. For example, ASU Edson E+I worked closely with the City of Peoria through the pandemic to use innovative tools to support local entrepreneurs and business owners. Programs, skills and relationships were fortified into an ecosystem of support, which will continue to make the community better for years to come. Q. Did the pandemic spark new business ideas for entrepreneurs? A. Disruption often represents an opportunity for new solutions. At Edson E+I, we encourage people to use an entrepreneurial mindset to spot problems and build solutions. In the last year, we’ve had several ventures experience rapid growth. Televeda provides a virtual engagement platform targeted at isolated populations and saw many new opportunities as cities, nonprofits and centers embraced genuine online engagement. Promineo Tech, which provides coding education to community colleges, saw a massive influx in partners looking to provide workforce upskilling to underserved populations. Edson E+I Institute

Photo: Arizona State University

Q&A

pivoted our successful food incubator program Prepped to focus on digital tools and marketing during the pandemic. To be an entrepreneur, you need to be highly adaptable. The accessibility of new tools pared with the need to adopt and evolve quickly has represented a massive opportunity for entrepreneurs and small businesses to increase their competitiveness. Q. What advice do you have for entrepreneurs now that the world is opening back up? A. People are examining their values and processes and we expect many will look at entrepreneurship. Edson E+I Institute is working hard to build innovative tools to support the diversity of entrepreneurs in our community. While pathways evolve, the guidance for launching your entrepreneurial journey remains the same. Building solutions, starting small, testing your idea, and gathering feedback from your customer are all foundational skills in any environment. Perhaps now, more than ever, it is vital for entrepreneurs to connect. Connection has proven to be an essential tool in increasing the resilience of any entrepreneurial venture. At the Edson E+I Institute, we are focused on providing direct entrepreneurial support and helping our partners build well-connected communities that are resilient in any environment.

PEOPLE

NB|AZ Volunteer of the Quarter

SEE YOU IN 2022! We’ve missed seeing everyone (and enjoying all that incredible, delicious food) at Taste of the Biltmore and we can’t wait to see you all again next year! In the meantime, keep eating local and supporting your favorite Valley restaurants and small businesses. For future updates, please check NBAZ.com/TOB.

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

JOIN US in congratulating Arturo Morales, NBAZ Volunteer of the Quarter! When Arturo has spare time away from his Commercial Banker duties, you can often find him pitching in at several Yuma area nonprofits including the Arizona Community Foundation and Arizona Western College Foundation, where his volunteer duties range from Arturo Morales (right) accepting his YCC six-year strategic planning and reviewing scholarship applications board service award in July. to painting schools and assisting at fundraising events. “I am a graduate of Arizona Western College, so I enjoy advocating for them,” he said when asked what made him choose the organizations he serves. “Our community needs to utilize the foundation more as a means to earn a bachelor’s degree instead of immediately getting into debt to attend a four-year college. Plus, being able to review and provide scholarships is a blessing in and of itself.” Recognizing the work of such organizations as the Yuma Chamber of Commerce in helping improve the local economy, Arturo says he’s committed to staying in Yuma throughout his career. “A lot needs to be done for Yuma to be competitive in attracting high-paying employers and a qualified workforce. The organizations I get involved with all have a piece of the puzzle to help attain those two needs,” he explains. Arturo has a passion for giving back to the community. “This is my home. I can’t imagine living in a community and not being involved,” he says. “It’s a civic responsibility and a passion. It’s a lot of fun, I meet great people in my community and, as a bonus, I get to play in many golf tournaments. Alone, I can move a rock or two, but by volunteering, I can move mountains.”

“ Phoenix Kiva Hub gives me a unique ability to support the community that I grew up in with a product and service model that allows us to make an impact.” Jose Anca Capital Access Manager, Better Business Bureau

Powerhouse program helps get money into the hands of small businesses

Thinking Big in Microlending

viable communities, we use those individual contributions to qualify. For example, a business might need to raise the minimum of $25 from six different people and at that point, their loan can be seen on the website by the public.” Phoenix Kiva Hub also facilitates loan match funds from organizations, corporations and financial institutions that want to contribute to underserved borrowers. For example, during Black History Month and Women’s History Month, qualified Hub businesses received one-to-one matches. GoDaddy came on board as the original funding partner, while the City of Phoenix serves as their premier partner on the administrative side, making connections to other organizations in the Valley. “We know that businesses succeed when there’s the right mix of capital, technical assistance and network resources,” says Stacy Cline, senior director of corporate social responsibility for GoDaddy. “We’re excited to expand our partnership with BBB Phoenix and the launch of the Phoenix Kiva Hub to get much-needed capital into the hands of local businesses who need it now more than ever.” To Anca, Phoenix Kiva Hub considers it a powerhouse partnership. “It’s what brings the Hub to life,” he says. “GoDaddy has been a longstanding accredited business with the BBB, and they’re helping us become the epicenter to ignite business growth. Together, we offer educational programming, mentorship and online products for entrepreneurs through their social impact program, Empower by GoDaddy.” The Phoenix Kiva Hub also aligns with the City of Phoenix’s pro-business advocacy. “The economic development director, program managers, and city council members have all been extremely supportive in our efforts to bring this to small business owners and entrepreneurs,” Anca says. In addition to guiding borrowers through the process, Anca serves as a hub on a personal level, using his experience with NB|AZ’s multicultural banking department to expand the Hub’s reach. His mission includes attracting community partners to provide funding and technical assistance to small businesses, as well as identifying organizations that might benefit from offering Kiva as a resource to their members. “Phoenix Kiva Hub gives me a unique ability to support the community that I grew up in with a product and service model that allows us to make an impact,” Anca says. “Based on the number of applications we’ve received, there’s a huge need—and we’re doing everything we can to get in front of that.” Jake Poinier

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

OR NEW AND small-business entrepreneurs, the challenges of operating go beyond creating and launching a product or service. It’s tough to get working capital—a situation that has been exacerbated during the past 20 months by the coronavirus pandemic. For about 26 million individuals in the U.S. who don’t have credit history or a credit score, it’s difficult to get a traditional loan to start, sustain, survive and grow their businesses. San Francisco-based Kiva pioneered personal microlending in 2005 for low-income entrepreneurs and underserved communities around the world. In 2011, the nonprofit organization launched Kiva U.S. Using a blend of community partners, municipalities and individual funders, Kiva Hubs offer financing from $1,000 to $15,000 with zero interest and fees, and technical assistance for small businesses. Earlier this year, Phoenix was selected to host the newest Kiva Hub among nearly 50 around the country, spearheaded by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in partnership with GoDaddy Inc. and the City of Phoenix. Headquartered at the BBB Phoenix Campus, the Phoenix Kiva Hub supports entrepreneurs throughout Maricopa County. “The BBB saw a massive need for interaction and capital for startups and entrepreneurs in the Valley through our accelerator programs, particularly for minority- and womenowned businesses,” says Jose Anca, the BBB’s capital access manager and former National Bank of Arizona employee. “The Kiva Hub model allows communities to choose organizations that leverage existing strengths. In Phoenix’s case, as the largest trade organization in Arizona, the BBB has many arms in its economic development network.” Kiva Hub loans are generated through a crowdfunding model—with some twists. Anca works directly with small business owners, entrepreneurs and diverse startups to pitch their concept to local individual lenders to help them contribute to raising the funds. Like a traditional bank loan, a borrower needs to complete an application to qualify for the private fundraising program. Unlike a traditional loan, however, Kiva loans don’t require a minimum credit score, years of cash flow documents or collateral. For the public funding component, the Kiva Hub uses social underwriting to determine qualification. “Borrowers need to show their community impact or have friends, community members or customers contribute to the campaign—essentially a down payment,” Anca says. “To make it easily accessible and equitable for less financially

Flagstaff chef embraces change and welcomes challenges

Shift-ing Perspectives

ARA WONG IS A restaurant owner. She’s also a pastry chef and a wine connoisseur. She’s a hospitality guru. A cellist, a swimmer, a self-described gym rat. If it seems impossible for one woman to be so many things, then you need only visit Shift, Wong’s Flagstaff restaurant, to understand. Here, like Wong herself, seemingly disparate experiences and tastes spring to life in spirited harmony. “The place is definitely me,” she says. “Shift is refined, but it feels comfortable. No white linens. The music is lots of Michael Jackson and Queen. We have fun at Shift—it’s not a stuffy, quiet place by any means.” Step inside and you feel as though you’ve entered a your favorite neighborhood eatery, where people gather for good food and to enjoy a sense of community. The space is cozy with tall ceilings and a light, bright design palette of chalk whites and true blues. It’s a hip little spot that manages to be both chic and lived-in, urban but neighborly. And it’s inspired. The lineup of American shared plates takes its cues from cultures and cuisines across the country. Take the fried tofu and shishito peppers in General Tso’s sauce, for instance, a dish that shares menu space with duck liver pate. The food also finds inspiration from the region, sourcing ingredients locally. The lemony Caesar salad showcases crisp greens from nearby Forestdale Farms, while the charcoalroasted beet root features the creamy goat cheese of Crow’s Dairy in Buckeye. Wong opened Shift five years ago with her then-husband and business partner Joe Rodger. He operated as chef, Wong as pastry chef. The former couple met at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado, moved to Vail to work at Sweet Basil, and then arrived on the mountain slopes of Flagstaff to help chef Scott Heinonen with local restaurants Tinderbox Kitchen and Tourist Home. “We loved the town,” Wong recalls. “It reminded me of Boulder.” It wasn’t long after that when Wong and Rodger jumped at the chance to open their own place. Shift launched in April 2016 as an energetic bistro with 50 seats, a chef’s counter and an open kitchen. They changed the hyper-seasonal menu every few weeks, plucking fresh produce for every dish from farmers markets.

At the time, the Flagstaff restaurant scene leaned more steak and potatoes than morel mushrooms and banana hummus, but as Wong remembers, the town was immediately into what Shift was plating. “Shift felt new in terms of style of food and use of ingredients, but everyone was very accepting of us,” Wong says. “Now there are so many restaurants coming in with a similar vision. It’s exciting to see.” Before Shift, Wong, a business management graduate of University of Denver, had spent most of her career in Colorado. Initially drawn to hospitality, she worked in hotels during college, but soon gravitated to kitchens, where she felt her creativity could flourish. She attended Cook Street School of Culinary Arts in Denver, a four-month intensive program that awoke her passion for baking. “Pastry was calling to me,” she says. “I’m a follower of systems and technique is really important in pastry. You can’t just throw salt in whenever you want. I liked that.” In 2018, Wong and Rodger parted ways and she became sole owner of Shift. This, er, “shift” in restaurant ownership and kitchen leadership may have thrown someone else for a loop, but not Wong. “That’s Shift,” she says. “Literally. It’s our name and it’s what we do. We’re evolving, but we still have the same mentality from the day we opened: “ Hurdles that other people To be fine-dining focused, but loud and fun, with stunningly beautiful, might think of extremely flavorful food.” as negative, or She adds: “My divorce, changing things that could chefs, COVID—hurdles that other break a business people might think of as negative, have, honestly, or things that could break a made me and business have, honestly, made me and the restaurant stronger.” the restaurant There’s one more phrase that stronger.” describes Dara Wong, and maybe Dara Wong, Owner, Shift it’s the one that gets to the heart of who she really is. “Mama bear,” Wong says laughing. “My staff calls me that. They’re who I do this for. We go to battle together. ‘Put your apron on and let’s do this.’ Of everything, I’m most proud of them.” Jessica Dunham

Dara Wong, Owner, Shift

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

T’S LATE JUNE and a black Nissan Sentra rolls into Flagstaff, fine ash sticking to the windshield from wildfires burning nearby. Photographer Mark Lipczynski, 46, still has a long way to go before reaching the object of his trip: Utah’s Promontory Summit. The area has an almost religious significance for lifelong train lovers like him. It’s where the tracks built by the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met to create the transcontinental rail route in 1869. Golden Spike National Historical Park stands there today, named for the final railroad spike forged from gold and hammered into place to complete the track. You could say it’s the very spot that united these United States.

For a long time, Lipczynski has led a double life—a triple one, in fact. Though his bread-and-butter trade consists of commercial photography, he’s also transformed a childhood fascination with trains into two distinct bodies of work: moody, artistic images for the art gallery crowd; and more naturalistic, highly detailed shots aimed at fellow train enthusiasts. Now, both sides of this obsession live online, but on separate websites. MarkTraain.com features the arty stuff, AnalogFoamer.com the nerd nip. The former he’s been adding to for years, but has only recently given its own branded URL. Analog Foamer, named in part for the term rail workers apply to those who “foam at the mouth” over trains, he built from scratch in April and May of 2020 after COVID

rail life Chasing trains gives Phoenix photographer a second shot at something meaningful

“This is my way of telling the story of the history of the railroad that built a nation.”

brought paying work to a near standstill. It’s also helped him work through “I’m at a crossroads trying to figure the effects of a PTSD that’s dogged out what I’m doing with all this,” he him since enduring heart surgery at admits. “I don’t know which I should focus the age of 4. This family/photography more on developing.” So far, he’s found connection “was like a second shot Mark Lipczynski, Photographer no “golden spike” to unite them. What at something meaningful,” he realizes he is certain of is this: His life’s path lies now, and photographing trains, “a way somewhere on the rails. of giving thanks for being able to have a life and a career.” This epiphany came to him two summers ago at a retreat in Since reading Rebecca Solnit’s book “River of Shadows” Taos, New Mexico, that encouraged photographers to question shortly after his Taos retreat, Lipczynski has been fascinated why they do what they do. The answer dawned on him quickly. by the interaction between photography and our perceptions Both he and his brother Brian, three years his elder, grew up in of time and distance. Warren, Ohio, with a father who adored trains. All three bonded That 2004 study of the development of the camera over photographing them. shutter and other time-collapsing technologies led him to “We went out a lot as they were experiment with longer exposures (10 to 20 seconds) using growing up,” William Lipczynski a 1940s, 4-by-5 format Graflex Speed Graphic press camera. recalls of his train outings with These pictures, prominently featured on MarkTraain.com, he’s Photographer Mark Lipczynski with a his sons. He himself caught the dubbed “Time Machine” images. Some of the most intriguing replica of one of bug early in nearby Leavittsburg, transform the trains he shoots passing by into solid, eerie two steam engine locomotives present where he snapped pictures of great “walls” that appear to cleave the land in two – the symbolism at the Golden Spike locomotives on an old Kodak box can be overwhelming. Ceremony, held on May 10, 1869 in camera in the ’60s. This passion “This is my way of telling the story of the history of the Promontory Summit, spilled over into stacks of train railroad that built a nation, transfiguring the landscape. There Utah. The event marked the completion of magazines and models, which later was this rush to accelerate time and shorten distance,” the transcontinental surrounded his sons growing up. he says. “That’s why I feel like it’s important to go up to railroad. The photographer’s own earliest Promontory Summit and maybe connect with some images images were taken at 11. “I have there that continue that narrative.” this special bond with my family On his first day in Utah, he spends some time perched through trains,” he observes. “Not a atop a rock, camera at the ready, waiting for a train. A father lot of people have anything like that and son pull up and share what they know about the local rail to latch onto.” activity. Soon, all three fall into an easy silence, squinting out over the long stretch of track. “We’re all a bunch of introverts,” Lipczynski admits. “We don’t want to talk about what we’re doing. It’s just Shot in time lapse photography, an something that we love.” Aaron Berman intermodal train winds through the landscape of northern Arizona.

To see photos and video from Lipczynski’s trip to Promontory Summit, visit bit.ly/38jokGP.

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

Canine Comfort

T STARTS WITH a look, followed by a nudge, then another glance directed in her son’s direction before a drop to his hind legs to show “low” and prompting Katja Hissler to spring into action. For the past two years, Taylor, a rambunctious golden retriever, has been alerting the Hissler family when their 8-year-old’s blood glucose levels have dropped to a dangerously low number. The canine is a highly-skilled and trained assistance dog hailing from Power Paws Assistance Dogs based in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale organization proves that dogs are more than man’s best friend “If I don’t react, he’ll nudge you again,” says Katja, Sami’s mother. “You’re always scared (when you have a child with a disease). So, for me, Taylor is someone to help me. He gives me peace of mind. I would recommend this program to every parent with a child with diabetes.” When Sami was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 4, Hissler immediately began researching everything she could about the autoimmune disease. Her diligence paid off when she learned about Power Paws, whose main training areas of placement are for mobility assistance, PTSD for

“ Our mission is to provide highly skilled assistance dogs to children and adults with disabilities, to provide education and continuing support for working assistance dog teams, and to be a resource in the community for people with disabilities.” Elaine Starks, Executive Director, Power Paws Assistance Dogs

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

civilians and veterans, diabetic alert, and facility dogs (dogs specifically trained to assist professionals in law enforcement, courts, forensics and teachers). Established in 2001, the nonprofit is one of three agencies in Arizona accredited by Assistance Dogs International and since its inception, has placed 400-plus dogs into service. “Our mission is to provide highly skilled assistance dogs to children and adults with disabilities, to provide education and continuing support for working assistance dog teams, and to be a resource in the community for people with disabilities,” says executive director Elaine Starks, echoing the organization’s mission statement. The dogs, primarily golden and Labrador retrievers, are skilled to do many tasks that are difficult for those with mobility impairments. These include turning light switches on and off, opening and closing doors or drawers, retrieving dropped items, untying shoelaces, removing gloves and socks, as well as providing love and companionship. Dogs trained to assist in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder calm their handler, help with stressful situations, or wake them from night terrors. But more than anything, Stark says the assistance canines give clients independence. “It improves social engagement because the dogs need to exercise, forcing clients to get out,” she adds. “The companionship is a huge role with the service dog. It absolutely helps with confidence.” Although the application process to obtain a service dog can be tedious, Starks and Hissler agree that potential clients must be committed and mature before taking on the responsibility.

“The process to have a working dog is long and you have to invest—go to the classes, learn, be there, research,” Hissler says. “If a family doesn’t like dogs or a child is frightened of dogs, it probably won’t work.” Applications to request a service dog are available on the Power Paws website. In addition to a brief biography with the applicant’s basic information, a physician’s prescription is required “to make certain the client is not misdiagnosing themselves,” Starks explains. Once the information is received, applicants are contacted within 48 hours. A questionnaire and medical release is then required, which is evaluated by a training staff member to see if a good match can be found. Placement of a service dog is approximately 12 to 16 months after the client has met the requirements. Dogs undergo extensive health testing, including hip and elbow X-rays, as well as a full checkup on heart health by a canine cardiologist, and eye health by a canine ophthalmologist. Intensive training consists of science-based, positive reinforcement clicker training and force-free methods. Hissler says Taylor’s service is priceless. “There are so many Elaine Starks, Executive Director, downs this child has had. It’s Power Paws Assistance Dogs not easy to have diabetes. This program is something incredibly special,” she says. Another priceless aspect of the program is the dedication of the staff, volunteers and donors. Starks says without this teamwork, “it would be impossible for Power Paws to serve the community of 1,000 at-risk Arizonans each year.” Sinclair Galakatos is one of those invaluable people. The 13-year-old has been involved with the Power Paws summer camp for three years, which Starks says, “enlightens the participants to the different disabilities, and how service dogs help.” Hands-on and interactive classroom activities give children the basics needed to train assistance dogs, while imparting the importance of the canines. This year, Galakatos led a dog yoga class and, in 2019, was part of the writer’s club, where she and fellow campers created a short story about dog adventures. “Power Paws is an amazing organization,” she says. “You think you know a lot about dogs, but you learn so much more. It makes me feel fortunate to train a dog because it’s going to help people and make the world a better place.” Julia De Simone

A career in parks and recreation is more rewarding than most people imagine

Lasting Impact

SCAR VENEGAS’S LIFE has been full of contradictions. As a kid, he lived on the edge of trouble in school. But by the eighth grade, he was making as much as $500 a weekend helping out in his father’s landscaping business. Venegas never really warmed to classes in his childhood—but now, as an adult, he plans to get a master’s degree and teach at the community college or university level. And as much as a culture of work defined his early life as a first-generation immigrant, it’s been the business of recreation that has become his passion. Venegas, 37, was born in Mexico and brought to the United States by his mom when he was in the second grade. He helped his dad with his landscaping business from an early age and because he didn’t like school, he was identified as an “at-risk youth” by the time he was in seventh grade. In the summer before eighth grade, he attended a summer camp sponsored by Mesa Parks and Recreation for at-risk middle schoolers, expecting to feel about it the way he felt about school. But one of the projects among the camp activities was cleaning up older homeowners’ properties that needed weeding and lawn-mowing. Venegas brought weeders, lawn mowers and leaf blowers to the group, and showed the other kids how to use them properly, impressing not only the campers, but the adults, as well. “Before the summer camp, I had been embarrassed by working in landscaping,” Venegas admits. “But the people in the summer program thought what I did was awesome. It made me feel meaningful.” That relatively brief introduction to recreational activities led to more time in similar activities. “Recreation programs provided me with a unique opportunity that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else,” he says. Today, Venegas is the recreation special events coordinator for the Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities department. “All of the department’s special events are either planned, permitted or facilitated by me and my team,” he explains. And even though he could be earning a lot more money by working in landscaping instead, he wouldn’t even consider it. “I absolutely love what I do.” That’s music to the ears of Samantha Coffman, executive director and CEO of the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA), which promotes the growth of the parks and recreation profession by providing “on-trend professional development, meaningful networking opportunities, advocacy and industry resources for all who work in the field,” according to Coffman. “Parks and recreation staff works closely with police,

fire and the local schools to help coordinate the effort of keeping the public safe,” she says. “I would say parks and recreation departments are as important as public safety.” Parks and recreation “keep kids out of trouble by keeping them off the streets,” Coffman adds, “providing before- and after-school programs, recreation programs, and even providing access to healthy food and nutrition to low-income families and seniors. Parks and recreation is a touchpoint in so many people’s lives.” And it doesn’t surprise Coffman that Venegas is so passionate about his life’s work. “From my conversations, the vast majority of those who work in the profession are a product of the parks and recreation experience as a child, their involvement early on heavily influenced their path in life. Those who choose parks and recreation as a profession tend to share a love for the outdoors and hold a true sense of duty and a passion for their community.” That’s certainly the case for John Sefton, director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities for the City of Peoria, and a past president of APRA. He entered the profession as a lifeguard just after high school in the city of Chandler. “I really enjoyed the work and also recognized the value I had in contributing to the community,” says Sefton, who went on to work at a senior center in Chandler, coached Special Olympics and participated in sports. “I worked at the very first Ostrich Festival in Chandler. I did a little bit of everything, including building picnic tables. In fact, I was building picnic tables on the day it was 122 degrees in 1990.” As one of 2,300 members of APRA, Venegas has been active in the organization for several years. “The networking opportunities are invaluable; it’s a great organization,” he says. Sefton sees the profession as a way to help people in the broader community connect with each other. “The cohesion and the collaboration and the family that gets created beyond our family unit—among toddlers participating in programs and the moms sitting on the sidelines, as just one example—often happens in parks and community centers. Those interpersonal bonds, the creative and positive identity, add value to people’s experiences.” For Venegas, it’s the best profession he could have chosen. “It’s been a really unique 20 years in recreation,” he says. “Working in parks and rec boils down to giving people an opportunity to have fun. That fun translates into something indescribable for them. Someone planned an activity for me to have fun and it changed my life. We provide that opportunity to carry people through what they need, to motivate them to persevere through something else, or to leave a lasting impact.” Debra Gelbart

“Working in parks and rec boils down to giving people an opportunity to have fun. That fun translates into something indescribable for them.” Oscar Venegas, Recreation Special Events Coordinator, Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

Small business owners may find owning their building is a great move

NB|AZ banker Chris Sarver and KC Totlis, owner of Riddle Painting.

owned and occupied

OR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, deciding whether to lease or buy a building—and the acreage it occupies—can be daunting. It’s similar to an “own vs. rent” dilemma ever-present in the residential market. Ultimately, the decision whether to lease your space or buy a building is driven by the needs of your business. If you own a manufacturing firm or other company that requires a lot of equipment, or you need substantial storage space for equipment or other business materials, purchasing a building may be the right decision for you. Kenneth “KC” Totlis is a business owner who believes in the benefits of owning, rather than leasing, the property where his company is based. “Real estate is a standalone investment,” says Totlis, owner of Riddle Painting, a commercial paint company that focuses much of its work on K-12 public schools around Arizona. In April of 2021, Totlis bought a larger facility in Phoenix after his company had outgrown its original purchased space. At the company’s then-location at Interstate 17 and Bethany Home Road, “we no longer had enough space for parking, and parts and projects were stacked up everywhere. We were jammed into every corner of that facility,” he says. To help him find another, larger facility, Totlis enlisted the help of a commercial real estate broker and the help of Chris Sarver,

who leads the Business Banking team at National Bank of Arizona. To help finance the new facility, he offered Totlis an owner-occupied commercial real estate (OOCRE) loan. For businesses with annual revenue of up to $15 million looking for a loan between $250,000 and $5 million, Sarver says business owners can benefit from the purchase of a property for their business. “Owning a building or facility means owning an asset that can appreciate in value, and that helps a business owner create wealth.” Riddle Painting bought a building near 27th Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix with more than twice the acreage of its previous facility and nearly double the interior square footage. The property has four buildings, one of which Riddle leases to a construction safety consulting firm. This income helps Riddle pay its monthly mortgage payment. The company also purchased a satellite property in Tucson to streamline operations outside of the Phoenix metro area. “Chris has been our one point of contact through the whole process of securing two loans,” Totlis says. “He’s been extremely helpful and very responsive. Walking us through the process for our loans and other aspects of our banking relationship has been great for us.” Small business owners may think buying a building is out of reach. But if you can manage the 20% down payment, you’ll likely save a lot of money in the long run, Sarver says. For a special-use business—one where the facility can’t be easily converted into something else (an auto shop, for example)—the required down payment would be 35%. “When you consider the out-of-pocket costs for a triple-net lease, for example, especially if you’re the anchor tenant and may have to pay a larger share for repairs that don’t directly benefit your business, buying a building may make much more sense for you and your business,” Sarver explains. Totlis agrees. “Just owning real estate is beneficial,” he says. “Owning your building allows you to build equity and gives you control over your facility and building. “You don’t have to renegotiate a lease and there are significant tax advantages.” Debra Gelbart

You’ve Got the Community’s Back, But Who’s Got Yours? LET’S WORK TOGETHER Pamela Keefe Vice President, Nonprofit Relationship Manager 602.212.5634 • Pamela.Keefe@nbarizona.com

Helping nonprofits with their financial needs isn’t just something we do, it’s one of our specialties. Let’s be honest: our communities wouldn’t be the places we know and love without the tireless work of nonprofit organizations. We know that the financial success of your organization is vital to our community and the people that live there. That’s why we focus on nonprofit banking – so you can focus on your mission.

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Photo: Phoenix Theatre Company

y J ake Poinier

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t’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic created one of the most difficult economic environments in history. But for some businesses, a mix of moxie and resourcefulness enabled them to capitalize on opportunities—even when the situation looked the grimmest. Here are a few of their stories.

During the pandemic, Phoenix Theatre Company continued to entertain guests thanks to an outdoor stage where they hosted musical acts to sociallydistanced audiences. Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

Photo: Phoenix Theatre Company

Michael Barnard, Producing Artistic Director, Phoenix Theatre Company

When It’s Time to Improvise

he Phoenix Theatre Company was prepared for a standing ovation as they closed out their 100th season last June. Instead, the pandemic forced them to close their doors on March 15—coinciding with the last day of a festival, the first dress rehearsal for a new musical, and the middle of a musical review. “We told everybody who had purchased tickets, ‘We’ll be back in May, we just have to ride things out,’” says Michael Barnard, producing artistic director. “And then we began to realize what we were in for.” After canceling the two remaining shows left in the season, it was time to do a bit of creative improvisation. The team pivoted to offering virtual experiences with Behind the Curtain, which included Barnard doing interviews, hosting a game show, and featuring vocalists and singers. “We offered it for free, just to keep people engaged,” says Barnard. “But Zoom wears thin when you’re trying to replicate any sense of live performance.” It was time to improvise again, and discussions between Barnard and managing director Vincent VanVleet turned to creating an outdoor stage in September. Their good relationship with the neighboring United Methodist Church—which has a large, gated courtyard—was just the

ticket. They came to an agreement that would help both entities and erected a stage in six weeks. With limited sets and union restrictions, the best programming option was music, so they put on shows including musical tributes to Dionne Warwick and Johnny Cash, and a two-person musical called “Murder for Two.” In addition to protocols such as socially-distanced seating for audiences, precautions for the performers meant masks and Michael Barnard shields during rehearsals, and producing artistic director, staying in a cast-only bubble. Phoenix Theatre Company “It was quite the endeavor to do it,” says Barnard. “But you know, we were only one of 19 theaters across the country that were able to operate. At first, people were hesitant. Then it got to the point where we were actually selling out.” After a year of improvising, the Phoenix Theatre Company has happily returned to their original script: performing indoors with August shows including “Pump Boys” and “Dinettes,” as well as the opening of “Steel Magnolias.”

“We were only one of 19 theaters across the country that were able to operate.”

Finding Comfort in the Middle Seat

ometimes, frustration is the mother of invention. “It might sound like a bit of a trite founding story, but my co-founders and I spent a lot of time hemming and hawing about the quality of our furniture, and how expensive it was relative to how long it would last,” says Nick Arambula, CEO of Neighbor, an outdoor furniture company based in Phoenix. Arambula and co-founders Chris Lee and Mike Fretto had an ideal skill set and entrepreneurial mindset to enter the outdoor furniture market, having played key roles in the Tuft & Needle mattress success story. They understood the economics of the direct-to-consumer furniture space and how to ship bulky furniture items to people’s front doors. And when they evaluated the industry, they saw a gap between the low-end, big-box products versus the pricier, high-end collections. “We wanted to find of a happy spot in the middle— building products made with really high-quality materials that last a long time with very considered design, but at an attainable price point,” he says. Launching a company in the midst of a pandemic was a bold business move, but the Neighbor team looked at it strategically. “Part of our interest was prompted by what was

going on globally,” Arambula says. “Homes became gyms, schools, restaurants and daycare. And we knew from our own personal experiences at home that people were seeking refuge by going outside.” The team made a bold move in the fall by placing a significant number of purchase orders. Although Neighbor outsold their projections through the first four months of 2021, they were in better shape than furniture companies whose lead times were Nick Arambula extending as long as six to eight Ceo, Neighbor months. With the worst of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, Arambula is even more optimistic about their growth path. “We were fortunate having been at another company that scaled in a really rapid way like Tuft & Needle,” says Arambula. “Our goal is to introduce new products that fit a similar aesthetic, price point, and quality of what we’ve sold so far, and to keep growing the team in a local way.”

“We knew from our own personal experiences at home that people were seeking refuge by going outside.”

(Left to right) Neighbor co-founders Nick Arambula, Mike Fretto and Chris Lee

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

Skyler Reeves, Founder, Vivili Hospitality Group

Photos: Vivili Hospitality Group

Going the Full 12 Rounds

s boxer Mike Tyson famously noted, “Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” For Vivili Hospitality Group founder Skyler Reeves, those words resonated throughout the pandemic. “I felt like I’d signed up to fight Tyson for 12 rounds,” he says. “But then someone told me, ‘It’s going to hurt. But I promise you, you’ll win the fight if you make it to the end.’ So that’s what I kept telling myself.” At the start of March 2020, Reeves’s Prescott restaurant business was thriving, operating the Barley Hound and Rosa’s Pizzeria and closing on longtime institution Taco Don’s. On the 15th, his family was scheduled to celebrate his Skyler Reeves daughter’s birthday at a concert, which Founder, Vivili unfortunately became one of the first Hospitality Group events canceled in Arizona. That same day, Reeves started talking with local government and health department officials and realized that he was going to have to regroup. He made some tough decisions, including closing one of the restaurants and

“The world didn’t implode, but I realized how hard it was going to be.”

laying off employees. “We switched to to-go only with Rosa’s because we thought pizza would do well,” he says. “The world didn’t implode, but I realized how hard it was going to be.” The round-two bell rang and Reeves negotiated with the city to allow outdoor dining on a deck in front of Rosa’s. He also shifted his mindset: This was going to be the biggest opportunity of his life. “I knew there would be deals coming up,” he says. “Places were going to close, people would retire or move, and no one was looking to expand. I was on the phone with a broker every other day.” The hits kept coming, but Reeves came out on top during a devastating year. In November 2020, he opened The County Seat and in February 2021, he added La Planchada— not to mention growing his employee base 25% since the pandemic’s start. A second Rosa’s Pizzeria is slated to open this summer in Prescott Valley, as well. “One of the positives of COVID was underscoring the importance of restaurants and other places where we socialize,” Reeves says. “I just needed to look through a different lens.”

WHAT DO THESE 6 PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON? They’re all relentlessly turning their dreams into reality.

How did creating equal access to music education help this nonprofit transform the lives of their students and their families? Kirk Johnson, SOUNDS Academy

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Tom and Jane Frenkel, The Clayton Venues and Fate Brewing

Tom Henderson, Capital Pump & Equipment

Stephanie Vasquez, Fair Trade Café

How did this founder go from a start up out of a condo to CEO with over a hundred employees in just a few short years?

When so many restaurant businesses did not survive the pandemic, how did this local fairtrade coffee shop keep grinding to success?

Dawn Despain, Dawn by Design

What gave this business owner the courage to jump into business for herself during the pandemic when so many others were pausing their operations?

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PAG E

At the center of the Grand Circle, Page proves it’s more than a natural wonder

TURNER STORY BRUCE FARR PHOTOGRAPHY MARK LIPCZYNSKI Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

IF YOU ASK Gregg Martinez, Page, Arizona, is the absolute best-kept

secret in the entire Grand Canyon State. That might not surprise you—especially if you’re among the millions of annual visitors to Page and its environs, which encompass some of the most captivating scenery and recreational space in the southwest. But it is somewhat unexpected to learn that Martinez isn’t talking so much about Page’s scenic beauty, but, rather, its inviting sense of community. “Page really is the best place to live and work,” Martinez says. “And it’s not just the beautiful natural scenery that surrounds you here—meaning Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, Tower Butte, Navajo Mountain, and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, to name a few. It’s the small-town feel of this community. I love knowing everyone, and everyone knowing me. That’s how it is here.” Of course, Martinez, who serves as the city’s economic development director, might be talking with just a whiff of bias, which no one would blame him for. But he does speak passionately about the rapidly disappearing small towns in Arizona and the U.S. at large, and how Page seems to cling to that nostalgic idea of home and community, and all the good things that they stand for.

MESA TOWN

When it comes to nostalgia, though, Page’s can’t run too deep. Age-wise, as American communities go, the city is a relative toddler. Founded in 1957, the small city (pop. 7,500) sprang up atop Coconino County’s Manson Mesa as a settlement for the construction crews (and their families) working on the nearby Glen Canyon Dam. The roughly 17-square-mile area that Page occupies today was Navajo Nation-owned, secured in a land exchange with the Navajo tribe. Originally called Government Camp, the name was later changed to Page to honor John C. Page, who had served as the U.S. Commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation in the 1930s and ’40s. He was deeply involved in the early planning and politicking that resulted in the massive Glen Canyon Dam being approved and constructed. Page, Glen Canyon Dam, and Lake Powell—the body of water that the dam created—are tightly interwoven in their history and current identity. Since the dam’s construction, the city of Page, in essence, has become the gateway to the enormously popular Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell, attracting more than four million annual visitors. Today, Glen Canyon and Lake Powell are both managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

TOURISM IS TOPS

The region was made for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts. “International tourism factors very heavily into our economy,” Martinez explains. “Maybe 50 percent of the millions of visitors here annually are international in their origin. But we also attract domestic tourists—we have a big draw from Utah, California, and Nevada, as well as local traffic here from within the state.” With that level of visitor firepower, it’s easy to understand why Page’s economic development has largely been focused on tourism, to the exclusion of most other economic drivers. “We’ve always been a lake-oriented, seasonal tourist community, just because of Lake Powell and, historically, that’s where we’ve focused our growth,” Martinez confirms. Still, with some recent changes in city management, Page is trying to gradually alter that paradigm, at least somewhat. To assess what can be done to diversify Page’s appeal, the city has recently hired a full-time business development specialist who’s based at the local Coconino County Community College. “And we’re also trying to bring in some [business development] incubators and accelerators,” Martinez adds. “We want to make sure that we’re looking at some diversification of our businesses and our community makeup. Right now, we’re relying almost solely on tourism, and that doesn’t make me very comfortable.” Among the steps Page’s city managers are taking, Martinez describes their efforts to work on a “smart city” initiative, to build a more robust fiber infrastructure into the community, a necessity for attracting new businesses.

“I can envision us becoming a hub of sorts— a tech center,” he says. “Who wouldn’t want to work a tech job in Page and be able to then grab a boat and spend some time on Lake Powell?” That’s not to say that the more traditional business support initiatives are taking a back seat, however. Page’s tourismcentered retail is still king. “The bottom line,” Martinez says, “is that there’s nothing more important to us than our existing small businesses. They’re the backbone of our community.”

“ There’s nothing more important to us than small businesses. They’re the backbone of our community.”

INCREMENTAL GROWTH

GREGG MARTINEZ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, CITY OF PAGE

One of those small businesses is Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, a fully Navajo-ownedand operated guided tour company. Founded in 2014 by Leilah Young, her mother and her two siblings, the enterprise is a testament to Page’s aspirations to grow, develop and diversify. “We’ve really made an effort to branch out into different areas,” Young explains. “In fact, we just purchased Canyonlands Water Distribution, a local company that’s committed to serving the area with high-quality, purified drinking water. And what’s more, we also own

Gregg Martinez, Economic Development Director, City of Page

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

a cruise tour, a private expedition that takes visitors on a 200-mile loop around the reservation to see many of the outstanding local sights.” Young says that the Page city government has been very supportive of their efforts to grow. “We’ve been able to reach out to the city and ask them for guidance and best practices, and for the most part, they’ve been very helpful. It’s nice having such a good relationship with them,” she says. “The entire economic development team in Page has really been doing a lot to grow business here.” Young’s operations manager Deron “DeJay” Lister concurs. “The next expansion for us is launching a boatrental company. We’re diversifying our portfolio and really grabbing onto business that’s coming to Page,” he notes, admitting that it’s not an easy path forward. “We do need to diversify beyond just tourism. And through studies we’ve done with Northern Arizona University and our own local college, we’ve speculated on what industries would do well here in Page—but it’s a process. For our location being as remote as it is, I would say we’re on track and growing fairly well. As a part of that growth, though, we need to focus on business retention and upgrades to current businesses.” Martinez echoes Young and Lister’s sense of direction for Page. “Our No. 1 goal right now is to strengthen our small businesses,” he states. “Like everybody else, we’re in recovery mode from the pandemic and we’re not completely out of the woods just yet. Our mission is to continue to provide support to our small businesses, and there’s nothing else that we’re looking at until we know that they’re safe and doing well.”

FAST FACTS: PAGE , A RIZO NA The city of Page was named for John C. Page, a 1930’s Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. The city was planned and developed for the workers building the Glen Canyon Dam in 1957.

At an elevation of 4,300 feet atop Manson Mesa and overlooking Wahweap Bay of Lake Powell, Page has become a major resort area. The National Park Service estimates that the Page/Lake Powell area had 4.3 million visitors in 2019.

Lake Powell 1,960 miles of shoreline, which is longer than the entire west coast of the continental United States. There are 96 major canyons to explore, as well as Rainbow Bridge National Monument that can be explored via watercraft.

Located in the center of “Canyon Country,” Page is just a short drive from the North or South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National Parks, Monument Valley and Canyon De Chelley.

A broad range of community facilities are located in Page, including museums, a community center, library, recreation center, visitor center, golf course, parks and sports complexes.

There are around 40 lodging facilities with roughly 3,000 rooms, not including RV parks and camping. There are multiple meeting facilities with the largest of these seating approximately 400 people.

Weather in Page is temperate with an average yearly maximum temperature of 72 degrees and an average yearly minimum temperature of 47 degrees. Average yearly total precipitation is 4.78 inches.

SOURCE: CITYOFPAGE.ORG

Leilah Young, Co-Founder, Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

We’ll Manage It. You Enjoy It. LET’S WORK TOGETHER Mary Holman Executive Vice President, Director of Private Banking 602.212.8861

The Private Bank at National Bank of Arizona At National Bank of Arizona, our team of Private Bankers take a different approach to helping you achieve your financial goals: we question everything, take nothing for granted and challenge conventional wisdom. Why? You’ve worked too hard to leave things up to chance. And besides, you know what they say about assumptions.

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Steve Zylstra, President and CEO of the Arizona Tech Council, and Chris Camacho, President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, remain at the pulse of the state’s impressive performance as a rising powerhouse in technology.

A rizona tech is booming.

STORY B R U C E FA R R PHOTOGRAPHY MARK LIPCZYNSKI

At any other time—or in any other environment—such a statement about Arizona’s tech industry might not be as unexpected or profound. But coming in the wake of 2020’s unprecedented events, it’s downright startling. What does “booming” mean? According to the AZ Tech Industry Impact Report from the first quarter of this year, the number of tech jobs is up 3.6% over the past year. Even more impressive, the number of tech companies is up 4.3% over the same time period. And total tech industry wages are up a solid 3.07%. That’s almost a full point higher than the national average. And the numbers just keep on rolling upwards. Breaking down tech performance into industry subcategories—diversity,

Against a lot of odds, Arizona’s tech industry is more than thriving

T E C H N O L O GY

STAT E

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

It bears noting that performance at this level doesn’t occur in a vacuum or by happenstance. As with any high measure of economic delivery in any state or locality, there is always a corresponding level of effort (read: hard work) behind the scenes that both drives and supports an elevated degree of success. While they aren’t exclusive to Arizona’s ongoing tech success, two local men and the organizations they helm are behind a lot of Arizona’s impressive performance as a rising powerhouse of technological excellence, growth and diversity. Chris Camacho has worked for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) for 13 years, and has spent the last seven as its president and CEO. The organization’s range

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

STEM jobs, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, etc.— the same pandemic-stricken time period shows gains over gains over gains in most fields. It’s uncanny. Helping to fuel those numbers, Arizona continues to lead the nation in hosting (location-wise) four major tech sectors that are considered “legacy” industries: satellite telecommunications, semiconductors, aerospace and defense. But adding to those mainstays, the state’s more urban centers have become hotbeds for technological innovation. New tech startups in Arizona like EnPower, a lithium battery technology company; eVisit, a telehealth virtual delivery company; and Solera Health, a lower-cost, comprehensive healthcare services aggregator; are helping drive the state’s tech upswing.

encompasses nearly all of Maricopa County, where 21 cities and the county itself fall under the GPEC umbrella. GPEC has a straightforward mission. “At the highest level, our job is to recruit some of the most advanced technological companies in the world to invest in and create jobs in greater Phoenix,” he explains. “We also advocate for economic policies and other competitiveness-related items—things like workforce and infrastructure to help those kinds of companies thrive in our region. Thirdly, we’re focused on how we can help these young companies get to scale.” Meanwhile, just a few miles up Central Avenue, the Arizona Technology Council’s (ATC) president and CEO Steve Zylstra is coming up on his 14th year heading up one of the most important tech support operations in the state’s history. With more than 850 members statewide and growing, the ATC works to nurture innovators and help them negotiate a path to success. It’s Zylstra’s mission to set up and run 150 tech-related events each year; promote public policy as it positively affects statewide technology companies; and negotiate lower-cost products, services and healthcare options for the companies under the ATC umbrella. “We really exist to serve our members and we’re focused on helping them succeed,” he says. “Whether it involves breaking down barriers to policy, improving the business climate they’re involved in, bringing them information and educational opportunities, it’s a pretty traditional trade association business model.” Separately and together, these two tech-focused leaders and their teams have helped foster a statewide climate that’s highly friendly to Arizona technology at every critical level—infrastructurally, educationally and legislatively. ‘EMERGING’ TECH, HUM AN TALENT

Camacho attributes much of Arizona’s tech success to what he terms emerging technology companies. “It’s everything from electric vehicles to diagnostics and healthcare—new companies that are creating jobs,” he says. “And, naturally, it’s also existing companies that continue to expand here—companies like Carvana or GoDaddy or others that are our mainstay tech companies, that have decided to

continue to invest and expand their footprint here.” Asked if metro Phoenix is ready to accommodate more tech growth, Camacho is very optimistic. “I’m somewhat of a futurist, looking at the future aspects of what will drive a market,” he says. “You start region by region, and you look at what tech companies need and care about. Number one, they need people—they need skilled labor in markets where they can keep reconstituting and repopulating their own internal labor or workforces. We do that exceedingly well.” And with “people” as part of the tech success equation, the question of properly educating and training them always arises. Camacho and Zylstra agree that, to continue to remain a leading tech state, Arizona’s commitment to education— especially in the technology fields—is paramount. “The extraordinary number of colleges, universities and tech skill schools in Arizona is one of the primary reasons the state is such a magnet for companies to locate here, or for those that are already here to remain here,” Zylstra says. Camacho adds, “Arizona State University, for example, has upwards of 25,000 engineers that they’re pumping out into the market every year, and we have a community college system which is the largest in the country. Our educational feed into the tech markets is unequivocally one of the most important ingredients to our technology market success.” PRO - BUSINESS STANCE

Zylstra notes that Arizona’s efforts to boost its infrastructure are also a major contributing factor. “[Tech-wise], we’re a young region, comparatively,” he says. “And we have a lot of cities investing heavily in mass-scale water/wastewater treatment and road infrastructure. And then you have this new-age digital and fiber capacity. There’s massive fiber-tohome projects and underground cabling to intensify our tech company growth capabilities.” Beyond the state’s education, labor and infrastructure profiles being so friendly to tech, both Camacho and Zylstra single out Arizona’s regulatory and legislative policy environment, which they say is extremely pro-business. “It’s no mystery [why Arizona’s been successful techwise],” Zylstra says. “Governor Ducey and his team have

With facilities in Arizona, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Intel, and Carvana are driving forces in establishing the state as a formidable leader in the tech industry both nationally and globally.

been a very hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves legislative force in this state. It’s a focus on the business climate. For example, we’ve created the best R&D tax credit in the nation; this year we extended the Angel Investment tax credit for 10 years—it’s up to about 35% credit for investors in tech companies. And in 2011, we lowered corporate income taxes. So, we have a stellar business climate here and these companies and individuals are taking note of it.”

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

LEGACY UPSWING

All its innovative tech startup activity notwithstanding, Arizona’s legacy technology industries are also on the rise. In fact, semiconductor, aerospace and defense, which have been stalwarts of the Arizona economy for decades, are advancing, as well. In fact, today, Arizona is one of the top four states in semiconductor employment. “With TSMC [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company] announcing their $12 billion facility and Intel announcing their $20 billion facility, [Arizona] is one of the most heralded markets in the country, one that companies are shifting toward,” Camacho says, pointing out that as the U.S. economy swings to more of a service sector than a manufacturing one, Arizona is indeed pivoting toward some newer technology startups. Software companies, too, are going through the roof, numbers- and performance-wise. Camacho notes that the software job growth in some of Arizona’s urban sectors is rivaling that of Austin, Texas, and other areas that are considered unbeatable boom markets. “Couple that with the healthcare market that’s growing pretty dynamically…with clinical trials, diagnostics and therapeutics, and you have to conclude that there’s just a lot of appetite here for massive technology growth,” he says.

“ I feel confident that we’re going to be one of the more formidable tech markets over the next 20 years.”

CHRIS CAMACHO, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL

THE FUTURE OF TECH

Intel Corporation

through college—we continue to modernize and have a contemporary, innovative education delivery system to meet the needs of our changing demographics and industries. That’s something that I’m personally passionate about.” Zylstra is equally enthusiastic about the entire tech picture going forward. “For one, we’re going to become the international hub for semiconductors,” he predicts. “It started here in 1949, when Bob Galvin brought Motorola to the Valley. But now, almost any semiconductor firm you can name is here—Freescale, On Semiconductor, Amkor, ASML, Microchip, Rogers—it’s just going to get bigger. “Even with some of the crazy stuff going on in the real estate market right now, we are still a lower-cost market compared to Austin or the Silicon Valley. People who could never afford a home in those places can come here and, for the price of what they might have sold their house for in those other markets, they can get three or four times what they owned in those places.”

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

Looking ahead, Zylstra and Camacho are both bullish on the direction Arizona technology is heading, but they’re quick to point out that it will take a lot of continued hard work, foresight and a good measure of luck to keep it on the upswing. “I feel confident that we’re going to be one of the more formidable tech markets over the next 20 years,” Camacho predicts. They both emphasize that a key element of that continuing success will be how Arizona manages its precious natural resources. “Number one, I think that water and natural resource management always has and will be a very important leadership topic for all of us,” Zylstra says. “And housing affordability is another. We have to look at how we can take some of these best-case examples of doing it right, and then make sure that our market is attainable, accessible and affordable for all residents.” Camacho emphasizes the importance of a continuing emphasis on quality education. “We want to ensure that, as an education system—preschool

Cottonwood, AZ

Located in the heart of the Verde Valley wine country, Cottonwood is a mix past and present, where history is embraced, and growth and development are welcomed. Find out more about this unique Arizona city in the next issue of Elevate AZ.

PHOTO Mark Lipczynski

Fall 2021 | ElevateAZ.com

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