Arizona Technology Council | 2022 Annual Report

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT + CEO

Most parents recall the milestones of watching their child grow up: birth, first steps, first day of school, learning to drive, first job.

And if that child goes off to college, the junior year—average age of 20—seems to always stand out. No longer a teen, the young adult has shaped enough skill sets to make a mark on the world and gain momentum for the successes to come.

That analogy captures how the Arizona Technology Council had evolved by the time it marked its 20th anniversary on Aug. 28, 2022: accomplishments to build upon with even more expected in the years ahead.

This is no surprise considering the Council’s start. It was founded when the Arizona High Tech Industry Cluster merged with the Arizona Software and Internet Association. Now counting more than 700 members, the Council has offices in Phoenix and Tucson as it thrives with the state’s rapidly growing technology industry.

The good genes also are evident in the Council’s SciTech Institute (formerly the Arizona Technology Council Foundation), founded in 2004 with the goal of connecting the STEM community and inspiring individuals to pursue STEM-related career paths and get engaged in STEM events. The Institute’s signature event is the annual AZ SciTech Festival, which features hundreds of events across 80 Arizona cities alongside more than 900 partners in the science and technology ecosystem.

The Council’s touch is also felt at the Arizona Legislature. Its recent efforts are credited with helping restore Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding, create and maintain the Arizona R&D Tax Credit through 2030, and create and extend the Arizona Angel Investor Tax Credit until 2031.

Among its members, the Council is known for its programs and events. One example actually is a trailblazer that helped pave the way for association health plans in Arizona. That is significant for a group like the Council whose members include startups, smaller businesses and growing companies that would struggle to fit health care costs into their budgets. Now those employees have access to medical and dental plans from Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona, along with vision coverage, health savings and flexible spending account administration, employee assistance and life insurance.

On another front, member company employees, as well as their spouses, domestic partners and dependents, now can receive a 10% tuition savings on all bachelor’s and graduate programs of The University of Arizona Online. The tuition reduction also applies to programs offered by UArizona’s Eller College of Management.

These providers are part of another Council segment that has grown over the years: partnerships. Without them, it’s hard to imagine some of our successes actually occurring.

A key partner has been the Arizona Commerce Authority led by President and CEO Sandra Watson. For example, we work in tandem to stage our annual signature event, the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation. Watson also is a member of our board of directors.

It’s worth noting that she and her team were critical to Arizona landing the new Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. manufacturing facility that will be operational in 2024. The Authority also worked with Boston Consulting Group to develop the recently unveiled National Semiconductor Economic Roadmap, a 10-year, industry-led action plan that focuses on driving semiconductor innovation in the United States.

Closer to home is another woman who has earned recognition for her efforts critical to the community. Council Vice President Karla Morales was named to Az Business and AZRE magazines’ list of the Most Influential Women in Arizona of 2022. Morales leads, manages and oversees the Council’s Southern Arizona operations, including recruiting new members, securing sponsorships and supporting events. The Council itself was recognized as the 2022 winner of the award for Innovation in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) by the Technology Councils of North America, which represents approximately 60 technology associations across the United States and Canada.

We have worked tirelessly to create a technology ecosystem that is laser-focused on leveling the playing field through DEI initiatives. The Council’s dedication to DEI is exemplified through our programs like the Tech Inclusion Forum and Women in the Workforce committees.

Our efforts also spread to external initiatives. The Council was selected by Arizona State University to receive a portion of a $10 million National Science Foundation Accelerate Latinx Representation in STEM Education (ALRISE) Alliance grant. The grant is intended to help mobilize the Council’s membership in offering experiential work-based opportunities in STEM to students who identify as Latinx.

Add to that our participation in InclusionAZ, an initiative with FairHire that is enhancing the vibrancy of Arizona’s technology ecosystem by imploring tech employers to provide unbiased and fair hiring opportunities that attract diverse talent from across the state and beyond.

Our hope is that by setting an example, we can help push the needle forward for DEI. In the third quarter of 2022, Arizona ranked 12th in the nation in technology industry diversity.

I would be remiss if I forget to mention another significant event for all of us in 2022: the midterm election. With public policy a key part of our ongoing agenda, the Council published its biennial 2022 Vote TechSmart voter’s guide, which provides a comprehensive overview of Arizona legislative candidates’ positions on key issues affecting the technology industry.

With so many recent accomplishments added to a track record of two decades, the Arizona Technology stands poised for the future. I for one cannot wait to see what lies beyond our senior year.

“With so many recent accomplishments added to a track record of two decades, the Arizona Technology Council stands poised for the future.”

Steven

President + CEO Arizona Technology Council + SciTech Insitute

G Zylstra, Sc D (Hon )

INTRODUCTION + OVERVIEW

As Arizona’s premier networking and trade association for science and technology companies, the Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making the Grand Canyon State the fastestgrowing technology hub in the nation, connecting and empowering Arizona’s community of innovation.

More than 700 of Arizona’s most cutting-edge technology companies are members of the Council, ranging in size from early-stage startups to larger corporations that are household names. To support their growth, the Council hosts approximately 100 virtual and in-person events, educational forums and conferences annually that convene industry movers and shakers. Beyond that, member companies have access to a variety of member perks like an association health care plan, a multiple-employer 401(k) plan, discounted tuition for degree programs at certain in-state educational institutions and much more.

Finally, the Council works towards eliminating impediments that technology companies face and furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, advocacy and social action. A primary priority is advocating for a technologybased, pro-growth and business-focused agenda at the federal, state and local levels. In the year to come, the Council will be supporting legislative action that supports creating an equitable statewide STEM ecosystem, advancing clean energy initiatives, funding education and a variety of other pressing issues that are critical for Arizona’s economic growth and development.

With the support of our members, sponsors and partners, the Council is a trusted resource in strengthening Arizona’s technology industry and accelerating the innovation mindset already present in our rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem.

Purpose

Catalyzing technology innovators to accelerate Arizona’s global impact.

Mission

To empower innovators who drive impact that positively transforms the world.

Vision

Advance Arizona as a preferred technology ecosystem for purposedriven innovators globally.

Values

Elevate your mind

Embrace diverse perspectives

Shape the future

Form authentic relationships

Expand your mission

Create positive change

These are the tenets that have shaped the Council into what it is today:

History

The Council was created in 2002 after the Arizona High Technology Industry Cluster merged with the Arizona Software and Internet Association. In 2008, the Council added an office in Tucson after consolidating the Aerospace, Manufacturing and Information Technology (AMIT) clusters of Southern Arizona into the Council. In 2016, the Arizona Optics Industry Association merged with the Council to become the Optics Valley Committee.

Leadership

The Council is governed by a board of directors led by Board Chair Eric Miller, principal of Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc. (PADT). Steven G. Zylstra serves as president + CEO of the Council and is responsible for its day-to-day operations and management.

Objective

The Council supports technology companies at all stages of growth and development—from startups to rapidly growing mid-sized companies to large global enterprises. It strives to improve Arizona’s competitiveness and visibility by advancing the development of the state’s technology community.

STRATEGIC PLAN

Evolving the Council’s Value Proposition

To continuously review and test its value proposition, the Arizona Technology Council conducts intentional strategic planning with its board members and staff every three years. The Council’s board and staff convened in November 2021 to purposefully add diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to our values, revisit the Council’s business plan, identify opportunities for improvement and map out priorities for the upcoming three years.

The Council enlisted Doug Reid, founder of Douglas Reid – Thinking Partners, and Tom Wesner, Certified EOS Implementer® at EOS Worldwide, to lead the board and staff through a variety of interactive activities. Throughout the course of the brainstorming sessions, the group completed a thorough audit of the organization’s mission and vision and the value provided to member companies.

Through these discussions, the group identified three key opportunity areas for the board and staff to improve upon through collaboration. These areas then were converted into three strategic pathways for the Council to focus on in the years ahead:

Pathway #1: How might the Council better describe its value and deliver that value to its member companies?

Leads: Eric Miller of PADT and Calline Sanchez of IBM

▪ How might we increase community awareness and recognition of the Council?

▪ How might we increase membership by 50% to increase collaborative value and impact?

▪ How might we help members better understand how the Council can help their companies?

Key successes to date:

▪ Surveyed more than 30 member companies to determine membership value criteria.

▪ Focus groups and roundtable discussions are being executed for deeper understanding on how to best deliver value.

Pathway #2: How might we better attract young and diverse professionals?

Lead: Christine Boles of Intel

▪ How might we be more active and visible among college students and young adults?

▪ How might we better understand and offer what young professionals are looking for?

▪ How might we increase membership among younger companies and professionals?

Key successes to date:

▪ Reimagined Ambassador Committee to include a new focus on the recruitment of a next-generation and diverse set of ambassadors.

▪ Expanded data collection to include member demographic information.

▪ Increased next-gen company membership and employee participation.

Pathway #3: How might we create value-added human connections?

Lead: Sheila Kloefkorn of KEO Marketing

▪ How might we create a space for technology companies to discuss common challenges?

▪ How might we drive more collaboration between members and key stakeholders?

▪ How might we choose event topics to maximize interest among our member companies?

Key successes to date:

▪ Created new mission, vision and purpose statements.

▪ Created a flier presenting the updated mission, vision and purpose statements.

Each pathway is led by volunteer board members who follow the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to accomplish identified tasks within 90-day sprints. The EOS method combines two different personality types to advance each pathway’s aims: the Visionary and the Integrator.

The Visionary (volunteer board member) is skilled at seeing the big picture, thinking strategically and ideating next steps. On the other hand, the Integrator (Council staff) serves as the project manager who is taskoriented, pays attention to the details and keeps track of deliverables.

Together, these teams will move the needle on advancing the Council’s value add to member companies, diversifying the companies that are attracted and served and ensuring high-quality interactions for the Council’s member community.

PUBLIC POLICY + ADVOCACY Legislative Priorities

The Arizona Technology Council is dedicated to continuously monitoring federal, state and local legislation that can impact the sustainability and growth of Arizona’s technology ecosystem. Through the collective strength of its members, the Council informs and educates policymakers on issues important to Arizona’s technology sectors.

From the U.S. Congress and the Office of the Governor to legislative committee rooms and city halls across the state, the Council serves as the voice calling for a technology-based, pro-growth and businessfocused agenda.

In 2022, the Council, its Public Policy Committee and government relations firm Public Policy Partners (P3) relied heavily on the Council’s mission by preparing key ideas, goals and legislative initiatives to:

▪ Improve the business climate for technology-based companies

▪ Provide sources of risk capital that encourage entrepreneurship, with a focus on underrepresented entrepreneurship

▪ Create an environment that supports science- and technologyrelated job retention and creation

▪ Attract, train, retrain and retain the talent required to compete in a global innovation economy

▪ Support Arizona businesses in their journey to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive

▪ Help ensure technology businesses can recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, then thrive

2022 legislative priorities focused on::

▪ Looking for opportunities to cultivate a diverse and equitable statewide Arizona science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) ecosystem

▪ Focusing on long-term, shared, sustainable and flexible STEM missions that bridge, integrate and strengthen the learning opportunities offered by organizations across sectors instead of isolated, independent entities

▪ Expanding STEM business and education opportunities throughout rural and urban Arizona communities to fuel a strong, diverse talent pipeline prepared to meet the state’s anticipated growth

▪ Consistently, equitably and sustainably funding the state’s P-20 education system – including pre-K, K-12 and career and technical education districts (CTED) – and ensuring equitable access to advanced, rigorous coursework such as dual enrollment and postsecondary programs

▪ Supporting a funding formula that addresses the achievement gap for students in lower socioeconomic areas and ensures access to the proper infrastructure for supporting distance learning models

▪ Supporting efforts in seeking opportunities to positively impact the diversity, equity and inclusion of the workforce and its leadership

▪ Granting equitable access to essential services (e.g., broadband, transportation, employment, education opportunities)

▪ Working collaboratively with both the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) and the Legislature to advance energy policy that encourages demand-side adoption of energy efficiency, prioritizes clean and renewable energy use, invests in electric vehicle infrastructure development and supports innovation in the industry

▪ Protecting against attempts to undercut the authority of the ACC to promulgate and implement clean energy policies

▪ Supporting economic development programs that have proven to work for Arizona

▪ Maintaining and funding programs that support manufacturing; encouraging research and development; supporting highquality, high-paying jobs; and incentivizing innovation

▪ During the past several years, the Council has been successful in helping extend and expand these programs

▪ Some economic development tools may need to be modernized to ensure the most effective utilization of those that continue to spur economic growth

Clean Energy

The Council continued its advocacy for clean and renewable energy in 2022. As the state grows its national leadership in becoming a major tech hub, it’s important for Arizona to embrace clean energy technologies with a lower environmental impact, provide energy security for existing businesses and technology startups, increase energy independence and help drive economic development. The Council continued to recommend ways to develop the state’s energy policy for the future, including:

▪ Diversifying the state’s energy supply

▪ Taking advantage of low-cost natural gas resources

▪ Utilizing low-cost nuclear energy from the Palo Verde Generating Station

▪ Leveraging renewable energy technologies to attract economic investment

▪ Supporting policies that encourage energy efficiency

▪ Creating and maintaining a robust transportation electrification market and electric vehicle charging infrastructure

▪ Supporting transmission development and construction

▪ Adopting a more regional approach to energy planning

▪ Exploring storage technology

▪ Creating a forward-looking regulatory environment

▪ Developing innovative solutions to water challenges

▪ Supporting the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Chips and Science Act

The Council and P3 played defense against several pieces of legislation that would have gone against the clean energy principles listed above and would have interfered with the ACC’s ability to continue advancing principles that are beneficial to the state. Below are some examples of bills that were defeated:

▪ HB 2128 – Rulemaking; Exemption; Limitation; Corporation Commission: The exemption from review of rules by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council for the ACC only applies when the ACC is exclusively exercising its plenary authority. The ACC is required to make proposed rules available to the public before initiating the rulemaking process.

(Rep. Gail Griffin)

▪ HB 2536 – Corporation Commissioners; Qualifications: For terms of office beginning in 2025 or later, an Arizona Corporation Commissioner is required to be a resident of Arizona for at least two years before election, be at least 30 years of age, and have at least five years of experience in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, administrative law, and/or professional engineering. Before a person becomes a candidate for the office of Corporation Commissioner, the person is required to sign an affidavit listing and attesting to the person’s fulfillment of these qualifications and file the affidavit with the nomination paper. (Rep. Gail Griffin)

The Council and P3 actively supported these bills that passed:

▪ SB 1246 – School Buses; Electrification; Contracts: School districts are authorized to select a pre-approved contract carrier or private party that provides electric school buses, electric school bus charging infrastructure, charging and charging management services and/ or electric school bus services, and that has received approval from the School Bus Advisory Council. (Sen. Paul Boyer)

▪ SB 1396 – Hydrogen Study Committee: Establishes a 12-member Hydrogen Study Committee to investigate and evaluate existing laws and recommend legislation related to the production, distribution and storage of hydrogen. (Sen. T.J. Shope)

The Council and P3 also worked on other clean legislation that ultimately did not pass, including SB 1150 – Electric Vehicles; Pilot Program; Appropriation; SB 1151 – Charging Station; Pilot Program; Appropriation; SB 1152 – Zero Emission Vehicles; Plans; and SB 1154 – Transportation Electrification Study Committee. (all sponsored by Sen. Victoria Steele)

Economic Development

Economic development is an important area of focus for the Council, including supporting economic development programs that work for the state and an overall tax structure that encourages businesses to continue to thrive here. Below are some of the initiatives of note that passed:

▪ HB 2822 – Personal Property; Additional Depreciation: For personal property that is initially classified during or after tax year 2022 as class one, class two (P), or class six, the county assessor is required to use a valuation factor of 2.5 percent. (Rep. Jeff Weninger)

▪ SB 1093 – Property Tax; Class One; Equalization Assistance : Reduces the assessed valuation of class one property for property tax purposes to 15.5% in 2026 and 15% in 2027 and after, from 16%. Establishes reduced state equalization assistance property tax rates for tax years 2022 through 2027. (Sen. JD Mesnard)

▪ HB 2871 – Budget; Tax; Revisions; Distributions; 2022-2023: This bill includes various tax revision policies, including increasing the public infrastructure cap for manufacturers from $50 million to $100 million and changing the tax rate for partners or shareholders of a partnership or S corporation. (Rep. Cobb)

Additionally, the Council and P3 worked on SB 1643 – Tax Credits; Research; Development (Sen. Karen Fann). This bill would have authorized the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to review and approve a portion of a taxpayer’s unused balance of the Research and Development (R&D) Credit for reinvestment and caps, at $50,000,000 in a fiscal year, the total amount of the unused balance of income tax credits (unused credits) the ACA may approve for reinvestment. It also would appropriate $50,075,000 from the state general fund in FY 2023 to the ACA for unused credit reinvestment implementation and administration

and outlines unused credit reinvestment requirements. Additionally, it would have increased the aggregate annual cap, from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000, on the refundable R&D Credit. This bill had bipartisan support and passed out of the Senate and the appropriate House committees. However, it ultimately was not allowed to go to the House floor for a final vote, even though there was support for the legislation.

Education / Workforce Development

Sustainably funding the state’s P-20 education system, dual enrollment and postsecondary programs were some of the Council’s other top legislative priorities in 2022.

The Council and P3 actively supported these bills that passed:

▪ HB 2017 – Community Colleges; Expenditure Limitation: For FY 2022-23, if a community college district exceeds its expenditure limitation prescribed in the state Constitution, the district’s state aid will be withheld in specified amounts based on the percentage of the limitation that the excess expenditures equal. Retroactive to July 1, 2021. (Rep. Steve Kaiser)

▪ HB 2027 – CTEDs; Revisions: Blends multiple enactments of statute relating to career technical education districts. Retroactive to Sept. 29, 2021. (Rep. Michele Udall)

▪ HB 2034 – CTEDs; Associate Degrees: For programs that are on the in-demand regional education list, Career Technical Education Districts (CTEDs) are authorized to offer associate degrees that are accredited by a regional or national accreditation agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education. CTEDs that offer an associate degree program are required to meet all applicable regional or national accreditation requirements and state licensure requirements. (Rep. Udall)

▪ HB 2862 – Budget; General Appropriations Act; 2022-2023: The “feed bill” for FY 2022-2023, containing appropriations for state agencies and programs, including Arizona community colleges and the Department of Education. (Rep. Regina Cobb)

▪ HB 2864 – Budget; Higher Education; 2022-2023: Makes changes related to college and university programs that affect the state budget, including $10.8 million for Maricopa, Pima and Pinal community

college STEM programs; $12 million for the Arizona Board of Regents Promise Scholarship; and much more. (Rep. Cobb)

▪ HB 2866 – Budget; K-12 Education; 2022-2023 : Makes various changes relating to K-12 education that affect the budget, including $100 million in special education funding; $50 million for school resource officers, counselors and social workers; nearly $17 million to the Department of Education for adult education programs; and much more. (Rep. Cobb)

▪ SB 1159 – Teacher Certification; Leadership Preparation Programs: Various changes relating to teacher certification. Modifies the requirements for a school district or charter school to be a classroombased preparation program provider to train candidates for classroom-based standard teaching certificates. (Sen. Rick Gray)

▪ SB 1368 – Continuation; Arizona Board of Regents: The statutory life of the Arizona Board of Regents is extended five years to July 1, 2027. Retroactive to July 1, 2022 (Sen. Boyer)

▪ SB 1470 – Code Writers Initiative Program; Appropriation: Establishes the Code Writers Initiative Program within the Arizona Department of Education to provide grants on a competitive bases to participants that will introduce a computer code writing curriculum for students in grades 9 through 12, deliver a technology-focused initiative to Native American students, instruct Native American students in

computer code writing and work with industry partners to develop internships, and install distance learning equipment to maximize the number of program participants. Appropriates $1 million from the general fund in FY 2022-23 to the department for the program. (Sen. Shope)

The Council and P3 also worked on other education and workforce development legislation that did not pass, including HB 2607 –Appropriation; STEM; Learning; Workforce Development (Rep. Joel John); HB 2395 – Career Technical Education; Fund; Grants (Rep. Tim Dunn); and HB 2818 – CTE; Articulated Credit; Statewide Agreement (Rep. Judy Schwiebert).

Miscellaneous

Additional legislation actively supported by the Council and P3 in 2022 and signed by the governor included:

▪ HB 2039 – Live, Remote Instruction; Dual Enrollment: Establishes the Arizona Health Innovation Trust Fund and appropriates $100,000 from the state general fund in FY 2023 to the trust fund. This is the strikeeverything vehicle for AzBIO’s Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation AZ Advances program that sets up the trust fund to be managed by the state treasurer. (Rep. Udall)

▪ HB 2658 – State Broadband Office: Establishes the State Broadband Office in the Arizona Commerce Authority and establishes responsibilities of office staff. The office is required to publish and maintain a state broadband plan and is authorized to develop rules and guidelines to implement this legislation. (Rep. Cobb)

▪ HB 2731 – Regulatory Sandbox; Expansion: The regulatory sandbox is no longer limited to only financial products or services. (Rep. Kaiser)

▪ HB 2858 – Capital Outlay; Appropriation; 2022-2023: Makes various appropriations for capital expenditures for FY 2022-23, including $1 billion for different transportation initiatives, $2.5 million for a dark sky discovery center in Fountain Hills, $5 million for a Northern Arizona observatory and $20 million from the state aviation fund to plan, construct, develop, and improve municipal and county airports. (Rep. Cobb)

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IMPACT REPORT

Quarterly Insights on AZ’s Technology Sector

Released quarterly, the Arizona Technology Council’s Technology Industry Impact Report keeps its constituents informed on the progress of Arizona’s technology community and puts a face to the industry’s success stories.

On the Council’s behalf, the quarterly report is compiled by eImpact , an organization that creates web-based, data-reporting solutions designed to help cities, industries and planners drive effective policy, create new growth and engage stakeholders. The report is based on eImpact’s analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Brookings Institution, CompTIA, AngelList, National Science Board and others.

Significant data points for 2022 include:

▪ More than 214,094 technology jobs in Arizona (up 2.45% since the end of2021)

▪ A rise in technology wages to $25.4 billion (up 2.87% since the end of 2021)

▪ Arizona hosts over 14,490 technology companies (up 8.17% since the end of2021)

▪ Arizona leads in three major tech industries:

▪ Satellite telecommunications

▪ Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing

▪ Aerospace product and parts manufacturing

In 2022, the report’s dashboard was supplemented again by stories of the people behind the numbers. They were created by Molly Castelazo, founder and chief content strategist of Castelazo Content, and Bianca Buliga, director of marketing + communications for the Arizona Technology Council, and featured the employers and employees, the innovators and investors—the people—who make the technology industry in Arizona flourish.

View or download the complete report on the Arizona Technology Council’s website.

It is important to note that the technology sector jobs data in this dashboard are sourced from Emsi, representing estimates of the trailing four quarters for the given reporting period. Emsi’s model uses the most recent four quarters of BLS data to produce these estimations, allowing the Council to publish data approximately six months in advance of official BLS releases.

TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYMENT

Workforce Development

In 2022, the Arizona Technology Council remained committed to helping bridge the skilled talent gap that challenges its members across industries and disciplines. The Council continued its active support of initiatives aimed at developing and supporting a robust, aligned education and workforce development system. It also doubled down on its ongoing commitment to increasing the diversity, equity and inclusiveness of those systems and the talent developed and supported. It also proactively advocated science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education at all levels. Such a system of support provides the foundation for a healthy Arizona technology community and innovation economy by:

▪ Supporting talent development through formal education from pre-K through college, informal workplace and work-like experiences and on-the-job training.

▪ Enabling the attraction and retention of the talent—in-state or imported—needed for Arizona to thrive as a technology hub.

▪ Ensuring access to and full participation of talent reflective of Arizona’s diverse population.

▪ Aligning with the needs of companies for STEM workers now and in the future.

Policy + Advocacy

The Council continued to advocate for advancing the agenda of education for a skilled workforce through its public policy and legislative action during the 2022 legislative session. Key areas of focus included:

▪ Looking for opportunities to cultivate a diverse, equitable and statewide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) ecosystem.

▪ Consistently, equitably and sustainably funding the state’s P-20 education system— including pre-K, K-12, career and technical education districts (CTED), and postsecondary programs—and access to advanced, rigorous coursework.

▪ Supporting efforts in seeking opportunities to positively impact the diversity, equity and inclusion of the workforce and its leadership, and granting equitable access to essential services.

▪ Working collaboratively with both the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Legislature to prioritize clean and renewable energy policy and use.

▪ Supporting economic development programs that have proven to work for Arizona.

From a workforce development perspective, additional focus areas included:

▪ Reducing barriers to full participation of all Arizonans in an inclusive, equitable economic recovery.

▪ Developing cross-institutional partnerships from education, community, government and business that enhance Arizona’s STEM ecosystem.

▪ Focusing on increased graduation from high school for all students, as well as credentials, certificates and degrees in high-wage, highdemand STEM jobs.

▪ Increasing participation by companies to provide work experiences, including internships and apprenticeships, for students from K-12 through higher education to develop STEM workers now and in the future.

▪ Enabling the attraction and retention of the in-state, remote and imported talent needed for Arizona to thrive as a technology hub, with a heightened focus on underrepresented talent.

▪ Eliminating the digital divide by increasing access to broadband and needed devices to ensure equitable opportunities for education, training and job opportunities for all.

▪ Increasing public awareness of the importance of STEM in education to prepare Arizona’s future workforce.

Talent Attraction, Retention + Development

The Council provided extensive leadership and support both in Arizona and nationally in the implementation, planning and development of the Arizona State University (ASU) five-year ALRISE grant totaling $10 million from the National Science Foundation. This grant is aimed at accelerating Latinx representation in STEM education through culturally sensitive capacity building with education and industry partners in experiential learning. In addition to supporting the grant’s proposed work in Arizona, the Council facilitated connections to other technology associations across the U.S. for participation in this grant and plays an ongoing leadership role on the grant project.

One of the Council’s other key areas of focus in workforce development in 2022 was continuing to support ASU’s AZNext initiative, a combination of its first U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) $2 million grant focused on developing 1,600 apprentices to fill information technology (IT), cyber and data roles over the next five years and its second $8 million DOL grant to establish the Arizona Workforce Training Accelerator Partnership for Next Generation Jobs (AZNext). The workforce development partnership will enhance regional competitiveness, helping to address workforce shortages and train workers for high-paying, high-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and IT.

The second grant program is designed to train at least 2,000 participants, with a goal of achieving industry-recognized credentials and permanent job placement over the next four years. The Council continued to provide leadership support from President and CEO Steve Zylstra and the Workforce Development and Education Committee, and by soliciting participation of Council members for advisory roles and as implementation partners in the talent development and acquisition programs that are part of AZNext. The committee also hosted an Apprenticeship Awareness Forum in June 2022 that included IBM, Amazon, TQL and SRP to help promote and inform members about the value of apprenticeship as a model to develop high-tech talent.

These two complementary and collaborative grants will help ensure Arizona employers have the talent they need. As of the end of 2022, nearly 200 participants completed or are currently enrolled in an apprenticeship program and 630 people have enrolled in an apprenticeship or training program to date. More than 40 participants have obtained a new role after completing a training program. Two hundred new apprenticeships will start in Q1 of 2023, as will an innovative program exclusively for veterans.

Cybersecurity, a pressing area of demand among employers, provided a continuing opportunity for synergy between the Council, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation (GPCF) in the Arizona Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative and the IT Collaborative. The GPCF Collaborative continues to pursue innovative work-based and work-like models to help develop talent as early as high school through its ElevateED AZ initiative, including career exploration and internships and externships for students and teachers.

Through its partnership with the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) Pathways to Prosperity Network, the Council was also able to support member company Kudelski Security in facilitating a four-year apprenticeship program with the Phoenix Coding Academy, beginning in the junior year of high school. The first three apprentices are all continuing their apprenticeships while pursuing studies at Arizona-

based colleges and universities. Four new apprentices began in the fall of 2022, bringing the total to 11 apprentices, including six young women. CFA also continued its implementation of its five-year $4.1 million U.S. Department of Labor grant to increase high school awareness of, interest in and course-taking of computer science and cybersecurityrelated courses. In October, career awareness and course scheduling activities were introduced to more than 7,000 10th grade students before they made their course selections for the 2023-24 school year.

IT/Cyber Hub Advisory Council

In 2022, the Council continued its leadership supporting the implementation and utilization of the IT/Cyber Career Network in collaboration with the Partnership for Economic Innovation, a nonprofit of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council; Pipeline AZ; and Futures, Inc. based on a platform originally developed for aiding military personnel transition into the workforce.

With the Council’s leadership, this first industry hub for Pipeline AZ continues to become the primary statewide source for IT and cybersecurity talent development that integrates career awareness; labor market information; education and training pathways; and resources and job opportunities for current and future job seekers, educators, counselors and training providers, as well as business, workforce and economic development professionals. The Council’s ongoing efforts include leveraging, amplifying and promoting the work accomplished by local initiatives, identifying any gaps to be addressed and adding value for job seekers.

Pipeline AZ has more than 100,000 registered users and 6,000 employer accounts. Since January 2022, the IT Cyber Career Network has seen more than 900 direct visitors. The Pipeline AZ platform also became the preferred platform for students to learn about Arizona’s industries, career pathways and career planning. This industry-lead career development platform has connected students, teachers and citizens to education providers and employers, as well as other resources.

Industry + Education Alignment

The Council in 2022 maintained its engagement with the Maricopa County Community College District IT/Cyber Industry Sector Collaborative, which consists of faculty members from colleges across the district. The Council also continued its membership in the Pima Community College IT/Cyber Advisory group, providing support and guidance as the college successfully launched its new cybersecurity program, including an on-site cyber warfare range.

In addition, Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra serves on numerous boards and advisory councils to advocate for a robust, aligned education and workforce development system. These include ALRISE; the Arizona Business + Education Coalition; the Arizona District Export Council’s Trade Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee; the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair, the Arizona Science Center, AZNext, the Center for the Future of Arizona, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Cyber Workforce Collaborative, the Greater Phoenix Chamber IT Workforce Collaborative and several others.

Karla Morales, vice president of the Council’s Southern Arizona Regional Office, also serves on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) board in Tucson.

RECENT INITIATIVES + PARTNERSHIPS

ALRISE

As part of its focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, the Arizona Technology Council continued its extensive leadership and support both in Arizona and nationally of the implementation, planning and development of the Arizona State University (ASU) five-year grant totaling $10 million from the National Science Foundation. ASU’s vision for the Accelerate Latinx Representation in STEM Education (ALRISE) Alliance is to drastically improve Latinx student retention and completion in STEM at two- and four-year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and emerging HSIs (eHSIs) through culturally sensitive capacity building with education and industry partners in experiential learning. In addition to supporting the grant’s proposed work in Arizona, the Council facilitated connections to other technology associations across the U.S. for participation in this grant and plays an ongoing leadership role on the grant project. Learn more about this initiative and its key objectives at

AZNext

One of the Council’s other key areas of focus in workforce development in 2022 was continuing to support ASU’s AZNext initiative, a combination of its first U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) $2 million grant focused on developing 1,600 apprentices to fill information technology (IT), cyber and data roles over the next five years and its second $8 million DOL grant to establish the Arizona Workforce Training Accelerator Partnership for Next Generation Jobs (AZNext). The workforce development partnership will enhance regional competitiveness, helping to address workforce shortages and train workers for high-paying, high-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and IT.

Led by ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, and community partners including Pipeline AZ, Arizona Commerce Authority and Arizona@Work, the second grant program is designed to train at least 2,000 participants, with a goal of achieving industry-recognized credentials and permanent job placement over the next four years. The Council continued to provide leadership support through President and CEO Steve Zylstra and the Workforce Development and Education Committee, and by soliciting participation of Council members for advisory

roles and as implementation partners in the talent development and acquisition programs that are part of AZNext. Read more about the initiative at aztechcouncil.org/aznext .

InclusionAZ

InclusionAZ is enhancing the vibrancy of Arizona’s technology ecosystem by imploring tech employers to provide fair hiring opportunities that attract diverse talent from across Arizona and beyond. This initiative supports technology employers in adopting inclusive hiring practices using the FairHire Blind Hiring Platform that leverages scientific hiring protocols developed by the University of Bocconi Research Center in Milan, Italy. Each job post that follows this protocol will receive a FairHire® certification. This helps technology employers hire qualified and diverse technology talent without bias, ensuring the state’s technology ecosystem is shaped by the full breadth of residents who call Arizona home. Learn more and book a demo with FairHire staff at aztechcouncil.org/inclusionaz .

IT/Cyber Career Network

In 2022, the Council continued its leadership supporting the implementation and utilization of the IT/Cyber Career Network in collaboration with the Partnership for Economic Innovation, a nonprofit of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council; Pipeline AZ; and Futures, Inc. based on a platform originally developed for aiding military personnel transition into the workforce.

With the Council’s leadership, this first industry hub for Pipeline AZ continues to become the primary statewide source for IT and cybersecurity talent development that integrates career awareness, labor market information, education and training pathways, resources and job opportunities for current and future job seekers, educators, counselors and training providers, as well as business, workforce and economic development professionals. The Council’s ongoing efforts include leveraging, amplifying and promoting the work accomplished by local initiatives, identifying any gaps to be addressed and adding

value for jobseekers. To learn more about the Arizona IT/Cyber Career Network platform, please visit aztechcouncil.org/it-cyber-careernetwork .

Political Action Committee (PAC)

The Council continued an online presence for its Political Action Committee, allowing contributors to more easily support pro-technology candidates and policies that promote a thriving technology ecosystem in Arizona and improve the business climate for technology-based companies. Learn more about the PAC and the Council’s legislative priorities at aztechcouncil.org/aztc-pac.

Solarize at Work

In 2022, the Council partnered with SmartPower, a national non-profit organization, to launch a new program called Solarize at Work. The program is a company-wide and company-branded, 20-week online and in-house residential solar campaign designed to educate and motivate Arizona technology company employees to be sustainable and go solar. Solarize at Work is a powerful way for technology companies to enhance their relationships with their employees, help with employee recruitment, show their commitment to sustainability, and advance their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. Most importantly, this program offers another great employee benefit that helps to simplify the often-confusing process of going solar while enabling employees to save money on their energy costs as they lower their personal carbon footprint. Learn more about this new program offering at aztechcouncil.org/solarize-at-work .

The University of Arizona Global Campus

The Council continued its partnership with The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), an accredited online university, to offer Council member companies and their immediate family members 30% tuition savings on UAGC’s programs. In addition to the tuition savings, UAGC offers Council members free required course materials for all mandatory courses and waives technology, prior learning

assessment and graduation fees. To make this offering extra flexible for professionals looking to upskill, students can take as few as one class at a time and still be considered full time. They can also transfer up to 90 approved credits from an accredited college or university toward a bachelor’s degree. There is no need to take an SAT, GMAT, GRE or ACT to enroll. To learn more about this offering, visit aztechcouncil. org/discounted-tuition-uagc.

The University of Arizona Online

In 2022, the Council launched a partnership with The University of Arizona (UArizona) Online to offer members and their spouses, domestic partners and dependents 10% tuition savings on all online bachelor programs and online graduate programs, including the Eller College of Management’s OnlineMBA, the Professional MBA, Executive MBA and Evening MBA. In addition, the tuition benefit includes a UArizona admissions application fee waiver and a dedicated Arizona Technology Council partnership enrollment team. This partnership gives participants the ability to pursue more affordable and flexible educational opportunities that can help them upskill or elevate their career trajectories. Programs include Applied Computing, Cyber Operations, Electrical + Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Science, Law, Data Science and many more. To learn more about this offering, visit aztechcouncil. org/discounted-tuition-uarizona-online.

PREMIUM HEALTH CARE Association Health Plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

The Arizona Technology Council understands the challenges that many startups and small businesses face. That is exactly why the Council created its own association health plan (AHP) in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.

Since the official launch in January 2020, the Council’s Employee Benefit Trust has helped 57 technology industry employers with 676 employees across the state find lower cost and richer benefits for their companies.

The growth of the Council’s association health plan in 2022 has enabled many member organizations, small businesses and startups to provide more generous overall compensation packages to their employees, a critical factor in helping technology companies attract and retain top talent.

See the facts:

▪ The Council’s AHP achieved 53% growth in employers and 39% growth in employees in 2022.

▪ The health plan’s current annualized premium is $7,036,127.

▪ The average group size of an employer participant is 12 employees.

Advantages of the program:

Technology industry employers with as few as two employees now have access to a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance and AD&D; employee assistance; and health savings account (HSA)/flexible spending account (FSA) administration. It provides members with relief from COBRA administration, bill paying, compliance filings, and managing participant eligibility and benefits enrollment.

▪ Access: Participating companies have access to statewide networks, including Mayo Clinic, with exclusive network options in Maricopa and Pima counties.

▪ Choice: Participating companies can choose from a wide selection of primary care providers and specialists.

▪ Service: Local customer service provides care and claims support.

▪ Flexibility: Coverage is available for businesses with as few as two employees.

▪ Telehealth: Employees can visit with a doctor, counselor or psychiatrist any day, anytime, anywhere—from their smartphone, computer or tablet.

▪ Tools and resources: A range of resources are available to help members make educated health care decisions. Participating companies’ employees can shop and compare costs for more than 1,600 procedures, find a doctor, speak to a nurse on call 24/7, access health plan information via the mobile app and much more.

For more information on the Council’s association health plan, visit aztechcouncil.org/AHP or contact:

Jonathan Gatherers Consultant

DiMartino Associates

(206) 291-4969

jonathan@dimarinc.com

401(K) OFFERINGS

401(k) Multiple Employer Plan with Empower Retirement

The Arizona Technology Council partners with Empower Retirement (formerly MassMutual) to provide member companies a unique way to leverage the buying power of the Council by participating in a 401(k) multiple employer plan (MEP). A multiple employer plan significantly lowers the costs of a 401(k) plan, eliminates much of the administrative burden for a company and provides the most comprehensive fiduciary protection allowed by the U.S. Department of Labor. Investment committee meetings, 5500s and audits are eliminated for each adopting company, and member companies are still able to customize their plan design and the retirement benefits they offer their employees. This 401(k) MEP is appropriate for most size plans and Secure Act 2.0 tax credits are available for new plans.

See the facts:

▪ MEP started in 2014

▪ 12 participating employers

▪ $5.7 million in plan assets

▪ $233,000 in quarterly deferrals

▪ 164 eligible plan participants

▪ 103 active plan participants

To learn more about how this plan can help improve your employee benefits program and reduce costs, time and fiduciary responsibility, visit aztechcouncil.org/401k-multiple-employer-plan or contact:

Michael J. DiGrazia, CFP®, CIMA® Senior Institutional Consultant UBS Institutional Consulting Group

(602) 957-5133

michael.digrazia@ubs.com

SIGNATURE EVENTS Ongoing Events

after5 Tech Mixers

The after5 Tech Mixer is one of the Arizona Technology Council’s monthly networking events. Designed to bring together technologists, entrepreneurs, service providers and prospective members in a relaxed, after-work setting, each event in the series is hosted by a Council member company and is free for members. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments are provided by the host company. The events are typically held at technology companies, giving guests an opportunity to attend a tour or product demonstration. In 2022, the Council hosted 14 after5 Tech Mixers in partnership with companies like PADT, Inc.; Botco.ai; Involta; Pima JTED Innovation Learning Center; WorldView Technologies; InterLink Engineering; Ruda-Cardinal; Paragon IT Professionals; Leonardo Electronics; and the City of Surprise’s AZ TechCelerator.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of in-person Phoenix events: 7

Number of in-person Tucson events: 7

Total in-person attendance: 1,129

VIP Networking Events

Held in conjunction with the Council’s quarterly board of directors meeting, the VIP Networking Events include attendees from the board, current members and prospective members. In 2022, the Council held four in-person VIP Networking events in January, April, July and October.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of events: 4

Total attendance in 2022: 289

Virtual Tech Sector Speaker Series

The Council’s monthly Virtual Tech Sector Speaker Series brings together technology leaders, outstanding CIOs and CTOs, advocates, innovators and industry champions of existing and emerging sectors who are reshaping Arizona’s technology ecosystem. This expert panel forum advances Arizona’s technology evolution and growing designation as a technology hub. Topics covered in 2022 included several events on different types of SBIR Funding, Space Innovators in Arizona, What Leaders Can Do to Win and Retain Talent, Cyber Ranges, Apprenticeships, Cyber Insurance, Adapting to Supply Chain Uncertainty, How the Council’s Benefits Packages Can Help You Hire and Retain Tech Talent, The Future of Hypersonics and The Future of Solar in Arizona.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of events: 14

Total attendance in 2022: 517

Lunch and Learns

Held periodically in Phoenix and Tucson, Lunch and Learns provide an opportunity for the Council’s member companies to interact with guest speakers in an interactive and inperson way. Usually hosted by Council members, the Lunch and Learns host attendees at a member company’s space and offer lunch and beverages for an engaging break during the workday. Lunch and Learns were hosted in partnership with Schooley Mitchell and Lovitt & Touche, Bosch-Rexroth and the Arizona Commerce Authority.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of events: 4

Total attendance in 2022: 120

Tech Inclusion Forum

The quarterly Tech Inclusion Forum series focuses on highlighting the inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness (IDEA) challenges facing women and other underrepresented identities in STEM fields today and showcasing the many extraordinary and accomplished women in Arizona’s technology ecosystem. Led by Chair Diane Smigel, president and CEO of Palladium IT Advisors, and Council liaison Deborah Zack, vice president of membership services, the committee facilitated two major events in 2022. The March event featured Alexis Krivkovich, senior partner at McKinsey & Company, and focused on findings from McKinsey’s landmark study “Women in the Workplace.” The June event featured Max Chan, chief information officer at Avnet, for a fireside chat about Chan’s global career journey.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of events: 2

Total attendance in 2022: 162

Women in the Workforce

A women-focused event series in Southern Arizona, the Women in the Workforce Committee facilitates quarterly learning and mentoring opportunities, provides career and leadership development and positions women to pursue careers in technology more effectively. In 2022, the committee planned and executed three events. The first event in February was facilitated by Moline Creative and called “Beyond Vision Boards: Sketch Your 2022 Vision.” The second event in June was a speed mentoring event at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, and the third event in September was a panel presentation on SelfAdvocacy in the Workplace. The staff liaison was Jamie Neilson, director of operations for the Southern Arizona Regional Office.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of events: 3

Total attendance in 2022: 177

AZ TechCast Podcast

AZ TechCast, the Council’s podcast, is dedicated to covering innovation and technology in Arizona and beyond. Co-hosted by Phoenix Business RadioX President and Owner Karen Nowicki and Council President and CEO Steven G. Zylstra, AZ TechCast guests share success stories, news and analysis about the region’s leading startups, companies and emerging technologies as well as the latest industry trends and critical issues propelling Arizona’s growing technology ecosystem. Broadcast monthly, AZ TechCast features tech leaders having real conversations about what’s happening across the state. Topics included The Key to Improving Tech Outcomes: Project Management, Successfully Doing Business with the Public Sector, Historic Firsts: Arizona and the Webb Telescope, Strategic Business Analysis: Using Tech to Stay Adaptable, and many more. AZ TechCast episodes are available on Spreaker, Apple Podcast, Spotify and other major streaming services.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of podcasts: 12

Featured guests in 2022: 39

TechFocus Member Spotlight Podcast

In partnership with Tucson-based firm Michael Beach Consulting, the TechFocus Member Spotlight Podcast highlights Arizona’s growing prominence as a world-class technology hub. Each podcast episode features innovative entrepreneurs, transformative leaders and technology titans who are reshaping the state’s evolving technology ecosystem in existing and emerging sectors. Broadcast monthly, TechFocus is moderated by Linda Drake, a seasoned leadership coach and business consultant with Michael Beach Consulting. Featured companies in 2022 included Involta, GT Medical Technologies, Mercury Systems, Health Information Management Systems (HiMS) and Michael Beach Consulting.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of podcasts: 5

Featured guests in 2022: 5

SIGNATURE EVENTS Annual Conferences + Expos

MedTech Conference

The Arizona Technology Council’s annual MedTech Conference brings together health care innovators, influential policymakers and other health care service professionals committed to promoting and supporting the industry in an environment designed to showcase Arizona’s innovative medical technology. The conference advances industry discussion from key perspectives through expert panel sessions, keynote speakers and product exhibits to provide opportunities in education, business development, capital formation and networking. The 2022 theme was “A Field of Dreams: Capacity Counts.” The event featured speakers from the City of Surprise’s AZ TechCelerator; Beacon Biomedical Inc.; InnovationOne, LLC; Exponent; and Avnet, among others.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 45

Cybersecurity Summit

The Council, Arizona Commerce Authority and Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA) presented the ninth annual Cybersecurity Summit in 2022. This educational summit provided actionable solutions, resources, products and services geared toward helping businesses protect their intellectual property and customer data. The theme of the Cybersecurity Summit was “Proven Lessons for Addressing Today’s Threat Landscape.” The event featured speakers from ACTRA, Copper Hill Strategies, Grand Canyon University, Lumen, Van Scoyoc Associates and more.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 155

Cybersecurity Breakfast Forum

The Council and Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA) presented the seventh annual Cybersecurity Breakfast Forum in December 2022. This forum is a second annual opportunity for government and business leaders to learn about the threats, vulnerabilities and consequences related to data security and privacy matters. The purpose is to provide actionable solutions from real-world practitioners to help protect attendees’ intellectual property and customer data. The forum featured speakers from ACTRA, Intel, Arizona State University, Nikola Corporation, IBM Federal, the City of Chandler, Zerto and more.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 143

MarTech Summit

The Council presented its annual MarTech Summit, presented by KEO Marketing, at Venue 8600 in March 2022. This summit was a tremendous opportunity to share current advances in the implementation of communication technology in the development of marketing communications. In his keynote presentation, Salim Ismail, founder and chairman of ExO Works and OpenExO, spoke on the topic of building exponential marketing organizations. Other speakers included Sheila Kloefkorn of KEO Marketing, Teresa Lamberger of Benchmark, Valerie Cimarossa of the University of Advancing Technology, Sara Stamas of GitKraken, Christine Patton of Ideas Collide and many more.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 62

Arizona Photonics Days

This annual three-day conference presented by the Council’s Optics Valley Committee gathered Arizona optics companies, academia, industry scientists, the astronomy community, engineers in optics and photonics and partners from the Global Photonics Alliance for a oneof-a-kind event that provided engaging keynote speakers, technical presentations, interactive discussions, business-to-business meetings and networking. The 2022 event featured speakers from The University of Arizona; Sandia National Laboratories; Leonardo Electronics; PADT, Inc.; AdValue Photonics, Inc.; and many more. Optics Valley extends its appreciation to 2022 Gold Sponsors Arizona Commerce Authority, BIO5 Institute, UA Tech Parks Arizona and Edmund Optics, as well as 25 Silver and Bronze sponsors for helping make the event a success. To learn more about Optics Valley, visit www.opticsvalleyaz.org.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 150

CEO Retreat

The two-day CEO Retreat in Sedona gathered technology industry visionaries, business owners, company leaders, presidents and CEOs for interactive workshops, engaging speakers, thought-provoking keynotes, panel discussions and exclusive networking. Day One started with the option of participating in either a golf tournament at Sedona Golf Resort or a wine tour sponsored by PADT, Inc., and ended with a dessert welcome reception sponsored by Ballard Spahr. Day Two involved informational sessions with speakers including Rachel Llanes of The Gardin Consulting Group, Mark and Renee Yeager of Yeager Marketing, Robert Interdonato of Lumen, Rebecca Clyde of Botco.ai, Ville Houttu of Vincit USA, Andy Maurer of Pursue Whole and Howard Stewart of AGM Container Controls. Attendees stayed at the beautiful Poco Diablo Resort.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 55

Aerospace, Aviation, Defense & Manufacturing Conference

The Council collaborated with the Arizona Commerce Authority in 2022 to stage an engaging Aerospace, Aviation, Defense and Manufacturing (AADM) Conference. Speakers included Callie Groth of BlackBar Engineering, Candy Chatawanich of Honeywell, Minesh Patel of Benchmark, Jim Harrison of the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Mignonne Hollis of the Aerospace Arizona Association, Mary Darling of Darling Geomatics, Keith Jeffcoat of Oryx Additive, Ivonne May of Raytheon and many more.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 93

Smart City + IoT Conference

The Council presented the sixth annual Smart City Summit + IoT Conference at Venue 8600 in 2022. This informative and thought-provoking summit explored the landscape of smart city strategies, emerging best practices and challenges to implementation and the specific strategies needed to bring a smart city vision to reality. Keynotes, panels and spotlight chats included topics of The State of E-Mobility, Smart Cities of the Future and R+D Funding for Smart City/IoT Technologies. Speakers represented Nikola Corporation, Atlis Motor Vehicles, ZevX, Bosch-Rexroth, Intel, ARGOS Vision and many more companies.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 103

2022 Golf Tournaments

The Council hosts annual golf tournaments in Phoenix and Tucson. In January 2022, 110 golfers registered for the sold-out Phoenix golf tournament at Eagle Mountain Golf Club in Fountain Hills. In April 2022, 140 golfers participated in the Tucson golf tournament at the beautiful OMNI Tucson National Resort. Each event included lunch, raffle prize drawings and an awards ceremony.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of events: 2

Total attendance in 2022: 250

GOVERNOR’S CELEBRATION OF INNOVATION

Southern Arizona Tech + Business Expo

The Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority celebrated the 10th annual Southern Arizona Tech + Business Expo in 2022 with 63 exhibitors. This in-person event featured a keynote panel of experts from Paragon Space Development Corporation, Ruda-Cardinal, Arizona Spaceport Alliance, the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and NASA that discussed Southern Arizona’s role as a growing hub for space manufacturing. This event also featured two company innovator presentations from Todd Wynia of Penguin Solutions and Marcia Rieke of The University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory.

2022 Tech + Business Expo winners:

Southern Arizona Member Organization of the Year: Tech Parks Arizona

Southern Arizona Innovator of the Year: Delta Development Team

Southern Arizona Manufacturer of the Year: Lucid Motors

Southern Arizona Startup of the Year: CarbeniumTec

Sustainability Award: The City of Tucson’s Plan Tucson initiative

Total attendance in 2022: 378

An annual showcase of the state’s incredible leadership in science and technology, the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation (GCOI) is the Arizona Technology Council’s annual awards gala hosted in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority to honor top pacesetters in business, innovation, technology and government. The 19th annual GCOI event in 2022 featured keynote speaker Sally C. Morton, the executive vice president of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise and professor of statistics. A host of awards was presented to technology companies, community leaders and students from across the state to celebrate their contributions. The 2022 awards program was held at the Phoenix Convention Center.

2022 RESULTS:

Total attendance in 2022: 450

Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Award Winners

People’s Choice AccountabilIT Lifetime Achievement Award

Cecilia Mata, AllSource Global Management, Sierra Vista

Chairman’s Award

Don Ruedy, Raytheon + Arizona Technology Council, Tucson

Transformational Leadership Award

Paragon Space Development Corporation, Tucson

Ed Denison Business Leader of the Year

Marcus Engineering, LLC, Tucson

Innovator of the Year: Large Company

IBM, Tucson

Innovator of the Year: Startup Company

Botco.ai, Scottsdale

Innovator of the Year: Small Company

Sylvan Source, Green Valley

Innovator of the Year: Academia

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Estrella Mountain Community College

Judges Award

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) team: Sandra Watson of the Arizona Commerce Authority, Chris Camacho of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Christine Mackay of the City of Phoenix

Legislative Award Winners

▪ Senator of the Year: Sen. TJ Shope, District 8

▪ Representative of the Year: Rep. Jennifer Pawlik, District 17

Tech 10 Award Winners

▪ Sen. Sean Bowie, District 18

▪ Senate Assistant Minority Leader

Lupe Contreras, District 19

▪ Senate President Karen Fann, District 1

▪ Sen. David Gowan, District 14

▪ Sen. Sine Kerr, District 13

▪ Rep. David Cook, District 8

▪ Rep. Diego Espinoza, District 19

▪ Rep. Joel John, District 4

▪ Rep. Steve Kaiser, District 15

▪ Rep. Justin Wilmeth, District 15

Future Innovators of the Year Award Winners

▪ Pranati Chintada, BASIS Chandler

▪ Alexander Huang, Hamilton High School, Chandler

▪ Bremer Kaprosy, Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix

▪ Kristopher Luo, Hamilton High School, Chandler

Teacher of the Year Award Winner

▪ Alfred Santos, Harvest Preparatory Academy, Yuma

Future Innovators of the Year Honorable Mentions

▪ Prisha Shroff, Hamilton High School, Chandler

▪ Janvi Srivastava, BASIS Scottsdale

Teacher of the Year Honorable Mentions

▪ Thasanee Morrisey, Canyon View High School, Waddell

▪ David Wirth, Millennium High School, Goodyear

MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

Multi-Channel Promotion of AZ’s Technology Industry + Council Members

Public Relations

The Arizona Technology Council partners with Phoenix-based PR, content marketing and communications strategy firm Brodeur Partners. This collaboration strengthens the Council’s brand in the media and positions the Council as the go-to source for information on Arizona’s technology industry. Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra writes regular columns in the Phoenix Business Journal, AZ Business Magazine, In Business Magazine and TechConnect on topics like clean and renewable energy, IoT and smart cities, broadband and 5G, STEM and artificial intelligence. In 2022, the Council issued 19 press releases about the election of new board members, the unveiling of new member perks and benefits, quarterly technology industry impact data and much more. More than 75 stories appeared in the media as a result. Additionally, Zylstra and the Council contributed information on hot topics in technology to multiple media outlets, including AZ Inno, Phoenix Business Journal, AZ Big Media, In Business Magazine, Green Living Magazine, Reuters and Arizona Daily Sun.

2022 RESULTS:

Number of press releases: 19

Number of published articles: 76

Website

With constant maintenance and upgrades from KEO Marketing, www.aztechcouncil.org serves as the primary resource for information about the Council and Arizona’s technology ecosystem. Information on the website includes signature technology events, the Council’s latest news and press, an online job board and the Council’s membership directory. Upgrades in 2022 included completing a web hosting migration from GoDaddy to BigScoots, installing two-factor authentication on individual user accounts, creating a staging site, creating an Optics Valley microsite and directory and developing new landing pages about partnerships with SmartPower, The University of Arizona Online and Paragon IT Professionals.

Year-over-year, unique page views increased 25.87% from 2021 to 2022. In 2021, the site received 162,121 unique page views and in 2022, it received 204,068 unique page views. The number of organic sessions also increased 36.19%, reaching 132,866 sessions in 2022. Strategies targeting content optimization and search engine optimization from valued member and platinum sponsor Intero Digital have improved the Council’s keyword rankings in a number of categories, including professional networking groups, information technology conferences and B2B networking events.

2022 RESULTS

Average monthly organic sessions: 11,072

Total unique pageviews: 204,968

TechConnect Magazine

TechConnect is the only magazine that has covered Arizona’s science and technology community for almost two decades. Launched by the Arizona Technology Council in 2005, TechConnect is dedicated to covering innovation and technology in Arizona and beyond. Produced in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, the digital e-magazine is produced quarterly and provides news about the state’s leading companies, emerging companies and their technologies, and the latest industry trends and critical issues that drive Arizona’s technology ecosystem. TechConnect showcases Arizona’s technology community through profiles, feature stories, entrepreneur spotlights and trend reports. The themes in 2022 were broadband, commercial space, freshwater science and talent.

Visit www.aztechcouncil.org/techconnect to read the latest issues.

2022 RESULTS

Number of issues: 4

Quarterly circulation: 40,000

AZ Business Magazine

Readers of AZ Business magazine receive in-depth news and analysis on Arizona’s technology community provided by Council President + CEO, Steven G. Zylstra. Since 2012, Zylstra has authored his technology column for each issue of the bimonthly magazine, focusing on various technology sectors, notable leaders, important news, public policy and more. The articles provide highlights on the success, opportunities and growth, as well as economic and public policy pain points within Arizona’s technology industry.

2022 RESULTS

Monthly circulation: 30,000

TechTalk eNewsletter

The Council’s monthly TechTalk e-newsletter is published at the end of every month. The newsletter provides featured segments on member news, the Council’s latest news and press, local technology ecosystem events, clean energy news and more.

2022 RESULTS

Number of newsletters sent: 12

Monthly circulation: 41,335

TechFlash/MyView

In 2022, the Council continued to contribute a monthly technology blog published by the Phoenix Business Journal. Featuring Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra, the blog provides insight into Arizona’s growing science and technology industry. The blog is read by 421,764 monthly unique visitors and 23,780 daily e-news subscribers.

2022 RESULTS

Number of blogs: 12

Monthly circulation: 25,390

Greater Phoenix In Business Magazine

The Council maintains a special relationship with InMedia Company to publish a six-page editorial section three times annually in the monthly In Business Magazine. Reported and written by Council Editor Don Rodriguez, with contributions from staff and Council members, the content focuses on the Council’s role and impact on the statewide technology community, public policy developments and event updates.

2022 RESULTS

Readers per issue: 184,500

Social Media

The Council loves to engage with its innovative members, collaborative partners and friends on social media platforms. In 2022, the Council published updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. These channels are used to communicate Council news, member updates, new members, industry trends, event promotions and the accomplishments made by the Council and its valued members.

2022 RESULTS

LinkedIn

• Company page followers at end of 2022: 9,330

• Company page followers at end of 2021: 7,195

• 26% increase in followers

Facebook

• Number of followers at end of 2022: 4,781

• Number of followers at end of 2021: 4,337

• 10% increase in followers

Twitter

• Number of followers at end of 2022: 8,337

• Number of followers at end of 2021: 8,182

• 2% increase in followers

Instagram

• Number of followers at end of 2022: 1,410

• Number of followers at end of 2021: 1,182

• 18% increase in followers

STANDING COMMITTEES

Ambassador Committee (Phoenix)

The Phoenix Ambassador Committee is one of the longest-functioning committees of the Arizona Technology Council and for most of 2022 its staff liaison was Deborah Zack, the Council’s vice president of membership services. Bianca Buliga, director of marketing + communications, became the staff liaison in November 2022. Participants are from companies of all sizes and many sectors of the technology industry. The committee’s goal is to identify prospective members, welcome new members and ensure existing members’ needs are being satisfied. The committee also helps to promote upcoming events and opportunities. The committee chair was Chelsea Scruggs, who worked as a business development executive at Allata in 2022.

Ambassador Committee (Tucson)

Members of the Tucson Ambassador Committee serve as advocates for technology innovation and the face of the Council in the community. Meeting monthly on the second Tuesday, the Tucson Ambassador Committee was chaired by Ana Greif, CEO, JobPath, and staffed by Karla Morales, vice president of the Council’s Southern Arizona Regional Office.

Arizona Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem (AAIE) Committee

The AAIE Committee was created near the end of 2022 and is on a mission to build an exceptional artificial intelligence (AI) community in the state of Arizona. The committee also aspires to provide a collaborative environment to share lessons learned regarding the development, utilization and societal impact of AI technologies. The committee co-chairs are Alex Dely, contracts manager, Raytheon; Mary Darling, CEO, Darling Geomatics; and Habib Matar, lead professor of AI/machine learning, Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The staff liaison was Karla Morales, vice president of the Council’s Southern Arizona Regional Office.

Arizona E-Mobility + Energy Ecosystem (AEEE) Committee

Also created in 2022, the AEEE Committee works collaboratively to ensure the uniform integration and standards between all four sectors encompassing electrification, which includes battery manufacturing and life cycle, charging and re-fueling, zero-emission vehicles, and energy infrastructure. The committee co-chairs are Victor Atlasman, director of engineering, charging ecosystems, Atlis Motor Vehicles, and Brett Dooley, account development manager at Bosch Rexroth. This committee was staffed by Deborah Zack, the Council’s vice president of membership services.

Cybersecurity Committee

The Cybersecurity Committee enables members to learn about cyber threats and the means of providing protection by serving as a platform to share best practices. The committee was co-chaired by Frank J. Grimmelmann, president and CEO of Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance, Inc. (ACTRA), and Mark Kirstein, vice president of customer success at GMI, with staff support from Council Executive Emeritus Ron Schott and Deborah Zack, the Council’s vice president of membership services. The committee planned and executed its annual Cybersecurity Summit held in December. The ninth annual event was hosted in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority and ACTRA. Tim Roemer, director for Arizona Homeland Security and the CISO for the state of Arizona, delivered the keynote presentation. Spotlight exchanges with key cyber experts covered topics including Hot Issues Surrounding Cybersecurity Talent Acquisition and Retention, Cybersecurity Innovation in the Age of Modern Cyber Threats, and A Discussion on the Critical Infrastructure Cyber Incident Law.

IoT + Smart Cities Committee

The mission of the Internet of Things (IoT) + Smart Cities Committee is to provide a platform for people to learn, collaborate, advocate and disseminate information about how IoT and smart-cities strategies can help organizations create real-time business solutions in a sensorenabled, analytics-driven world. The committee was chaired by Chris Lucero, director of emerging technologies at Intel. Deborah Zack, the Council’s vice president of membership services, was the staff liaison. In 2022, the group facilitated the selection of Christine Boles, vice president, industrial solutions divisions at Intel, as keynote speaker at the Council’s Smart Cities + IoT Summit. Panel presentations included the topics The State of e-Mobility, Smart Cities of the Future and R&D Funding for Smart City/IoT Technologies.

Law + Technology Committee

The Law + Technology Committee provides relevant information regarding the legal developments that affect member companies. The committee focuses on leading issues arising from the intersection of technology and the law and provides a forum for practical and informative discussions designed to be of interest to technology, business and legal professionals. The committee was chaired by Fredric Bellamy, a partner at Dickinson Wright, PLLC, and supported by Council Executive Emeritus Ron Schott.

MarTech Committee

The MarTech Series is geared towards helping professionals make the most of their marketing technology and to help companies execute their marketing and business strategy with data-driven decision-making. Sheila Kloefkorn, president and CEO of KEO Marketing, Inc., chaired the committee in 2022. The committee met periodically to share best practices, perspectives on the multitude of business technologies and marketing tools available ranging from social media management platforms and PR tools that elevate your brand to sophisticated tools with AI and predictive analytics. The latest event put on by the MarTech Committee was in July 2022 and focused on B2B website strategies

for better conversions. Sheila Kloefkorn and Tyler Morian, founder of Motion Tactic, led the event. The staff liaison was Bianca Buliga, director of marketing + communications.

MedTech Committee

Created to bring together executive and product design teams from medical devices and software, health and bioscience, telemedicine and healthcare delivery, the MedTech Committee shared best practices and peer-to-peer networking to accelerate individual and collective growth. Led by Chair Ellen Owens-Karcsay, owner and principal of Karcsay Consulting Group, the committee defines the theme and selects the keynote speakers and panelists for the Council’s annual MedTech Conference. In 2022, the MedTech Conference featured speakers from The City of Surprise AZTechCelerator, Beacon Biomedical Inc, InnovationOne LLC, Compliance Testing LLC, Exponent and Avnet. The staff liaison was Deborah Zack, the Council’s vice president of membership services.

Optics Valley Committee

Since its formation in 2017, the Optics Valley Committee has provided leadership within the optics community statewide to coordinate education, promote innovation and market the region’s products and technologies. Meeting quarterly, its members promote the advancement of optics and photonics worldwide. These enabling technologies are integral to a vast array of products ranging from cell phones to medical diagnostics. The committee’s flagship event is the annual Arizona Photonics Days, three days of technical discussions, business-to-business meetings and networking to discuss global optics and photonics issues with peers and leaders in the industry. Throughout the year, committee co-chairs John Dennis and Jack Schumann work closely with The University of Arizona’s James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences, the Arizona Commerce Authority and many other community partners to showcase this important industry. The staff liaison was Jamie Neilson, director of operations of the Council’s Southern Arizona Regional Office.

Public Policy Committee

The Public Policy Committee supports the Council by advocating for technology issues at the local, state and federal levels. The committee works with Public Policy Partners (P3) to monitor the impact that legislation has on the health and growth of Arizona’s technology industry. Jason Bagley, senior director of state government relations at Intel Corporation, served as the committee chair and was supported by Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra, Council Executive Emeritus Ron Schott and P3 Partner Dianne McCallister.

The Public Policy Committee’s top legislative priorities for 2022 were:

▪ Looking for opportunities to cultivate a diverse, equitable and statewide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) ecosystem.

▪ Consistently, equitably and sustainably funding the state’s P-20 education system— including pre-K, K-12 and career and technical education district (CTED)— postsecondary programs and access to advanced, rigorous coursework.

▪ Supporting efforts in seeking opportunities to positively impact the diversity, equity and inclusion of the workforce and its leadership, and granting equitable access to essential services.

▪ Working collaboratively with both the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Legislature to prioritize clean and renewable energy policy and use.

▪ Supporting economic development programs that have proven to work for Arizona.

As a result, the Public Policy Committee was able to secure funding for transportation initiatives, including $400 million for Interstate 10 expansion and $20 million to plan, develop and improve municipal and county airports (HB 2858); education initiatives, including more than $600 million for the Department of Education, over $17 million for Arizona community colleges (HB 2862); and more than $50 million for state higher education and workforce development programs (HB 2864). More information on the Council’s legislative successes can be found in the Public Policy + Advocacy section of this report.

Tech Inclusion Forum (Phoenix)

The Tech Inclusion Forum quarterly series focuses on highlighting the inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness (IDEA) challenges facing women and other underrepresented identities in STEM fields today and showcasing the many extraordinary and accomplished women in Arizona’s technology ecosystem. Led by Chair Diane Smigel, president and CEO of Palladium IT Advisors, and Council liaison Deborah Zack, vice president of membership services, the committee facilitated two major events in 2022. The March event featured Alexis Krivkovich, senior partner at McKinsey & Company, and focused on findings from McKinsey’s landmark study “Women in the Workplace.” The June event featured Max Chan, chief information officer at Avnet for a fireside chat about Chan’s global career journey.

Women in the Workforce (Tucson)

A women-focused event series in Southern Arizona, the Women in the Workforce committee facilitates quarterly learning and mentoring opportunities, provides career and leadership development, and positions women to more effectively pursue careers in technology. In 2022, the committee planned and executed three events. The first event in February was facilitated by Moline Creative and was called “Beyond Vision Boards: Sketch Your 2022 Vision.” The second event in June was a speed mentoring event at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and the third event in September was a panel presentation on Self-Advocacy in the Workplace. The staff liaison was Jamie Neilson, director of operations for the Southern Arizona Regional Office.

Workforce Development + Education Committee

The Council remains committed to helping develop and support a robust and aligned education and workforce development ecosystem in Arizona. The committee was led by Cathleen Barton, founder of Cathleen Barton Consulting, and supported by Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra and Council Executive Emeritus Ron Schott. In 2022, the Council provided extensive leadership and support both in Arizona and nationally in the implementation, planning and development of the Arizona State University (ASU) five-year ALRISE grant totaling $10 million from the National Science Foundation. In addition, the Council continued to support ASU’s AZNext initiative, a combination of its first U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) $2 million grant focused on developing 1,600 apprentices to fill information technology (IT), cyber and data roles over the next five years and its second $8 million DOL grant to establish the Arizona Workforce Training Accelerator Partnership for Next Generation Jobs (AZNext). The committee in June 2022 hosted an Apprenticeship Awareness Forum--including IBM, Amazon, TQL and SRP---to help promote and inform Council members about the value of apprenticeship as a model to develop high-tech talent. The committee also helped PipelineAZ become the primary statewide source for IT and cybersecurity talent development and achieve 100,000 registered users, 6,000 employer accounts and 900 direct visitors.

FUNCTIONAL COMMITTEES

Finance Committee

The Arizona Technology Council’s Finance Committee monitors the financial activities of the Council and lends guidance when necessary. In addition to Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra, members during 2022 included:

▪ Board Chair Eric Miller, principal and co-owner, PADT, Inc.

▪ Eric Lewis, partner, Ernst & Young

▪ Austin Harris, vice president, commercial banking, Alliance Bank of Arizona

▪ Rebecca Clyde, co-founder, Ideas Collide, CEO and co-founder, Botco.ai

▪ Jeff Unruh, founding principal, Alerion Capital Group

The Committee met monthly to lend its expertise to the economic health of the Council.

Executive Committee

Convening the week before scheduled quarterly board meetings, the Council’s Executive Committee helped to shape the content of the board meetings, serve as advisors and act on behalf of the board between board meetings. In addition to Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra, the members of the Committee were:

▪ Board Chair Eric Miller, principal and co-owner, PADT, Inc.

▪ Board Vice-Chair Alex Iuorio, senior vice president of supplier development, Avnet

▪ Board Secretary Jonathan Talcott, attorney, Ballard Spahr, LLP

▪ Treasurer Eric Lewis, partner, Ernst & Young

▪ Rebecca Clyde, co-founder, Ideas Collide, CEO and co-founder, Botco.ai

▪ Christine Boles, vice president, Industrial Solutions Division, Intel

▪ Robert Witwer, retired, Honeywell

Emeritus executive committee members included Mark Goldstein, president, International Research Center. Overall, the Executive Committee had strong attendance at every meeting. This team has both diversity of expertise and a strong dedication to seeing the Council move in a positive direction. They work together monitoring the Council’s adherence to its mission.

Investment Committee

The Council’s Investment Committee monitors the investments made available to the Council’s Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) 401(k) program participants. In addition to Council President + CEO Steven G. Zylstra, the members of the committee were:

▪ Jack Trierweiler, controller (chairman), MSS Business Transformation Advisory

▪ Jennifer Rojas, CEO, NextJen Consulting

▪ Sheila Kloefkorn, CEO and president, KEO Marketing, Inc.

▪ David Wilson, principal owner, DB Wilson LLC.

Additional advice and information regarding the investments came from Michael DiGrazia and Thomas Tenney of UBS Financial Services, Inc. In 2022, the Council worked with Empower Retirement (formerly MassMutual) and the UBS Institutional Consulting Group to fulfill the fiduciary and administrative responsibilities for the plan. There were 12 participating employers in the MEP 401(k) program at the end of 2022 with $5.7 million in plan assets.

Nomination Committee

The Council’s Nomination Committee helped to identify new board members and move them through the board’s formal nomination process. The members of this committee were Chair Mary Bailey, CEO and president, Rincon Research; David Bolman, provost, University of Advancing Technology; and Rick Crutchley, vice president and general manager, Iron Mountain.

PEER GROUPS

CEO Network Aerospace & Defense CEO Network

The Arizona Technology Council’s 2022 Tucson CEO Network continued to bring senior business leaders together in a comfortable and confidential atmosphere to discuss business issues specific to member companies, their industries and the local economy. These executives representing an array of technology-based industry sectors share valuable experience, insights and advice with other members of the group. Meetings are held on a rotating basis at member companies, where tours are conducted and best practices are highlighted. In addition, speakers from government, industry, academia and other industries make presentations to the group at monthly meetings.

2022 Members:

▪ Mary Bailey, Rincon Research

▪ Shubhayu Chakraborty, CIS Global

▪ Paul DeHerrera, Innovative Avionics

▪ Jason Douglas, Tangent Aviation

▪ Stephen Fleming, Center for Quantum Networks

▪ Robert Futch, Delta Development

▪ Andy Griffis, The Sensor Group

▪ Callie Groth, BlackBar Engineering

▪ Dennis Kenman, Tucson Embedded Systems

▪ Patrick Marcus, Marcus Engineering

▪ Erik Novak, 4D Technology

▪ Alex Rodriguez, FreeFall 5G

▪ Marilyn Speert, TMM Precision

▪ Howard Stewart, AGM Container Controls

▪ Austin Yamada, The University of Arizona Applied Research Corporation

▪ Darrel Yarbrough, Yarbrough Electronic Sales

IT Leadership Forum

In 2022, the Arizona Technology Council partnered with Paragon IT Professionals to host a cohort-style leadership forum for mid- to seniorlevel information technology (IT) leaders at technology companies across Arizona. The IT Leadership Forum consisted of one in-person session (and an accompanying happy hour) and three virtual sessions that were approximately 2.5 hours in length between August and November in 2022. The program was facilitated by Adam Carroll, an author, emcee and two-time TED Talk speaker. Adam regularly speaks about building a bigger life for yourself and your employees by providing exemplary service, educational opportunities and an environment that fosters personal and professional growth.

2022 Participants:

▪ Daniel Bank, Achieve

▪ Eric Beaulieu, A3Telecom

▪ Manoj Bhargaw, RSM US LLP

▪ Ryan Blum, Works Consulting

▪ Dan Covington, Arrivia

▪ Jed Dairy, KPMG LLP

▪ David Gannon, Republic Services

▪ Dara Gibson, Optiv Security Inc.

▪ Jeff Harms, Voya Services Company

▪ Minky Kernacs, Mercurio Analytics

▪ Dharanidharan Kumaradevan, Achieve

▪ Kathy Maccarone, Wintrust Financial Corporation

▪ Brian McCann, Intel

▪ Marcus McKibben, SRP

▪ Ashesh Patel, Theaccessway

▪ Cynthia Pickering, Arizona State University

▪ Ramya Potaraju, Achieve

▪ Bradley Pristelski, CommonSpirit Health

▪ David Rau, Advisor Group

▪ Sourav Sarkar, Edgile

▪ Scott Stewart, Control Vision

▪ Gabriel Villa, Upgrade

▪ Amy Walters, Cancer Treatment Centers of America

▪ Jacob Wood, DMGAZ

STEM PROGRAMS

Diverse STEM Collaborations Around Arizona

The Arizona Technology Council Foundation dba SciTech Institute is the Council’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings together collaborators from across Arizona to advocate for opportunities in the state’s growing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Day-today operations are led by Executive Director Dr. Jeremy Babendure and Chief Operating Officer Kelly Greene to establish SciTech Institute as a guiding catalyst for STEM awareness, engagement and learning. The growing team and the outreach initiatives seek to put STEM within reach of every human being by 2030. Team members facilitate events, opportunities and experiences that highlight STEM pathways for all ages.

SciTech Institute team members are located around the state to cultivate local connections to a growing Arizona STEM Learning Ecosystem of nonprofit, civic, business, industry and academic organizations. Working collaboratively over the past 11 seasons, these entities have been integral to the success of the Arizona SciTech Festival. The organization continues to develop the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with support from sponsors to reach beyond the borders of our state and the U.S.

Team members also lead collaborations with the Arizona Advanced Manufacturing Coalition, the Arizona Community Educator Initiative of the Next Education Workforce at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Arizona Broadband Stakeholder Network’s Digital Access Task Force along with additional NSF-funded collaborations with the Arizona STEM Acceleration Project, STEM For All, STEM Push Network, and Rural Activation and Innovation Network (RAIN).

SciTech Institute’s initiatives extend beyond Arizona. For example, the Arizona STEM Ecosystem is an inaugural member of the STEM Funders Network’s STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP consists of 94 communities around the world supporting cross-sector collaborations to deliver rigorous and effective pre-K-16 STEM learning. With additional opportunities to connect digitally, the team members have hosted events to engage a larger group of STEM enthusiasts from around the world to share resources and opportunities. The CSO program continued to grow in five states and two countries during the 2022-2023 year.

To learn more, visit scitechinstitute.org

SciTech Institute Programs

▪ Arizona STEM Ecosystem

▪ STEM Ecosystem Hubs

▪ Working Groups

▪ Arizona SciTech Festival

▪ Statewide Ecosystem Connections

॰ Digital STEM Career Days

॰ Arizona K-8 Consortium / “AZHACS”

॰ STEM & Innovation Summit

॰ Little Free STEM Libraries

॰ STEM Unplugged

▪ Science For All, LLC

▪ Chief Science Officers

▪ Collaborations with SciTech Institute

▪ Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

▪ Next Education Workforce

▪ Rural Activation and Innovation Network (RAIN)

▪ Inclusive STEM Learning Opportunities for People with ASD

▪ Sail with Argo STEAM Lessons

Arizona STEM Ecosystem

The Arizona STEM Ecosystem is a collaborative, grassroots network of more than 900 business, education, community and government organizations across the state. Serving as the ecosystem’s backbone organization, SciTech Institute promotes STEM awareness and enthusiasm, builds local and diverse STEM leadership, and supports Arizonans’ entering higher-ed and STEM career pathways. To date, the ecosystem has established nine regional hubs to nurture partnerships and synergies across geographic and economic boundaries.

Key 2022 achievements:

▪ In September 2022, SciTech Institute’s STEM & Innovation Summit welcomed hundreds of students, formal and informal educators, industry leaders, government officials, and community organizers to the Arizona Science Center for a day of exploration, networking and collaboration. This year’s summit provided countless opportunities for participants to Connect, Collaborate and Celebrate around STEM in Arizona with more than 40 sessions from 60-plus speakers covering topics like STEM workforce, sustainability, DEI in STEM, crosssector collaboration and the future of STEM in Arizona, along with two exhibitor halls featuring 60+ collaborators from around the state.

▪ SciTech Institute welcomed STEM Hub coordinators to the team in Coconino and Pima counties. These coordinators have been engaging with local STEM leaders to support cross-sector collaboration in their communities

STEM Ecosystem Hubs

Three STEM Ecosystem Hubs are supported by local coordinators to nurture partnerships in Coconino, Yavapai and Pima counties. Additional hubs have established steering committees and synergies in Cochise, Pinal, Yuma and Maricopa counties. Positions were posted for hiring coordinators around the state.

▪ East Valley STEM Alliance, a STEM Ecosystem Hub co-hosted with Arizona Educational Foundation, meets digitally every month with quarterly in-person gatherings hosted by our member organizations.

▪ The West Valley STEM Hub was the first ecosystem hub to officially launch its steering committee, a cross-sector team of local STEM leaders in education, business and industry, nonprofit and community. In 2023, the committee will work to collaboratively identify key assets and roadblocks for STEM in the West Valley, and will use this data to develop a mission, vision and strategy to support STEM learning in the community.

▪ The STEM Hub coordinator in Coconino County has been collaborating with local STEM leaders at STEM City and Tynkertopia, along with local schools, businesses, higher education institutions, workforce organizations and community organizations, to support crosssector STEM collaborations in the region. The Coconino STEM Hub is excited to support an educational partnership summit in 2023 to build connections across sectors and support the growth of the STEM community throughout the county.

▪ The Pima STEM Hub is working with a group of 300 science educators at Partners For Equitable Science Instruction to host a school principal STEM engagement summit to promote their support for STEM education in their schools.

▪ In the Verde Valley, the STEM ecosystem is hosted by the Verde Valley STREAM Council, a cross-sector STEM collaborative based at Science Vortex and originally developed through the Rural Activation and Innovation Network.

▪ In the Central Valley, SciTech Institute has been collaborating with TSMC and Deer Valley School District to support Taiwanese students new to the country in connecting with each other, their American peers and their school communities through STEM. SciTech Institute’s Educational Outreach Coordinator connects with students in the hub monthly through STEM Fridays, and the Arizona STEM Ecosystem team has participated in several key events in the region, including the Greater Phoenix Workforce Summit, Laveen Partnership Summit and ASU Open Door Downtown.

▪ SciTech Institute is collaborating with city officials in Casa Grande and Maricopa to support the development of a STEM World’s Fair in Pinal County. The ecosystem team is also working with several

local school districts to re-establish annual STEM celebrations as a part of Arizona SciTech Festival and is looking to bring on a Pinal STEM Hub Coordinator in 2023.

▪ As a part of Arizona SciTech Festival, the Gila Valley Health & STEAM Festival is an annual two-day event hosted at Eastern Arizona College, which showcases STEM resources and partners in Graham and Greenlee counties, welcoming participants from all over Eastern Arizona. SciTech Institute distributes 25 STEM Kits each month to Little Free Library locations in the region.

▪ Every year, Gila County hosts two signature events as a part of Arizona SciTech Festival: Gila County STEMFest and Gila County STEM Summer Camp.

▪ The La Paz/Mohave region hosts Little Free Libraries, which receive 25 STEM kits every month from SciTech Institute.

▪ For the past few years, SciTech Institute has participated in the Diné College STEM Festival in Navajo County. The Show Low Public Library receives 25 Little Free Library STEM Kits each month from SciTech Institute.

▪ In collaboration with the Arizona Technology Council and Startup Unidos, SciTech Institute has engaged in conversations with multiple organizations in Nogales—Arizona and Sonora—to launch a crossborder science, entrepreneurship and technology festival.

Working Groups

The Arizona STEM Ecosystem also facilitates six working groups to support cross-collaboration among hubs on common issues. Working groups have been established based on common interest and focus.

▪ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in STEM: The July 2022 meeting focused on DEI & Math. Members were presented two videos on indigenous math education and shared additional resources that support equity and inclusion in math education. The December 2022 meeting focused on DEI & Computer Science and featured a guest presentation from SkillStruck alongside resource share-outs from the group. One project idea from the working group with a focus on students being able to connect with “STEMists” who reflect their

social identities is part of the inspiration behind the upcoming “See It, Be It” STEM panels at the Chandler Innovation Fair.

▪ Sustainability Education & Outreach: Following the success of the April 2022 “Sustainability Month” programming by the AZ Sustainability Education and Outreach working group, three professional development opportunities were created alongside ASU’s Sustainability Teachers Academies for Arizona teachers: “Arizona’s Energy Future” featuring Maricopa County Air Quality Department and APS, “Waste Not Arizona” featuring FABRIC Tempe and Goodwill of Southern Arizona and “Arizona’s Food and Water Systems” featuring Water Management Group, Inc. and Project WET.

▪ STEM in Libraries: The STEM in Libraries working group is co-hosted with the Arizona State Library, connecting librarians and program teams from public and independent libraries around the state to collaborate and share best practices for STEM learning and outreach. Meeting styles rotate each month between professional development sessions hosted by member libraries, resource shares and project working sessions. In 2022, the STEM in Libraries Working Group hosted “Streamin’ Day of STEAMin,” where librarians from Asante Library, Ak-Chin Indian Community Library and Peoria Public Library each presented a different STEM lesson and accompanying activity via livestream. Free STEM kits containing the materials and instructions for all three activities were available for pickup at participating libraries for community members to follow along at home.

▪ STEM Workforce: The STEM Workforce working group meets quarterly to discuss opportunities for collaboration, share upcoming events and share resources related to the STEM workforce. Each meeting welcomes two to three guest speakers who share flash talks about their organizations and opportunities to connect. In 2022, the Workforce Working Group developed a toolkit for high school educators and career counselors to simplify the many resources available for students entering the workforce in Arizona.

▪ Pre-College STEM Programs : The Pre-College STEM Programs (PCSP) working group brings together program providers from PCSPs around Arizona to share best practices and make the best use of their collective resources. The working group was developed through the STEM Pathways for Underrepresented Students to Higher

Education (PUSH) Network, a national NSF INCLUDES Alliance that aims to create systemic change in college admissions through the power of PCSPs by broadening participation of racially/ethnically minoritized students in STEM.

▪ Arizona Informal Educators Network : Arizona Informal Educators Network is a group of passionate informal or non-formal educators who work at Arizona museums, zoos and aquariums, historical and cultural institutions, nature centers, parks and more. The group hosts networking and professional development sessions in-person and virtually. The network is co-chaired by representatives from SciTech Institute, Scottsdale Arts and Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary.

In addition to the work focused on Arizona, the SciTech Institute leadership team supports the larger network of the CoP by supporting Rural Ecosystems Connect calls and the Western States Ecosphere.

Arizona SciTech Festival

The Arizona SciTech Festival, SciTech Institute’s cornerstone initiative, is a statewide celebration of STEM that aims to educate, engage and inspire all Arizonans. Supported by the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Science Center, Arizona State University, The University of Arizona and Arizona Board of Regents, the festival fosters awareness of and interest in the state’s STEM economy. It offers people from all walks of life hands-on learning opportunities, expos, workshops, exhibitions, unique activities and experiences, tours and more. Most importantly, it inspires Arizonans of all ages to pursue STEM-related fields of study and careers.

The 2022 Arizona SciTech Festival was an opportunity to shift back to in-person events while maintaining the unique opportunities to engage with the digital platforms as well. More than two dozen Arizona cities and towns participated in the relaunch with signature events while SciTech Institute helped to host 40 additional events online. The season ribbon-cutting event was celebrated at STEM FEST during the 50th anniversary celebration at Barrett-Jackson Auto Collection Scottsdale Auction in January followed by 12 weeks of community

events and opportunities. In the course of the 11th season with more than 60 signature events, at least 130,000 participants were engaged to celebrate science and innovation at more than 1,500 opportunities across the state.

Statewide Ecosystem Connections

Digital STEM Career Days

SciTech Institute hosts moderated Digital STEM Career Days (DSCD) with students of all ages to provide access to professionals from the workforce who answer questions about their day-to-day experiences. Over the course of the year, Chief Science Officers also have hosted DSCDs with their school sites based on the interest of their peers. During each event, participants and presenters log on to a Zoom meeting to interact for at least three different sessions highlighting STEM career pathways. STEM professionals share their background and current career details while giving students additional life advice about finding their passion. They also share tips and tricks to reach goals or deal with failure. After the presentations conclude, moderators engage in the chat box and ask participants to unmute during the Q&A portion of the call.

Arizona K-8 Consortium / “AZHACS”

(NSF Award #2031527)

SciTech Institute received a 1.5-year NSF grant in November 2020 to establish the Arizona K-8 Consortium, which is now named Arizona Hubs Advancing Computer Science (AZHACS). The goals included building local education capacity, enabling all Arizona schools to meet computer science and computational thinking (CS/CT) requirements and to support iterative, continuous professional development via professional learning communities. SciTech Institute, along with consortium members Arizona Science Center, Arizona State University and BootUp Professional Development leveraged Arizona STEM Ecosystem and Rural Activation and Innovation Network (RAIN) partnerships to empower rural educators through research-practitioner partnerships

(RPPs). AZHACS serves as the bridge between RPPs and the broader Arizona STEM Ecosystem. This statewide working group supports RPPs as they continue to manage their roadmaps developed during the planning grant for successful CS/CT integration and acts as a statewide community of practice for engaging partners across Arizona.

In 2022, three K-8 RPPs maintained participation in the CoP in Pinal, Cochise and Navajo counties to address several key challenges unique to the integration of CS and CT in rural pre-K-8 classrooms. Challenges identified included limited access to CS/CT experts and professional development; research expertise for rapid, iterative and continuous improvement cycles; and a clear roadmap that provides specific steps and resources for rural schools to adapt CS/CT instructional materials for diverse student populations. Rural educators and administrators participated in Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool (SCRIPT) workshops to formulate visions for CS/CT education, select materials and curricula, and assess their leadership, teacher capacity, district partners and community engagement in relation to their vision for CS/CT. AZHACS educators also were invited to participate in a two-day Minecraft for Education Workshop.

Through this work, members identified five priorities for rural CS/CT education: engage in technology creation to gain confidence and persistence in the face of challenges, level the playing field and close the digital divide for lower-income youth, promote 21st century skills, teach citizens the basics of how the technological world works; and teach people about CS/CT so society can produce more innovations and gain knowledge. After setting priorities, practitioners and researchers co-developed potential topics for their research inquiry plans to acknowledge real-world challenges, address gaps and build capacity in rural Arizona classrooms.

STEM & Innovation Summit

This annual statewide conference brings together Arizona’s key stakeholders in business, industry, education, government and the

community to share best practices from the field; experience the latest in Arizona innovation; build unique STEM networks; and discuss opportunities to improve public STEM awareness and workforce readiness. The summit kicks off the annual Arizona SciTech Festival season. The 2022 STEM & Innovation Summit in September engaged more than 1,200 participants in person and 300 online.

The event at Arizona Science Center featured 28 presenters and 16 facilitators. Sessions focused on ecosystem development and ecosystems at work. Panel discussions included Arizona Mayors Kate Gallego (Phoenix), John Giles (Mesa), Paul Deasy (Flagstaff) and Craig McFarland (Casa Grande); industry and K-12 partnerships; and a conversation on how to host Arizona SciTech Festival events. The summit was a great example of the potential reach offered by hybrid events.

Little Free STEM Libraries

In collaboration with the Rural Activation Innovation Network, Southwest Human Development and public libraries around Arizona, the team at SciTech Institute prepared STEM kits for the sponsored Little Free Libraries (LFLs) around rural areas.

Project support from Avnet and the Literary Society of the Southwest has been crucial to growth of the program. Since March 2022, the team has sent more than 2,000 themed STEM kits and more than 600 books to LFLs in Show Low, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Sedona, Cornville, Lake Havasu, Colorado City, Safford City, Mesa, Soloman, Duncan, Fort Thomas and Clifton. In collaboration with Ronald McDonald House, kits have been placed inside its family room at the Roanoke location in Phoenix.

STEM Unplugged

SciTech Institute hosted a monthly podcast called STEM Unplugged on Phoenix Business RadioX to connect partners from all over Arizona. STEM Unplugged conversations dive deep into the wealth of STEM innovations, initiatives and resources in our state. Hosted by Chief

Operating Officer Kelly Greene, the show aims to get listeners plugged into a diverse, thriving network of opportunities in STEAM. Visit the YouTube STEM Unplugged Channel to view the conversations to date.

Science For All, LLC

Science for All, LLC is a 501(c)(3) Arizona-certified, qualifying charitable organization. Donations directly support the Chief Science Officers and other SciTech Institute programs providing disadvantaged youth access to STEM resources and opportunities. Science for All enables these youth to gain critical employability skills and the experience necessary to become STEM professionals. It supports skill development through hands-on experiences, job training programs, mentorships and other activities. This next generation of STEM professionals, science educators and leaders will drive innovation, solve problems and create technology never imagined previously. Fostering STEM pathways will help attract employers to Arizona and improve the state’s standing as a world-class STEM and technology hub. Science for All raised more than $20,000 in 2022, which offset the $1,800 cost for Title I CSOs in Arizona.

Chief Science Officers (NSF Award #1615209)

The Chief Science Officers (CSO) program aims to place youth squarely in the center of STEM promotion, experience and community action, ultimately strengthening the future STEM workforce. CSOs are 6th-12th grade youth who champion the interest, engagement and communication of STEM and innovation on and off campus. They engage in leadership training and plan STEM engagement activities for their peers and communities. They also streamline connections to local scientists, STEM professionals and organizations, working with these entities to build STEM awareness and workforce skills. CSOs also function as unified regional cabinets, engaging in local, regional and national STEM conversations to create a positive perception of STEM (or STEAM when the arts are included), transform school and community culture, and broaden participation.

While the CSO program was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, there were several notable accomplishments over the course of reintegration to school systems and travel opportunities. Digital opportunities to train and connect during the year allowed additional students to attend Leadership Training Institutes and Cabinet meetings. In Arizona, Chief Science Officers participated in person as well at the University of Advancing Technology events along with leadership council planning sessions at the collaborative workspace in MAC6. The International Leadership Council members maintained the CSO Saturdays with themed breakout sessions and opportunities to discuss action plans during the year. This allowed online support each month along with the opportunity to engage with STEM professionals, CSO alumni members and the program team.

Arizona CSO Accomplishments

▪ CSO Nikhil (Central Valley) established a Sustainability Club at his high school in central Phoenix and organized two trash pick-up days along with a tree planting event at a local park.

▪ CSO Sarah (Tucson) presented at numerous locations about animal enrichment tools and created snake peg boards for Liberty Wildlife and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

▪ CSO Mia (West Valley) presented to K-5 grade students about a variety of STEM-related topics to increase their interests and awareness of career pathways.

▪ CSO Berkeley (Mesa) hosted four STEM challenges at her elementary school, engaging more than 500 participants across the grade levels.

▪ CSOs Simon & Lian (Navajo County) organized an environmental clean-up day at Rainbow Lake along with several meetings with park rangers to establish a plan for additional receptacles for trash during the tourist seasons.

▪ CSOs at Science Vortex (Verde Valley) engaged with the community at numerous Science Vortex of the Verde Valley events along with their individual site schools for STEM enthusiasts of all ages. They highlighted Makey-Makeys, organized engineering design challenges and focused on the opportunities to create in the makerspace.

Accomplishments Beyond Arizona:

▪ CSO Vrutik (Kenya) facilitated a weekly STEM club focused on establishing pathways to careers and building awareness with his high school peers.

▪ CSO Mary (Michigan), CSO Shreya (Texas) and CSO Logan (Idaho) presented a variety of “STEMonstrations” to local elementary schools to create interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

▪ CSO Gavin (Florida) hosted a STEM theme day for his entire school with more than 400 participants.

▪ CSO Christina (Georgia) established and maintained a community garden.

▪ CSO Sneha (Pennsylvania) collaborated with local robotics teams to engage with the local elementary schools to build interest.

The CSO Alumni Network brings together graduated high school students in support of the CSO program. These individuals foster a vibrant community of changemakers and leaders through mentorship, networking, professional development and collective action. During the past year, the Alumni Network created a website landing page with an interactive map showing where they are located; hosted networking events and professional development opportunities like résumé writing, informational interviewing, research and poster design

best practices; and served as mentors at CSO Saturdays and local cabinet meetings.

Collaborations with SciTech Institute

Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project (ASAP) is a program designed to provide vital funding and guidance to schools and professional development organizations, enhancing their ability to foster engagement, update curricula and acquire materials needed to improve STEM education for Arizona’s students.

ASAP is a grassroots effort to enhance and accelerate STEM activities statewide in Arizona schools. This project has teamed up with educators, professional development organizations and funding partners to build a more collaborative and imaginative foundation for the development and distribution of STEM resources and training opportunities for educators throughout Arizona.

Next Education Workforce

The Next Education Workforce requires pathways into and through the profession to attract educators, increase retention and drive better learning outcomes. At the systemic level, there should be a focus on developing a workforce with a wider array of educational skills and areas of expertise. At the individual level, we should empower educators to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their practice in areas of their choice that address learner needs in their communities. We should create more ways for people to become educators and more ways for educators to become effective organizational and systems leaders.

Rural Activation and Innovation Network (RAIN)

(NSF Award #1612555)

The Rural Activation and Innovation Network (RAIN) seeks to help STEM gain traction in Arizona’s rural communities through informal learning and engagement. Supported by SciTech Institute, Arizona State University,

the Arizona Science Center and COSI’s Lifelong Learning Group, RAIN bridges local STEM organizations and leaders with Navajo/Apache, Cochise County, Verde Valley and Graham/Greenlee rural communities to strengthen their education and workforce pipelines. Program goals include increasing opportunities for children and families to interact with STEM professionals and learn about STEM-based careers both within and outside of their community. Regional innovation councils build capacity and engage community partners in informal STEM awareness and knowledge-building collaboration.

During the five-year program, each region has developed local informal STEM Education projects and experiences plus STEM professional development for community leaders to stimulate dialogue, interest and engagement of children, families and organizations in the STEM disciplines. It also has focused on their real-world applications, associated career opportunities and impact on local economies.

Inclusive STEM Learning Opportunities for People with ASD

(NSF Award #2005901)

Supporting the inclusion of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in STEM learning is a key focus area for the National Science Foundation. Led by the Institute for Learning Innovation where SciTech Institute Executive Director Dr. Jeremy Babendure is a fellow and in partnership with the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, this initiative will develop custom professional development education for practitioners working in informal STEM learning institutions (e.g., museums, science centers) and evidence-based programming. Informal STEM learning collaborators include the Museum of Natural History, i.d.e.a. Museum, Pueblo Grande Museum and Arizona Science Center.

This 2.5-year phase I project lays the foundation for a 10-year study that will develop an evidence-based and sustainable ASD professional development program, online resource center and community of

practice that can be readily adapted to most, if not all, informal STEM education institutions. In 2022, meetings with four Arizona informal STEM institutions participating in a research-based design study were hosted monthly. The staff members comprised the founding members of a community of practice aimed at sharing promising practices and promoting broader engagement among the informal science education community.

Sail with Argo STEAM Lessons

Arizona’s first education and research sailing vessel, Argo, is a unique educational resource for students across Arizona and beyond. A realworld practical conservation experience, Argo engages students with the crew, known as “Argonauts.” Satellite communication allows researchers and crew members onboard Argo to livestream exciting oceanic and coastal research video while talking with students anywhere in the world, ensuring rich and inspiring learning experiences and engagement. Students from 35 classrooms participated in conservation projects while interacting with the Argonauts. Argo highlighted scientists from around the world during Digital STEM Career Days, including Luis Caffi from Chile, Serafina Moulton and Tavake Pakomio from Rapa Nui, and archeoastronomer Edmundo Edwards.

SciTech Institute Board of Directors

• Lorenzo Chavez, Arizona Community Foundation

• Heidi Jannenga, WebPT

• Rita Lloyd-Mills, Freeport-McMoRan

• Diana McMahon, Salt River Project

• Renu Navale, Intel Corporation

• Charleeann Smith, State Farm

• Rowan Smith, Secretary, Messner Reeves

• Jeff Unruh, Treasurer, Alerion Capital Group LLC

• Wilman Vergara, KNOSIS Health

• Monica Villalobos, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

• Robert Witwer, Chair, Honeywell (retired)

• Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO, Arizona Technology Council + SciTech Institute

BY THE NUMBERS

Other

8.50% | $182,223

Grants and Contributions

21.25% | $455,650

REVENUE BY SOURCE*

Fiscal Year 2022

Total Revenue: $2,143,766

Membership

28.90% | $619,466

Programs and Events

24.05% | $515,532

Sponsorship

17.30% | $370,895

*COVID 19 PPP Loans of $295,429 were received in 2021. In 2022, the Council received notice from the lender that the loans had been fully forgiven. The forgiveness of the PPP loans of $295,429 is included in the Grants and Contributions total.

30.41% | $563,254

EXPENDITURES

Fiscal Year 2022

Total Revenue: $1,852,209

Programs and Events

26.21% | $485,377

34.48% | $638,684 Public Policy 4.37% | $80,867

| $84,027

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Arizona Technology Council Officers + Executive Committee

Chairman

Eric Miller

PADT, Inc.

Vice Chairman

Alex Iuorio Avnet

Treasurer

Eric Lewis, CPA Ernst & Young

Secretary

Jonathon Talcott

Esq., Ballard Spahr

President + CEO

Steven G Zylstra

Arizona Technology Council

Arizona Technology Council Directors

Mary Bailey, Ph D

Rincon Research

Executive Committee

Rebecca Clyde Ideas Collide & Botco.ai

Executive Committee

Christine Boles

Intel

Executive Committee Emeritus

Mark Goldstein

International Research Center

Executive Committee Emeritus

Dan Mazzola, Ph D

Arizona State University

Rajesh

Aric Bopp

Arizona State University

University

Bhatia Keap

Amit Bhandari Solugenix

David Bolman, Ph D

of Advancing Technology

Jeffrey Burke, Ph D

Arizona Public Service

Kevin Campbell

Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen)

Matthew Grant American Express

Todd Komaromy Arizona Public Service

Rick Crutchley Iron Mountain

Austin Harris Alliance Bank of Arizona

Drena Kusari Lyft

Michael Curley Quarles

Nathan Harris Ease

Keith Latchaw MSS Technologies

Anne Dougherty Illume Advising

Wes Hummel PayPal

Ivonne May Raytheon

Reetika Dhawan Arizona Western College

Jan Janick Benchmark

Robin S Reed EmFluent

Hector Garcia Honeywell

Assaf Keren PayPal

Calline Sanchez IBM

Mike Gaumond Insight

Sheila Kloefkorn KEO Marketing, Inc.

Ray Schey Phoenix Business Journal

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL STAFF

Staff Members

Carol Stewart Tech Parks Arizona at The University of Arizona

Charles Vermillion AccountabilIT

Sanjay Srinivasan Vonage

Jeff Unruh Alerion Capital Group

Sandra Watson Arizona Commerce Authority

Rick Stoddard Encora

Kurt VandenBussche Honeywell

Sara Beschloss Administrative Assistant

Bianca Buliga Director, Marketing + Communications

Laura De George Chief of Staff

Darryle Emerson Director, Programs + Events

Angelica Espinoza Bookkeeper

Karla Morales Vice President Southern Arizona Regional Office

SCITECH INSTITUTE STAFF

Staff Members

Jamie Neilson Director of Operations + Events Southern Arizona Regional Office

Don Rodriguez Editor

Steven G Zylstra President + CEO

Ron Schott Executive Emeritus

Deborah Zack Vice President, Membership Services

Cassie Castillo Festival STREET Team Member

Sarah Cundiff Arizona CSO Regional Lead

Kelly Greene Chief Operating Officer

Lynette Clark Coconino County STEM Hub Coordinator

Tammy Doerksen CSO Advisor & Parent Support Member

Eileen Healy Program Development Coordinator

Jeremy Babendure Executive Director

Claire Conway STEM Ecosystem Programs Manager

Kaci Fankhauser STEM Ecosystem Development Manager

Ty Jarvis Program Coordinator - CSO Alumni

Murphy Office Pet

Tifanie Lewis Individual Giving Assistant

Nova the Gecko Community Engagement Specialist

Darrol Robinson Community Engagement Specialist

Fritz Smith STEM Ecosystem Development

Jacob Lounsbury Director of Global Partnerships

Hope Parker Curriculum + Training Specialist

Vanessa Thompson Finance Specialist

Bailey Lozevski Salesforce Integration Specialist

Caillou Pena Government Relations Specialist

Ciara Ware Office Support Specialist

Destiny Madaje Resource Portal + Event Manager

Amanda Rincon AZHACS Program Coordinator

Tom Wilson Pima County STEM Hub Coordinator

Brooke Maydwell Education Outreach Coordinator

Lisa Ristuccia Festival STREET Team Member

Steven G Zylstra President + CEO

PREMIER SPONSORS

COUNCIL MEMBERS

(STC) Scientific Technologies

Corporation

3D Management & Consulting LLC

4D Technology Corporation

A&P Material Supply LLC

A.M. Fadida Consulting

Aagra Consulting

Academy On-Demand

Accenture Ltd

Access Control Group LLC

AccountablIT

Accounting & Finance Professionals, Inc

Accram, Inc.

Acena Consulting

ACESA (Arizona Council of Engineering & Scientific Associations)

ACG Arizona

Acronis SCS

AdValue Photonics Inc

Advanced Business Learning

Advanced Strategy Center

featuring Converge LLC

AdviNOW Medical

Aerospace Arizona Association

AGM Container Controls, Inc.

AHEAD, Inc.

AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc.

AINOVO BIOTECH INC.

Aira Airth Solutions

Airy Optics, Inc.

AIS Industries, INC.

Alerion Capital Group

Aligned Data Centers (Phoenix) LLC.

Allata

Alliance Bank of Arizona

Alliance of Arizona NonProfits

Allied Cloud Solutions

AllStaff Services

Alluvion Communications

Alpha Manufacturing Solutions, LLC

Alphacore Inc

Altair

Amazon

Ambature, Inc.

Ambr Grading

American Association of University

Women- Tucson

American Express

American Society for Quality (Phoenix Section)

American Technology Specialists

Amin Talati Wasserman LLP

Amphitheater Unified School District

AmpleTech Refresh

Amtech Group

Anderson Painting Co., Inc.

Anuncia Medical Inc.

APOMA American Precision Optics

Manufacturers Association

Apple Applied Energetics Inc.

Applied Microarrays, Inc. a Schott Minifab Company

AppointmentPlus

Äpre Instruments, LLC

APS (Arizona Public Service)

Aptech Systems, Inc.

Arete

Argus Machine

Arizona Association for Economic Development

Arizona Association of Community Managers

Arizona BioIndustry Association (AZBio)

Arizona Cactus Ranch

Arizona Central Credit Union

Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA)

Arizona Cyber Threat Alliance, Inc. (ACTRA)

Arizona Department of Administration, Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology ADOA - ASET

Arizona Department of Education

Arizona Gateway Logistics (part of AZ TechCelerator in Surprise)

Arizona Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce

Arizona Israel Technology Alliance

Arizona Lithographers

Arizona Municipal Strategies

Arizona Optical Metrology LLC

Arizona Science Center

Arizona Small Business Association

Arizona Spaceport Alliance

Arizona State University (ASU)

Arizona Sustainability Alliance

Arizona Tech Investors (ATI)

Arizona Telemedicine Program

Arizona Thin Films

Arizona Western College

Array Technologies

Aspire Business Consultants

AssuredPartners

AstroHire Executive Search & Recruitment

AT&T

Athena 3D Manufacturing

ATIC

Atlis Motor Vehicles

atmosol

ATOM Innovation

AudioEye

Auer Precision / Auer Medical

Ava Butler, Organizational Development Consultant

Avertium Cyber Fusion Center

AVI SPL, LLC

Avnet Inc

Avocat Group - Arizona

Axis Recruiting Solutions

Axon Enterprise Inc.

AZ Crown Investments, LLC

AZ Cyber Initiative

AZ Growth Advisors

AZ Big Media

Healthy Communities and Wellness Alliance

AzSensco

B2B CFO

B3 Strategies

BacVax, Inc

Ballard Spahr

Bancroft Information Services

Banner & Witcoff

Banner Health

Banyanbaum

Barker Contracting

BASIS Schools. Inc.

Beacon Group, Inc.

Benchmark Electronics Inc.

Berkshire Consulting, LLC

BestCompaniesAZ

Better Business Bureau serving

Greater Arizona

Beyond Identity

BigData Southwest

BIOSA

Bird Rides Inc

Black Chamber of Arizona

Black Mountain Investment Company (S&B Inc)

BlackBar Engineering

Blockwise Engineering LLC

Blue Canoe Marketing LLC

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Blue Yonder

Blush Technology Group

Bobcat Cyber LLC

Boeckeler Instruments, Inc.

BOK Financial

Boreale Law, PLC

Bosch Rexroth

Botco.ai, Inc.

Brad Johns Consulting L.L.C.

Breault Research Organization

Brodeur Partners

Bruce Brown Catering

Business Automation Associates, Inc.

BusinessWhys, LLC

Cadence Advisors

Cancer Treatment Centers of America part of City of Hope

Canyon Angels

Capital Financial PLC, dba CapFi Consulting

Carbon Utility LLC

Carpenter, Hazlewood, Delgado & Bolen, LLP

Carvana Castelazo Content

Catalina Foothills Unified School District

Caterpillar Inc.

Cathleen Barton Consulting

CATS Tonometer, LLC

CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services, Inc.

CBR Management Services, Inc.

dba Creative Business Resources

CCMC (Capital Consultants Management Corp)

Cell Shop, Inc

CellTrust Corporation

Center for the Future of Arizona

Central Arizona College

Cerebrum Corporation

Certification Partners, LLC

CGI Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy

Children’s Museum Tucson | Oro Valley

Choice Hotels

Cintana Education, LLC

Cinteot

CIS Global

City of Flagstaff (Economic Development)

City of Glendale, Economic Development

City of Goodyear

City of Phoenix - Information Technology Services Department

City of Phoenix Community & Economic Development Department

City of Prescott

City of Scottsdale

City of Scottsdale, Economic Development

City of Sierra Vista

City of Surprise, AZ TechCelerator

City of Tucson

City of Tucson - Information Technology

Clearwater

Cleveland Electric Laboratories Co., Inc.

Clientship

Cloudflare

cloudIT

Cloverleaf Networks

Clutch Solutions, LLC

CMC Laboratories, Inc.

CNA

CNC PROS

Co.Innovation Consulting

CollabraTech Solutions College Board

Columbia West Capital

Commercial Real Estate Group of Tucson

Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in Tucson

Community Investment Corporation

Compuware, a BMC company

Contexture

Control Vision, Inc.

Copper Hill Strategies

Copper State Credit Union

Coronado Communications Corporation

Corporate Benefit Solutions LLC

Corporate War Games

Cox Business - Tucson

CP North American

Crest Insurance Group (Tucson)

Critical Path Institute

Crow Industries

Crown Castle Fiber

Cryptoenter Corp.

cStor a MicroAge Company

Cyber Security Training and Consulting LLC

Cyberitas Technologies

CyVig

Cyxtera Technologies

Dale Carnegie Training of Arizona

Darling Geomatics

DAS Technology (formerly Digital Air Strike)

Data Sales Co. (Innovative Technology Leasing)

Dataforth Corporation

DataStax, Inc.

DataWorks, LLC

David Shapiro Law

DB Wilson LLC

DECISIONS

Deliverance Capital, LLC

Delta Development Team, Inc.

Delta Technology

DENSEC ID LLC

Desert Metal Works Inc.

Desert Platforms Medical Device

Consultancy

Deutsch Architecture Group

DHX Software, LLC

Diamond Coatings Inc

Dickinson Wright PLLC

DiMartino Associates

Distant Focus Corporation

Dixon Golf

DMc Strategic IT Consulting

DMD Systems Recovery Inc.

DocSolid

DoorDash, Inc.

DPR Construction

DSM Arizona Inc.

Duley | Bolwar | Pederson

Dwindles

Dynamic Manufacturing & Engineering LLC

Earl & Curley PC

Earle Associates Arizona

Earn to Learn

EarthEn

Ease, Inc.

East Valley Partnership

ED2 Corp

Edge R&D, LLC

EdgeCore Data Centers (Mount

Elbert Capital Partners)

Edgecumbe Group

Edmund Optics

Edwards Vacuum

eightCloud, Inc.

ELE Optics Inc

Elect Nano

ElectraMeccanica

Electric Applications Incorporated

Electric Metric, LLC

Electronic Product Services LLC

Elef Olamot Technology Resources

Elevate Events, LLC

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Emerge Tech Employers Council

Empower Partnerships

Encora

Engineering Wireless Services, LLC

EnPower, Inc.

Enpulsion

Enterprise Holdings

Entrepix, Inc.

Envirosystems Mfg., LLC

Envisionate

Envoy Data Corp

EPAM

Ephibian Inc

Equality Academe

ER2 - Electronic Responsible Recyclers

ERISA Benefits Law, PLLC

EscrowTab, Inc.

eSentire

Estado de Sonora Secretary of Economy

EV Group

Evergreen Capital Holdings, LLC

Evoque

Exact Sciences

Expedient EY

Fast DMS FBI

Fiduciary Outsourcing, LLC

Finetech

Fintrepid Solutions

FirstDigital Telecom - Tucson

FISBA

Flinn Foundation

Flowing Wells Unified School District

Forced Physics LLC

Fortinet

FreeFall Aerospace, Inc.

Freestone Insurance Group

Full Armor Protection Group, LLC

FullContour LLC

Futurewei Technologies, Inc.

G Force Global Technologies

G12 Communications

Galvanize

GarbleCloud

Geoz Global LLC

Gift of a Lifetime

Gila Software

Girikon, Inc

GitKraken - The Git Tools Company

Global Chamber

Global Electronics AZ LLC

Global Superabrasives

GoEducate

Goodman Schwartz Public Affairs

Google

GPEC (Greater Phoenix Economic Council)

GR Financial Group, LLC

Grace Steel & Fabrication, LLC

Grand Canyon University

Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce

Greenlight Traffic Engineering

GreenLoop IT Solutions

Gregorio M. Garcia, P.C.

GrinGO

GroundProbe North America LLC

GroveSite Growthshift LLC

GSW Telecom

GT Medical Technologies, Inc.

H5 Data Centers

Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort

Hart Scientific Consulting International LLC

Hathority, LLC

Hawkeye International

HDI Solutions

Health Information Management Systems

HealthTrio, LLC.

Hexagon Mining

High Performance PV

HighPeak Advisors LLC

Hildebrand Law, P.C.

Hinduja Tech

Hire Capacity

Hi-Tech Machining and Engineering Inc.

Hofstadter Analytical Services, LLC

Honeywell

Horizon Benefits Group

Horizon Moving & Logistics - Tucson

House Trevethan

HSBC Bank

Hydronalix

Hyperion Technologies

IBG FoxFin

IBM

IBM (Data Storage Unit)

Ideas Collide

Ideawake

ILLUME Advising

Immedia Audio Visual Solutions

Impact Sales Advisors LLC

Imperva

INanoBio Inc.

inBusiness

Indico Data

Infinity Insurance Partners

Infosys Limited

Innovatio Tech Corporation

Innovative Avionics, LLC

Innoventyx, LLC

In-Position Technologies

Insight Enterprises Inc

Insperity

Integrated Axis Technology Group

Integrity Outsource

Intel Corporation

InterLink Engineering

International Research Center

Intero Digital

InterOptics LLC

Intertec International

Involta

Iridescence LTD (Tangiers, Ltd.)

IRLabs, Inc.

Iron Mountain Data Center Services, LLC.

Isolates LLC

iSolved

IT Yug LLC

ITeffectivity, LLC

ITX Corp.

ivelah

Jack Schumann - Optics Valley

jdhInsights, LLC

JFS Embedded Solutions, LLC

JNR Networks

JobPath Inc.

Joticle, Inc.

Junior Achievement of Arizona Inc

JW Marriott Starr Pass

Kaczmarek & Jojola PLLC

Karcsay Consulting Group

Katalize LLC

Keap

Kenect Phoenix

KEO Marketing Inc

KGB Communications

KinetX Inc

Kingston Business Solutions

Kirsh Manufacturing, Inc.

Kiyohara Optics Inc.

Klontech Measurement Solutions

KM2 Consulting

Knosis Health, LLC

Kobargo Technology Partners Member through City of Surprize Techcelerator

Komatsu Mining Corp. and Komatsu America Corp

KORE Power Kryterion

Kubota North America

Kudelski Security

LaneTerralever

Larsen Baker

Laser Components Detector Group, Inc.

Launch IT Solutions

Lavidge

Lazarus Alliance, Inc.

Lean Technologies, Inc

Lectric eBikes

Lee & Associates (Marc T. Pierce)

LeeShanok Network Solutions

Legacy EV

Leonardo Electronics US Inc.

Life365

LifeCycle Delivery

LightEdge

Lightsense Technology

Liquidity Partners LLC

Local First Arizona

Loffa Interactive

Longan Vision

Lowell Observatory

LSAS Tec, Inc

LTABS Consulting LLC

Lucid USA Inc

Lumen Technologies

Lyft

M Culinary Concepts

MacroScope Studios

Marana Unified School District

Marc Perry Architect

Marcus Engineering, LLC

Marcus Networking Inc.

Maricopa Community Colleges (CGCC, EMCC, GWCC, GCC, MCC, PVCC, PCC, RSCC, SCC, SMCC, SW Skill & Maricopa Skill Centers, AZSBDC Network)

Maricopa County School Superintendent’s Office

Maricopa County Workforce Development Board

Marsh McLennan Agency (formerly Lovitt & Touche)

Maskine LLC

Matellio Inc.

Maven Project Management, LLC

Max (Automate) LLC

McKesson

MAC6

MCXXM, Inc.

Mechnano

Medefy Health

Melonball Entertainment LLC

Mercurio Analytics Inc

Mercury System Inc

Meta (Mesa Data Center)

Metropolitan Education Commission

Metz & Associates PLLC

Michael Beach Coaching & Consulting, LLC

MicroAge

Microsoft Corporation

Mike Pierce

MJ Campus LLC

MJS Designs

MKS Imaging Technology LLC

mLogica

Modis IT and Engineering

Moruga IT Solutions (acquired Venicom)

Moss Adams

Motion Tactic

MSS Business Transformation

MST Solutions

MultiTech Systems Inc

Mundt & Associates

MyHouseCall

NACERO INC.

NATEEVO

Navaera

NeoLight

Nerdery

NESCO Netscout

New Genesis Solutions

Newbridge Technology Solutions

NGT Academy

Nikola Corporation

Nlets

Nogales Unified School District

Norcon Technologies LLC

Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology

Northern Arizona Tech Alliance

Northern Arizona University

Nova-IR Inc.

NP Photonics, Inc.

NRM Communications

Nymbl Systems

Nymbus Media

OnboardIT

ONE Community

One Step Secure IT Services

OppsSpot, LLC

OpsTel Services

Opt-E Optica (formerly The Optical Society - OSA)

Optical Perspectives Group

Optical Support, Inc.

Optical Systems Design, LLC

Optilab LLC

OraVu (Perioendoscopy LLC)

Oryx Additive

Osborn Maledon PA

Pacific Office Automation Company

Pacific Scientific

PacketWatch

PADT, Inc.

Page Per Page

Paira

PAL Consulting Management, LLC

Palladium IT Advisors LLC

Paradigm Manufacturing

Paradox, Inc.

Paragon IT Professionals

Paragon Space Development Corp

Parchment

Paychex

PayPal North America

Pearl Street

Per Scholas

Perkins Coie LLC

Phantom Space Corporation

Phocos Americas

Phoenix Business Journal

Phoenix Business RadioX

Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations

Phoenix Community Alliance

Phoenix Cyber Academy Inc.

Photonics Automation Specialties, LLC

Pima Association of Governments

Pima Community College

Pima County

Pima County ITD

Pima County JTED

Pima County One-Stop/Arizona@ Work

Pima County Superintendent of Schools

Pinal Partnership

Pinnacle Consulting LLC DBA Banner Edge media

PivIT

PlanetOne Communications, Inc.

PMCS

Polsinelli PC

Polymer Chemistry Innovations

PowerPhotonic Inc

Prana Global

Prane Holdings LLC

Precision Geographic Inc.

Predictive Solutions Engineering, LLC

Prescott Regional Opportunity Fund

PrettyFluid Technologies

Prime Solutions Group, Inc

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP

Project Lead The Way

Protecht

Proteum Machining

Prototron Circuits

Providence First Trust Company

PSG Solutions, LLC

Public Policy Partners

Pure Wafer, Inc.

QlikTech

Quarles Quest Qwaltec Qwick

R3EWaste

Radiant Product Development

Radius AI

Rapid Technologies

Raven Precision

Raytheon

Red Frame Innovations, LLC

RedGear

Redstone Security Operations

REDW LLC

Remarkable Health a division of Netsmart Technologies, Inc.

Renew Arizona

Renren US Holdco, Inc.

Republic Services, Inc.

Reqfast, Inc.

Resonea

Revtek Capital

RGROUP Professional Services

Rincon Optical Consulting LLC

Rincon Research Corporation

Rising Cloud

Rixon Technology

Rizse Inc

RK Squared, LLC

Roche LLC

Rocket Media, LLC

Rocky Point Technology Group

Ruda Optical

Rytek Technical Service

SafeNet Consulting

Sahuarita Unified School District

SaiOx SALEO San Miguel Corporate Internship Program

Sandbrook Group

Saraha Systems Inc

SARSEF

Savant Software, Inc.

Scalable Growth Partners, LLC dba

Valenta USA West

Scientific Material Testing

Laboratories, LLC

SciTech Institute

Scorpion Technologies LLC

Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce

Scynce LED

Sears Gerbo Architecture

Securaplane Technologies Inc

Securaze US LLC

Security 101

SEMI

SentinelOne

Serastar Technologies, Inc.

ServerLift Corporation

Seven Layers, LLC

Shin-Etsu MicroSi

Signature Consultants

Silent Sector - Expertise-Driven

Cybersecurity

Silicon Valley Bank

Simpleview

Sky Harbor International Airport

Sky Republic Inc

Slake Consulting LLC

Slalom Phoenix

Penguin Solutions

SmartCert® by Aramid

Snap Tech IT

Solugenix Corporation

Sonatafy Technology

Sondhi Solutions, LLC

Sonora Quest Laboratories

Sonoran Schools

South32

Southwest Alliance for Excellence

Spatial Impact Group LLC

Spectral Instruments, Inc.

Spencer Fane LLP

SPIE

Spirit Electronics

SRP (Salt River Project)

Stackhouse

Startup Tucson

STEADYNAMIC

Stellar Technologies, Inc.

STEM Sports

Stifel Private Client Group

Straight Engineering LLC

Strategy1

Stratus Aero, LLC

Streetwise Studios

Structured Communication Systems Inc

Summit Consulting Group

Sun Corridor

Sun Mountain Capital

Sundial Energy, Inc.

Sunnyside Unified School District

Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce Arizona

SWS Computers

Sydor Technologies

Symmetry Software

Sysazzle, Inc.

T. R. Hill Executive Coaching & Consulting

Tangent Aviation, LLC

Tanque Verde Unified School District

Taronis Fuels

TE Connectivity

Tech Launch Arizona - The University of Arizona

TechSmart Inc

TEKletics

Teknipure

TEKsystems Global Services

Tempe Chamber of Commerce

Terkel

Tesec Inc.

TGen (Translational Genomics Research Inst)

The Aerospace & Defense Forum

The Arizona Group Insurance Brokers

The Boeing Company

The Data Strategy Lab

The Intersect Group

The Metal Man, Inc. / TMM Precision

The Neriah Group

The PMO Squad

The Port of Tucson

the revenue game, llc

The RFP Success® Company

The Sensor Group LLC

The Talent Store

Thin Client Computing

Titan Circuits

Town of Gilbert

Town of Oro Valley

Town of Sahuarita

Trade in Motion LLC

Transform 42 Inc

Traversant Group

Trego Integrated Systems

Triad Wireless, LLC

Triadvocates LLC

TriNet

Tripwire, Inc.

TSMC Arizona Corporation

Tucson Embedded Systems, Inc. (TES)

Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates

Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

Tucson Optical Research Corp

Tucson Unified Technology & Instruction

U.S. Commercial Service

UA Venture Capital, LLC

UArizona RESTRUCT

UBS

UC Cloud Solutions Inc.Technology Source

UK Department for International Trade

Universal Avionics

University of Advancing Technology

The University of ArizonaResearch, Innovation & Impact

The University of Arizona Applied Research Corporation

The University of Arizona College of Engineering

The University of Arizona College of Medicine

The University of Arizona College of Management

The University of Arizona Wyant College of Optical Sciences

The University of Arizona Tech

Launch Arizona

The University of Arizona Tech Parks Arizona

University of Phoenix US Air Tech DBA USAT

USA Federal Contracting Services, LLC

USAA

USI Insurance Services, LLC

UTech Business Solutions

Vail Unified School District

Valutek

Vanguard Global Associates LLC

VAST Consulting Solutions

VB Cosmetics, Inc.

Vector Technology Systems LLC

Vertech

Vertica

VIAVI Solutions Inc.

Victor Assad Strategic HR Consulting

Vincit

Virgin Galactic

Vonage Business Solutions Group

Vound Software

WachsField Technologies

WaferWire Cloud Technologies

Wallace, Plese + Dreher, LLP

WANRack

Washington Technology Industry Association

Wavelength Opto-Electronic (S)

Pte. Ltd

Waymo

WebPT

Wellkasa Inc

Wells Fargo Bank

Westmarc

Westwind

Wexford Science + Technology

Wilco Source

WillPower Partners

Winsor Consulting Group, LLC.

World Wide Technology

Xcelr8now

Yarbrough Electronics Sales, Inc.

Yates LLC

Yavapai College

Yeager Marketing

YellowBird Holdings Inc.

Yen Pilch Robaina & Kresin PLC

YWCA of Southern Arizona

Zayo

Zendesk

ZEVX

ZorroSign, Inc.

Zovio

Zuggand

Zumasys Inc

Zxerex Corporation