A lo largo de una década, el viaje de Berni como empresario ha sido una montaña rusa de altibajos, pero también de logros significativos. Colados Coffee Inc. ha pasado de ser una sola ubicación a tres, con alrededor de 60 empleados que forman parte de la familia Colados.

Berni y su familia están orgullosos de haber creado un negocio próspero..…

85% of businesses include video as part of their marketing plan, and Full Swing Studios is there to serve that need.
“Many times organizations and business owners think videography is beyond reach,” says co-owner Angela Hughey. “What’s important to Full Swing Studios is we’re creating high quality and highly produced opportunities at affordable pricing. That’s part of our secret sauce. It’s something that can be attainable regardless of budget.”

A 2022 survey by payroll provider Gusto found that only 6% of Black new business owners receive the business loans they seek. Jessica Baker, who owns Vibe Spot and Pink Sky Productions, learned first-hand how to boost her chances.

From tees to beanies to bags, there’s a good chance you’ve admired something printed by Goodfellas Merch.

What began as a cool side hustle dreamed up in a punk-themed piercing outlet has grown into Goodfellas Merch, a full-scale screen printing facility in Glendale and longtime member of Local First Arizona.

The TimberTote, a wooden purse handcrafted by two Tucson creatives with ornate carving and a riot of colors, is building a fashion following. Of course, a University of Arizona Wildcats-themed style is popular in Baja Arizona. “It’s fun and whimsical. People just love it.”

For just $20 per month, Tucson homeowners can have their and their neighbors’ properties mowed and cleaned by Barrio Restoration, a small business in Tucson providing affordable landscaping and street beautification.

“We’re creating respect in the hood by keeping it clean,” said founder David Garcia. “We're taking back the streets and taking ownership again.”

“It's all about reinvesting, building relationships and building a stronger community.”

Dive into our newest blog where we highlight three standout Arizona businesses reshaping their industries.

The Arizona laundromat Social Spin is a warm and inviting gathering place that provides free services once a week to those in need.

A $1.5 million federal grant to fund free laundry, haircuts and meals, plus a low-interest loan to purchase a low-pollution van, are keeping the laundromat spinning.

Can opening your own business help America close the racial wealth gap and make the economy more fair? Research shows Black people own less than 3% of businesses despite making up 14% of the population.

Local First Arizona’s We Rise program is helping Black business owners launch, grow and thrive. Two We Rise mentors weigh in about supporting the Black entrepreneur community.

Do you know which Arizona city has the largest Black community per capita in the state? The answer may surprise you. But business leader Demetry Simonton says it’s leading the way in Black entrepreneurship.

If you’re a last-minute shopper, here are holiday gifts you can find in a hurry at Tucson retailers.

Whether you call it luck or divine intervention, these two restaurant owners in Douglas were able to help each other out of a crisis thanks to guidance from Startup Unidos and a stroke of serendipity.

More than 20 volunteers joined Local First Arizona for a neighborhood cleanup in Sunnyslope.

In a region that grows as quickly as the Valley, construction has a considerable environmental impact.

But some architectural firms are focused on minimizing waste, lowering carbon emissions and making sustainability a selling point.

Meet two Local First Arizona members making architecture more sustainable.

Every season is perfect for a northern Arizona road trip.

When an overnight stay is in the cards, these charming escapes give travelers a locally owned experience at a higher elevation.

We asked three of our “Localists” to tell us their favorite books — from Arizona history to entrepreneurship to locally based authors.

To buy one for yourself or a holiday gift, purchase from a locally owned bookstore! Find one near you with the Local First Arizona Business Directory.

Do you purchase products or services for your company?

With Source AZ, we’ll find you the right match from 1,400+ qualified local vendors with specialties including office supplies, insurance, printing and more to save you money and keep your dollars local.

From shutting down during the pandemic to becoming the first Nepali restaurant to serve at the Super Bowl, Mr. Momo is no stranger to reinvention. “If you have to pivot or take a pause, there’s no shame in doing that,” says owner Subash Yavad. “I sometimes question myself. Is it worth the struggle? Am I doing the right thing? But I am — because I chose to follow my passion.”

At the beginning, Local First Arizona had its share of doubters. An ASU economist said it was a “nice idea unlikely to succeed.”

Well, 20 years and millions of dollars in economic impact later, we’re still going strong.

Gov. Katie Hobbs declared Nov. 4 "Local First Arizona Day" in recognition of our 20 years of service to the state!

We’re honored and grateful to everyone who loves local. Come celebrate with us on Saturday!

Blake Martin, a University of Arizona senior, built his first company out of Startup Tucson’s prototyping lab, creating custom specialty lighting for pool tables. Now he’s ready to roll.

Kick off your holiday shopping and find unique gifts for loved ones all in one place from 4-8 p.m. Nov. 1 at Merry Mercado, Local First Arizona’s newest event.

Meet three of the local vendors you can look forward to…

The Tempe Compost Pilot puts locally-owned restaurants in the driver’s seat to turn food scraps into farmland.

As a woman who grew up on the Navajo reservation, Jordanna Saunders has a unique understanding of the emotional, economic and health-related challenges many Native Americans encounter.

It’s why her Goodyear practice, Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona, is an attractive option for Indigenous patients.

“(My patients) feeling better and functioning better, that’s what keeps me doing it — seeing them succeed.”

Tempe businesses are saving money and reducing their environmental impact through Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp.

Federal funding will help finance a major solar installation on the Cocopah Indian reservation, saving the tribe millions. The solar panels will generate 90% of the energy needs for the tribe’s events and entertainment complex. Money saved will be reinvested into programs to benefit the community.

FilterClean, a Local First Arizona Certified Green Business, is now offering mobile pick-up and drop-off services to reach its goal of saving Valley pool owners as much as 2 billion gallons of water each year. Here’s how.

A rural Arizona inn found a way to install solar panels affordably and save $10,000 a year on energy bills with help from a federal grant and tax credits.

“One day, $32,000 appeared in our checking account, and we were like, ‘Whoa it’s time to celebrate!’” Pines Inn and Suites owner Anna May Cory said. “For us, that was quite impressive.”

The funding was made possibIe through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The Arizona laundromat Social Spin is a warm and inviting gathering place that provides free services once a week to those in need.

A $1.5 million federal grant to fund free laundry, haircuts and meals, plus a low-interest loan to purchase a low-pollution van, are keeping the laundromat spinning.

More than 20 volunteers joined Local First Arizona for a neighborhood cleanup in Sunnyslope.

Every season is perfect for a northern Arizona road trip.

When an overnight stay is in the cards, these charming escapes give travelers a locally owned experience at a higher elevation.

From shutting down during the pandemic to becoming the first Nepali restaurant to serve at the Super Bowl, Mr. Momo is no stranger to reinvention. “If you have to pivot or take a pause, there’s no shame in doing that,” says owner Subash Yavad. “I sometimes question myself. Is it worth the struggle? Am I doing the right thing? But I am — because I chose to follow my passion.”

The Tempe Compost Pilot puts locally-owned restaurants in the driver’s seat to turn food scraps into farmland.

The late afternoon sun in August was unforgiving as they dug through the waste. Once everything was finally sorted there was 70 pounds of recycling, 56 pounds of compost, and 81.5 pounds of landfill waste, for a final diversion rate of…

Tempe businesses are saving money and reducing their environmental impact through Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp.

When Arizona’s weather turns cool, it’s time to enjoy the fresh air, spruce up at home and prepare to get cozy.

From tobacco-and-clove scented candles to elderberry immune-boosting tonics to botanical bath bombs, Kaya Holistic has all the eco-friendly, handcrafted products you need to fall for fall.

A group of 6 businesses and community partners met on March 17th to present their sustainable projects and graduate from the first-ever Verde Valley Green Business Bootcamp Cohort!

On May 31st, something transformational was cooking at Mundo Grill, a restaurant located along the light rail on Apache Boulevard in Tempe. A diverse group of 20 business owners, residents, food producers, and businesses support experts along with Tempe city staff and officials banded together to launch the Tempe Circular Economy Pilot, putting restaurants in the driver’s seat to put an end to food going into the landfill while saving on costs and regenerating Arizona’s environment & food system.

A Tucson favorite that's been serving up homemade frozen yogurt for over 25 years has gone Green by becoming Arizona Green Business Certified. Frozen Delight owners Cleo & Jose Terrazas pride themselves on opening one of the first frozen yogurt shops in Tucson, and now they are one of the first to implement innovative solutions that make the business more sustainable.

Arizona homeowners can enjoy a lush yard without high water bills. Professional photographer Martha Retallick chronicles the creation of her rainwater-fed desert oasis in a new book, “City Nature.”

A group of 6 businesses and community partners met on March 17th to present their sustainable projects and graduate from the first-ever Verde Valley Green Business Bootcamp Cohort!

7 Businesses and nonprofits from Maricopa County and southern Arizona recently graduated from Local First Arizona’s Green Business Boot Camp, launching projects that will realize cost-savings and conservation of limited natural resources.

From May to July 2023, Local First Arizona will work with Tucson retailers to solve one environmental challenge ― moving beyond the plastic retail bag.

The Bring Your Own Bag pilot will debut in two American cities, Tucson and Denver, as part of a larger “Beyond the Bag” initiative.

The goal is simple ― to enable a broader cultural shift towards shoppers bringing their own bags from home.

The Heart & Soil People’s Garden in South Phoenix is part of a movement to replace food deserts with thriving urban farms on previously vacant and underutilized land.

Let’s celebrate entrepreneurs who are future-proofing their business while building their neighborhoods and communities’ resilience by participating in Cohort 10 of SCALE UP!! 6 business owners learned new strategies to realize significant cost savings by making their business operations more sustainable.

Arizona tribal nations will soon begin investing more than $5 million from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize their electrical grids and prevent outages.

Tribes and rural communities can receive free help from Local First Arizona to apply for millions of additional dollars available under the law.

We are excited to announce Drink Me Tea Room, No Harm No Cow, Downtown Tempe Authority, and Sole Sports Running Zone as the latest businesses to become certified. Read on to learn about who they are and how supporting these businesses supports a vibrant and sustainable economy in Arizona

We plan to celebrate the upcoming Fall Fest this November 5th by upping our sustainability game. With our love for our home state comes the responsibility to ensure it is protected for generations to come. Find out how you can help us put environmental sustainability at the forefront for this event!

Literacy Connects has served the Tucson community for 11 years, providing a place where anyone can learn, create, and access opportunities. As part of their vision, they emphasize the value of transformational learning and collaborative relationships and understand the interconnectedness of community and environmental wellbeing, as evidenced by their recent hosting of two Tucson Climate Action & Adaptation Plan Community Dialogues in partnership with Living Streets Alliance, the City of Tucson, and Local First Arizona. Read on to learn more about how these collaborative, nuanced conversations went.

In 2022, it's more important than ever to invest in local self-reliance, ensuring Arizonans thrive for years to come. The businesses who have graduated in the 9th cohort of SCALE UP are clearing the path ahead! Join us in celebrating and congratulating these businesses and their innovative sustainability projects.

Calling local businesses: do you have a community or sustainability project in mind? We can connect you to experts and resources to help you get started. The next cohort of SCALE UP begins August 23, 2022!

Federal funding will help finance a major solar installation on the Cocopah Indian reservation, saving the tribe millions. The solar panels will generate 90% of the energy needs for the tribe’s events and entertainment complex. Money saved will be reinvested into programs to benefit the community.

A rural Arizona inn found a way to install solar panels affordably and save $10,000 a year on energy bills with help from a federal grant and tax credits.

“One day, $32,000 appeared in our checking account, and we were like, ‘Whoa it’s time to celebrate!’” Pines Inn and Suites owner Anna May Cory said. “For us, that was quite impressive.”

The funding was made possibIe through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

Affordable housing is a challenge for low- and middle-income families in Patagonia, a beautiful Sonoran desert town near the Mexican border. One nonprofit is trying to change that. A $25,000 federal grant has tripled the number of home renovations Community Homes of Patagonia can do. Residents call the help “life-changing.”

Heartquist Hollow Farms received a $200,000 federal grant with help from Local First Arizona to renovate a slaughterhouse, hire locally from small towns in eastern Arizona and implement humane butchering practices.

“We’ve brought jobs that weren’t there before,” Scott Heartquist said. “The capacity we’ve been pushing is huge.”

Here’s the best way to explore Page and Holbrook, two of Arizona’s most captivating destinations, where you can discover ancient rocks, kayak a prehistoric river and take in Native dancing.

Creek Valley Health Clinic is meeting urgent health care needs in an overlooked community with help from Local First Arizona and the American Rescue Plan Act.

Telemedicine, made possible through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and help from Local First Arizona, is helping Pinal County residents receive better health care.

Do you know which Arizona city has the largest Black community per capita in the state? The answer may surprise you. But business leader Demetry Simonton says it’s leading the way in Black entrepreneurship.

Whether you call it luck or divine intervention, these two restaurant owners in Douglas were able to help each other out of a crisis thanks to guidance from Startup Unidos and a stroke of serendipity.

A federal grant helped seniors in southern Arizona make much-needed safety repairs and energy-efficiency upgrades to their community center.

The result has been more residents participating in activities and a stronger community in the little mining town.

“It’s made an extremely large difference in my life,” one senior says.

Every season is perfect for a northern Arizona road trip.

When an overnight stay is in the cards, these charming escapes give travelers a locally owned experience at a higher elevation.

Gov. Katie Hobbs declared Nov. 4 "Local First Arizona Day" in recognition of our 20 years of service to the state!

We’re honored and grateful to everyone who loves local. Come celebrate with us on Saturday!

Business owners in Sedona, Cottonwood and surrounding Verde Valley cities are growing their products and services after graduating from Local First Arizona’s six-month Spanish-language business accelerator, Fuerza Local Acelerador de Negocios.

Meet these 10 northern Arizona entrepreneurs.

A ramshackle historic building in downtown Winslow has been transformed by an artist and his wife into a vibrant and eclectic live-work gallery space — a hidden gem along Route 66.

The 22,000-square-foot building now known as Snowdrift Art Space offers the room he always dreamed of having as a young budding sculpturist.

As Black Business Month concludes, it's crucial to recognize that ongoing support from the local community is vital for entrepreneurs, to thrive year-round.

While Black-owned businesses are on the rise in Tucson and across the U.S., they still constitute only 3% of all businesses nationwide. Moreover, Black business owners typically begin with significantly less access to capital compared to their White counterparts—nearly a third less, as per industry standards.

We talked with two Tucson entrepreneurs from the Black business community. We explored the challenges of business ownership, ways the community can offer support, and the inspirations behind their entrepreneurial journeys.

Globe-Miami was bustling as more than 340 tribal and rural leaders flocked to the Copper Corridor for the Arizona Rural Policy Forum. Topics included affordable housing, farmer's markets, training skilled workers, attracting young people to small towns, finding grant funding and more.

An eager crowd of job seekers, students and companies converged recently for the Superior Career & Hiring Expo, organized by Local First Arizona and Career Connectors.

More than 3,400 people in remote Arizona communities will receive access to safe, clean drinking water for the first time through a partnership between Local First Arizona and a cutting-edge company that makes solar-powered, off-grid water systems.

Family is often a high priority in the Hispanic community, so it isn’t surprising that many recent graduates of Local First Arizona’s Spanish-language business accelerator are family members working together to elevate their entrepreneurial efforts.

Meet three members of the Fuerza Local Acelerador de Negocio’s Verde Valley class navigating business ownership with family at their side.

Small towns across Arizona are facing a similar challenge: Young people are moving to larger cities, causing local jobs to remain vacant and the economic health of communities to struggle.

This February, Local First Arizona partnered with the Arizona Office of Tourism to organize a planned itinerary to showcase Lake Havasu’s greatest tourist attractions. WeekendZona attendees only needed to show up, mingle with their fellow travelers and be ready for adventure.

Although it’s good news that more Arizonans are employed than ever before, the demand for workers has been challenging for small businesses to keep up with, particularly in rural areas.

Local First is working with rural employers to understand their staffing needs, opportunities and challenges to find solutions.

Put the ‘far’ in ‘fa’ and the ‘local’ in ‘la’ this holiday season with rural shopping. When you spend $100 at a locally owned business, $43 stays in the local economy vs. just $13 when you shop elsewhere.

Arizona tribal nations will soon begin investing more than $5 million from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize their electrical grids and prevent outages.

Tribes and rural communities can receive free help from Local First Arizona to apply for millions of additional dollars available under the law.

Don’t wait for customers to come to you, go to them … and then they’ll come. This marketing strategy paid off for #RuralAZ businesses, and their home communities, that got in on the 2022 Arizona Fall Fest action. You see, by expanding their outreach beyond their own cities and towns, local businesses’ efforts also benefit the broader community.

In partnership with the Arizona Office of Tourism, LFA organized a weekend full of unique experiences to showcase Wickenburg. From Friday, October 21 through Sunday, October 23 2022, two hosts from LFA led 10 guests through a weekend of local food, drinks, and activities unique to the area.

Just one thing. One special thing worth seeing for yourself. Worth the extra miles. Worth the time. If a rural Arizona community has just one big thing that will attract visitors, it is an economic asset to use to the fullest extent. But if you know rural Arizona, you know a community always has far more than one special something.

Iconic rock band The Eagles gave Winslow an everlasting gift with one lyric that has attracted thousands of visitors to stand on the Route 66 corner made famous by a song. This gift of music continued developing the area’s identity along the lines of the arts, which have helped strengthen the community’s character and appeal far beyond any single attraction.

As the heart of Arizona wine country, the Cottonwood area boasts local wineries as well as tasting rooms for vineyards throughout the state like Pillsbury Wine Company. Weekendzona guests enjoyed two wine tastings and a tour of the Southwest Wine Center in Clarkdale, where they learned how students run the process from growing the grapes to bottling, naming and labeling the wines each season. For a unique dinner experience, guests were invited to Blazin’ M Ranch, a Western-themed frontier town where activities include bull riding, axe-throwing and a tractor pull before a live-music stage show over a barbecue dinner served chuck wagon style.

A higher percentage of Arizonans quit their jobs in March 2022 than almost anywhere in the nation. Whether this is due to employees making big personal decisions about life changes or the fact they have an abundance of available positions in our state to choose from, it’s clear that this is a job seeker’s market.