Small businesses are the backbone of Arizona’s economy — and we need policy that supports their survival and growth. Join Local First Arizona CEO Kimber Lanning this Friday, May 2, alongside Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari, Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington and Heather Lennon of Imagine General Contracting for an important panel conversation during National Small Business Week. We’ll be talking tariffs, access to capital and how we can strengthen our local economy through smart, community-rooted policies. SMALL BUSINESS PANEL AND FORUM 📆 Friday, May 2 📍 ARCHWOOD at EASTLAKE | 1401 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix 🕞 3:30–5:00 PM 📌 RSVP required: https://hubs.li/Q03kxNyp0 Let’s build a better Arizona — one local business at a time. #SupportLocal #SmallBusinessWeek #LocalFirstAZ #PolicyForPeople #AZEconomy #ArizonaEconomy #WeAreLocalFirstAZ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7323595434659119106

Had an enriching experience at the PHX FWD event last night, gaining valuable insights from Ron Gabrisko, the CRO at Databricks. For those involved in the tech startup community in the Phoenix area, attending these events is a must! (*hint hint* Stax.ai team members *hint hint*) Thanks for the invite, and looking forward to the next one! https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321701929850494977

This is going to be 🔥 Don’t miss out! #yesphx https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7323520820973109248

We have a packed house for the SEMI Arizona Breakfast Forum! Thank you Joe Stockunas, Sandra Watson, @GovHobbs, and Mayor Kate Gallego for kicking us off! @semi_americas #SEMIAmericas #Arizona #Semiconductor #Event #Economicdevelopment https://www.instagram.com/p/DJFHMENJVQA

🚀 PHX Startup Week 2025 is in full swing! 🌵 Now in its 11th year, #PHXStartupWeek is once again bringing together the most passionate founders, builders, investors, and ecosystem champions in Arizona. Downtown Phoenix is this year's hub of entrepreneurial energy. Whether you're scaling your company or just starting out, there's something for everyone — from hands-on workshops and keynotes to industry deep-dives and youth innovation. 🔹 Featured Tracks & Events "Bootcamp" For early-stage founders ready to validate and grow "Forum" Leadership stories and lessons from experienced entrepreneurs "Industry" AZ’s hottest sectors — AI, MedTech, Clean Energy & more "Next" High school + college students building the future 🗓 Don’t Miss: 💡"Desert-Driven Disruption" + "Ctrl+Alt+Reinvent" 💡accelerateAZ Expo with Plug and Play Tech Center 💡Arizona Commerce Authority's Venture Scale Graduation 💡Youth Launch Camp by SEED SPOT for ages 13–18 🔗 Learn more + register: phxstartupweek.com Let’s keep building the most generous and thriving startup community in the country. Katie Sieker Melissa Lamson Kristin Slice Jonathan Keyser Joseph Bianchi Albert Escobedo Robert Theobald , MBA Stephanie Sims Dan Tyre Drew Trojanowski Scarlett Spring Susan Sly Karl Fazio Dean Simms-Elias #PHXStartupWeek #yesPHX #StartupLife #ArizonaInnovation #FoundersFirst https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7323521156110540800

Join us tomorrow for an inspiring display of student work that brings knowledge to life through the arts. The PBC Arts Committee is proud to announce the winners of 2nd annual Student Arts Grant program geared toward students at Arizona’s three public research institutions, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. This program will highlight the students who have used art to showcase their academic work or research. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJE7kHyJKcM

Wrap up from Day 2 of PHX Startup Week 💗 Incredible Açaí Bowles from 3Natives Acai and Juicery 🤩 Kristin Slice rocked the BUILD bootcamp “Not knowing your audience is a waste of money and resources - Be specific, then be more specific! “ 🕵 RunBuggy General Counsel Karl Fazio shared legal insights for startups including how in the current climate companies need EBITA neutrality for series B investment. 📈 AI has been a hot topic, Susan Sly took the stage to discuss how to build and AI company and gave us a PHD in selling and shared her two values “Trust and Wow”. 😍 We wrapped with a #yesPHX Social with Wren House Brewing 🍻 Good stuff! 👍🏻 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7323362331252449280

Discover Augment ⬇️ Not your typical business school. Real-world strategies. A thriving community. Weekly events with world-class operators. If you’re an entrepreneur, this is where you grow. Welcome to Augment. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJEtMOZo2Vg

Every once in a while, one conversation can give you the clarity you didn’t know you needed. Last night was that moment. Last night's PHX FWD event Ron Gabrisko shared his journey growing Databricks from $1M to a multi-billion dollar rocket ship, and he did it with honesty, humility, and a deep belief in people. No buzzwords, just grit, clarity, and lessons earned the hard way. What really hit me was this: Ron is one of us. A local Phoenician, supporting the mission to turn Phoenix into a top software city by 2035. And he’s not just saying it, he’s doing something about it. As the founder of TARIY, I left that room feeling recharged. This journey is hard. There are moments of doubt. But then you hear from someone who’s been through the fire and came out stronger, and it reminds you: Stay gritty. Stay humble. Keep building. We’re not here to wait for change, we’re here to create it. Let’s make it happen, Phoenix.  #PHXFWD #Leadership #FounderJourney #KeepBuilding #PhoenixTech https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321590505450971136

Most people struggle to tell their product story. Not because their product isn’t great – but because they haven’t nailed why it matters. Your pitch isn’t just about features. It’s about solving a real problem, for a real person. And if you can’t say that in one sharp sentence, you’re losing the room – whether it’s customers, investors or your own team. That’s why we’re bringing in Shana Lee, Global Chief Marketing Officer and brand strategist behind companies like Amazon, Boost Mobile, and more, to lead a PHX FWD workshop: Join us for It’s Them, Not You: How to Tell Your (Product) Story Shana will break down how to: ✅ Define a clear, single-minded message ✅ Align your story across sales, marketing, and product ✅ Build a brand that resonates – because it solves a real problem for a real person Whether you’re raising capital or trying to grow faster, this is for founders, early teams and marketers who know storytelling isn’t fluff – it’s the strategy. It's happening on May 7th from 9-11am. 🙌 Save your spot for free here: https://lu.ma/3gct1kb6 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7323043307259838464

Big thanks to PHX FWD for hosting an awesome event! Clate Mask and Ron Gabrisko shared some powerful insights on scaling sales, both early-stage and beyond. If you’re a serious software builder in Phoenix, this is definitely a community worth being part of. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321544992559194112

See you there! PHX Startup Week #yesPHX https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7323072734278647809

This Thursday, Join Alexander McElfish as we dive deep into defining the core aspects of your business to help provide you with the critical tools needed to be successful. Attendees will learn how to tell a compelling story about your mission, target audience, unique value proposition, operational strategies, and success drivers. Join us to refine your business story and set yourself up for success. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJCSkjYJXnQ

Day 1 of PHX Startup Week in the books! 👏 The tacos and sessions were HOT 🔥 In today’s sessions we learned: Aly Saxe during the Build Bookcamp workshop “Don’t get too attached, you have to pivot.” “You have to be ruthless AND always do the right thing.” • Jonathan Keyser Keyser Commercial Real Estate “Arizona is already capital efficient for your startup” Stephanie Sims Monsoon Venture Fund Heather Lennon “You have to accept the role of visionary” Imagine Develops LLC Thank you speakers! 👏👏 What an incredible first day! We hope you’re registered to join us this week www.phxstartupweek.com #yesphx https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7322982156123676672

Vulnerability and authenticity for the win, with fabulous women, AGAIN! Day two of The KNOW Women summit 2025! Parties, dresses, beautiful ladies aside. The hearts, brains, businesses and brilliance of this group is beyond inspiration. I grow each year when I attend and this year is no different. I loved seeing my ladies on stage, sharing their wisdom with the world. Kelly Lorenzen, PMP Mona A. Sabrina Guler you were fabulous! The magic is always there with the real conversations, talking about life and entrepreneurship in powerful waves that are being made. More to come with day three and cannot wait. Thank you Sarah Benken Foushee Brittany Acevedo Erin Daniels Anisha Pandya Patel Justine Bibb Jasmine B. for adding extra magic to my experience, and life. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7322713554048929794

If you want your business to grow, you can’t do it alone — but hiring can feel overwhelming without a clear strategy. Join Bethany Graver and learn how to attract the right people, create a seamless onboarding process, and develop training systems that turn new hires into high-performing contributors. Walk away with a proven framework to build your dream team — and free yourself up to lead. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJAQYY8zea6

We're ready for you #yesPHX 🔥 This year we tried some new things 🧫 1️⃣ Our first Startup Alley showcasing startups and giving the community a chance to vote for their favorite in three categories: 🏆 Best Startup 🏆 Audience Favorite 🏆 Best Tech Innovation For bragging rights and to Win a Telly TV 2️⃣ BUILD Bootcamp: This four-day morning bootcamp is for early-stage founders ready to turn ideas into traction through idea validation and customer acquisition. You'll learn how to test assumptions, connect with ideal customers, and build something they actually want. Walk in with an idea—walk out with a strategy and the tools to grow. Coaches: Aly Saxe, Kristin Slice, Dan Tyre, Chris Sterbenc 3️⃣ We Beta'd a product with Sprouter : We were proud to be the first customer to utilize their new ticketing software — a true testament to our shared belief in innovation and local collaboration. Supporting the community means championing local companies, and we’ve been thrilled to grow together through ongoing partnerships, including our work on #yesPHX socials. Here's to continuing to build something great, together. 4️⃣ We’re sharing our stage! Collaboration is key to community building, and we’re proud to partner with Plug and Play Tech Center to celebrate the 2-year anniversary of #AccelerateAZ, ACA's Venture Scale Graduation featuring pitches from 10 Arizona Innovation Challenge winners, Nerd Network’s first hackathon with Microsoft, and Youth Launch Camp with SEED SPOT, where high schoolers develop entrepreneurial skills and pitch for a prize. 5️⃣ Because entrepreneurship is a family sport, we’ve created a dedicated space for kids to build, learn, and play—while you focus on doing the same! I'm really proud of what we have built! I can't believe we are one sleep away from the 11th PHX Startup Week! "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." — Helen Keller Don Fotsch Sami Mian, Ph.D.Sidnee Peck Karl Rauchenstein Melissa Lamson Frederik Bohn Dean Simms-Elias Tristan Gandolfi Ryan Sieker Zach Ferres Paige Hanson Timothy Flynn Diti Sangoi Henry B. Dotson Joseph Bianchi City of Phoenix Galvanize Inc Phoenix Suns Don't Forget *** Bring your favorite water bottle!🥤 🌎 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7322518712178089984

Another fantastic night with the PHX software community! We appreciate everyone who made it out! We can’t do what we do without you 👏 Huge thank you to Ron Gabrisko, CRO at Databricks for sharing an incredible growth story with us. And a big thank you to Gregg Scoresby and PHX Ventures, and Bill Binch and Battery Ventures who make our events like these possible! And to Deloitte for sponsoring and hosting us in their incredible space. 🙌 As Clate Mask shared, we have so much in store for PHX FWD and we can’t wait to keep working on helping software companies win. To stay in the loop for future events and our upcoming programs, join the community (for free!) at phxfwd.org. Let’s make PHX a top software city! https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321393909669027841

What if your next mentor wasn’t human — but still knew you better than anyone else? Join us for a thought-provoking TED-style talk with Aaron Bare, the visionary behind Baryons, the world’s first AI-powered mentorship platform. In this groundbreaking session, Aaron Bare and Forbes Shannon will unveil how AI mentors will transform personal growth, leadership development, and the very way we work and live. https://www.instagram.com/p/DI_y4LdJ2ef

We’re still buzzing from last week’s incredible Smart City + IoT Conference! 💡 A heartfelt THANK YOU to our brilliant speakers, generous sponsors and all who attended — your presence made this event unforgettable. Can’t wait to see the AZ tech community at our next event! Thank you to our sponsors: @azcommerce @arizonastateuniversity @rythmznetworks @fptsoftwarelive & @10to1pr #SmartCity #IoT #AZTechCouncil https://www.instagram.com/p/DI_tsK3pu2B

Want a chance to earn $1000 and spend the day playing golf at The Club at Starr Pass? ⛳️ Don’t delay — sign up NOW — for the Arizona Technology Council’s 15th Annual Tucson Golf Tournament on May 1, 2025. Compete for trophies, enjoy lunch, and win raffle prizes from Hacienda Del Sol, JW Marriott Starr Pass, and more! Single-player and foursome options are available. Details and registration: Link in Bio! 🔗 ✨ Sponsorships available! #AZTech #TechNetworking #ArizonaGolf #StarrPass https://www.instagram.com/p/DI7ZV03TBSo

👏👏👏 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321667370479943680

Last night was Sarah's 100th Thursday Gathering at Venture Café Phoenix! From organizing the events, to helping with programming and setup. Venture Café Phoenix could not happen without her! https://www.instagram.com/p/DI4gLQlTv7l

💡 That’s a wrap on the Future of Biotech at Venture Café Phoenix! Last night, 186 Entrepreneurs and Innovators came together to explore Biotech innovation, AI, and MedTech—delivering powerful insights, fresh connections, and bold ideas. The highlights don’t do it justice, but we’ll try: 🤖 AI-First Mindset Now & Future: Forbes Shannon and Aaron Bare challenged founders and execs to adopt an AI-first mindset. From decision-making to workflow automation, it’s clear: smart leaders are leaning into AI as the ultimate growth partner. 👩‍💼 1:1 AI Business Mentorship: Attendees got hands-on guidance with Sherry Kotvis, MS, CAIO in one-on-one sessions—diving deep into practical AI tools like ChatGPT and streamlining their business operations in real time. 🛡️ Tariff-Proofing Your Business: Jason Hsieh brought the heat with tangible strategies to protect your eCommerce businesses from rising tariffs and global supply chain risks. Sellers walked away ready to cut costs and boost resilience heading into 2025. 💡 Harnessing Semiconductors in HealthTech: Dr. Nandini Tandon, Jami Mei, MPA, AZED Pro, Allison Bakovic, Doug Kiehldt, and Mark Dydyk explored how AI chips and advanced hardware are revolutionizing medical diagnostics, software, and supply chains—bringing science fiction one step closer to everyday reality. 💸 Fundraising Pearls of Wisdom: Insights from Startup Founders: Helen Goldstein moderated a panel of protégée founders from the Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program including Mohammad Albanna, Anthony Dietz, and Jim Hauert. They shared hard-won lessons on raising capital—from first pitch to scale. Attendees left with actionable insights and renewed confidence in the fundraising journey. 🚀 Strategies for Commercializing Regulated Medtech Products: Kevin Parker, Shari O'Quinn, Rebecca Ewald and Tom Eisiminger, Jr. demystified the commercialization process—offering strategic tips on regulatory navigation, milestone planning, and avoiding common pitfalls on the path to market. Thank you to all the speakers, mentors, and community members who made this night unforgettable. See you next week for “Grow Like a Pro - Business Growth Strategies https://www.instagram.com/p/DI4Wn6eTVC8

AI is transforming every industry, fast. If you’re not automating your operations or bringing AI into your products, you’re already falling behind. At today’s PHX FWD event with Ron Gabrisko, CRO at Databricks, the message was clear: the future is being built by the people using AI right now. “If you’re not learning AI and embracing it right now, someone else will, and they’ll outpace you.” #PHXFWD #AI #Databricks #Intentify #ProductStrategy #FutureOfWork https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321389588474740737