Moonshot Arizona
Photo by Moonshot
This past month, I had the opportunity to pitch our binational project, Borderlandia, to business leaders from across the state of Arizona as part of an incredible program and non-profit called Moonshot Arizona.
Think Shark Tank, or as they put it, a more gentle dolphin tank.
Moonshoot is designed to help rural entrepreneurs in our state bring their business ideas to fruition and provide the resources to enable existing small businesses outside of Phoenix and Tucson to thrive. The local competition one applies for and competes in is hosted at twenty different tour stops across rural Arizona.
Photos by Luis Carlos Davis
The fifteenth stop was hosted at the Historic 1904 Santa Cruz County Courthouse in Nogales, Arizona. There, twenty creatives (including myself) from across Santa Cruz County and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, competed for three cash prizes and the grand prize to compete at the state finals in Prescott, Arizona, on October 18.
I am delighted to report that we earned first place in the 2025 Nogales chapter. Rocío and I are thrilled to represent our region this fall upstate. It will be our first visit to the old state capital of Prescott.
Cash prizes are always nice, but for me, the real encounter with gold of the day was found in building a community with local folks, such as my neighbors.
Those nineteen other creatives I mentioned, I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to get to know and network with. It was nothing short of inspiring learning about each person and their passion through their pitch.
Photo by Moonshot
So if you have a chance, please check out and give your support to:
2nd Place Winner: Danny’s Helping Hands LLC
3rd Place Winner: MiniPastries Healthy Life
Honorable Mention: The Art of Storytelling by Joe Wright
If you are feeling generous as the year winds down for charitable endeavours, look no further than ARSOBO: Arizona Sonora Border Projects for Inclusion. I am honored to be on the board, and if you would like to visit their facility, please email me.