Phoenix’s largest entrepreneur event back for seventh year
Weeklong event expanded full month with Flagstaff, Tucson, Local First Arizona, and Arizona Commerce Authority joining
PHX Startup Week will be a month this year, kicking off at the beginning of April with virtual events for three weeks and ending with five days of keynote speakers, workshops and tactical learning sessions.
PHX Startup Week is partnering with Startup Together AZ to expand statewide to help support and grow Arizona’s startup ecosystem. Organizations across the state are teaming up to highlight resilient businesses and entrepreneurs that survived the pandemic.
Throughout the entire month, attendees can join virtual events with thousands of entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors from a variety of backgrounds. These events are designed to help participants learn new skills, build valuable connections through networking, and showcase the important resources available in the state.
“A vibrant entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem is a critical component in the overall success of Arizona’s economy,” said Sandra Watson, President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “We’re very proud to partner with organizations statewide to present Startup Together AZ as a part of our efforts to support startups and small businesses. This month-long series of events will help participants learn new skills, build valuable connections through networking, and showcase the important resources available in our state.”
PHX Startup Week began in 2014 as a grassroots effort to connect small businesses and entrepreneurs in Phoenix. Now, seven years later, organizers refuse to let a pandemic get in the way of its mission to support and unify Arizona’s small businesses and growing startups.
Some of the month’s events include:
- “Small Business Boot Camp” and “Mentor Mania” hosted by Arizona Commerce Authority
- IdeaFunding by Startup Tucson
- Business of Bio Boot Camp hosted by Moonshot at NACET in Flagstaff
- Good Business Summit focused on small business perseverance, social justice and environmental action hosted by Local First Arizona
The last five days of PHX Startup Week events will culminate with partnership panels and Q&A’s hosted by Golden Seeds, an international women-led investment group, as well as Invest Southwest’s Venture Madness team, who will lead a discussion of best practices on how to take advantage of the live-pitch competition planned for October.
Kate Rogers Sieker, a veteran of PHX Startup Week, is spearheading the volunteer-led event for the third year. To participate in PHX Startup Week, visit www.PHXStartupWeek.com.
In a move to help unify and amplify the community, Sieker is also taking over as lead for #yesphx (www.yesphx.com), a hashtag that has served as a collaborative social media presence to connect the Phoenix entrepreneurial ecosystem for over seven years. This organic community effort is what eventually led to PHX Startup Week, instigated by community leaders such as Jonathan Cottrell, Matt Simpson, Vincent Orleck, and many others. The #yesphx digital connection platform will continue to align, amplify and connect the entrepreneur community of Greater Phoenix.
Sieker is also leading ThrivePHX (www.ThrivePhx.co), an initiative dedicated to preserving, supporting, and growing diversity and inclusion in the state through connection, continuity, and community communication.
“Creating unification and support with all these community programs is a natural next step for the momentum our community has generated,” Sieker said. “I am so excited to see what the future holds for our ecosystem.”
Attendees can visit www.startuptogetheraz.com to view April’s calendar of events. To participate in PHX Startup Week, visit www.PHXStartupWeek.com.
PHX Startup Week press contact:
Hayley Ringle | 602-499-0352 – cell | [email protected]