Local First Arizona – News Blog

• Welcome Our July New and Renewing Business Coalition Members July 10, 2025
  Every month, we spotlight businesses that are helping shape Arizona’s future — one plate, one podcast, one customer at a time. These local leaders aren’t just building businesses — they’re building community. Whether they’re helping creators find their voice, serving up bold new flavors or reimagining what dining and gathering can look like, each brings […]
  Lori Cothrun
• 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