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Phoenix hosts annual convention for national Hispanic STEM community

Ben Norman — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 18:00:05 +0000

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers hosted its 45th annual national convention from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, bringing thousands of people from across the nation together at the Phoenix Convention Center.

SHPE is an organization dedicated to empowering the national Hispanic community to realize its academic and professional potential in order to impact the world through STEM awareness and development.

The national organization has more than 11,000 members, 230 chapters and hundreds of sponsor organizations throughout the United States, including 3M, Google and Chevron.

“The SHPE 2019 Convention in Phoenix wasn’t just successful, it was a game-changing event,” said Raquel Tamez, CEO of SHPE, after the event. “We had a record-breaking 9,200 attendees, 620 interview booths and hundreds of SHPE members walking away with new jobs. I could not be prouder of everyone who made this incredible week possible.”

The convention featured five conferences: a pre-college convention for middle and high school students who can participate in STEM-related activities; the “SHPEtina” conference featuring female members and attendees; the academic conference, which hosted undergraduate and graduate students, professors, advisors and deans of various universities; the professional conference for professionals within STEM fields; and the technology in innovation conference which hosted competitions including a hackathon, the Nissan Design Challenge and “extreme engineering.”

The conference had almost 300 organizations represented on the career expedition floor recruiting for internships, jobs and graduate programs. The organizations had more than 600 interview booths and made job offers on sight.

Top sponsors this year included Honeywell and American Express, which offered SHPE members coveted positions. The convention also saw 40 Fortune 100 companies.

According to SHPE, it is too early to determine specific numbers, but it is safe to say hundreds of jobs were offered during the event.

The convention held its inaugural Star Awards Gala Saturday evening, in which it featured two outstanding STEM leaders.

Tamez said this is the first year featuring an award named after Ellen Ochoa, the first and only Latina astronaut; at future events, SHPE will give the award to exceptional leaders in aerospace.

This is the second year that SHPE awarded the Rubén Hinojosa STEM Champion Award, named after the former Democratic congressman from Texas. Silvia Acedo, CEO of Girl Scouts USA, received the award this year.

“As a Latina myself, I’m very excited that these two preeminent star awards are being awarded to two Latinas,” Tamez said.

Tamez emphasized the mutually beneficial relationship between the City of Phoenix and SHPE. By creating new jobs and drawing more attention to STEM fields, SHPE helps fuel the local economy, and Phoenix has been a supportive and accommodating host for the organization, she said.

“Phoenix has been so warm and welcoming and receptive and helpful and supportive,” Tamez said. “We really do want to have a positive impact on the cities we come into by engaging all year long and supporting local businesses, and I like to think we are doing that… This is monumental for us, and here in Phoenix, too, because we have a really strong relationship and really large active chapters here in Phoenix, especially at [Arizona State University].”

Tamez and her team are already planning for the 2020 conference, which will revolve around “transcendence of transformation” in the Hispanic community.

“Every year, we’re bringing in more members, more attendees, more exhibitors, more sponsorships, more interview booths, more sessions — it’s just getting bigger and more impactful,” Tamez said. “We’re able to have a greater impact, and that’s what it’s all about.”

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Sens. McSally and Collins host hearing on Alzheimer’s disease and treatment methods

Ben Norman — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 19:00:56 +0000

U.S. Sens. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, who serves as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, held a Senate field hearing Friday to discuss Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on the elderly at both the state and national levels.

The at Granite Reef Senior Center in Scottsdale, titled “Alzheimer’s and Other Cognitive Diseases: An Arizona Perspective,” featured guests from the senior community as well as a panel of health care experts.

Sens. McSally and Collins held a field hearing on Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on the elderly. (McSally’s Office)

Collins emphasized the severity of Alzheimer’s disease and its growth in the U.S. With a cost of roughly $290 million per year, Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the nation, and about $195 million of that impacts Medicaid and Medicare programs.

By 2050, Alzheimer’s is projected to impact the lives of roughly 14 million American senior citizens and cost roughly $1 trillion annually.

“We all know someone who has suffered from cognitive impairment, and the impact is immeasurable,” McSally said. “Of the nearly 6 million estimated Americans aged 65 and older affected, 140,000 live in Arizona. My uncle was one of them, as he suffered for many years before passing away from Alzheimer’s.”

Arizona has the fastest-growing rate of Alzheimer’s in the nation. The death rate from Alzheimer’s in the state is 20 percent higher than the national average. Alzheimer’s deaths in the U.S. increased 89 percent between 2000 and 2014.

Health care professionals like the ones at the panel continue to strive for a solution.

Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton, director of the Center of Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona, researches late-onset Alzheimer’s prevention and potential cures. Another panelist, Alireza Atri of the Banner Sun Health Research Institute, has contributed developments in patient evaluation.

Caregivers are also making waves in Alzheimer’s treatment. McSally said that in 2017 the nation had more than 300,000 caregivers providing more than 376 million hours of unpaid care to patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lisa Capp, a caregiver for patients with dementia, also served on the panel. Capp serves on the Alzheimer’s Association Leadership Board for the Desert Southwest and is a member of the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) and AlzAuthors.

In tandem with health care leaders, McSally and Collins have helped enact policies to assist patients with Alzheimer’s disease:

, McSally highlighted the impact Alzheimer’s disease has on Arizona families.
, McSally introduced a bipartisan package of legislation to provide and enhance support systems for elder Americans.
, McSally introduced bipartisan legislation allowing U.S. Postal Service customers the option of purchasing a semipostal (or fundraising) stamp to benefit awareness about elder abuse and support efforts to protect seniors.
, McSally helped introduced the Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act of 2019 to aid Americans inundated with robocalls.

“Sen. Martha McSally’s commitments and contributions to the Aging Committee’s work are many, and today’s hearing is a testament to her work to advance research and care for families facing Alzheimer’s disease,” Collins said. “Alzheimer’s is one of the greatest public health priorities not only to seniors in the Grand Canyon State, but also throughout our nation.

“As the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Alzheimer’s Task Force in the Senate, I have worked to boost funding for Alzheimer’s research,” she said. “With increased federal investments and public-private partnerships, we are beginning to see hope. It was a pleasure to join my friend and colleague today to learn more about the progress we are making to combat this disease.”

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Rep. Schweikert, colleague introduce bill to increase investment opportunities

Ben Norman — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:00:31 +0000

In order to get their product or service off the ground, most small companies turn to startup funds in the private sector, where they can sell securities to “.”

To obtain accreditation, a person or business entity must meet a certain threshold of income, net worth or asset size. Consequently, the number of Americans who are able to invest privately is severely limited.

, R-Ariz., and , R-Ark., introduced the Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act (H.R. 4672) to try to alleviate the exclusivity of private-sector investing.

Rep. David Schweikert (U.S. Congress)

If passed, the bill would expand the definition of “accredited investor” to include Americans with qualifying educational or professional experience.

“Simply put, this legislation would rightfully expand the definition of ‘accredited investor’ to include professional experts, allowing the opportunity for more Americans to invest in ideas early on based on their knowledge and suitability rather than their wealth,” Schweikert said in a statement. “The current financial parameters on investors we have are based solely on wealth, excluding individuals who have the experiences necessary to be provided access to suitable investments. I thank my colleague, Representative French Hill, for his continued support and I hope this common-sense legislation can swiftly pass the House.”

Currently, an accredited investor includes anyone who has earned income exceeding $200,000 (or $300,000 in a household) in each of the two prior years and anticipates making a similar income in the current year; or anyone with a net worth over $1 million.

The Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act would expand the definition of an accredited investor to include those who hold a recognized federal or state securities-related license, as well as those who have demonstrable professional knowledge in a security administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or a state-level equivalent.

“Expanding the definition of accredited investor is great for both businesses and investors,” Schweikert said. “Many private security offerings are restricted to accredited investors because of the high risk nature of these offerings. Expanding the definition allows more hard-working Americans with sophisticated professional experience to be included in otherwise restricted investment opportunities, and that is a key economic growth driver.”

Versions of the Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts Act passed the House of Representatives with extensive bipartisan support in the past two Congresses. The bill passed the House in 2016 with a vote of 347 to 8. It passed the House by voice vote under suspension in 2017.

Schweikert and Hill said they hope the bill will receive widespread support again this Congress.

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NAU cyber-engineering team wins federal grant for cybersecurity research

Ben Norman — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 18:05:34 +0000

Northern Arizona University was recently awarded a federal grant for its work in cyber-engineering and cybersecurity.

The world today is more intertwined with technology than ever. Financial systems, cloud-based storage, data records and even something as common as email all rely on technology.

As technology becomes more integrated in society, the risk of cyberattacks from external hackers grows. In fact, according to the , cybercrime will cost entities around the world approximately $6 trillion annually by 2021.

In an effort to curb the growth of cyberthreats, NAU is developing cutting-edge solutions.

With a three-year, $6.3 million grant from the United States Air Force, NAU professors Dr. Bertrand Cambou and Dr. Paul Flikemma will examine new hardware technologies to stay one step ahead of today’s — and, more importantly, tomorrow’s — hackers.

“One of the issues here is the hackers are essentially ahead of us,” Cambou said. “They always find new techniques and new ideas to fool existing assets, because at the end of the day, firewall and virus protections will be protecting an asset against a normal attack. Which means a lot of the cybersecurity is programmed to keep listing existing attacks. Which means the Department of Defense and the Air Force are looking at solutions to be ahead of the hacker — to do things that are essentially going to be disrupting the status quo.”

The project started as a pitch to the Air Force four years ago. Cambou and his team presented their cybersecurity solutions, and Air Force officials were fascinated by the idea, investing in a proof of concept. The team spent the following summer in a secure Air Force facility fleshing out ideas.

Cambou’s team is comprised of mathematicians, physicians, electrical engineers, and others. Because of the diverse talent pool on the team and the relatively hands-off structure of the university, the team can advance their ideas quickly, Cambou explained.

“You have to look at the award we got in that context — we are essentially looking at disruptive methods, we’re looking at post-quantum computing-capable methods,” Cambou said. “When I established the cybersecurity up here at NAU, I wanted NAU to be on the forefront of cybersecurity, not like the 400 programs that offer cybersecurity. The idea was to be one step ahead, and the idea was to be post-quantum computing-protected.”

The team plans to develop new cybersecurity solutions including “unclonable functions,” cryptography, blockchain and key distribution. Cambou mentions that these new methods will help technological infrastructures across industries, including medical, financial and transportation.

“We are more vulnerable to cyberattacks because it’s not just losing an email or something like that,” Cambou noted. “Now, you are talking about financial transaction, self-driving cars, the power grid, shutting down planes, shutting down hospitals — [we] as a society [are] more and more connected and [are] relying on cloud services… relying on cyber environments.”

Technology is growing, and hacking with it. With new threats to cybersecurity every day, the world has to adapt and develop new solutions to bolster its infrastructure. Thanks to Cambou and his team at NAU, that fortification is already underway.

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Cox Charities donates to local nonprofits

Ben Norman — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:00:43 +0000

Cox Charities, Cox’s philanthropic arm, is dedicated to providing new opportunities for people and organizations in the Southwest. In Arizona, the foundation has truly hit its mark.

In late September, Cox Charities announced its selection of 108 local nonprofit organizations that would receive nearly $570,000 in grants. Since 1996, the organization has contributed more than $8 million to Arizona nonprofits.

“Cox employees are deeply embedded in the communities we serve in Arizona and are committed to supporting and volunteering to make a difference,” said John Wolfe, senior vice president and southwest region manager for Cox Communications, in a statement. “We are proud to stand behind so many nonprofit partners that are working hard to educate children and support families throughout Arizona.”

One of the recipients is , which will receive grant funding for its program “T4T on Wheels.” The service brings free school supplies from the Tempe location directly to teachers across the Valley.

Another grant recipient is for their “Discover Your Future” program, an extracurricular mentorship opportunity for K-8 children who have been exposed to unhealthy or problematic situations. The mentors create and provide curriculum to teach youth in academics, athletics and ethics.

“The Cox funds will fund a variety of programs implemented by a vast variety of nonprofit organizations in Arizona,” said Andrea Pappas, public relations director at Cox. “We typically focus our giving on programs focused on youth and education, as this has been a focus of our company as handed down by our founder, [former Ohio Gov. James M. Cox]. In fact, Gov. Cox had language in his final wishes that requests that the company always aim to impact the communities where Cox does business.”

The organization also recently awarded Serve Tucson volunteer Mike Birrer with $10,000 for his conservation efforts in Southern Arizona. Birrer has cleaned, planted and painted roughly 50 Tucson neighborhoods and has even expanded his efforts to employ local homeless people in his restoration efforts.

Birrer is one of for the Cox Conserves Heroes Award; he will now compete with the other finalists for a grand prize of $50,000. Through the award program, the James M. Cox Foundation has honored more than 200 volunteers and donated almost $1 million to environmental nonprofits.

“We believe we have narrowed down the finalists to a great group of volunteers who are making a positive impact in their community,” Pappas continued. “Of course, we are super excited about the work Mike Birrer and Serve Tucson are doing in our state. As you probably saw in , he started with a wish to clean up schools in the Tucson area and continues to draw more and more people into his mission, and has branched out to partner with homeless [people] in the area to put their talents to work.”

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U.S. �� of Commerce sends Congress a call to action for United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

Ben Norman — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 17:30:22 +0000

The United States �� of Commerce issued a call to action to members of the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, encouraging them to prioritize the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

Signed by U.S. �� president Suzanne P. Clark, the urged members of the House to meet with local business leaders and chambers of commerce to better understand the benefits of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, also known as USMCA.

“The next few months are critical for our economy and national prosperity,” the letter reads. “While many parts of the economy are strong, such as employment and wage growth, others are weakening, such as manufacturing and business investment. To keep our economy growing, it is imperative that our nation’s elected leaders take steps to restore certainty and boost business confidence.”

��Ի�� are currently the second- and third-largest goods trading partners to the United States, with a combined $1.2 trillion in two-way goods traded last year. According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods and services to Canada and Mexico supported approximately 2.8 million jobs in 2015.

A two-week congressional recess earlier this month featured 60 USMCA-related events across 13 states, 36 of which were hosted by chambers of commerce.

“We’re trying to build a drumbeat of support for USMCA, and we were very gratified that companies and state and local chambers of commerce across the country really stepped up during the recess,” said John Murphy, senior vice president of the U.S. ��. “Reports we got during the events were really positive about the growing support in Congress.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week that the House would be moving forward with the agreement soon. “I can honestly say that I think every day we’re becoming closer,” Pelosi said in a news conference last Thursday.

House Democrats have cited four areas of concern with the agreement: enforcement of the deal, drug pricing and environmental and labor standards. However, U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer has assured the public that these hang-ups will soon be revolved.

“There are some very specific asks there, and we at the U.S. �� think it’s quite a reasonable issue that the Democrats have raised in that area, and we’re optimistic it can be resolved,” Murphy said.

Due to the nature of the agreement, most of the negotiations are largely confidential, Murphy emphasized, meaning updates on the USMCA will be infrequent and relatively vague. However, organizations and citizens in support of the agreement can stay engaged on social media by following the hashtag .

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GCU recognizes local business leaders with Colangelo Servant Leadership Awards

Ben Norman — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 18:00:28 +0000

Grand Canyon University hosted its inaugural Colangelo Servant Leadership Awards breakfast Tuesday, in partnership with Freeport-McMoRan, honoring four community members for outstanding service, leadership and entrepreneurism.

Named after Jerry Colangelo, a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the state, the awards celebrated the ideals that Colangelo has practiced throughout his career. As the owner of the and, Colangelo helped build two of the state’s most popular franchises to a combined valuation of almost $2.8 billion.

“We want to highlight business and elevate humanity through servant leadership, which is the most important tenet of the four tenets of conscious capitalism,” said Randy Gibb, dean of GCU’s Colangelo College of Business. “Mr. Colangelo embodies what it means to be a servant leader: service before self, humility, stewardship, and love and care for your team. And our four recipients today also embody all those traits.”

GCU President Brian Mueller emphasized the importance of highlighting the countless Arizona residents that create new jobs and opportunities. He said awards like this help recognize exceptional leaders and their daily efforts to improve Arizona and provide “new prosperity.”

These are the 2019 Colangelo Servant Leadership Award recipients:

David Kimmerle, CEO of Sanderson Ford car dealership
Linda Little, president of iHeartMedia Phoenix
Mike Ingram, founder of land and development business El Dorado Holdings, Inc.
Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority

“To me, that [award] is at my core in terms of who I am,” Little told �� after the ceremony. “That means more than achieving huge financial success because it’s all about how you can serve others and lead. I’ve always been a collaborator, I’ve never been the kind of leader that gets in the front of the room and says, ‘It’s my way or the highway.’ I’ve always been that person that says, ‘Hey, I have a good idea, but if you had a better one, let’s do that.’ I love one-on-one coaching; I love understanding what somebody wants to do.”

Watson explained that leadership is about the effort of many to advance a common goal. She cited state leaders in their efforts to grow Arizona’s economy, including Gov. Doug Ducey, GCU’s Mueller and Watson’s own team at the Arizona Commerce Authority.

“Servant leadership is about the efforts of many to advance a common goal,” Watson said. “In addition to Jerry, I’ve had the great privilege of working with so many servant leaders to make Arizona the best place to live and do business… job creation, salaries and capital investment are on the rise, and we continue to advance our state’s competitive global position.”

Mueller also highlighted the importance of a free market system in Arizona, including its role in shaping GCU and its surrounding neighborhood. Because of public markets and their willingness to invest, he noted, GCU has created over 11,000 jobs, both on campus and through new businesses. Additionally, home values in the neighborhood have jumped by roughly 302 percent in the past five years.

“The economy’s on fire — the things that Gov. Ducey has done, the Arizona Commerce Authority, with their leadership,” Mueller told �� after the ceremony. “But we have trouble getting the news out, so this was one attempt to say, ‘Let’s talk about the great things that are happening; let’s talk about the great people that are making those things happen, and let’s put Arizona out as one of the best places to live’ — because it is! — and not just because of our weather, but because of what’s going on in the state.”

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Raytheon adds 1,000 jobs, has billion-dollar economic impact

Ben Norman — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 17:30:22 +0000

Raytheon, one of the largest defense manufacturers in the world, is already the eighth-largest employer in Arizona. But because of the growing demand for its products and services, the manufacturing firm is expanding within the state.

The defense contractor hosted Gov. Doug Ducey at an event Oct. 2, announcing that the company will add another 1,000 jobs to the state economy over the next few years. The additional jobs will bring Raytheon’s total number of Arizona employees to roughly 14,000 and make it the state’s sixth-largest employer.

“We’ve consistently grown — we’re now at more than 13,000 employees statewide, and that’s due to increasing global demand for our products,” said John Patterson, director of public relations at Raytheon. “We’re at a period right now of unprecedented global demand for the products we make and the services we provide, and that’s reflected in increased hiring numbers and growth that you’re seeing across the board for us — in all of our programs and all of our product areas.”

by Arizona State University’s Seidman Institute, Raytheon generates a $2.6 billion annual economic impact in Arizona. Over the past three years, Raytheon’s economic impact has grown by $500 million — nearly 24 percent — due to job expansion and increased sales. As the company continues to expand in Arizona, so will its economic footprint.

“Remember that we have more than 500 suppliers statewide, and nearly half of them are located right there in Maricopa County,” Patterson continued. “So as we grow in Tucson, so does the work that we offer to our suppliers around the state, and that helps to create new jobs, it creates new revenues.”

The company has donated $1 million to philanthropic causes around the state. Raytheon employees volunteer thousands of hours every year in state classrooms, helping to tutor and mentor the next generation of engineers.

Patterson said Raytheon plans to continue hiring from the state’s universities, including Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In fact, later this year, Raytheon will be hosting its first ever “Raytheon Day” at NAU, sending company executives and recruiters to the campus for an in-depth recruitment experience.

The bulk of the company’s new jobs will be in engineering positions, but Patterson noted that the company is hiring for positions across the board, including supply chain and contract management.

In his statement at Raytheon, Ducey described the manufacturing firm as “one of our state’s most valuable assets.”

“We are grateful to Gov. Ducey for creating such a pro-business environment in the state,” Patterson said. “His pro-business policies have created an environment where companies like Raytheon have the confidence to invest and grow, and we see that as an excellent partnership.”

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Arizona tech job growth rate exceeds national rate

Ben Norman — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:41:15 +0000

A recent from the Arizona Tech Council shows the state’s tech sector is thriving, especially in relation to the rest of the United States.

The 2019 Q1 AZTC Industry Impact Report found that Arizona’s tech job growth is 40 percent higher than the U.S. tech sector overall. The jobs also come with higher wages, as tech wages in the state are 20 percent higher than the national average.

Over the past year, the technology sector has experienced a 5.5 percent increase in job growth and a 5.1 percent climb in wages. Only New Mexico and Nevada had higher tech employment growth rates.

“Everywhere you turn, our members are hiring like crazy,” said Steven Zylstra, CEO of the Arizona Tech Council. “Whether you’re talking about startups, existing companies that are expanding, or new companies that are moving here — which they are in droves from places like California — they’re all hiring. So it’s just the level of activity throughout the entire continuum is at a volume we’ve never seen before.”

Zylstra explains that every tech job creates another 2.2 jobs. Because jobs in the tech sector are what are considered “base industry jobs,” Zylstra says, they foster jobs in other industries like retail and service. With higher wages, tech workers are able to pump more money back into the state economy.

Other sectors have seen growth in tech jobs, as well, such as finance. In fact, according to the report, roughly half of the tech job growth is in companies that don’t specialize in technology.

“Everybody needs someone — small enterprises might outsource that to a provider, but everybody needs IT people,” Zylstra said. “Whether you’re State Farm or Sprouts or whoever you are, there’s a massive amount of IT.”

According to Zylstra, one of the major causes of the state’s rapid job growth is its tech-friendly policies that its leadership has enacted. Because of Arizona’s flexible regulatory environment, companies like Uber and Airbnb have migrated to the state to test their latest innovations.

“One of the worries I think we all should have is that if we get a change of leadership either at the state level, with the governor, or with the legislature or even mayors, they can create a whole other environment,” Zylstra said. “We’ve got an environment right now that’s low tax, light regulatory environment, we’ve got reasonable housing costs, low cost of living, high standard of living — but some of that is dictated by politicians, and we’ve got to hope that we maintain this kind of environment, and that can only be done through electing the right kind of people that are pro-business.”

Over 29.5 percent of STEM postsecondary graduates are staying in the state to work, according to the report. By investing in STEM at earlier levels of education, Arizona will consequently invest in its own future.

“I’ve been here another eleven and a half years, and of the time I’ve been in Arizona, I’ve never seen the amount of activity in the tech sector that we’re currently seeing,” Zylstra said.

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Phoenix Fashion Week 2019 recap

Ben Norman — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:09:36 +0000

Phoenix Fashion Week — the Southwest’s leading fashion industry event — kicked off its annual show last Thursday, featuring showcasing their newest designs. The event stretched three days and featured 24 runways of top designers from around the state.

On Friday, the “contemporary” show featured four emerging designers and three established designers. In the second half of the show, the three established designers from around the globe shared their newest pieces.

, a Los Angeles-based fashion house, manufactures hand-made, unique designs created by one of their 11 in-house designers. During the show, the brand rolled out complementing pairs of women’s and men’s jackets.

, a fashion house based in the Philippines, is a luxury designer hoping to spread his designs around the world. The designer unveiled a set of elegant dresses adorned with dazzling gems.

, a Kuwait-based women’s fashion brand, creates modern luxury collections. Each design is hand-crafted by the same person to ensure the construction of the piece is consistent and flawless. On Friday, Yas Couture concluded the show with a wide spectrum of stunning designs.

In the first half of the show, the four emerging designers presented their work that stemmed from a three-month emerging designer bootcamp, which provided tools and resources to help designers grasp and perfect the business side of fashion.

, a Phoenix-based brand that designs “modern vintage” apparel, kicked off the event with a dynamic set of dresses made of a variety of fabrics, from leather to silk. All apparel from Flower Power is designed and hand-made by owner Amber Anderson.

, a Washington D.C.-based contemporary fashion brand, followed with a set of pieces constructed out of baby alpaca and llama wool. Alpaca and llamas are native to the Andes mountains in South America; the shearing process is conducted by hand and does no harm to the animal. In addition to being hypoallergenic and water resistant, alpaca and llama wool is considered among the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly fabrics for apparel.

, a Scottsdale-based menswear designer, specializes in casual and formal shirts donning high collars. Through bright, contrasting shirt collars and cuffs, English has created a unique image for his apparel that helps his work stand out. His vision is to “become the leader in American luxury fashion for men.”

, a female fashion brand, features ethically sourced, 100 percent biodegradable, “rooted in love” clothing. Cline is a college student that conflates her passion for photography, writing and clothing into an online blog and shop.

Phoenix Fashion Week, in congruence with Goodwill, hosted the “Little Black Dress Upcycle Challenge,” in which contestants found and repurposed dresses from the second-hand clothing store. Every year, the competition encourages both innovative and sustainable design practices among young designers. First prize (first picture) won a $500 cash price, and second place (second picture) won a $250 cash prize.

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