Economic Development E-Newsletter | August 30, 2023
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ASU and City of Chandler partner on new model of incubator
Arizona State University has a new entrepreneurship resource in Chandler that is perfectly aligned with the university’s charter — open to anybody in the community.

A ribbon-cutting event last Wednesday celebrated the opening of the E+I@ACIC coworking space at the ASU Chandler Innovation Center and the start of the Chandler Endeavor Venture Innovation Incubator, which will be based in the building.

The incubator program, a partnership between ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and the City of Chandler is a unique model that invites any entrepreneur in the community to join simply by registering.

“It’s an integration of community and ASU assets,” said Tracey Dodenhoff, the new vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at ASU.

Kristin Slice, director of community entrepreneurship for the Edson Institute, said she’s gotten a lot of feedback from founders about typical incubator programs, many of which require homework, provide irrelevant information or demand endless rounds of pitches.

“We’re going give you the tools every month to learn about innovation, the evidence-proven tools that many people have used to help build innovative, high-growth ventures in the past,” she said.
Helpful links for entrepreneurs interested in accessing the free resources at ACIC
Chandler, Arizona: the ideal location for company headquarters
Business Facilities, a publication for corporate site selectors, recently featured Chandler in an article on company headquarters. The article covers the importance of a headquarters, factors that go into selecting the right location, and why Chandler is attractive for companies looking to establish or relocate their headquarters.

The article states, "When thinking about corporate headquarters locations there are several factors that can make or break a location. A company's corporate headquarters is its home. It is a place where employees congregate, handle and create business strategies on a regional, national or international basis. Since main day-to-day operations are typically handled in corporate headquarters it serves as the nerve center of any business. This means the location of a corporate home is important due to the global and strategic decisions that have to be made."

Below are a few of the reasons Chandler was featured as an attractive location:
  • City leadership that understands the importance of a strong local economy
  • Commitment to fiscal responsibility evidenced by AAA bond ratings
  • Pro-business local government responsive to the needs of businesses
  • Large and highly educated labor pool

Check out the article to learn more about Chandler's location advantages and which companies have chosen to call Chandler home.
Chandler is experiencing the lowest recorded crime rate in the city's history
You have probably already seen the City of Chandler listed in rankings for being one of the safest large cities in the United States. However, to provide some additional context, we would like to share the following statistics demonstrating the impact the Chandler Police Department (CPD) has had in driving down crime in our community.

  • From 2013 through 2022, CPD recorded a 28% decrease in Part I crimes (those considered to be most serious) per 1,000 residents.
  • During the first six months of 2023, crime was down even more with violent crimes down 12% and property crimes down 25%.
  • In fact, the 12-month period through June 2023 represented the lowest recorded crime rate on record.
Chandler ranks among cities where income rose the most
According to Census Bureau data, median household income across the United States rose just 3% from 2019 to 2021. However, some cities fared much better than others. To see where income rose the most, SmartAsset examined data for 124 of the largest cities in the country and ranked them by the size of income changes.

Chandler ranked 19th nationally with a 13.03% increase over the period. It is worth noting that Chandler started with a higher median household income than all but one city in the top 20. Chandler's median household income was $83,709 in 2019, rising to $94,613 in 2021.
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