Blake Martin, a University of Arizona senior, built his first company out of Startup Tucson’s prototyping lab, creating custom specialty lighting for pool tables. Now he’s ready to roll.

Kick off your holiday shopping and find unique gifts for loved ones all in one place from 4-8 p.m. Nov. 1 at Merry Mercado, Local First Arizona’s newest event.

Meet three of the local vendors you can look forward to…

The Tempe Compost Pilot puts locally-owned restaurants in the driver’s seat to turn food scraps into farmland.

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.

When Arizona’s weather turns cool, it’s time to enjoy the fresh air, spruce up at home and prepare to get cozy.

From tobacco-and-clove scented candles to elderberry immune-boosting tonics to botanical bath bombs, Kaya Holistic has all the eco-friendly, handcrafted products you need to fall for fall.

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!

Downtown Tucson is enjoying a retail renaissance these days, thanks in part to Proper Shops, a collection of boutiques that gives up-and-coming retailers a start. It offers short-term leases that are more affordable for business owners just getting off the ground.

We asked the building’s co-owner and three shop owners how it’s going.

A ramshackle historic building in downtown Winslow has been transformed by an artist and his wife into a vibrant and eclectic live-work gallery space — a hidden gem along Route 66.

The 22,000-square-foot building now known as Snowdrift Art Space offers the room he always dreamed of having as a young budding sculpturist.

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.”

Tucson is a tight community, and Local First Arizona is building those connections every day with our work.

It’s not every day that a company takes a potential competitor under its wing. But Local First Arizona members Dillinger Brewing Company and Brillé Mead Company are proof that symbiosis in business can be successful. The owners agree: Tucson is just that kind of collaborative place.

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.”

Jorge Diaz was ready to close his online shop that sells handmade jewelry, clutches and wallets until he connected with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which helped him relaunch.

Diaz is one of more than 6,000 small business owners in less than two years who have received advice and training at no cost from a coalition of organizations led by Local First Arizona that supports entrepreneurs across the state.

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.

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.

¡Celebremos juntos el 10 Aniversario de Fuerza Local y la Graduación de la 20° y 3° Generación del Acelerador de Negocios!

Un maravilloso evento está por llegar para nuestros alumnos después de 6 meses de dedicación, compromiso y aprendizaje: ¡La Graduación de 71 Empresarios del Programa Acelerador de Negocios de Fuerza Local!