This year’s Economic Development Week is May 4-8.
This year’s Economic Development Week is May 4-8.
To celebrate economic development organizations and initiatives in Flagstaff and Coconino County, a series of events is planned, and the community is encouraged to participate.
A coffee event is scheduled for the morning of Monday, May 4, at the Moonshot Campus Accelerator, 2201 N. Gemini Dr., where local business leaders will present and highlight resources available for the community.
Anyone curious about Moonshot is welcome to drop in.
Two events are scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, May 5. One year ago, several vacant business suites were found along Leroux Street in downtown Flagstaff. Today, every space along Leroux is either occupied or being prepared for occupation. The efforts of the Downtown Business Alliance to fill the spaces is incredible and should be recognized. Hunter Hebert, Manny Hernandez and Brooke Phillips have gone above and beyond to make this happen. To emphasize these endeavors, a walking tour down Leroux Street, downtown, is planned for that afternoon. Small groups of people will visit businesses and vendors along Leroux and hear their stories – accounts of how their business started, how they overcame challenges and how they serve their customers. Stories of that nature are always interesting for residents to hear and know.
After the walking tour, a few agenda items during the Flagstaff City Council meeting will highlight local economic development efforts, including a proclamation recognizing Economic Development Week. These initiatives reflect the strong collaboration among community partners working to support the region’s economic vitality. Partnerships between the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA), Local First Arizona, Moonshot, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Northern Arizona University and the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance help create a shared ecosystem that encourages innovation, business growth, workforce development and business attraction.
A presentation celebrating the most recent Green Business Boot Camp with Local First Arizona is scheduled in the same City Council meeting. Together, these organizations strengthen Flagstaff’s ability to support entrepreneurs, expand existing businesses and build a resilient local economy that can ensure sustainable economic development.
Other economic development activities the City of Flagstaff has helped plan included business pitches at Lowell Observatory, organized by Moonshot on April 7. Additional Arizona Tech Week events were showcased the morning of April 8 at Coconino Community College’s Lone Tree Campus, followed by highlights from the Northern Arizona University College of Engineering at the Du Bois Center that same afternoon. Students, entrepreneurs, businesses, community members and interested residents were all invited to attend and participate in the events. FBN
By Jeff McCormick
Jeff McCormick is the economic development manager for the City of Flagstaff.
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