From the Editor:
Welcome to WE NXF, The Nextgen Art of Local Discovery.
The semester is closing, but things aren’t slowing down. Across Phoenix, students are already in motion—finishing projects while starting something else at the same time.
You can see it in the pitch rooms, in studio spaces downtown, in the way class work is being repurposed into something public. This stretch between finals and summer isn’t a pause. It’s where people decide what carries forward.
— Lionel Reddick Jr.
Editor-in-Chief
The Art of Local
Local is not small.
Local is foundational.
This publication will:
• spotlight real creators and ideas in real time
• celebrate experience over promotion
• document culture before it’s labeled
This publication will not:
• recycle the obvious
• center trends detached from place
• treat Phoenix as a backdrop
We document momentum.
We value depth.
We move with purpose.
This is WE NXF.
The Art of Local.
The Pulse
Student-built work moving into public, professional spaces before graduation
DETAILz:
Students are presenting projects, pitching startups, and sharing creative work outside of class settings. Events like Ignite the Future (April 23) and open “Pitch In” sessions are putting early-stage ideas in front of real audiences.
Where it’s happening:
Downtown Phoenix + Tempe, centered around ASU Media and Immersive eXperience Center and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute
Check the source:
https://entrepreneurship.asu.edu/e_i_events/
https://news.asu.edu/20260403-science-and-technology-firstever-az-tech-week-highlight-asu-student-faculty-innovations
Why it’s the hype:
These students didn’t until after graduation to get started. Their work is being shared, tested, and taken seriously right now. The line between student and professional is already blurred.
Yeaaaaa… that final project you’re finishing this week? Someone else is already turning theirs into a business.
The Scout
Get to know a Phoenix contributor:
Entrepreneurship & Student Innovation Leader to watch.
Stacy Murphy (She/her/hers)
Who is she: A Phoenix-based entrepreneurship leader working within Arizona State University’s student innovation ecosystem. She supports early-stage founders, student creatives, and campus-linked startups as they move ideas from concept to real-world ventures.
FYI:
She sits at a key access point between student ideas and actual opportunity in Phoenix. The programs she helps guide are where many first-time founders get feedback, funding direction, and exposure to the local startup scene.
What she’s contributing to Phoenix:
- Helping student-led startups take root locally instead of leaving the state
- Building pathways between education and real entrepreneurial work
- Strengthening Phoenix’s pipeline of early-stage founders and creatives
The Experience
Here is a place to experience exploration, social content, and genuine local engagement:
Ignite the Future
Go: April 22–23
Expect: Student pitch events, startup demos, and open networking with founders and mentors in downtown Phoenix
Vibe: Early-stage, unpolished, high-energy
Why go:
• Literally you’re watching ideas before they become real companies
• ASU + Maricopa students competing for funding + exposure
• Real-time feedback + networking
The Next
In our upcoming issue: Summer Shift Incoming — we’ll explore workplaces, studios, and local spaces that start picking up a different kind of energy as summer approaches.
Stay tuned for Phoenix’s summer season to begin.