This newsletter is in partnership with AI Salon, our 2026 AI Advocacy Partner.

We are officially days away from the first-ever Arizona Tech Week and you can feel the shift in the community. The Phoenix Biz Journal article yesterday covered success stories from companies like Privv and Cognite who made hires at the last Tech Talent Summit. We can’t see the outcomes that come from next week!

What started as months of planning is now turning into real activation across the ecosystem. The rooms are filling, the energy is building, and the momentum is undeniable.

We’re about to cross 600+ RSVPs for the Tech Talent Summit + Startup Pavilion…

We’ve got:

Founders. Aspiring entrepreneurs. Engineers. People leaders. Job seekers. Investors.

Real diversity of thought. Real accessibility. Real opportunity to connect.

I get this question a lot — so here’s my honest take:

Yes, we’d love to have you there all day… after all, it is a summit 😉

But if you’re optimizing for your goals, here’s how I’d approach it:

🛠 Engineers / Builders

📈 Marketers / Growth Leaders

🔍 Job Seekers

💸 Investors / Capital Partners

There’s something for everyone you just need to plug into the right moments.

Thanks GoDaddy!

Inside the pavilion we’re bringing together some of the fastest-growing startups and companies in Arizona. Corporations and startups are welcome to exhibit, only a few tables are left. Listen to the Power Pitch Hour at Player15 Group from 11:30-12:30, along with a fireside chat with Glenn Lurie, GP Stormbreaker VC.

…and 50+ companies.

If you’re hiring grab a table before they get sold out!

If you're an investor or experienced operator interested in joining the Investor Lounge & Opt into 1:1s to meet these companies, RSVP.

The biggest unlock? The companies hiring are in the room.

From early-stage startups to scaling teams, we’re seeing a strong mix of leadership, technical, and early-career opportunities across the Summit:

🔹 Leadership & Specialized
CFO (Fractional), VP of Sales (Industrial Markets), Marketing Director, AI Systems Architect, Founding Engineers, and founding product/design roles.

🔹 Technical & Product
Senior Software Engineers (APIs & Developer Experience), Technical Product Owners, AI Developers, and UX Designers.

🔹 Advisory & Strategic
Advisory board roles across industrial decarbonization, ESG, healthcare, and technical leadership.

🔹 Internships & Early Career
Marketing, AI, product, design, customer success, and business ops internships — including cutting-edge roles like AI-driven protein design.

Explore 300+ open roles across the ecosystem.

👉 Explore recent funding rounds:

And at the Summit, this comes to life.

But first, who is AI Salon?

AI Salon is a global community of over 3,000 AI optimists dedicated to exploring AI. In addition to building an educational community on AI, AI Salon advocates for thoughtful, inclusive public policy that balances protecting innovation and consumers. 

What are legislators saying about AI today?

Legislators are hearing from their constituents that AI is coming for their jobs and that we should outright ban its use to protect consumers. They are also hearing about the incredible opportunities AI presents and the need to protect innovation. These varying perspectives have left legislators feeling that they must do something. 

Currently, there is no national guidance dictating how we regulate AI, but just last week, the Trump administration released its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence. This framework calls on Congress to fund AI skills education, reduce barriers to innovation, and protect children from harmful content.

Why does this matter to Arizona startups? 

This framework was announced amid many states, including Arizona, introducing 600+ bills in 2026. Many of these bills would regulate how models are developed and establish penalties on companies for how their models are used by others. The administration’s framework proposes a national playbook of AI rules to avoid a patchwork of state laws. A national framework is critical to minimizing the burden on small businesses and to protecting innovation. 

What can I do? 

To ensure lawmakers get this right, startups must be at the table. Your voice is important, so stay tuned to this corner for ways to get involved. We encourage you to follow AI Salon on LinkedIn.See you next week!

Thanks to thought leadership from Kathy Orellana, SVP Public Affairs, Darryl Keeton, Sensagrate, Sami Mian, VensureHR.

What we’ll cover:

This is one of those sessions that quietly matters a lot.

Arizona Tech Week continues to grow with events happening across the ecosystem.

If you’re building, investing, hiring, or exploring — this is the week to show up.

Explore the AZTW full master event list → Page

With gratitude,

Your friends at Freeway PHX ❤️

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