SIGN IN
Idea Funding Recognizes Resilience and Innovation in the Tucson Community
Idea Funding Recognizes Resilience and Innovation in the Tucson Community
By Keneshia Raymond & The Startup Tucson Team
Anyone who has visited Tucson knows that Tucson is a big city that acts like a small town. Despite having a population of almost 1 million people in the Greater Tucson Metropolitan Area, Tucson is generally composed of small businesses. While Big Business such as Walmart, Amazon, and Mcdonald’s thrived during the Covid-19 Pandemic, small businesses suffered, with many being forced to shut down operations.
Faced with the threat of collapse, Tucson businesses flexed their creativity and innovation to pivot their business models to adapt.
Such businesses inspired this year’s theme of “Resiliency” at IdeaFunding, Southern Arizona’s largest entrepreneurial conference and pitch competition. IdeaFunding is an annual event hosted by Startup Tucson, in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, that has brought together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders for 24 years.
In 2021, for the first time ever, Startup Tucson launched the IdeaFunding Community Resiliency Awards. The Community Resiliency Awards recognized exceptional innovation, grit, creativity, and impact in the face of extraordinary challenges that have been displayed by Tucson’s small businesses. The community was invited to nominate small businesses and small business leaders they believed showed such qualities during the pandemic.
From the 12 semi-finalists nominated by the community, five winners were selected. Each winner received $1,500 cash and a free staycation kindly offered by the award sponsors; Hotel Mccoy, Nextrio, BeachFleichman, Mister, and Holualoa.
The semi-finalists were separated into two categories-Brick & Mortar and Creative & Artisans. Brick and Mortar included hospitality, restaurants, and any other small business with a physical location. Creative & Artisans included small businesses that focus on primarily e-commerce or in-vivo sales of handmade products or creative products such as music, visual arts, craft, etc. While both of these groups suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, their journeys and solutions were different.
The Community Resiliency Awards where comprised of the following awards;
- Bright Eyed Visionary Leadership: This award was to recognize leaders who have gone above and beyond to maintain and support their staff. This award can also recognize business leaders who have tackled the grand challenges of the Covid-19 Pandemic with insight, wisdom, and creativity.
- Behind the Scenes Heroes: This award recognizes the “2nd in Command” employees who have stepped up to the plate in ways that are not always visible. This can also include acts of courage, kindness, and creativity that might not have been visible to all.
- Innovative Engine. This is an award that doesn’t quite fit into either of the award types.
Creative & Artisans
Innovation Engine: La Luna Coyote
After losing her job from the pandemic, Ana unleashed her creative side, building art in her home anywhere she could find space. Ana specializes in mixed media home decor and jewelry. Ana’s art is inspired by the Sonoran Desert and can be found on her website.
Sponsored by Tucson Media Studio
Innovation Engine: True Concord Voice & Orchestra
Rather than cancelling or postponing the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic, True Concord Voice & Orchestra was one of the first performing arts organizations to incorporate the NBA-inspired “bubble” concept. During the “bubble” project, artists rehearsed, performed, and recorded a total of six unique concert programs which were offered to patrons in the form of live, outdoor performances and online video concerts recorded in high-quality, multi-camera productions.
Visionary Leader: Ashley La Russa
When Covid-19 disseminated the live events industry, Ashley made a rapid pivot and started the community organization, Blax Friday. Blax Friday spotlights Black-0wned businesses with the goal of representation and economic empowerment in the Arizona community.
BRICK & MORTAR:
Visionary Leader: Boss Women Unite
After experiencing the struggle of being a woman business owner, Tiffany, the founder of Love in a Cup, created the community organization, Boss Women Unite. Boss Women Unite empowers female entrepreneurs by building a strong network of female entrepreneurs that help support one another reach their goals.
Innovation Engine: This-and-That Creative
During the Covid-19 pandemic, This-and-That Creative showed the true meaning of community. Upon encountering barriers that could lead small businesses to close, This-and-That instead found innovative ways to give back to the community through mask making, to-go kits, and summer childcare for frontline workers.
————–
The runners-up, highlighted below, also received a staycation from Hotel McCoy and was recognized for this incredible resilience during a challenging year.
Innovation Engine: Danny Martin
Danny Martin is a celebrated artist in Tucson whose work can be seen on 234 E. 6th St. During the pandemic, Danny sketched key moments from 2020 and made them into a limited-edition sketchbook. The sketchbook will be a fascinating time capsule of the year 2020.
Innovation Engine: Esteban Osuna
Esteban is a talented local fashion designer who draws inspiration from the beauty of the Southwest. Esteban’s clothing line beautifully blends the elements of the desert with a modern look. Esteban’s clothing line is rapidly evolving and will surely bring Tucson to Milan.
Visionary Leader: Fabiola Bedoya
Fabiola is a local artist who is working on building a magazine to help unite the BIPOC community and its supporters by collectively showcasing BIPOC artists and small businesses. The magazine will provide a platform to create awareness and help the conversation to narrow the gap of representation.
Behind the Scenes Hero: Juan Carlos
Juan, a Pima Community College student, has been known as a local hero. Juan understands the importance of appearance, not just in terms of being able to have a job but also for self-esteem. In his spare time, Juan provides free haircuts to the homeless.
Innovation Engine: The Loft Cinema
Ever since the pandemic shut down movie theaters nationwide, the Loft has implemented one creative idea after another to keep the community theater alive.
Innovation Engine: Floor Polish
Known as places of superspreader events, gyms and fitness centers bore the brunt of the economic calamity caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic. Floor Polish is a local fitness and dance studio that used technology to adapt to the pandemic by live-streaming fitness classes to protect the health and safety of staff and patrons.
Behind the Scenes Hero: Lynette Lopez
One may think by the amount of hats Lynette wears she was a fashion designer rather than the Assistant General Manager at the Hotel McCoy. Lynette has been at the Hotel McCoy on the front lines 5 days a week, managing staff, customers, and operations. Lynette has covered every department in the hotel while keeping an incredible and positive attitude.
For decades, we have been living in a relatively stable and predictable world. From a global pandemic to climate change, the world we know has been disrupting the lives we have become so accustomed to. We must look at the IdeaFunding semi-finalists for inspiration and learn from their lessons to prepare ourselves and businesses for a world that we no longer know. Startup Tucson has just launched the SPRINT Challenge to assist entrepreneurs digitize their business to promote resiliency. Startup Tucson will assist businesses in pivoting their existing business models with a three-pronged approach, which will include developing and implementing: technical-assistance and skills training within the areas of e-commerce and productization, a digital Commercialization Mentor Network, and a physical Media and Product Design Lab that features 3-D and vinyl printers. Learn more about the SPRINT Challenge and Startup Tucson at www.startuptucson.com.