What Does It Mean to Be Local?
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.
Because people across Arizona continue to choose local businesses, support community organizations and invest in their neighbors, we're seeing what becomes possible when economic opportunity is built from the ground up.
Throughout this year's report, you'll find stories of entrepreneurs launching and growing businesses, communities securing critical funding, food producers expanding their reach and business owners gaining access to the tools, capital and connections needed to succeed.
You'll also see how these stories connect.
A local food entrepreneur creates demand for Arizona-grown products. A workforce training program helps employers fill critical positions. Access to capital helps businesses expand, hire and invest back into their communities. Rural and Tribal communities gain new resources to support long-term economic growth.
These aren't separate successes. They're all part of the same story: building stronger local economies that create lasting opportunity.
In 2025, that work included workforce training tailored to local industry needs, expanded access to values-aligned financing and investments in stronger regional food and energy systems. By connecting business owners, coalition partners, community leaders and policymakers, Local First Arizona is helping create the conditions for communities across Arizona to thrive.
The numbers in this year's report tell part of that story. The people behind them tell the rest.
As you explore the report, we hope you'll see not only the impact of this work, but the role that local businesses, supporters, partners and community members play in making it possible.
Because building a stronger Arizona isn't something that happens to us.
It's something we build together.
If you believe in an Arizona where opportunity is built locally and shared more widely, there are many ways to be part of what comes next.
