Build a stronger Tucson, together with our partners
FORGE Communities works alongside organizations and individuals, providing support for entrepreneurs and changemakers striving for impact wherever the University of Arizona has a presence. As part of our mission, we host several community partners at our flagship location at FORGE at Roy Place in downtown Tucson. Our Tucson community partners provide expertise and resources for the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Join us for Thursdays at FORGE to see what's happening at FORGE at Roy Place and get to know our partners.
Startup Tucson
We are incredibly proud to host Startup Tucson as the Pillar Community Partner at FORGE at Roy Place. Startup Tucson is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to transform the Southern Arizona economy through entrepreneurship and innovation. Under this collaboration, Startup Tucson is able to call Roy Place home to its offices, workshop, and event spaces.
Startup Tucson offers low-cost technical assistance, educational workshops, coaching, and mentoring for entrepreneurs of all types and in all stages including cohort-based activities for industry-specific founders (including the Recipes for Success program for food businesses) and on-demand support through spaces like the Design and Media Studios. Startup Tucson supports the larger innovation ecosystem by organizing the Tucson Innovation Partnership and the Startup Ecosystem Guide. Startup Tucson aims to advance the economic future of our region by reducing the barriers to creating a successful business. Their model is designed to allow under-represented founders and individuals to join the growing startup and small business ecosystem.
Startup Tucson is an important partner to FORGE around community building, specifically in relation to helping activate FORGE at Roy Place as a hub for innovation, community, and entrepreneurship. As a Pillar Community Partner, Startup Tucson is able to offer support, education, and connections to those working with FORGE and allows expedited membership into their Member Network for founders coming from FORGE.
Get to know the StartupTucson team and join them for monthly Startup Coffee and Startup Drinks events!
BlueStone Venture Partners
One of our critical community partners offering guidance and insight on the venture investment process is BlueStone Venture Partners. BlueStone is an early-stage Life Science focused venture capital fund founded in 2018. Their goal is to invest in companies outside of traditional startup hubs, such as Silicon Valley or Boston, and instead target Arizona and the Southwest. The firm invests in medical device, diagnostic, digital health, and life science instrument companies that are near or already commercial. Beyond investment, they provide strategic value and expertise to their portfolio companies by being active members of boards, serving on committees, and aiding in other ways to help companies hit milestones.
BlueStone Venture Partners has supported FORGE since the beginning, from volunteering at mock board meetings to taking part in Q&A panels. Seeing the growth of FORGE over the past year, they wanted to get involved on a more permanent basis.
Since March of 2022, BlueStone has been an official FORGE partner and investor in residence, hosting office hours for FORGE startups and providing ad-hoc feedback and training for practice pitches to VCs. BlueStone Director Andrew More and Manager of Research Chris Burwell will be part of the next FORGE Cereal Entrepreneurs event sharing insights about pitches they’ve heard. Afterward, guests can join them in the upstairs Hub for more insights into the venture investment process.
“We benefit tremendously being a part of FORGE as it provides us the opportunity to have a professional office while expanding our network through the various activities FORGE hosts and attends,” said BlueStone Director Andrew More.
The collaborative work environment offers members of the firm a chance to grow their skills by learning, listening, and working with other office residents, and increasing their presence in the Tucson community.
Raising capital can be a challenging part of a startup’s journey to launch. BlueStone is able to offer individuals and entrepreneurs help in many areas. This includes understanding: when a company is ready to raise money, different sources of financing, helping with pitch practices, the ins, and outs of term sheets, how to think about scaling a business to prepare it for exit, and providing connections to other professionals.
BlueStone is proud to be an early-stage healthcare venture capital fund here in Tucson, with the ability to invest in local startups. Through their collaboration with Startup Tucson, FORGE, University of Arizona Center for Innovation, Tech Launch Arizona & Tech Parks, they are an important resource to entrepreneurs and members of the community.
Tucson City of Gastronomy
FORGE is pleased to introduce our newest community partner, the Tucson City of Gastronomy. With the mission of “Growing a sustainable desert community by supporting our creative food cultures,” Tucson City of Gastronomy [TCoG] is a community-based non-profit that manages the Creative City of Gastronomy designation for Tucson and its Southern Arizona foodshed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It leverages the designation to increase appreciation of our food heritage and culinary assets, highlight them on a global platform, and link them to economic development.
TCoG incubates and promotes local food businesses; certifies and endorses restaurants, food artisans, culinary events, and experiences; and exchanges chef ambassadors worldwide to promote Tucson’s food internationally. TCoG also works to strengthen and improve the local food system through advocacy, building connections, and promoting community organizations, and develops and enhances events through collaborations.
As a FORGE community partner, TCoG has access to the meeting, teaching, and event spaces with state-of-the-art wifi and AV equipment in the historic Roy Place Building in the heart of downtown. Through this partnership, FORGE also offers its Venturing 101 curriculum to TCoG-certified businesses and food startup workshop participants. This resource helps fill gaps in venture education for entrepreneurs who have created a business without going through traditional business school programs.
TCoG staff and board members are subject-matter experts about Southern Arizona's heritage ingredients and other culinary assets, food tourism and culinary sector trends, and available resources for food business startups. On its own, and in partnerships with Startup Tucson and the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, the organization offers free business training workshops for entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses focusing on heritage ingredients.
TCoG’s vision is a community that values and is valued for its unique food cultures and supportive ecosystem for locally grown food businesses.
Discover Tucson City of Gastronomy
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, September 14 - Snell and Wilmer Tucson Emerging Business Webinar – How to Fund your Business
Thursday, September 15 - FORGE Fireside with Shelley Miles
Thursday, September 15 - CIC BIPOC Business Loan Fund Info Session
Thursday, September 22 - Curiosity Club
Friday, September 23 - FORGE Shark Tank Premiere
Thursday, September 29 - FORGE Cereal Entrepreneurs
Thursday, September 29 - Startup Tucson Startup 101 - Oro Valley Edition
Friday, September 30 - FORGE Venture Valley Tournament & Venture Expo