Alastair Fitzpayne serves as Executive Director of the Future of Work Initiative. Prior to his work at the Aspen Institute, he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Secretary Sylvia Burwell. In…

Alex Parisi is a designer and creative director at Sonder in Tucson, Arizona. He specializes in branding, interactive design, and overall good visual communication.

Allie serves as the CEO of Village Capital. Village Capital is a venture capital firm that finds, trains, and invests in early-stage ventures solving major global problems in agriculture, education, energy, financial inclusion, and health. She previously served as a…

Dr. Amy Kraehe’s scholarship, teaching and community engagement focus on how the arts and arts education can challenge, as well as reinforce, systems of inequality. She explores this contradiction by investigating the ways in which sociocultural, spatial, political, and economic…

Ashley White is a commercial artist specializing in custom designed, hand painted signs, lettering, and murals under the business name, Modern Aquarian. She works with business to implement a branded visual environment that is both functional and visually interesting.

Austin is chairman of the San Xavier District, one of the eleven political districts of the Tohono O’odham Nation (formerly known as the Papago Tribe of Arizona). He is currently serving his ninth four-year term, having continuously served since 1987….

Bella Hibbs is a casting director and member of the Arizona Production Association and The American Federation of Advertising/PHX Ad Club. She has had the privilege of serving as a lead casting director for hundreds of commercials, films and fitness…

Chris Heivly is one of the nation’s leading experts in how to turn startups into multimillion-dollar companies. For over 30 years, Heivly has worked at the highest levels for some of the world’s most recognized brands, including MapQuest, Rand McNally,…

Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. That is exactly how Dan Marries feels about working as the evening news anchor at KOLD News 13 where he’s been keeping Tucsonans informed since 1999….

I grew up in the Bay Area and attended the University of Arizona right after high school. While there I majored in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Spanish Literature, which ironically secured me my first teaching job as a high school Spanish…

Runs the film distribution arm of Brink (BrinkVision) / Acquires films / Strategizes / Marketing / Theatre operator / Festival director / Filmmaker / Writer / Producer / Bourbon enthusiast / Giallo film junkie / Revolutions started / Tigers tamed…

Eva Louis is a producer, writer and actor known for her work in the local film community with several short films, feature films as well as projects (Chained, Desperado Noir, The Last Responders, Dark Dignity). She has specialized in social…

Francis G. Slay made history in 2013 by becoming the City of St. Louis; first mayor to be elected to a fourth, four-year term in office. During his tenure, downtown St. Louis was revitalized with major projects including Busch Stadium…

Being and performing in front of people has always been paramount in Gary’s life except for the time that his father embarrassed him so badly that he peed his pants. That incident lead to the early discovery that making people…

I started BANGS Shoes after teaching English in China and discovering simple shoes worn by workers and farmers. Inspired by their look and the hard-working people who wear them, BANGS Shoes are designed to support you from one adventure to…

Herminia “Minnie” Frias, Councilwoman, Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council. Councilwoman Frias has served on her Nation’s Tribal Council both as a Chairwoman, and as a Council Member. Frias was the youngest person and first woman to be elected as Tribal Chair…

Jay W. Richards, Ph.D., is an Assistant Research Professor in the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America and is developing the curriculum for the University’s innovative business program currently targeted to launch in Tucson in fall…

Joan Timeche is the Executive Director of the Native Nations Institute (NNI) at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, University of Arizona. A citizen of the Hopi Tribe from the village of Old Oraibi, she received a B.S….

Joe O’Connell founded his studio, Creative Machines, in 1995 to design and fabricate interactive exhibits. In 2004, he began making public art with a strong emphasis on community and interactivity. His work is rooted in science, perception and history and…

Joe Pagac is an artist, a craftsman, a performer and a world traveller born and raised right here in Tucson. Starting with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communications and Illustration Joe set out after graduation to explore…

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild came to City Hall promising accountability in government, increased emphasis on economic growth and help for those most in need. Since taking office, the mayor has helped settle the long-standing Rio Nuevo dispute, opening a new era…

Kim Ernzen is vice president of the Air Warfare Systems product line at Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in Tucson, Arizona. LWS offers the world’s most comprehensive array of battle-proven land combat systems solutions. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2017 sales…

Lauren Valenzuela is the owner and maker of Sigfús Designs. A Tucson native, Lauren has a long history of creating art and reveling in the beauty and possibility in the Sonoran Desert. Founded in 2018, Sigfús Designs is a little…

Executive Director Marc D. Folk has been with the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo as an employee for over twelve years. Marc first worked with the Arts Commission in 1996 as an instructor in the Young Artists at Work program,…

Marc Sedam, Associate Vice Provost for Innovation and New Ventures and Managing Director of UNHInnovation, joined UNH in November 2010. Sedam has an extensive background in intellectual asset management, licensing, and start-up formation. In addition to his position with UNH,…

A public library educated nerd, pre-adolescent Mark Crockett was the only kid in third grade at Lincoln Elementary School in East Orange, New Jersey with an adult library card (yes, he is that old). Nose buried in a book but…

Marty Freese is a western film historian, actor, & tour guide at Old Tucson, a movie studio and theme park located outside of Tucson, Arizona. He can be seen in several films including Dual (2008), The Gundown (2011) and Hot…

Arizona Film Commissioner Matthew Earl Jones has over 30 years of experience on both sides of the camera in film, television and commercials, as well as in the music industry. Matthew was born in New York City where he spent…

Moniek James is a serial entrepreneur, small business strategist and self-proclaimed social media nerd. As the founder and CEO of The Confetti Collective, a personal growth platform that inspires confidence in women and girls, Moniek provides a platform of empowerment…

Dr. Nancy Pollock-Ellwand serves as the Dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona. She has a broad background in design with degrees in Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Planning however she identifies as…

Ngoc is an early-staged investor whose 12-year banking/venture capital career includes extensive middle market transaction experience in Technology and Business Services investments at middle-market investment bank and family office. Ngoc has worked on advisory and capital markets transactions valued in…

Phil Abram held the position of Chief Infotainment Officer and member of corporate strategy team for General Motors from 2012 until retiring in 2017. As Chief Infotainment Officer, he was responsible for worldwide strategy, business development and product requirements for…

An entrepreneur with social perspective since 2009, Preet has been a founder and leader for community projects focused in women’s wellness, sustainability, diversity and social mobility through tech. She is currently a proud mom, a mentor for holistic women’s wellness,…

Before his election as mayor in 2012, Greg Stanton served nine years on the Phoenix City Council and as Arizona’s Deputy Attorney Genera. During his two terms as mayor, Stanton focused on building an economy rooted in innovation and trade….

Tom Murphy – Three Term Mayor of Pittsburgh & Senior Resident Fellow at the Urban Land Institute. In his current role as Senior Resident Fellow at Urban Land Institute, Murphy’s extensive experience in urban revitalization—what drives investment and what ensures…

Tony joined United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona as its president and CEO in 2010. Under his leadership, United Way of Tucson is “Building a Thriving Community by Uniting People, Ideas, and Resources.” With a focus on Uniting for…

Zach Ferres is the CEO of Coplex, a Venture Builder that partners with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and corporate innovators to start high-growth tech companies. Featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, VentureBeat, Inc, Forbes, NPR, and Entrepreneur. Zach sold his…