HOT TOPICS

Scottsdale Snack Chain Hits 500-Store Milestone
Wetzel's Pretzels has marked a major company milestone with the successful celebration of its 500th store opening in Porter Ranch, CA. Bringing together community members, guests, and brand partners to honor a defining moment in the company's continued national growth. The Porter Ranch location was energized with a celebratory atmosphere featuring store … [More]

Greater Phoenix Leadership Elects New Board Chair, Officers
Greater Phoenix Leadership, announced the election of Simer S. Mayo (pictured) as Chair of the Board for a two-year term spanning 2026 to 2028. Exiting as Chair is Ken Van Winkle, Vice Chair of Womble Bond Dickinson, who served in the role from 2024 to 2026. Ken Van Winkle has been a member of GPL since 2009 and joined the board of directors in 2015. During his … [More]

Marketing Agency Plants Roots in Downtown Phoenix with New HQ
After 11 years of operating as a remote-first agency serving clients across the United States, Verum Digital Marketing has opened a downtown Phoenix headquarters, creating a centralized environment for in-person strategy, collaboration, production, and digital execution. Verum celebrates the new HQ with an open house on Wednesday, May 20, from 4 to 7 p.m., … [More]

New Master-Planned Community Debuts in Apache Junction
A new master-planned community is taking shape in Apache Junction, offering thoughtfully crafted homes amid Arizona's stunning landscape. Sanctuary at Blossom Rock, a highly anticipated neighborhood from Richmond American Homes of Arizona, Inc., a subsidiary of Sekisui House U.S., Inc., will showcase ranch and two-story homes designed to elevate everyday living with … [More]

$2M Overhaul Planned for Mesa Entertainment Venue
Jake’s Unlimited, one of the Phoenix area’s largest indoor family entertainment venues, has been acquired by local entrepreneurs, JP and Brittany Mullan, who are introducing a new vision to elevate the longtime Mesa venue into a premier destination designed to rival leading national entertainment brands. The Mullans’ acquisition marks a significant investment in … [More]

AIA Names Exclusive Health Insurance Partner
Banner|Aetna, an Arizona-based health plan jointly owned by Banner Health, one of the few fully integrated health systems in the nation, and Aetna, a CVS Health company, announced its sponsorship of the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA)—the governing body for Arizona high school athletics programs—making the insurer the AIA’s exclusive health insurance … [More]
TOP STORIES

Buckeye Mega Site Hits Market with $1B Economic Promise
The Phoenix office of JLL announced that it will market Grand View Arizona, an infrastructure-rich, fully entitled, 2,500-acre mega site in Buckeye, Arizona – ranked one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. over the last decade. With the scale to accommodate large-scale, sophisticated manufacturing uses, the project is projected to become a leading employment … [More]

UFC, WWE and PBR Events Head to Arizona Under New Multi-Year Deal
TKO Group Holdings, Inc., together with the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance, announced a multi-year agreement that will stage a series of premier UFC, WWE, PBR, and Zuffa Boxing events in Arizona. The seven-event agreement will span three years and feature some of TKO’s most high-profile live events, creating new opportunities for fans to experience UFC, WWE, … [More]

Nuclear Startup Expands into Phoenix with CLO Appointment
NuCube Energy, Inc., a developer of high-temperature modular microreactors, announced the establishment of its initial on-the-ground presence in Phoenix and the appointment of Michael Green as Chief Legal Officer. The expansion follows NuCube's recent award under the U.S. Department of Energy Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) program, and builds on … [More]

SRP Inks Deal to More Than Double Solar Capacity
Salt River Project announced an agreement with NextEra Energy Resources to develop 3,000 megawatts (MW) of new solar generation by the end of 2034, or enough capacity to power 595,000 Arizona homes. The solar development agreement will support SRP’s plan to more than double the capacity of its power system by 2035 while maintaining reliability and affordability and … [More]
FEATURED STORIES

Farm Losses Mount as Natural Disasters Impact Key Regions
A new study on behalf of Trace One has identified the U.S. counties and states with the largest agricultural losses due to natural disasters. High grocery prices have been a defining economic story in recent years, driven by a combination of factors including pandemic-related supply chain breakdowns and labor shortages. However, an increasingly critical driver of food … [More]

Federal Reclassification Reshapes Risks for Medical Marijuana Businesses
Through June 22, 2026, state-licensed medical marijuana licensees have a short window to register with the DEA to handle medical marijuana under the new federal Schedule III framework. To register or not to register? That is the question. Following the April 23, 2026, federal rescheduling order, DEA is calling on state-licensed medical marijuana cultivators, … [More]

Small Business Lending: A Guide to Applying for a Loan
The truth about bankers is that we love nothing more than helping people turn their dreams into reality. We entered this line of work to help others reach their financial goals and find their individual path to success. For many, that means opening and running a successful business. For business owners who are ready to take their company to the next level, we’ve … [More]
LATEST ISSUE

Data Centers in the Desert: W(h)ater You Worried About?
As data center development expands across the Phoenix region, questions about water use have moved quickly from engineering discussions to the center of public conversation. For an industry built on reliability and efficiency, the challenge is clear: How can digital infrastructure scale responsibly in one of the most water-conscious regions in the United States? Few … [More]

Artificial Intelligence Is Powerful – But It Cannot Replace a Lawyer’s Judgment
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the practice of law. From drafting contracts to analyzing discovery, AI tools can complete in minutes what once took hours. For businesses under pressure to move quickly and control costs, the appeal is obvious. But as powerful as these tools are, they cannot replace one essential component of legal representation: … [More]
LIVE AND LEARN

JINYA Ramen Explodes with Diversity
“Irasshai!” There’s no mistaking the hospitality as every guest is welcomed with this Japanese greeting upon entering the restaurant. And the “Arigato” when they leave expresses appreciation for their visit. That’s only to be expected. After all, opening a ramen bar was the expressed dream come true for Daradee Olson, who fell in love with the dish in its many … [More]

Assets … Risk … Catch the New CAPTCHA Scam?
We’ve all seen those “CAPTCHA” boxes that ask us to click on pictures of traffic lights or crosswalks to prove we aren’t a robot. Scammers are using a convincing CAPTCHA scam to trick us into handing over the keys to our computers. Usually, a security check just asks us to click a button. However, in this new “bait-and-switch” scam, the webpage says there’s an error … [More]

2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 SUV
The Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 4MATIC remains one of the clearest examples of what the midsize luxury SUV segment is supposed to do. It has real power, substantial interior space, and the kind of road presence buyers in this category still expect, but it does not try to turn itself into something more extreme than it needs to be. The turbocharged inline-six gives it … [More]
PHILANTHROPY
Babbo Supports Pancreatic Cancer Research
Babbo Italian Eatery recently hosted its fifth annual Baseball for Babbo Day of Giving, with all seven Valley locations donating 100% of profits to the Seena Magowitz Foundation in … [More]
Studio North America Donates Event Services
The Studio North America recently helped fuel Phoenix Children’s Foundation’s philanthropic mission by serving as the official event producer for the foundation’s signature … [More]
Arizona Association of REALTORS® Donates to Housing Fund
The Arizona Association of REALTORS® has awarded a $29,000 donation to the Arizona Housing Fund, with $14,000 of the donation funded from proceeds of AAR’s Homes for All specialty … [More]
POSITIONS

Phoenix Names Next Chief Financial Officer Following National Search
The City of Phoenix has selected Katie Gregory as its next Chief Financial Officer, following a national recruitment process. Gregory will begin her role on June 15, 2026, … [More]

Southwest Gas Adds Two Arizona Leaders to Board
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. announced the election of Molly R. Carson (left) and Leezie Kim (right) to its Board of Directors at the Company's annual meeting held May 7, … [More]

National Wellness Franchisor Names CTO
Massage Envy, a national leader in skin care, announced the appointment of Abe Hong as chief technology officer. In this role, Hong will lead the company's technology strategy, … [More]
ACHIEVEMENTS

Employee-Owned Construction Co. Celebrates 40 Years
A.R. Mays Construction, one of Arizona’s most established commercial general contractors, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Founded in 1986 by Adam Mays, the company … [More]
Local PR Firm Named a ‘Best in U.S.’
Scottsdale-based 10 to 1 Public Relations, a public relations firm offering strategic communications services, has been named by Provoke Media to its annual list of the 100 Best … [More]
Local Bar Manager a Bartending Contender
Undertow Gilbert Bar Manager Krissy Shelberg has qualified for the national finals of Speed Rack, the internationally recognized high-speed bartending competition that celebrates … [More]

















