Boulder, Ann Arbor, Tucson & More: 20 Most Creative U.S. Cities – The Daily Beast

June 30, 2012 in Community, News, Startups, Tucson by Curtis Gunn

Creativity & entrepreneurism go hand in hand.

 

Creativity is now the main driver of America’s economy, and is more and more concentrated in and around cities. Richard Florida reports on the trend—and lists the nation’s most creative metro areas, from Boulder to metropolitan Austin to the Washington, D.C. region.

via Boulder, Ann Arbor, Tucson & More: 20 Most Creative U.S. Cities – The Daily Beast.

Fall Round of AZ Innovation Challenge Tech Commercialization Grants to Get Underway August 15, 2012

June 30, 2012 in Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Innovation Challenge, Economic Development, News, Startups, Technology, Technology Business Development, Tucson, Tucson Tech by Bob Hagen

Arizona Innovation Challenge

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is pleased to announce its $3 million Arizona Innovation Challenge, the country’s largest monetary award for a technology commercialization challenge.

Arizona technology businesses are the state’s engine for economic transformation through wealth and job creation. The Arizona Innovation Challenge is an investment in the minds of talented entrepreneurs in Arizona and around the world.

The ACA awards $3 million annually to the most promising technology ventures that participate in the Arizona Innovation Challenge (awards may range from $100,000 to $250,000).

AzCI Affords Seven Startups the Opportunity to Present Their Ideas to Potential Funders

June 28, 2012 in Articles, AZCI, Economic Development, News, Tucson, Tucson Tech, Venture Capital by Bob Hagen

Arizona Center for Innovation teaches startups the art of the pitch

By Patrick McNamara | Posted: Friday, June 22, 2012 12:15 am

Inside Tucson Business

It was a big day for the startup hopefuls in the room.

Pitch Day at the Arizona Center for Innovation, June 15 gave seven fledgling startup companies the chance to present their ideas to a roomful of potential funders.

After months, and in some cases years, of research and more time in mentoring, representatives had three minutes to sell their ideas and possibly come out of it with moneyed partners.

AZ Economic Indicator Reaches Highest Level Since December 2008

June 28, 2012 in Articles, Economic Development, Jobs, News by Bob Hagen

Report: Ariz. economy at highest level since ’08

by Russ Wiles – Jun. 27, 2012 05:12 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

The pace of economic activity in Arizona has picked up, according to a new report.

An economic index from Comerica Bank rose 1.1 percentage points in April, the most recent month tracked, to a level of 85.4. The index of seven variables now stands 14 points or 20 percent above its cyclical low of 71, reached in 2009.

“According to our index, the Arizona economy reached its highest level since December 2008 in April,” said Robert Dye, chief economist at Dallas-based Comerica Bank, which has 18 banking centers in Arizona. “Job growth in Arizona is outpacing that of the nation, and the Phoenix housing market has seen home-price increases in each of the last six months.”

Arizona #1 Most Entrepreneurial State According to CNN Money

June 28, 2012 in Arizona Commerce Authority, Economic Development, Startup Tucson, Startups, Venture Capital by Dr. Patrick Marcus

Arizona
2011 startup rate: 520 per 100,000 adults

Arizona is a sizzling spot for startups. People were more likely to launch businesses here than in any other state in the country last year.

Arizona has benefited from a steady stream of entrepreneurs migrating from less business-friendly states like California. The lure? Business and property taxes are low, as are workers’ compensation costs, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.

What’s more, the labor pool is highly educated, as schools such as Arizona State University and the University of Arizona churn out a steady stream of science and technology grads. The state encourages firms to upgrade employees’ skills, giving grants to those that offer in-house job training.

That’s key, since tech firms dominate Arizona’s new business landscape. Software and semiconductor makers are big here, as are solar, clean-tech and renewable energy technology firms. More traditional fields like retail and tourism also are hot.

TMCC Announces New Small Business Initiatives

June 28, 2012 in Articles, Economic Development, News, Tucson by Bob Hagen

TMCC CEO/President Mike Varney

Tucson Chamber of Commerce touts business initiatives

Cites momentum, new priorities such as lobbying, education focus

June 27, 2012 12:00 am • David Wichner Arizona Daily Star

Under new leadership, the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce piled up a “big plate” of initiatives in the past year, from an array of new small-business programs to the recent establishment of a “super PAC” to boost political advocacy.

Those initiatives will only accelerate in the coming year, Chamber Chairman Bruce Dusenberry told members and other attendees Tuesday at the chamber’s first-ever “chairman’s luncheon,” at the Manning House.

“The chamber in the past year really has had a big plate – we’ve got a great many initiatives we are trying to get done,” said Dusenberry, president and CEO of Horizon Moving Systems.

Three SBIR Grants Awarded to Local High Tech Firms

June 28, 2012 in Articles, Economic Development, Funded Companies, Local Companies, News, Technology, Tucson Tech by Bob Hagen

$4M in federal grants awarded in Tucson

June 26, 2012 2:05 pm • Arizona Daily Star

A Tucson nonprofit and two local high-tech companies have been awarded a total of more than $4 million in federal job-training and research grants, U.S. Rep. Ron Barber’s office announced today.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded more than $1.2 million to Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona to help train juvenile ex-offenders for jobs. The Goodwill GoodFutures program in Tucson was one of 21 programs funded nationally by the Department of Labor, Barber’s office said.

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded three $1 million grants to two Tucson companies for highly advanced research projects under its Small Business Innovation Research program.

Startup Tucson Retreat Today at Gangplank Tucson!

June 25, 2012 in Uncategorized by Startup Tucson

We are taking over Gangplank Tucson today with 30 people from all over our community building a common vision for the Tucson’s startup ecosystem.

We are starting out by watching a few videos.


Gallery Stations:

Station Description
Where Good Ideas Come From (4:07) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=NugRZGDbPFU
Entrepreneurs Can Change The World (2:20) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6MhAwQ64c0
Principles for building Entrepreneurial Communities (2:41) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwwswzE9PHE
Entrepreneurship Ecosystems – Babson (1:56) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGXsFS5t5Vg&feature=youtu.be

Congratulations to the winners of “Twitter Raffle” of Startup Tucson T-shirts!

June 20, 2012 in Uncategorized by Startup Tucson

Last night at the Summer of Startups Tucson Launch Party, Startup Tucson hosted a raffle for attendees who posted their Twitter handles on our “Twitter Board”.

This morning we completed the raffle and the winners were @greg_carlson, @desertangelsaz, and linsaymaria.

You can watch the results here:

 

Sold Out! Join the Wait-list for Summer of Startups Launch Party on June 19th

June 18, 2012 in AZ Tech Council, Events, Gangplank Tucson, Spoke6, Startup Tucson, StartupDrinks by Startup Tucson

Sold Out!  Register on the Wait-list!

Tucson Launch Party: Summer of Startups

Tuesday June 19th, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Borderlands Brewery
119 East Toole Avenue 

Please join Startup Tucson and Gangplank Tucson for the Summer of Startups Launch Party on June 19th from 6-9PM at Borderlands Brewery as we host the mother of all mashups!  The SOS Launch Party is an event-mashup between Startup Tucson Drinks, the Arizona Technology Council’s After5 Networking Mixer and AZBio’s Beer and Bio Mixer.  Additionally, many other partner organizations are involved including the Desert Angels, BioSA, Spoke6, Arizona Center for Innovation, UA’s McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, Arizona Optics Industry Association, Tucson Digitial Arts Community and many others.

Upcoming Tucson SOS Events

Visit the Arizona Summer of Startups website for the latest events happening in Tucson and across the state.  Key events happening in Tucson include: