As a woman who grew up on the Navajo reservation, Jordanna Saunders has a unique understanding of the emotional, economic and health-related challenges many Native Americans encounter.

It’s why her Goodyear practice, Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona, is an attractive option for Indigenous patients.

“(My patients) feeling better and functioning better, that’s what keeps me doing it — seeing them succeed.”

Tempe businesses are saving money and reducing their environmental impact through Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp.

In a world dominated by e-commerce giants and mass-produced goods, it can be challenging for consumers to find unique, locally-made products while still supporting their community. However, with Local First's online marketplace, Shop Local First, Arizona residents and visitors have a powerful tool at their fingertips to conveniently browse and purchase gifts from a wide range of locally-owned businesses

Arizona is more than just a state on the map; It’s a community woven together by culture, diversity and local businesses that drive our economy. At its heart, this state pulses with the dreams and ambitions of its residents. Behind every Arizona-based product, dish, or service lies the heart and soul of a passionate local entrepreneur. By supporting these entrepreneurs and their businesses, we strengthen the very core of Arizona.

Five women food entrepreneurs will dazzle the tastebuds of a lucky few at Dining For Dreams on Sept. 28.

The intimate evening of camaraderie and conversation features a three-course dinner catered by graduates of Local First Arizona’s business accelerator programs. Get your tickets now!

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.

Seeing a “Small Wonders” map, the pocket-size guides to independent businesses and tourist attractions around the state by Local First Arizona, was the genesis for Scottsdale marketing agency Ideas Collide lending its support.
Local First, like the agency, was “small and mighty and impactful,” said co-founder Matt Clyde. ”We love seeing small businesses thrive.”

As the largest coalition of of locally-owned businesses in the nation, you are part of a movement that elevates the voices of Arizona’s independent, locally-owned businesses – connecting people, communities and resources for meaningful actions that build a diverse, inclusive and prosperous Arizona. Join us in celebrating new and renewing business coalition members.

Less than a year and a half after Charlotte Bowens experienced a health scare, she was crossing the finish line of a 50-mile race, setting things in motion for Conscious Gear, a brand of outdoor wear she founded to accommodate larger bodies.

“There’s plenty of us at the back of the pack who are fat, and we buy this gear that a lot of the time doesn’t fit us,” Bowens said. “I felt called to just maybe try.”

An eager crowd of job seekers, students and companies converged recently for the Superior Career & Hiring Expo, organized by Local First Arizona and Career Connectors.

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.

Small towns across Arizona are facing a similar challenge: Young people are moving to larger cities, causing local jobs to remain vacant and the economic health of communities to struggle.

“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.

“So many doors have opened for me,” says soap maker Veronica Cruz about graduating from Local First Arizona’s Fuerza Local Business Accelerator. Sales have increased eightfold, and she even has shipped internationally. “This program was a little push that I needed.”

As the largest coalition of of locally-owned businesses in the nation, you are part of a movement that elevates the voices of Arizona’s independent, locally-owned businesses – connecting people, communities and resources for meaningful actions that build a diverse, inclusive and prosperous Arizona. Join us in celebrating new and renewing business coalition members.

En el mes de la Historia de la Mujer 2023, conoceremos la historia de Claudia Carreño, empresaria, instructora y sobre todo una mujer poderosa que está dejando huella en la comunidad empresarial hispana en Arizona.

Claudia Carreño es orgullosamente originaria de Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, México y dueña de Carreño Services LLC una empresa local que brinda servicios de contabilidad/bookkeeping, recursos humanos y administración a pequeñas empresas, además de ser la actual coordinadora de la segunda y tercera generación del programa Nivel Ejecutivo de Fuerza Local.

We Rise participants Mission 2 Transition and McKnight Educational Consulting for College Admissions (MECCA) partnered to teach youth about the college admission process at the Urban Experience Conference hosted by the Youth World Education Project on February 18.

Mission 2 Transition facilitated an interactive mock-admission simulation for students and parents. The purpose of the simulation was to create awareness of the many factors considered in college admission decisions. MECCA followed up the simulation by providing students and parents with grade-level-specific checklists of the actions students and parents should be taking to be prepared for the transition out of high school.  

On February 28, 2023, Local First’ We Rise businesses, current and alumni, met for the first quarterly We Rise Mixer of the year.

The We Rise business accelerator meets virtually every other Wednesday for six months. At the request of the alumni, the We Rise program holds quarterly mixers to strengthen the sense of community and foster collaboration.

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.