The Performance Economy Is Here
There’s a shift happening right now not just in technology, but in how we work, lead, hire, and create value in the age of AI.
As we move into Summer here in the desert, some are traveling, some are spending more time with family, and others are quietly building behind the scenes. What I keep coming back to is this: we’re entering what I believe is the Performance Economy.
A season where performance matters more than perception.
Where elite teams matter more than inflated headlines.
Where adaptability, emotional intelligence, speed, and execution become the real differentiators.
And that’s exactly where Freeway 2.0 is headed.
As we move into our third year, I wanted to take a moment to thank the 5,000+ subscribers who are part of this growing community and briefly reintroduce myself to many of the new faces here.
Three years ago, after helping scale a venture-backed company through a Series B, I found myself pushed out of the startup I helped build. It forced me into one of the hardest rebuilding seasons of my life personally and professionally.
What came out of that season was clarity.
Over the last few years, I rebuilt through relationships, ecosystem work, storytelling, advising founders, and creating spaces where people could collide in meaningful ways. That journey has evolved into what I now see as a portfolio career one that reflects where the future of work is heading for many of us.
Recently, I joined Tesoro VC as Venture Partner, Ecosystem & Programs, supporting a firm focused on AI, semiconductors, and next-generation of the physical intelligence economy. This summer, I’ll also be representing Tesoro across Europe at London Tech Week, meetings in the Netherlands, and VivaTech in Paris.
And yes — I’m absolutely still building Freeway.
Because Freeway was never meant to be one event or one company. It was always about connecting the dots IRL between talent, capital, and community.
And right now, Phoenix is accelerating.
We’re seeing startups land major customers, venture funds enter the market, funding rounds close, and high-quality talent becoming more connected than ever before.
The momentum is real.
As we move into this next chapter, our newsletter cadence will shift to monthly during the summer while we spend more time heads down building Freeway 2.0, including our career intelligence MVP.
As Freeway evolves, our focus stays the same: helping ambitious people get closer to what’s next.
We’ll be opening beta subscriber sign-ups soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Talent: Who’s Hiring in Phoenix
Source: Job Board in partnership with PhxFWD.
Startup-Ready Talent
Our first Startup-Ready Bootcamp cohort kicks off today, welcoming 10 job seekers pursuing roles across sales, engineering, and marketing through an intensive 15-day, in person program designed to prepare them for startup environments.
We’re incredibly grateful for the support from our community — from guest speakers to founders, operators, and thought leaders helping shape the curriculum and share real-world insight.
If you’d like to be considered for the next cohort, sign up here.
Startup Spotlight # 1
Equipifi is a fast growing, early-stage SaaS fintech building the credit infrastructure for modern banking. We make Buy Now, Pay Later a native banking product by powering financial institutions with flexible financing solutions embedded within their digital banking experience.
Roles:
Startup Spotlight # 2
JPGlobal
JP Global, is a leading software development company delivering innovative solutions through three specialized product brands.
Roles:
Have a role that you’d like amplified? Reply to this email.
Capital: Arizona Funding Activity
Source: Startup Ecosystem Dashboard
Arizona Capital Momentum Continues
Most recently, two Arizona-connected companies announced major funding rounds totaling $55M in capital, reinforcing the momentum happening across fintech, healthcare infrastructure, AI, and enterprise technology.
equipifi announced a $34M Series B round to continue scaling its fintech infrastructure platform for banks and credit unions, with participation from Arizona investor Phx Ventures.
Meanwhile, healthcare operations platform Basata announced a $21M Series A to help rebuild what it calls the “$1T operational layer of American healthcare,” also backed in part by Phx Ventures.
Arizona founders are increasingly attracting institutional capital while building with discipline, operational focus, and long-term thinking. And equally important, Arizona investors are continuing to strengthen the local capital stack.
Explore more recent Arizona funding activity here:
Freeway Ecosystem Dashboard
Supported by: City of Phoenix, City of Tempe, City of Mesa
Save the Date — Tech Talent Summit November 6
As we move into summer, the ecosystem naturally slows down a bit on the events front but behind the scenes, a lot is already in motion.
We’re officially building toward the 6th Freeway Tech Talent Summit happening November 6, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. Save the date.
We are already stacking the bench with thought leaders passionate about “How Elite Teams Build, Hire, Win in the Age of AI.”
What’s become increasingly clear to us is that none of this happens alone. The growth of this ecosystem has been powered by people and organizations willing to invest in community, collaboration, and long-term momentum.
We recently put together a short partner appreciation video highlighting some of the organizations helping support and shape Arizona’s tech community — and we’re incredibly grateful for every company, city, founder, investor, and operator that continues to lean in.
If your organization is interested in partnering on the next summit or supporting the future of Arizona tech, simply reply to this email. We’d love to build together.
Want to partner with Freeway? Lets chat.
Closing thoughts
I think what’s becoming increasingly clear to me is that we’re entering a very different era of work, leadership, and community.
The people and companies that are going to thrive over the next decade won’t necessarily be the loudest. They’ll be the most adaptable. The most emotionally intelligent. The most resilient. The ones who know how to build real relationships, move quickly, and execute consistently.
That’s a big part of why I believe so deeply in what’s happening here in Arizona right now.
Not because we’re trying to become Silicon Valley.
But because there’s a real culture forming here around accessibility, collaboration, and people genuinely wanting to help each other win.
And as AI reshapes the future of work, I think human connection, trust, leadership, and community become even more important not less.
That’s where my head is right now.
And that’s what we’re building toward with Freeway 2.0.
Have a great summer!
With gratitude,
Your friends at Freeway PHX ❤️
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