Brief Updates from Area Professionals Regarding the Flagstaff Business Community and discussion of a possible Business Listening Tour.

These updates will occur quarterly.

Council will receive information regarding the business activities that have been happening in our community.  For this particular update, Council will hear from Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona, from Amazon Web Services which is a new strategic partner with Moonshot at Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (Moonshot), and from City of Flagstaff Economic Development staff regarding the possiblity and options for a business listening tour.

The City of Flagstaff Economic Development Program works with several local and regional business and service providers.  Representatives from these businesses and groups, on a quarterly basis, will provide brief updates regarding their efforts, successes, observations, and challenges in the business sector. The intention is to provide Council, and the public, an opportunity to hear more about what is happening within the business community.

Economies are dynamic, complex, and always shifting.  Our business community adapts to new influences ranging from the global stage to consumer trends and preferences.  The Flagstaff market also adapts to new rules and regulations, technologies, and infrastructure adaptations. In Flagstaff, growth is visible throughout the community in the new construction of healthcare facilities, housing, and with new businesses opening; however a number of business closures also remind us that cycles are constantly in flux.

These quarterly work session updates from various community partners and businesses are intended to inform Council, staff, and the public at large about the experiences of businesses and service providers as they adapt to changing conditions. In this update, Goodwill Industries of Central and Northern Arizona will provide an update on their efforts in the region. Also, Moonshot has recently developed a strategic relationship with Amazon Web Services. In this update, Amazon Web Services and Moonshot will present on overview of their services and how those services will help entrepreneurs achieve greater success. Concluding the presentation, Economic Development staff will present a strategy to connect Council and local businesses.
 
Each presenter has been asked to keep their presentations brief. Obviously, this time will only allow them to discuss specific items, but it is hoped that through these brief presentations, and any additional dialogue, a picture of what is happening in our business community will continue to enhance everyone's knowledge and awareness.