General Motors that it is hiring several hundred new employees this year for software positions at its Information Technology Innovation Center in Chandler’s Price Corridor.

“These jobs created by GM are high-wage, high-skill and provide tremendous employment opportunities for our residents,” Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke . “We appreciate GM’s significant investment in Chandler and look forward to being a partner in their continued growth.”

The Chandler IT Innovation Center is one of the four GM technology hubs located across the country. These centers are designed to help develop GM’s products as it moves towards an all-electric future. 

“As GM transforms from automaker to platform innovator, our IT Innovation Center in Chandler plays an integral role for the future,” Umesh Murthy, director of the Arizona IT Innovation Center, said.

The Chandler Center currently employs more than 1,000 various tech employees at its 170,000-square-foot facility, including software developers, data analysts, product managers, and software architects. Additionally, the company recruits from universities in Arizona and features many entry level positions.

“On top of the region’s deep existing pool of talent, Chandler offers a wonderful quality of life and strong community to newcomers,” Murthy said. “Those who join GM here will have an opportunity to pursue their passions and contribute to GM’s purpose.” 

In addition to GM’s new IT Innovation Center, Cruise, a subsidiary of GM, last month the rollout of a program in partnership with Walmart that will expand its self-driving delivery pilot in Arizona. Cruise currently runs a small fleet of autonomous Chevy Bolts as part of a pilot program with Walmart. 

During an Arizona Senate Transportation Committee meeting, Cruise’s senior government affairs manager, Carter Stern, announced the pilot will expand to eight stores in 2022. 

“We’ll really continue to see that grow in Arizona first, and then it’ll be exported to the rest of the country,” Stern .

The pilot initially started with just one Walmart in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Cruise currently employs more than 100 people in Arizona and is expected to keep adding jobs as the company expands its activities.

These developments are further signs of economic growth in Arizona’s tech sector. Arizona nearly 38,000 tech jobs from 2015 to 2021. Additionally, has seen 30% growth in software jobs over the past 10 years. 

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Amid the economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Latino-owned businesses are recovering with the help of Arizona nonprofits and companies. Across the state, these businesses are utilizing designed to help Hispanic business owners who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

One of these programs, set up by Fuerza Local (Local First Arizona), has provided $2 million in relief grants to small businesses owners in low-to-moderate income households across Arizona. Another non-profit, the Raza Development Fund, started the COVID-19 Hope Fund in partnership with Wells Fargo. 

Additionally, the Arizona Hispanic ·¬ÇŃÉçÇř of Commerce has worked to provide resources and small-business grants throughout the pandemic. 

PepsiCo also created Juntos Crecemos, which provides grants, mentorship and coaching to Hispanic-owned small businesses. The program has invested more than $50 million across the country.

El Salvadoreño Restaurant, a locally owned chain and beneficiary of the Juntos Crecemos program, reported a 30% to 40% loss in sales in the first few months of the pandemic. “We survived the 2008 recession, but this was very different,” said Yesenia RamĂ­rez, the co-owner of the restaurant. 

With the help of the program and some changes to their business model, they have been able to mitigate some of the barriers presented by the pandemic. Ramirez received a financial scholarship of $10,000 from Juntos Crecemos. 

It has been well documented throughout the pandemic that the Hispanic community has been adversely affected. According to the U.S. Hispanic ·¬ÇŃÉçÇř of Commerce, nearly a of Hispanic businesses across the country have been forced to shut down due to the pandemic. 

The that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic – leisure and hospitality, retail, transportation, and construction – account for nearly 50% of the revenue generated by Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses. Additionally, 65% of Hispanics and Latinos work in these sectors.

Despite this, Hispanic businesses appear to be making a strong recovery. Recently, 53% being profitable and 24% reported breaking even despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Latino-owned businesses also averaged a 25% growth rate in annual revenue over the past two years. 

Additionally, the Arizona Hispanic ·¬ÇŃÉçÇř of Commerce that Hispanic purchasing power in Arizona reached $63 billion in 2020. 

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The Phoenix Suns have formalized a partnership with Footprint, a locally based materials science company dedicated to sustainable technology. The partnership with Footprint will help transform the home of the Suns and Mercury into a laboratory for sustainable solutions, just ahead of the Suns’ tip off to the 2021-2022 season. 

Beginning with the team’s season opener Wednesday night, fans will see the replacement of plastic utensils and other concession items with Footprint’s plant-based alternatives. Over time, the arena will introduce additional Footprint products and technologies.

Footprint, which is based in Gilbert, was founded in 2014 by former Intel Engineers, Troy Swope and Yoke Chung. The company’s mission is to end the use of single-use plastics through the development of plant-based fiber technology. 

Footprint was recently recognized on the list and works with companies such as McDonald’s, Kraft Heinz, Beyond Meat, and Conagra. While nothing has been finalized, it was that Footprint has engaged in talks to go public by way of a merger with Gore Holdings VII Inc., a deal that would value the company upwards of $3 billion.

With the return of fans to sporting events, this partnership highlights the need for venues to implement more sustainable practices. Large scale sporting events and concerts present unique environmental challenges. One EPA found that each year sporting events produce 39 million pounds of waste per year. 

“The sports industry is going to start seeing that there is this movement around sustainability and what it means to be a part of it — I think all stadiums are going to see it as something they have to do and there will be minimum bars of transparency of what that means” Footprint chief marketing officer Susan Koehler to CNBC.

Through this partnership and the transformation of Footprint Center, the Phoenix Suns and Footprint have positioned themselves to be at the forefront of this emerging innovation. 

The front office leadership of the Phoenix Suns have emphasized this point and what this means for the organization. 

According to managing partner , “The idea is Footprint will create an innovation lab for us within our arena, and then we can take that and get other arenas throughout the world interested in doing the same thing.”

“They are going to help us eliminate single-use plastic within our arena and we are going to help them promote their brand so that over time they will be a household name,” said Sarver.

At an official ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the arena, Suns’ president and CEO, Jason Rowley, reiterated these sentiments. “We are confident that through the support, commitment and hard work of all stakeholders, Footprint Center will serve as the model sports and entertainment venue for sustainable innovation.”

in attendance included Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and Larry Fitzgerald, who was named as the first Footprint Ambassador. Mayor Gallego spoke to the crowd and emphasized the importance of this partnership to the greater Phoenix community. 

“Just last night, the Phoenix City Council and I approved an updated, comprehensive Climate Action Plan that accelerates our goal to reach net-zero before 2050,” Gallego said. “I’m proud to have partners like the Suns and Footprint who are fully engaged in creating a healthy, sustainable future for Phoenix.”

The Suns have long been leaders when it comes to issues of sustainability and environmental concerns. They were one of the first arenas to switch to solar energy and have introduced various water conservation efforts. 

Coming off a historic season, which included a Western Conference championship and a Finals appearance, the Phoenix Suns will have an amplified platform to continue to promote this type of innovation. 

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