Wichita Leaders Explore Phoenix’s Bioscience Growth and Arts-Driven Revitalization on Day Two of City-to-City Visit

The Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce’s City-to-City leadership visit to Phoenix continued with a focus on Phoenix's rapidly growing bioscience sector, the innovation ecosystem surrounding it and strategic arts investments. The day’s sessions highlighted how collaboration and long-term vision have fueled Phoenix’s transformation into a hub for biosciences, offering valuable insights for Wichita’s leaders.

Session 6: Overview of Phoenix Bioscience Core

The first session of the day centered on the Phoenix Bioscience Core (PBC), a key player in Arizona’s bioscience strategy. Allie Bakovic, VP of Bioscience Business Development at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, provided an overview of the PBC's growth. The core is a collaborative environment that includes research institutions, businesses and healthcare facilities, all working together to advance the bioscience industry. Phoenix’s development in this sector is a major example of how public-private partnerships can accelerate economic growth.

Session 7: Building a Bioscience Ecosystem through Collaboration

Speakers Kyle Jardine from Wexford Science + Technology, Scarlett Spring from Arizona State University, Tom Schumann from the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation emphasized the importance of collaboration in the biosciences. From shared resources to the development of an entrepreneurial pipeline, the speakers outlined how Phoenix has become a magnet for talent and key tenants in the bioscience field. For Wichita, these discussions underscored the potential to build a similar ecosystem that integrates industry, universities and community to bolster innovation and economic development.

Session 8: Arizona Bioscience Roadmap

Matt Ellsworth, Chief Administrative Officer at the Flinn Foundation, presented on Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, a long-term strategic plan that has positioned Arizona as a national leader in select areas of bioscience. The roadmap, updated in 2014, outlines goals through 2025 and is supported by a steering committee of over 125 state leaders. Wichita leaders was able to draw lessons from how Arizona has aligned public and private sectors to drive bioscience growth.

Session 9: Arts and Quality of Life in Phoenix

The focus shifted to how Phoenix has leveraged the arts to create a thriving urban environment. Matt Ellsworth and Catrina Kahler, CEO of Artlink, discussed two major initiatives: the Flinn Foundation’s Initiative for Financial and Creative Health, which helps arts organizations strengthen their core programming, and ArtLink’s Art+Form project, which integrates arts into urban development. The Wichita leaders learned how Phoenix’s intentional investment in the arts has enhanced quality of life and created a cultural catalyst for downtown revitalization.

A walking tour of Roosevelt Row, Phoenix’s vibrant arts district, followed. This area is a model for how arts and culture can drive neighborhood revitalization and community engagement.