Phoenix 03.01.2018

Katie Frederick

My first job at age sixteen was in the bakery department of a local grocery store writing “Happy Birthday” on sheet cakes. I worked at various coffee shops and bakeries throughout college. Though I was studying musical theatre, baking seemed to open many more doors in Phoenix and was just as creatively fulfilling (and luckily more consistent). Read more>>

Cassie Uhl

Zenned Out started with humble beginnings. I began beading and stamping at my kitchen table as a creative outlet. The pieces I created were resonating with people and I felt the gentle nudge that this could be the start of something much bigger than me. Read more>>

Kristin Boyd

I started making candles in 2015 as a weekend project to salvage a cabinet full of half burned candles. That fun weekend project turned into a goal to figure out how to make a better quality candle that burned evenly from the start. Read more>>

Cody Carpenter

My story begins in my early years. I was always drawn to the arts and architecture starting as early as I can remember. I have to give credit to both of my parents for giving me the building blocks I have today that have helped me bring my early life interests to reality. Read more>>

Mackenzie Collier

My mom was an interior designer, so I grew up watching her move throughout the industry as she developed her trade. She had a knack for visualizing each space’s potential and always encouraged me to challenge convention. Before going to design school, I earned my degree in child and family psychology from Michigan State (I can’t imagine working as a designer without it!). Read more>>

Angela Zancanaro

When I was little I was always creating, building or drawing something. I knew I wanted to be an artist I just always thought I would be a painter. I went to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco to study fine arts painting and drawing. Read more>>

Eileen Spitalny

In 1992, my friend since kindergarten and business partner, David, and I took his mom’s brownie recipe and decided we would bake the best brownies in the world, and create a brownie brand. We started out using a friend’s catering kitchen at night and sold our brownies at street fairs and festivals on the weekends. Read more>>

Kristopher Mocny

15yrs back, Chicago 2003, I started my 1st professional graphic design job at a small advertising agency. After interning at a large ad house, I found a niche for smaller boutique ad shops, providing more one-on-one director to designer education as well as a more intimate client communication. Read more>>

Laura Browder, Veanney Hurtado

We started “The Scookie Bar” in July of 2016! We serve build your own, deep-dish skillet cookies. Each guest gets to choose their cookie, choose their ice cream, and choose their toppings! A little insider on our name is that we met at a bar & joke that Veanney is the brown cookie and Laura is the white scoop, so the Scookie Bar is ‘where the scoop met the cookie’. Read more>>

Amber Blom

We noticed there was a lack of direction for entrepreneurs in the health and fitness industry to become successful at launching their career, whether it be in fitness modeling, as a personal trainer, coaches, etc. We started the FITposium conference in 2015 with 50 attendees and have grown it over the last few years to well over 200 attendees. Read more>>

Steve Schulze

We opened our first restaurant in 2010 with one simple mission: to reinvent the juice bar experience similar to how Starbucks reinvented the coffee experience in the early 90’s – with 100% fresh and clean juices, smoothies and bowls in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Read more>>

Elizabeth Quinn, Scott Quinn

After a few years of working for Architects, Engineers, Planners, and Builders doing the design work and site inspections Scott realized he had very little say in the end product. In 1996 Scott started as a realtor and teamed up with a Mentor that had many connections. Read more>>

DeAnna Davis

I started out costuming as a hobby, I was always overly enthusiastic about Halloween even when I was little. My mom and I would make my costumes each year and as I got older I started making my own. Right about around middle school I found out about Conventions and, inevitably about cosplay, from my older cousins after telling them I wanted to make the outfits I drew and saw in video games to wear. Read more>>

John Hazdovac

We started out in a single-car garage with a dream and a vision to help people become a better version of themselves. With a growing family of our own, my wife and I really wanted a place where people could bring their kids to while still getting in an amazing workout. Read more>>

Andrew Jemmett

I have been in real estate for 22 years and have over 3,000 clients in my data base, most renters. One day I was driving along and thought how cool it would be if my clients could actually build credit from their monthly rent payments. Read more>>

John Westberg, Uwe Boer

We started when I designed ( I am an architect) the Sonora Brewing Company in 1995. Uwe became a head brewer for the first time. I designed a pub for the next owner, and another brewery at our north central Phoenix location. At the time, 2006, the name changed to Sun Up Brewing for distribution purposes. Read more>>

Elle Murtagh

The Coronado PHX was our “unexpected child”, haha. We actually had another restaurant located in the Grand Avenue arts district in downtown Phoenix, but that place just wasn’t happening for us for a multitude of reasons. Read more>>

Patsy Elmer

Actually, it all started with a divorce. The 18 years of married life I knew of was over and I didn’t know what direction my life would now be heading. Little did I know that this was the beginning of a new and wonderful life that I could have never imagined for myself. Read more>>

Elizabeth Grace, Cesar Garcia

We’re Cesar & Elizabeth Grace Garcia, both professionally trained actors whose love of storytelling began on stage. We founded Wild Bird Studios in 2015 in an effort to bridge our love of powerful stories with the disconnect in marketing between a company’s why and the product/service they sell. Read more>>

Jason Boyer

In Dec 2011 I was fired from a corporate architecture leadership position. It was the bottom of the Phoenix market with no jobs available, much less senior leadership jobs. After contemplating many job opportunities outside of the Phoenix area, my wife and I decided to double down on our 20+ year history in Phoenix and figure out how to get back on track. Read more>>

Emily Garrison

Emily has been in healthcare for over 15 years. Opening a MedSpa is just an extension of the knowledge and caring she displays every day towards helping people on their path to optimal health. Emily is an Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency (ARRA) certified Laser Technician, Graduate of The National Laser Institute (NLI) receiving over 126 hours of hands on and classroom preparatory, protocol, procedural and Laser Safety Officer training. Read more>>

Susan Nichols

Moved to Phoenix in 1999. Was doing home decor work. Started taking a yoga class at my gym…was searching for a well made and good looking yoga bag but could not find one! I was complaining to my husband and he said “you sew, make your own bag”. Made one for me, my yoga buddy and my yoga teacher. Read more>>

Ken Gage

My name is Ken Gage, I grew up in Northern Michigan with a disability. I had a leg brace like Forest Gump and was picked on teased and even beat up on a daily basis. My older brother couldn’t always be around to protect me. I was allowed to take Martial Arts under a couple of conditions, 1) I did my leg exercises enough to get off my leg brace off and 2) I cannot have any contact in Martial Arts class. Read more>>

Anthony Perez

I previously worked at Wells Fargo for 15yrs as a Compliance Analyst. I would bring salsa to work for pot lucks and other events. My co-workers would always tell me I should jar and sell my salsa. I also entered several salsa festivals around the state and people would ask me where they could buy my salsa. Read more>>

Tiffany Crocenzi

I went to beauty school in high school to get away from the school I went to. I actually wanted to do nails, until I touched them. I figured it would be a backup career, but I fell in love with hair. When I left beauty school I was terrified of haircuts, so for 4 years I was a color specialist for TIGI and never cut hair. Read more>>

Peter Moosbrugger

20 years ago I started a company that manufactured reclaimed hardwood floors. After 9 years of doing the same thing day in and day out I decided to start start a new company manufacturing furniture. When we started we were using almost exclusively reclaimed wood from buildings that were constructed back east in the late 1800’s. Read more>>

Hannah Romberg

I’ve loved coffee since college. I was introduced to great quality beans in Texas when I waited and bartended my way through school. At the time that I moved to the Phoenix area MANY years ago (think pre-Starbucks), it was impossible to find good, freshly-roasted beans. Read more>>

Terrence Spencer

I used to always tell brief stories to my kids in play. One story I told them years ago, before I started writing in 2010, was about a bird who couldn’t fly, who wouldn’t fly. He found no interest in it or flying south for the winter. Read more>>

Sherry Finzer

I believe that music can heal. I am a Phoenix-based flutist (specializing in low flutes – alto, bass, and contrabass), performer, composer, and owner of Heart Dance Recordings – a label consisting of local, US and International artists with a focus on music to help with healing, calming, relaxing, studying and sleeping, suitable for Spa, Massage Therapy, and Yoga. Read more>>