Local First Arizona – News Blog

• Shop Like It Matters (Because It Does) June 30, 2025
  Skip the Prime hype. Your money works harder — and smarter — when you buy local. It’s hard to imagine a world before Amazon, before the concept of free shipping and the convenience of receiving items on your doorstep within two days — and sometimes sooner. As we approach the annual extravaganza that is Prime […]
  Kat Meyer
• Más que agua y hielo: Cómo un negocio latino impulsa el cambio ambiental con Fuerza Local June 24, 2025
  Una familia, un sueño y un negocio con propósito Javier y María del Rocío Cervantes nacieron en Guadalajara, Jalisco, y, como muchos inmigrantes, llegaron a Estados Unidos en busca de mejores oportunidades. Javier, carpintero de oficio, y María del Rocío, secretaría empresarial, nunca imaginaron que años más tarde estarían liderando un negocio con un impacto […]
  Paul Zapata
• Five Years Strong: Blax Friday Celebrates a Milestone of Black Business Impact in Arizona June 13, 2025
  Tucson's Black business community is growing — and this month, one of its boldest champions is celebrating five years of transformative work. Ashley La Russa, founder of Roux Events and Blax Friday, launched what is now the state’s largest directory and only app for Black-owned businesses in the summer of 2020. What began as a […]
  Kat Meyer
• More Than Solar: Borderlands Innovation in Education — and the Price of Uncertain Clean Energy Policy June 12, 2025
  From outdoor classrooms to solar-powered EVs, Mexicayotl Academy is living its sustainability values — while navigating the real cost of clean energy policy rollbacks.
  Kat Meyer
• Welcome Our June New and Renewing Business Coalition Members June 9, 2025
  Every month, we welcome businesses that are shaping Arizona’s economy in bold, lasting ways. From trusted family legacies to local-first disruptors, these members reflect the strength and diversity of our business community. Whether they’re building Arizona’s schools and libraries, protecting homes from desert pests, or championing local journalism, each one brings something powerful to the […]
  Lori Cothrun