Phoenix Smart City App Hack winner heads to Barcelona

Last night five app makers pitched their businesses to a panel of local influencers in the tech space all vying for the opportunity to represent the City of Phoenix in Barcelona at the Smart City Expo in November. The mission of the Phoenix Smart City App Hack was to help solve five of the main urban … Read more

Gangplank Chandler to host 6th Startup Weekend

Entrepreneurs around the Valley who are looking to create a business will soon have another opportunity to do so in their own backyard. Coworking space Gangplank Chandler is hosting their 6th Startup Weekend November 20-22. Entrepreneurs and creatives are encouraged to attend and take on the challenge of building a business in a weekend. “Since … Read more

CO+HOOTS launches socially-conscious art marketplace

The founders of CO+HOOTS have launched their fourth business in Phoenix — an ecommerce site for art prints where a portion of the proceeds are sent back into a community. Odeen Domingo and his wife Jenny Poon have acquired, rebranded, and launched Fresh Words Market, a marketplace that features art prints with positive messaging. “We … Read more

Announcing AZ Tech Beat Community Tour – Updated

Expose the awesome! That’s our motto, goal, passion and the name of our community tour. Join us as our crew heads out around the Valley to co-work with our tech community. We will be setting up shop at local co-working spaces, tech companies, coffee shops, and incubators throughout the summer to expose the awesome within the Arizona technology … Read more

Wasabi Ventures announces expansion to Arizona

Early stage venture capital firm Wasabi Ventures announced the formal launch of its Arizona operations Tuesday after a nine month due diligence process. Wasabi Ventures’ offices will be located in Phoenix, with cohorts in Flagstaff and Tucson. “We see great potential in the Arizona ecosystem,” said Wasabi Ventures General Partner Tom “TK” Kuegler. “The combination of … Read more

Girls in Tech Catalyst kicks off with a superhero cape

If you forgot to wear your superhero cape today, no worries, the Girls in Tech Catalyst conference has got you covered. Founder and CEO Girls in Tech (GIT) Adriana Gascoigne chose Phoenix as their first conference outside of Silicon Valley because of the thriving tech community found in Arizona. “We thought Phoenix would be a perfect location to … Read more

Arizona Commerce Authority releases hyperlocal startup portal

As an ongoing effort to provide tools and resources to the vibrant AZ startup ecosystem, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) released its new Start Up portal at azcommerce.com. Based on insights and feedback gathered from AZ’s ecosystem leaders and partners, the portal was designed with an edgy vibe and to be used as a centralized source for … Read more

Venture Madness tips off with Thunder Dan Majerle

Photo contribution by Thomas Hawthorne “Never bend down or show you are tired,” was Thunder Dan Majerle’s mind set when competing for a slot on the US National Team at the 1988 summer Olympics, and a message about perseverance to startups pursuing their dream and preparing to compete at Venture Madness. Presented by Invest Southwest … Read more

Raising capital is more like a marriage – TIE AZ Roundtable wrap up

Photo contribution from Thomas Hawthorne, co-written with Tishin Donkersley The Tempe Center for the Arts was buzzing as investors, entrepreneurs and TiE AZ members networked and threw back a few cold ones at the TiE AZ Venture Capital Roundtable. The event included a panel of venture capitalists (VCs) from Silicon Valley and the Southwest who shared … Read more

Nerds rejoice! The Nerdery expands to Phoenix with jobs in tow

Prepare to work in full nerd mode! Minneapolis-based production shop The Nerdery is expanding to Phoenix and is looking to fill about 150 jobs over the next five years. The Nerdery is a production company that designs and builds web pages and interactive products for other companies. Founded in 2003 by three programmers, The Nerdery … Read more