Silicon Oasis and InvisionAZ Merge to Form Arizona’s Premier Founder-Led Tech Ecosystem

Phoenix, Arizona — March 23,2026 — Silicon Oasis Initiative and InvisionAZ today announced the completion of a strategic merger, forming Arizona’s leading privately led, founder-driven technology ecosystem organization. The merger, officially completed on February 20, 2026, establishes a unified statewide platform designed to connect founders, investors, operators, and institutions while accelerating the growth of Arizona’s innovation economy.

Silicon Oasis has emerged as a grassroots, founder-led movement built from within Arizona’s startup community, focused on connecting builders, operators, and investors through media, events, and direct engagement. In contrast, InvisionAZ has played a critical role in advancing statewide policy, economic development, and large-scale ecosystem initiatives. Together, the organizations bring both bottom-up community energy and top-down strategic influence, creating a more complete and coordinated platform to support Arizona’s innovation economy.

Historically, Arizona’s technology ecosystem has operated in fragmented pockets, often led by institutions rather than the founders building companies. This merger represents a structural shift — placing entrepreneurs, operators, and investors at the center of ecosystem leadership. The combined organization will operate under the Silicon Oasis Initiative brand, serving as the central hub for Arizona’s technology community with a focus on coordination, credibility, and long-term momentum. “This is about building the connective tissue Arizona has been missing,” said Kyle Macdonald, CEO of Silicon Oasis. “We have the talent, capital, and companies — now we have the platform to unify them.”

The organization will drive impact through four core priorities: policy engagement to support initiatives that strengthen Arizona’s environment for innovation; resource deployment to connect founders with capital, talent, and mentorship; ecosystem connectivity to link founders, investors, corporations, and institutions statewide; and communications and visibility to elevate Arizona through media, storytelling, and events. Silicon Oasis will execute this vision through a structured ecosystem model that includes industry pillars such as AI, defense, semiconductor, software, healthtech, and cleantech, alongside founder-led programming, strategic partnerships, and a unified media platform. Flagship initiatives will include the Silicon Oasis Summit, Silicon Oasis Pitch Nights, Arizona Tech Week collaborations, and recurring ecosystem-wide events.

Board of Directors

The Silicon Oasis Initiative is guided by a distinguished Board of Directors comprised of leading founders, executives, investors, and public-private leaders:

• Jack Selby, Chair — General Partner at Copper Sky Capital; former PayPal executive and investor at Thiel Capital.

• Ernie Garcia Jr. — Founder & CEO of Carvana; former Treasurer of DriveTime

• John Ragan, Vice Chair — CEO of InvisionAZ; former President & CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce

• Aaron Matos — Founder & Executive Chairman of Paradox; former founder of Jobing.com and Recruiting.com

• John J. Donahoe — CEO & Co-Owner, Positive Recovery Solutions Holdings (PRS), Founder and Former CEO, National Imaging Associates

• Clate Mask — CEO of PHX FWD, former CEO of Keap (Infusionsoft)

• Dennis Dahlen — CFO of Mayo Clinic; former CFO of Banner Health

• Andy Lombard — CEO of Tesoro.vc; former Executive VP at the Arizona Commerce Authority

• Jerry Coleman — Co-founder of Offerpad; formerly Invitation Homes, Elevation Solar, Build to Stay

• Gregg Scoresby — Founder PHX FWD, PHX Ventures; former Founder & CEO of CampusLogic

• Chris Camacho —SVP Global Strategy of Axon; former President & CEO of GPEC

• Steven Pidgeon — Managing Partner at DLA Piper; led $50B+ in M&A, securities, and private equity transactions

• Jeff Guldner — Former Chairman & CEO of APS/Pinnacle West; board member at Duke Energy

• Sandra Watson — President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority

• Steve Brown — Founder & CEO of Trinity Capital; 30+ years in venture finance

• Michael DiMaria — Partner at Total Spectrum; former executive at Cox and AT&T

The long-term vision of Silicon Oasis is to position Phoenix and the broader Arizona market as a globally recognized innovation hub, driven by founders, investors, and operators building the future of the state. By aligning leadership, capital, and community under one platform, the organization aims to accelerate company formation, attract investment, and retain top talent in Arizona.

The Silicon Oasis Initiative is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting Arizona’s startup ecosystem through media, events, and strategic infrastructure. The organization connects founders, investors, and operators to drive innovation and economic growth across the state.

Get Involved

To stay connected with Arizona’s rapidly growing technology ecosystem, readers are invited to subscribe to the Silicon Oasis News Network for weekly updates, insights, and founder stories, and to explore the Silicon Oasis Magazine for deeper coverage of the people, companies, and trends shaping the state.

Founders, investors, and community leaders are also encouraged to register for the upcoming Silicon Oasis Summit, where Arizona’s innovation community will come together to share ideas, build relationships, and help shape the future of the ecosystem.