Local First Arizona – News Blog

• La Michoacana Al Natural: Celebrando raíces y sabores durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana September 15, 2025
  Un espacio para la familia, el sabor y la cultura Al entrar a La Michoacana Al Natural, te reciben murales de Arizona y México, el aroma de nieves artesanales y el murmullo de familias reunidas. Su fundadora, Erika Félix, soñó con crear algo más que una nevería: un lugar donde los niños pudieran llegar en […]
  Paul Zapata
• Local First Kicks off City of Phoenix Climate Action Plan Workshops focused on Local Businesses September 9, 2025
  Not even the August heat in Phoenix could stop a score of small business owners from gathering in the Burton Barr Library community room on August 14, 2025. They weren’t there to sell or pitch a new product—but to confront a challenge larger than any one enterprise: climate change. Hosted by Local First Arizona and the […]
  Lynita Johnson
• USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center Selects Three Arizona Businesses For Business Builder Awards September 5, 2025
  Although the USDA cut funding to the Southwest Regional Food Business Center, we were still able to provide three Arizona projects with funding for the first round of the Business Builder Award Program, created to build the capacity of small and mid-sized farms and food businesses.
  Lori Cothrun
• From Vision to Venture: How Local Capital Helped a Navajo Entrepreneur Scale August 15, 2025
  Wyatt Gilmore is on a mission to change the way Native American tourism businesses connect with their customers — and thanks to a unique Local First Arizona investment fund, he’s turning that vision into reality.
  Lori Cothrun
• Welcome Our August New and Renewing Business Coalition Members August 13, 2025
  Every month, we welcome new faces and celebrate longtime members who keep Arizona’s economy rooted here at home. From keeping neighbors comfortable year-round to guiding families through life’s big decisions to supporting parents in meaningful moments — these businesses show up for the communities we love and the local economy we’re building together.brings something meaningful […]
  Lori Cothrun