How we choose to spend our money helps shape the places we live. It influences which businesses grow, which jobs exist and which services remain available close to home. In that sense, Prime Day is about more than what we buy. It's also a reminder of how much power consumers actually have.

Over the past several years, Local First Arizona has had the opportunity to provide space for Nika Forte and ABC Mobile Education Center to build programming, community connections, and educational opportunities at the garden. We are grateful for the energy, expertise, and dedication that Nika has contributed to the space and to the broader conversation around food systems, composting, and community agriculture.

The Best Arizona Gifts for Fathers Day 2026

Shopping locally for Father's Day supports Arizona’s regional makers, independent artists, and homegrown businesses. Excellent local gift ideas from Northern, Central, and Southern Arizona.

People often think being local means shopping local, eating local or attending local events.

Those things matter.

But being local is bigger than that.

It's creating opportunities for entrepreneurs. It's investing in locally owned businesses. It's strengthening food systems, supporting workforce development and helping communities access the resources they need to thrive.

At its heart, being local means building an economy where opportunity stays closer to home and more people have the chance to participate in it.

That's the story behind Local First Arizona's 2025 Annual Report.

I SPEAK AZ LLC: empoderando la confianza a través del idioma, la comunidad y el crecimiento empresarial

En un mundo donde el idioma puede ser una barrera o una puerta de oportunidad, una mujer vio la posibilidad de transformar vidas a través de la comunicación.

Lo que comenzó como una pasión por ayudar a otros hoy se ha convertido en I SPEAK AZ LLC, una academia de inglés diseñada especialmente para la comunidad hispana.

Ever wonder why you so often hear the phrase “family farm”? 

There is good reason for it. Farming is deeply tied to stewardship — of soil, water, ecosystems and community — and families who work the same land across generations often make decisions with the future in mind. The health of the land is personal because it is tied to memory, livelihood and legacy.

Inclusive local businesses do more than serve customers — they help shape communities where people feel welcomed, valued and connected. Across Arizona, LGBTQ+-friendly businesses and organizations are building spaces rooted in belonging, advocacy and local resilience.

During National Small Business Week (May 3–9), communities across the country recognize the 36 million small businesses that power the U.S. economy, and represent 99.9% of all firms and more than 45% of the workforce.

At Local First Arizona, that work isn’t confined to a single week. We work year-round to support, and shine a light on, the 650,000 small businesses operating in Arizona who make up 99.5% of total businesses in the state and employ 1.1 million people. Most of them are small businesses, illustrating yet again that entrepreneurs are the vital engines fueling the state’s economy. While Arizona is ranked nationally for its startup-friendly landscape, less attention is paid to the journey entrepreneurs experience in the months and years that follow the ubiquitous ribbon cutting ceremony.

Creative events that showcase the character of small communities across Arizona allow towns to celebrate what makes them unique. At the same time, these events are welcoming out-of-town visitors who then patronize restaurants, gas stations and hotels, pumping money directly into the local economy. While festivals and events do act as introductions for small towns to non-locals, they also provide seasonal stability for the small businesses that support those towns year round. 

Amor Fashion Shop: donde el arte mexicano inspira el camino emprendedor

Lo que comenzó como un sueño impulsado por la pasión por la cultura mexicana es hoy un negocio que conecta comunidades a través del arte.

Amor Fashion Shop (AFS) nació en medio de la incertidumbre en 2021, cuando el mundo enfrentaba los desafíos del COVID-19. Aun así, esta idea comenzó a tomar forma.

At Local First Arizona, we have spent more than two decades making the case that strong, resilient communities are built from the inside out. The businesses, farms, nonprofits and neighborhoods that make Arizona worth living in don’t just happen, they require intentional investment, thoughtful policy and leadership willing to bring everyone to the table.

Governor Katie Hobbs’ Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce has done exactly that.

The resulting report is a significant milestone, one that Local First Arizona helped shape. Its 31 consensus-driven recommendations reflect input from 36 members, including private-sector leaders, consumer advocates, tribal representatives, nonprofits, utilities, and state agencies. Kimber Lanning, Founder & CEO served on the Governor's Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce, and Vice President of Resiliency Programs Ginger Sykes Torres contributed to one of its working committees. Such rare and broad agreement among typically divergent stakeholders is a point of serious consideration, and one we are proud to support.

Arizona is home to 22 federally-recognized tribes, which ranks the state among the highest in the nation for its concentration of indigenous people. That significant tribal influence not only adds vibrancy to the state’s culture, but it contributes heavily to Arizona’s economic engine. 

By some estimates, more than half of the state’s agricultural land is managed by indigenous farmers and ranchers, meaning native-owned operations have a healthy stake in Arizona’s entrepreneurial community. And that’s just one industry.

At Local First Arizona, we recognized not only the contributions that indigenous entrepreneurs have on the state’s economy, but also the very specific challenges that native-owned businesses may encounter. To address those issues head on, we developed the Rooted Native Business Accelerator, a boot camp designed specifically for native business owners. The first cohort graduated earlier this year. 

Since new businesses are consistently stymied by key challenges related to finances, Local First Arizona recently launched a new Loan Readiness Boot Camp that prepares entrepreneurs for the lending process by equipping them with informed, real world decision-making strategies.

Rising energy costs in Arizona are putting increasing pressure on businesses, with projections estimating rates could climb up to 47% by 2050. For companies operating on tight margins, this volatility threatens both profitability and long-term sustainability. Obodo Energy offers a solution through commercial and industrial clean energy systems, including solar, battery storage and energy efficiency upgrades, helping businesses reduce costs and gain more control over their energy future. By investing in scalable solar solutions—the fastest and most cost-effective clean energy option—Arizona businesses can hedge against rising utility rates, improve operational predictability and strengthen their commitment to sustainable practices.

Where your business banks isn’t just a financial decision — it shapes who gets access to capital in your community. Across Arizona, local businesses are often shut out of lending by the same institutions holding their deposits. Community banks and credit unions flip that model, reinvesting locally and building the relationships businesses need to grow. If you’re thinking about your next money move, building a relationship with a local banker now can open doors when it matters most.

For Earth Month, and every month, consider finding ways to support locally-owned businesses that have committed to sustainable practices. To help you find and support local businesses doing valuable climate resilience work, we’ve pulled together a few suggestions of people and places fighting the good fight for Arizona’s environment during Earth Month and all year long.

Las joyas suelen tener un significado personal: marcan momentos importantes, relaciones y recuerdos. Para Alejandra, Karla y Angélica, las tres hermanas detrás de Magical Gems by Gely, también se convirtieron en la base para construir un pequeño negocio basado en la colaboración familiar y la expresión creativa.

El proyecto comenzó cuando una de ellas atravesaba una etapa difícil a nivel profesional.

Sticky notes, reams of printer paper, dry-erase markers and packets of paper clips. For anyone who worked in a professional setting prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, those items may inspire a twinge of nostalgia — regular errands to a tucked-away supply room stocked by a dependable office vendor.

But work has changed. With the widespread adoption of remote policies and rapid technological shifts, the office supply industry has had to transform as needs evolve and the market consolidates.

Wist, however, has remained a constant.

Every month, we highlight the businesses that continue to show up for local ownership and community connection. This month’s new and renewing Business Coalition members reflect the breadth of Arizona’s locally owned economy, from skilled trades and creative services to long-standing employers serving communities across the state. Their work supports families, strengthens neighborhoods and keeps local dollars working close to home.

A new boot camp offered by Local First Arizona aims to build on that resilience — by equipping smaller producers with business tools that haven’t traditionally been tailored to agriculture.

The Ag Business Boot Camp, a hybrid, eight-week program for small to mid-sized farmers across the state, educates participants on business fundamentals through an agricultural lens.