Luis Ramirez, president of Ramirez Advisors Inter-National, is an advisor to the Arizona-Mexico Commission. Ramirez has served with the Arizona-Mexico Commission in some capacity for more than 30 years, dedicated to creating cross-border solutions and strengthening ties within the Arizona-Sonora region.

Question: How did you get involved with the Arizona-Mexico Commission?
Answer: I was a student at the University of Arizona, back in 1986, and the Arizona-Mexico Commission at the time was looking for, I鈥檓 trying to remember what the committee was, I think it was the economic development committee, was looking for some information and some updates on the status of the maquiladora industry in Nogales. So at the University of Arizona, with then director Marcario Saldate and Bill Borland, we created University research associates. It was a group of students at the UA commissioned to conduct a number of empirical studies, like literally going down to Nogales, conducting surveys and reporting back to the Commission and the governor. So I started with the Commission in 1986/87 as a student, providing information through the UA back to the AMC.听

Q: How would you say working with the AMC has developed the Arizona-Mexico relationship?
A: I think the AMC has been tremendously influential both with me personally and professionally. I should say that I started out as a student, I eventually became a member of the board of directors, became the head of a strategic planning for the AMC. I eventually stepped off of the board and became an advisor to the Arizona-Mexico Commission to the office of the governor. But even back when I was on the board, we did a number of initiatives through the Arizona-Mexico Commission that have had a tremendous impact, not just at that moment but continue to have an impact on the Arizona-Mexico relationship and the Arizona-Mexico region. We fought against certain initiatives, we fought for others and supported other initiatives. For instance, we were involved in, I think it was 1994, the State Department announced certain budget cutbacks that threaten the closing of the U.S. consulate in Hermosillo. So we fought against that, but not only were we successful in maintaining the consulate, but because of those efforts the new consulate was opened up in Nogales. Eventually that consulate has become a consulate general, so we have two consulate generals in Sonora and it is the only state in Mexico that has two consulates. Considering that there are only 9 consulates plus the embassy in the entire country and two of those principal consulate generals are in Sonora, much of that is due to the Arizona-Mexico Commission. I think part of the trick is that it鈥檚 not the AMC by itself but the fact it becomes a leader driving initiatives that require the involvement of hundreds of people in many instances at the local level, at the border, on the Mexican side and even beyond.

Q: How has the AMC developed over the years?
A: It鈥檚 an incredible institution because it has morphed with the times. At times it was more just a relationship building, which was essential. When you think about 60 year history, you have to think back to how international relations were considered back then. International relationships didn鈥檛 exist, NAFTA didn鈥檛 exist, trade agreements didn鈥檛 exist, imports and exports were not a major deal. The AMC was then in the process of building that relationship between Arizona and Sonora, primarily in the beginning. But I think the AMC has now morphed and it鈥檚 different in size depending on the issues and the political, economic and social environment at the time over these decades. But today it is one of the principal business, economic development, investment promotion [organizations] in addition to the relationship building that is required for Arizona to maintain a very strong relationship with Mexico. Even more so, while our principal partner in this is Sonora, the AMC is really more about a gateway institution for all of Mexico. Because of the NAFTA agreement and the USMCA, which usmcanow.org is making sure everyone is pushing for ratification, we are also finding the linkages of the relationship with Canada. So you have Canadian companies that are investing in Arizona are tapping into the Mexican market and using Arizona as the reach out for all of North America. AMC has been the principal vehicle in conveying that, and enabling that to happen for companies, for communities, promote tourism, promote manufacturing, promote investment, and some of the more traditional business sectors in our binational region, which are the agribusiness, international logistics, all those issues, AMC facilitates that process.

Q: Why is the USMCA important to Arizona?
A: The easiest way to understand the [importance of] USMCA is the relationship that Arizona has with Mexico and Canada and the trade relationship. There are approximately 228,000 jobs in Arizona that are dependent on a trade relationship. But beyond that we have thousands and thousands of tourists that are coming from Canada and all over Mexico to Arizona. And more and more we see the Arizona tourism going to Mexico and Canada, so it truly is a two way relationship. We were talking with a Calgary-based law firm that has season tickets to the Arizona Cardinals here in Glendale and they give their tickets to their clients in Alberta to come watch Cardinals games in Arizona. I found that fascinating, that kind of activity, and we don鈥檛 even know these things are happening. So the relationship between Arizona and our neighbors to the North and South has truly evolved. More importantly perhaps is how Arizona has really emerged under the leadership of Governor Ducey to become this true ambassador of this U.S.-Mexico relationship. It鈥檚 his vision, it鈥檚 his energy and the direction that he鈥檚 given to all the agencies and it鈥檚 contagious. It鈥檚 not just what he鈥檚 doing but he鈥檚 bringing all these people with him, all these businesses along with him, and Arizona continues to be the model of how to build that relationship with Mexico.

Q: What would you say is a recent accomplishment that AMC should feel proud of?
A: I already mentioned the consulates, which I think we鈥檙e underestimating the value that has and the significance it has for the entire region. But the Arizona-Mexico Commission has been involved in promoting our border infrastructure from creating back in 2011 鈥淰ision 2015,鈥� that by 2015 we more than double our three port capacity, our port of entries, and we finished that about a year and a half early. We continue to build the relationship with other states in Mexico. We鈥檙e building our relationship with other parts of Mexico, with Sinaloa, Baja, California, Chihuahua, Mexico City. We鈥檝e conducted a number of trade missions to Mexico City and Estado de Mexico and the city of Toluca. The accomplishments are so many, on education, on culture, on agribusinesses. The timing couldn鈥檛 have been more perfect, on November of last year we had the Summit in Hermosillo and from there Governor Ducey and a very small delegation flew to Mexico City for the inauguration of President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador. Governor Ducey and Governor Pavlovich just signed a bilateral agreement to help the flow of cattle and the inspection process the cattle has to go through at the Arizona-Sonora border in order for the cattle to go back and forth depending on the size of cattle, if they go for feed or if they go for sale. We land in Mexico City and meet with then the formerly designated ambassador of Mexico to the United States, turns out her brother lives in Tucson and he鈥檚 in the cattle business and he takes cattle across the border. You couldn鈥檛 have planned this any better, literally 24 hours before the two governors signed an agreement to help facilitate the flow of cattle. And by the way, cattle is one of the most important sectors of agribusiness in the Arizona-Sonora region. The next day we鈥檙e telling the Mexican federal government of this accomplishment that happened at the state level. The ambassador takes that and goes, 鈥淲ow, this is exactly the type of thing we鈥檙e looking to expand on not only in Arizona-Sonora but border-wide. That鈥檚 just another one of the accomplishments, and there are so many, but that one just sticks out in my mind because it was literally 24 hours later it was having a binational difference.

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, CEO of Arizona Public Service and chairman, president, and CEO of Pinnacle West, will be retiring in November, the company announced Wednesday. Brandt served 16 years with the electric utility holding company, which serves 2.7 million people in the state.

鈥淥ur employees, customers and shareholders have greatly benefited from Don鈥檚 remarkable leadership and his strong and steady hand. His impact extends beyond APS,鈥� Kathy Munro, lead director of the Pinnacle West board, said in a . 鈥淒on is recognized nationally for his work in the nuclear industry, leadership in solar energy, and commitment to first responders and veterans. He is personally dedicated to making our communities better places to live and work, and his direct involvement in tackling some of the state鈥檚 biggest challenges is a tribute to Don鈥檚 character.鈥�

The Pinnacle West Board of Directors announced that current APS president Jeff Guldner will join the board effective immediately and will fill Brandt鈥檚 capacities with the company starting Nov. 15, 2019.

Guldner joined APS in 2004 and has served as executive vice president of public policy, general counsel and responsible for customer service.

鈥淚 have total confidence that Jeff Guldner and his team will successfully navigate what will be a dynamic and new energy environment for APS and Arizona,鈥� Brandt said. 鈥淭his team is prepared to succeed for our customers and shareholders.鈥�

Guldner looks to focus on .

鈥淲ithout question, we face a rapidly changing energy future,鈥� Guldner commented. 鈥淲e remain dedicated to our communities, customers and employees as we provide clean, reliable and affordable energy to our growing state. These core priorities will continue to shape the way we manage our business going forward.鈥�

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It鈥檚 never too early to plan next summer鈥檚 vacation. American Airlines recently announced new services to connect travelers across the globe starting in June 2020. A new service to Tel Aviv, Israel will be available from Dallas-Fort Worth. Additionally, American is embarking on a new journey to Africa, offering flights from Philadelphia International Airport to Casa Blanca, Morocco, the only U.S. carrier to provide nonstop service to this location.听

鈥淥ur customers and team members have been asking when we鈥檙e going to start service to Africa, and I couldn鈥檛 be more pleased to make this announcement for service beginning in 2020,鈥� , American Airlines Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning.听

Chicago is getting new routes from the airline to Cracow, Poland, Budapest, Hungary and Prague, Czech Republic. American will be the only airline to provide services to these locations from O’Hare International Airport.

鈥淭here鈥檚 strong local demand to Eastern Europe in Chicago, and it鈥檚 important that we provide more service for our customers to visit family and friends or explore a new part of the world,鈥� said Raja.

Although the new routes do not include nonstop flights from Phoenix, the desert hub plays a crucial role for American Airlines.

鈥淧hoenix continues to play a vital role in American Airlines鈥� global network,鈥� American Airlines spokesman Curtis Blessing said. 鈥淚n recent months, we have added 11 new routes from the hub.鈥�

The new international routes that American Airlines added earlier this year include a nonstop flight to , England and , Mexico.听

鈥淭he Valley of the Sun is a growing destination for business and leisure travel, which allows us to find increasing opportunities to grow and strengthen our presence at the hub,鈥� Blessing said.听

The airline began its first service to Phoenix in 1930. It is Phoenix Sky Harbor鈥檚 largest airline, flying approximately 20 million passengers a year through the airport.听

Currently, Sky Harbor has .

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

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The U.S. 91果冻传媒 of Commerce held a press conference yesterday to urge Congress to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement swiftly. Representatives from the retail, food, automotive and agriculture industries joined the chamber in stating the importance of the USMCA.

Recently, the U.S. 91果冻传媒 of Commerce spearheaded a听 to Congress signed by more than 600 businesses and organizations across the nation.

鈥淒o you know how hard it was to get 600 organizations to sign on?鈥� Tom Donahue, president of the U.S. 91果冻传媒 of Commerce, asked during the press conference. 鈥淰ery easy. It was done very quickly. We could keep adding to it but we felt that this was fairly representative. That鈥檚 because the support for the USMCA across the business community is wide and deep and the coalition that was assembled here today is the case in point.鈥�

According to the letter, 12 million jobs in the United States rely on trade with Canada and Mexico. Manufacturers export more goods to the two countries than they do with the next 11 largest export markets combined.

In a recent听 by the Arizona 91果冻传媒 Foundation and the Arizona-Mexico Commission, between 2015-2017 Arizona exported $10.5 billion annually to Canada and Mexico, and more than 228,000 jobs in Arizona are dependent on the annual trade and investment relationship with our border neighbors. In that same time frame, Arizona ports of entry (POEs) processed an average of 400,000 northbound trucks coming in from Mexico and nearly $28 billion in trade.

鈥淔rom avocado to asparagus to auto parts to blue jeans to discretionary spending, retailers and the 42 million Americans that they employ rely on the certainty of our relationship with our most important trade partners in Canada and Mexico to make that commerce happen and to make it happen effectively,鈥� president and CEO of the National Retail Federation Matthew Shay said.

Trade is a key component for job growth in any industry. President and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association John Bode emphasized that the food and agriculture industry feeds the economy by providing nearly 20 percent of America鈥檚 economic activity.

鈥淩oughly under NAFTA, U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico have quadrupled. While exports of agricultural commodities are important, that is just part of the story. NAFTA also grew value [to] agricultural exports which is why 1 in 4 American manufacturing jobs is agriculturally-related. The need for USMCA has unified American food and agriculture,鈥� Bode said.

For many Americans, it鈥檚 hard to see how a trade agreement can impact their daily lives, CEO of the Food Marketing Institute Leslie Sarasin said. However, she stated that the effects are felt and seen in reliable food supply.

鈥淭he USMCA takes a very good trade agreement and makes it better by bringing it into the 21st century,鈥� Sarasin said. 鈥淚t maintains and secures its existing supply chains resulting in continued growth in U.S. food and beverage exports and most importantly it strengthens our food safety efforts.鈥�

The agreement contains labor provisions, which Matt Blunt, former governor of Missouri and president of the American Automotive Policy Council, said are the cream of the crop when it comes to trade deals.

鈥淭he provisions of the automobiles being built to the U.S. safety standards and provisions related to currency are some of the best of any U.S. trade agreement,鈥� Blunt said. 鈥淲e export more cars and parts from the United States than any other country and we have no more important trading partners than Canada and Mexico.鈥�

Donahue stressed that this agreement is supported by businesses across the board and must be passed in order to keep the economy afloat.

鈥淗ere鈥檚 the bottom line 鈥� you can’t be pro-business and anti-USMCA. You can’t be pro-jobs and anti-USMCA. Remember what鈥檚 at stake, trade with Canada and Mexico supports 12 million U.S. jobs are at risk if we fail to act,鈥� he said.

Photo by Martin Falbisoner via

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On July 20th, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon 颅鈥� a story known to most Americans. However, looking at the framework of the Apollo 11 mission, Arizona has a greater tie to the moon landing that many do not know. 鈥淭he U of A was so integral in helping make [the moon landing] happen,鈥� Dr. Robert Robbins, president听of the University of Arizona, said.

Astronomer Gerard Kuiper came to the University of Arizona from the University of Chicago and founded the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) in 1960, two years after NASA was launched. Three years later, Kuiper鈥檚 team of students and other researchers created a detailed lunar map.听

鈥�NASA contracted with the University of Arizona to map out the ideal landing site for the first landing on the moon, and the reason they came here was because we had the telescopes and we had the cameras to be able to do the job,鈥� Robbins said.听

Fifty years later, the University of Arizona and NASA continue to partner on space exploration, making the Tucson university a leader in the industry. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been fortunate to be a part of every NASA [planetary] project that鈥檚 ever been done,鈥� Robbins remarked.听

OSIRIS-REx, a seven-year quest to retrieve part of an asteroid and bring it back to earth, is one of the university鈥檚 latest projects. 鈥�OSIRIS-REx is run out of LPL, and that is really unusual that NASA would allow a university the responsibility to run a mission,鈥� Robbins said.

According to Robbins, the mission鈥檚 spacecraft is currently in gravitational orbit with the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft has taken images of the surface to help determine where to land and take a sample from. The university chose this specific asteroid due to its favorable proximity to the Sun, its supply of carbon and that it has not changed much in 4.5 billion years. The sample will allow scientists to discover what resources were available that long ago and more insights into the origins of the universe.

Bennu, however, is not the only asteroid the Wildcat Nation is working on. More than a decade ago, the U.S. Congress mandated a goal to identify all potentially hazardous near Earth objects (NEOs) that are bigger than 140 meters. The university has once again partnered with NASA to come up with a solution: NEOCam. This project would result in an infrared telescope that would look for these objects and trace them to ensure they will not harm Earth.听

鈥淎s we map these objects, whether they be natural or human launched into space, it’s going to be important for somebody to keep track and catalog those things and I think the University of Arizona has an obligation and an opportunity to do that because we’re blessed with so much talent,鈥� Robbins said. 鈥淚f you look at our strategic plan [NEOCam] is probably the number one priority for us as a university on the research side. Because it is in our wheelhouse we think that it鈥檚 achievable.鈥�

The university Amy Mainzer, one of the world鈥檚 leading researchers of asteroids, to join LPL as principal investigator for NEOCam. Mainzer is also the principal investigator for NEOWISE, a space telescope to help characterize asteroids and comets by size and composition.

Though these projects have years left, the university is always looking toward more space exploration. Commercialization of mining asteroids for precious metals, new moon missions and human health of people who fly in micro-gravity are all projects that Robbins could foresee in the future for the university.

Robbins emphasized that in order to make these projects possible, it is important that the students of today become educated and well-prepared to take on the research of tomorrow.

鈥淭he ability to train the next generation of explorers to discover new knowledge that might help us understand the origins of the universe, all those things are very important for the University and for the world,鈥� Robbins said. 鈥淚 think because we’re discovering new knowledge and translating in many cases that new knowledge into commercialized products that will help society be better.鈥�

Photo courtesy of the University of Arizona

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Photo courtesy of Runway to Success

Gateway Community College is celebrating its 50-year anniversary and throwing the party of the half century. For the 4th year, the school will put on Runway to Success, a night to highlight exceptional students and hear their stories as they walk the runway in attire representing their future careers.

鈥淎 lot of us go to many different galas and hear a lot of speakers and we thought we needed to do something different,鈥� Development Officer at Gateway Ann Blatt茅 said. 鈥淲e thought, 鈥楬ow cool would it be just to bring them out wearing what they want to be when they graduate and just present their stories in a different way.鈥� And that鈥檚 kind of how it started.鈥�

Attendees will enjoy dinner, a fashion show by local fashion celebrity Robert Black, and of course the main event sharing 12 students鈥� stories as they walk down the runway.

Due to an abundance of applications in previous years, this year students were nominated by faculty and staff. Those nominated were honored as exemplary ambassadors for the school with important stories to tell.

For example, 26-year-old Frida Leon who hopes to one day become a physical therapist assistant. 鈥淚 would like to offer some help to poor countries that might benefit from physical therapy services that can鈥檛 afford it. It would be a dream; I hope it comes true one day,鈥� Leon said.

But Leon didn鈥檛 have an easy pathway to Gateway. She is a DACA student and victim of domestic violence, a life which lead her to moving homes, all while juggling a full-time job. But that didn鈥檛 stop her from pursuing her education.

鈥淚 think they saw in me that I was interested even though I was struggling with managing a full-time job among these issues. I asked for help with additional notes or anything that could help me so I could remain in the program,鈥� she said.

Leon hopes that when people see her walking down the runway and hear her story, they will feel motivated. 鈥淚 feel like it can be a way to motivate other students and if they are struggling in whatever program they鈥檙e in, they [know they] can continue, there is help out there,鈥� Leon said.

Guests will also meet Amy Ross, a 49-year old student who strives to be a substance abuse counselor who never had the confidence to step through the doors of a college until last year. 鈥淚 just walked onto [Gateway} because I wanted to see how it was, what the people were like there, and I found it to be like a small community. Like a little family in itself, I felt comfortable there,鈥� Ross said.

Ross was a drug addict for 22 years. 鈥淚 started using at a very young age, I was 12 and I started using with my parents actually. At 15 I wandered out on my own, started heavier drugs, and at age 16 I had a child, another child at 22, and within it I was an addict.鈥�

Today, Ross has been clean for 14 years.

鈥淏ecoming a substance abuse counselor, I鈥檓 not looking at is as a career, even though it is, it鈥檚 my passion. I want to help somebody like somebody helped me. I want to help be a part of [ending] this horrible epidemic,鈥� Ross said.

Being able to be a role model and represent those like her at Runway to Success is important to Ross. 鈥淭his is a big thing for me, it鈥檚 something where I鈥檓 finally stepping out and people are going to hear my story and see where I鈥檓 at and where I鈥檝e been,鈥� she said.

The event will be held this Friday, April 26th from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Clayton House.

鈥淚t really is a fun event. It鈥檚 fast-moving, there鈥檚 a lot to see and do and absorb, a great way to spend a Friday,鈥� Blatt茅 said.
To purchase tickets to Runway to Success, click .

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The U.S.-Mexico border in recent months has seen a rapid surge in the number of migrants from Central America crossing into the U.S. at and between official ports of entry seeking asylum in the U.S.

While President Trump has backed off earlier threats to close the entire border with Mexico, the administration is still taking steps to deal with the spike in crossings.

In an effort to support Border Patrol鈥檚 processing of the migrant surge, the Department of Homeland Security has redeployed hundreds of The personnel shift has resulted in lane closures and reductions in operations at ports along the U.S.-Mexico border, causing longer wait times for commercial trucks, vehicles and pedestrians.

To further examine the border closure threat, and the effects of the slowdown in cross-border traffic, the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center hosted a podcast with leaders from California, Arizona and Texas to discuss what states are experiencing at their ports of entry and what a full closure would mean to their economies.

Chris Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute, explained why the administration would continue to threaten a border closure.

鈥淭he rationale for the current partial border shutdown and the threat of a full shutdown have two different elements,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淎t times it has been portrayed as a means to gain leverage over Mexico to push them to do more to stop the flow of migrants. At other times it鈥檚 been described as a necessary redeployment of resources to process the spike in mostly families arriving at the border.鈥�

Paola Avila, vice president of international business affairs at the San Diego Regional 91果冻传媒 of Commerce, stated that for years her region has experienced border delays. Her team has studied the effects of a two-hour border wait time at San Diego鈥檚 cargo ports of entry, resulting in a loss of $2.9 billion in the region a year, an equivalent of 40,000 jobs. Across the nation, border delays are responsible for $7.2 billion in lost economic activity.

鈥淚n Otay Mesa [port of entry] since the redeployment of CBP agents and the loss of 51 agents from the San Diego field office, we鈥檝e seen a doubling of border wait times,鈥� Avila said. 鈥淭he first day it increased from two hours to four hours, on Friday it was a five-hour wait time at the car port of entry. The redeployment is on a 30-day plan, with the possibility of extending that. Thirty days of doubling the wait time is hugely detrimental. We don鈥檛 need to run numbers to figure out what impact it might have, we already know what that impact has had in our border region.鈥�

Laredo, Texas Mayor Pete Saenz told the group that he knew of manufacturers that were working overtime because of uncertainty over when they will be getting new shipments due to lane closures.

鈥淥ne manufacturer had to make between $600,000 to $900,000 in just overtime costs,鈥� Saenz said. 鈥淲e ask for a quick fix, to get the CBP officers back and open those lanes and allow trade to proceed.鈥�

Ironically, these delays of trade are happening in the midst of efforts to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement. In order to facilitate trade with Mexico, the border must remain open.

鈥淲e are strong supporters of the immediate congressional ratification of the USMCA, the new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada,鈥� Arizona 91果冻传媒 of Commerce and Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer, said. 鈥淭his is something that even the administration supports. We would obviously not realize the benefits of this agreement if we continue to slow down our ports of entry, or even worse, a more severe closure.鈥�

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Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D) and Martha McSally (R) teamed up Tuesday to oppose the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency鈥檚 (CBP) decision to remove officers from Arizona鈥檚 ports of entry.

The CBP鈥檚 decision to transfer the personnel out of Arizona ports came after the agency saw its highest total number of daily apprehensions and encounters in over a decade twice in one week.

saw the highest total of apprehensions and encounters in over a decade on Monday, with 4,000 migrants either apprehended or encountered at ports of entry in a single day. Yesterday, that record was broken again鈥�4,117 in a single day.

— CBP (@CBP)

鈥淲e understand the challenges that CBP faces with the recent influx of migrants to our border, and we both look forward to working with you to improve border security,鈥� the senators wrote in a letter. 鈥淗owever, reducing port staffing harms security and our economy…Different options must be explored.鈥�

The senators said the decision will harm the state鈥檚 ability to while significantly increasing port of entry wait times and encouraging illegal goods to enter the country.

鈥淭he cross-border commerce is so important for Arizona鈥檚 economy. We鈥檝e got about 200,000 jobs that are related to cross-border commerce,鈥� McSally said after a roundtable with CBP Monday morning. 鈥淚t鈥檚 my view that we鈥檝e got to keep the legitimate trade and travel and cross-border commerce , but we also need to secure our border and address this crisis.鈥�

released earlier this month shows that Arizona鈥檚 trade with Mexico was more than $16 billion in 2018, a 7.7 percent increase from the previous year. The long wait times are expected to have a negative impact on the import of produce and other goods.

The senators also expressed concern with how the CBP鈥檚 decision would affect the safety of the country, as CBP officers at the ports help prevent narcotics and other illegal goods from entering the country.

Last year, 86 percent of hard narcotics seized by CBP were seized at ports of entry. In the Southwest, it was 82 percent.

The CBP鈥檚 announcement also comes amid President Donald Trump鈥檚 threat to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border altogether.

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Memory is a powerful tool. But if your job was on the line, would you be able to trust your memory?

Enter OpenSpace. Founded in August 2017, three MIT graduate students came together to solve this problem for those who work in the physical industries, such as construction, real estate development and inspectors.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e an office worker, you kind of take for granted that you write a document and it鈥檚 stored somewhere and you can look at it over time and you can see how much change has been made, collaborate, but if you鈥檙e building something in the real physical world, you just don鈥檛 have that ability,鈥� said Jeevan Kalanithi, CEO and Co-Founder of OpenSpace.

Kalanithi worked with drones flying over construction sites to get a bird鈥檚 eye view for developers at his prior company. Through that, he befriended a mid-size general contractor from the Bay Area. He would talk through his ideas with him until finally they landed on an idea that the contractor said, 鈥淥h my gosh, we want that. That would be great, can you build that? If so, we鈥檒l buy it.鈥�

This idea was OpenSpace. OpenSpace is a software that captures 鈥淕oogle streetview鈥� of a project that automatically tracks progress photos, whether by hours, days, months or years. Simply strap a 360掳 camera that OpenSpace provides onto a hard hat, hit go on the OpenSpace app, and the documenting begins. Users can then go back and look at the photos from any point in time on their computer or mobile device.

The reason this is a game changer in the construction industry is that workers will be able to see the layers of the project and not have to rely on someone鈥檚 memory. For example, if a project manager needed to know what was under the concrete before it was poured, they would be able to use OpenSpace to look back and find out for themselves.

鈥淎 lot of these things [in the construction industry] are irreversible,鈥� Kalanithi said. 鈥淚 mean, when you鈥檙e pouring concrete, that鈥檚 an issue because it鈥檚 so expensive and time consuming to figure out what鈥檚 under there. $15,000 minimum to see what鈥檚 under there. A picture is worth a thousand words. What we say is that we like to provide truth.鈥�

It鈥檚 unnecessary for all workers to wear a camera, Kalanithi says, as the goal is to keep the behavior of the job unchanged.

Since the company launched a year and a half ago, it has grown from three to 15 employees and has captured 80 million square feet of projects. For context, that鈥檚 27 Dallas Cowboys stadiums worth of space captured. Current clients are located across the globe, from Japan, Thailand, Brazil and within the United States.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing so many wins from our customers whether that鈥檚 to check something or resolve a conflict. It鈥檚 going to save not just a lot of money, but a lot of pain, a lot of trust destruction we鈥檙e helping to avoid, which we feel pretty good about,鈥� Kalanithi said.

As for future growth, OpenSpace is looking to expand upon their current technology to help project managers make informed decisions in the future based on what was captured from the past. 鈥淲e are looking to build analytics products on top of the data we鈥檙e collecting, to begin doing things like automatically measure change, flag issues before they are problems, all these things that we think will be really useful for our users that is like an additional brain and will help make their jobs easier,鈥� Kathani said.

OpenSpace is currently located in San Francisco, California, but is hoping to expand their company to other locations in the future.

As for those who are looking to create their own tech company, Kalanithi recommends, 鈥淵ou shouldn鈥檛 want to start a tech company for its own sake. You should seek a problem you think you can solve in the world and you should decide if the best way to do that is with a technology startup. Never start a tech company for its own sake.鈥�

Jeevan Kalanithi will be a panelist at听the 2019 AZ Tech Innovation Summit, featuring keynote speaker Mark Cuban. The Summit welcomes speakers from leading edge tech companies that are driving innovation in Arizona, as well as investors who are powering today鈥檚 most exciting startups. To learn more, click听.

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Innovation takes creativity and sizable amounts of capital. Most growing businesses use a combination of debt and equity to efficiently capitalize their company and achieve the benefits of both types of financing. Venture debt is an attractive option for venture-backed companies seeking to lower their cost of capital and extend runway.

Trinity Capital Investment is a nationally recognized, leading provider of secured loans and leases to early and growth stage companies with strong institutional investors.With lending offices in Chandler and Palo Alto, Trinity has become an integral member of the lending community since entering the marketplace more than a decade ago. It has backed this up with funding approaching $1 billion since its inception.

鈥淲e are focused on companies growing rapidly in very large and stable markets with extremely disruptive technology,鈥� said Managing Partner Kyle Brown. 鈥淲e hone in on companies that have already raised institutional equity to build out, test and prove their product, who are now into revenue and starting to ramp up operations. That鈥檚 the point at which Trinity looks to enter a company – when it鈥檚 primarily about execution risk.鈥�

You may be familiar with many of Trinity鈥檚 portfolio companies 鈥� Impossible Foods, Le Tote, Matterport and Grub Market to name a few. Trinity has built a team of personnel with extensive start-up, operational expertise – giving us the ability to relate to our borrowers, along with veteran finance professionals. This combination of expertise helps us differentiate ourselves to limited partners entrusting us with their capital along with our borrowers who want to know we鈥檝e walked in their shoes.

鈥淥ur capital is meant to extend runway for companies, so they can build their valuation heading into a fundraise or liquidity event. The very best outcome is when Trinity, our borrower, and the company鈥檚 investors all win,鈥� Brown said.

The company started in 2007 with a mere $8 million in capital raised. But patience, persistence, and growth has led their 23-person team to a record year last year, as they recorded $192 million in funding on $260 million in commitments to venture-backed growth stage businesses.

鈥淲e have become a consistent and trusted manager of capital to high net-worth and family offices here in Arizona and across the U.S.- delivering risk averse, double digit returns,鈥� said Brown.

The company鈥檚 major markets are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, New York and Boston. However, Trinity thinks Arizona is the perfect place to call home.

鈥淎rizona has a large and diverse employee pool with the presence of multiple large technology firms,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淭he affordability of housing and low tax rates offers a higher standard of living than most states.听 All that combined with eight months of perfect weather, and easy access to the mountains up north or my favorite – the beach in SoCal or Mexico when things heat up – makes Arizona an ideal location.鈥�

Currently in the middle of fundraising for a recent offering, Trinity continues to have its eye on the prize, as their goal is to be the #1 venture lending platform in the world. 鈥淲e are building a culture within our organization that鈥檚 all about humility, transparency and accomplishing big things,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not necessarily focused on being the largest fund manager out there – we just want to be the first thought and most trusted partner for growth stage companies across the world when they need incremental capital to build their business.鈥�

Trinity Capital Investment is a sponsor of the 2019 AZ Tech Innovation Summit, featuring keynote speaker Mark Cuban. The Summit welcomes speakers from leading edge tech companies that are driving innovation in Arizona, as well as investors who are powering today鈥檚 most exciting startups. To learn more, click听.

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