Having Mayor Kate Gallego City of Phoenix, Sandra Watson President & CEO of Arizona Commerce Authority and John Schufeldt General Partner of Xcellerant Ventures kick off the Opening Remarks was really special.

John brought it back to something real:

This is about the people in the arena.

The ones building in uncertainty.
The ones showing up anyway.

And one idea really cut through:

“Moments like this do not stay open forever.”

He reminded us that Arizona is in a rare window where talent, capital, and leadership are aligning.

The opportunity is here.

But alignment like this is not permanent.

The question isn’t whether it exists.

It’s whether we act on it.

Because talent isn’t adjacent to growth.

It is the engine.

And if we move now we don’t just participate in what’s happening.

We help define it.

This edition is made possible by GoDaddy, GoDaddy, the world's largest domain name registrar, helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company's AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales.

Another standout moment from the day was hearing from Aman Verjee, Founder & General Partner of Practical Venture Capital.

With 20+ years across PayPal, eBay, Sonos, and 500 Startups, Aman has operated through multiple market cycles.

His message was clear, we’re in a different kind of market right now.

Capital is more disciplined.
Timelines are longer.
And fundamentals matter more than ever.

Aman writes about 4 Key Themes:

Historical Analysis - Detailed examination of major bubbles from the South Sea Bubble to the 2008 financial crisis.

Market Psychology - Understanding the behavioral economics and cognitive biases that fuel speculative frenzies.

Regulatory Response - How governments and institutions have attempted to prevent and manage financial crises.

Modern Applications - Lessons for today's investors navigating cryptocurrency, tech stocks, and emerging markets.

👉 Pre-order now: https://www.bigbubbletrouble.com/

Job Seekers: We are rolling out a Pilot for a Startup Ready Certification Starting May 6th. Complete this form to apply.

Employers: Opt into our Talent Referral Network, get access to community referred, startup ready candidates.

Company Sponsors/Partners: Get ready to activate again this November. Schedule a 1:1 to learn more.

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