We’re excited to share the latest news from our wave-making We Rise alums! From innovative projects to personal milestones, these enterprising business owners are moving, shaking and making their mark on Arizona’s thriving business landscape.

Juneteenth is a time to honor emancipation — and to ask ourselves what freedom looks like today. For many Black Arizonans, it means reclaiming power through business ownership, building generational wealth and shaping the future of our local economy.

Thunderbirds Charities has awarded Local First Arizona $90,000 to support Spanish-speaking and Black entrepreneurs’ success. 

The donation will go toward Local First’s business education programs Fuerza Local, Nivel Ejecutivo and We Rise.

Thunderbirds Charities has invested about $620,000 in the Local First programs since 2017.

As Black Business Month concludes, it's crucial to recognize that ongoing support from the local community is vital for entrepreneurs, to thrive year-round.

While Black-owned businesses are on the rise in Tucson and across the U.S., they still constitute only 3% of all businesses nationwide. Moreover, Black business owners typically begin with significantly less access to capital compared to their White counterparts—nearly a third less, as per industry standards.

We talked with two Tucson entrepreneurs from the Black business community. We explored the challenges of business ownership, ways the community can offer support, and the inspirations behind their entrepreneurial journeys.

Black business ownership is on the rise. In celebration of National Black Business Month, we spotlight a new cooperative marketplace that recently opened in Phoenix to support Black-owned businesses.

Making higher education accessible to all Arizonans is the goal of three business owners who recently graduated from We Rise, Local First Arizona’s Black-owned business accelerator.

When John Benedict drove from Philadelphia to rural southern Arizona in a van he bought for $1,000, he had no intention of becoming a farmer. He just knew he wanted to leave city life behind.

Now Benedict owns Desert Sky Produce, cultivating organic beets, carrots, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage and more, thanks in part to a zero-interest loan for entrepreneurs of color from Community Investment Corporation.

How would you like a two-night staycation at the hip retro Hotel McCoy in Tucson, tickets to Weezer or a free pottery class? All these prizes and more are available to win during Indie Week by supporting local businesses June 24-July 4.

The Black Girl Brown Girl Collective creatively brings together women and art. But writing grants and filing tax forms is not their specialty. The Arizona Economic Recovery Center helped the nonprofit land a $10,000 grant and become more self-reliant.

Despite the growth of the Black community in Arizona, Black-owned businesses only account for 1% of all businesses in Phoenix, making them difficult to find and support. As Juneteenth approaches, here are a variety of Black-owned businesses you can support from Phoenix to Tucson to Safford and beyond.

“Thanks to our partnership with the Maricopa Career Institute, starting today, D Squared Homes for the Homeless has space in Phoenix for volunteers to come to help us create sleeping mats for the homeless community,” says the CEO of D Squared Homes for the Homeless, Juan Te Dailey.

After meeting through Local First Arizona’s We Rise Accelerator, two local businesses, The Maricopa Career Institute and D Squared Homes For The Homeless, decided to pool their resources and have entered into a partnership with a common goal of continuing to uplift underserved populations.

The Heart & Soil People’s Garden in South Phoenix is part of a movement to replace food deserts with thriving urban farms on previously vacant and underutilized land.

The Fifth Cohort of the Local First’ We Rise Accelerator began the program last Saturday. These twenty-two businesses will spend the next six months acquiring the knowledge and developing the skills, habits, tools and resources to help propel them to the next level.

Small business incubator Afri-Soul Education Center aims to to foster entrepreneurship, reduce unemployment among African Americans in Arizona, decrease the opportunity gap and grow the community of Black businesses.

Nestled on the border of Tempe and Phoenix, The Vibe Spot is a brand-new glam-style event space for meetings, events, and special occasions. Vibe Spot opened in October and already has folks talking. Located at 7430 S. 48th St., Suite 108, Phoenix, AZ 85042, it's the perfect venue for meetings and intimate social gatherings like birthdays, showers, graduations, holiday parties, team events and more!

Local First We Rise Alum, Tiesha Harrison, will collaborate with the McCain Institute and the City of Phoenix to raise awareness about domestic violence and teen online safety through art.

Local First’s We Rise graduate and owner of Deafinitely Communicating, Germaine Graham, carried out the Instagram series called ABC's of Deaf Education, sharing information about the culture, lived experiences, accomplishments, rights, joys, challenges, and day-to-day life of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people of all ages.

We’re adding 18 new businesses to the We Rise family! The We Rise program is all about supporting Arizona’s Black-owned businesses and we invite you to check out our newest cohort. You’ll find make-up artists, clothing, adminstrative assistance, food and more!