For the past four years, Forbes has gone inside communities across the country to find the up-and-coming startups shaping their local economies.

From the inaugural Local list in 2023 to today, those like NFL quarterback Joe Burrow, Drea Okeke (a now-Under 30 U.S. lister and a creator with more than 6 million followers online), and Camila Victoriano (the cofounder of $13 million-backed podcast company Sonoro who was the face of the Under 30 U.S. media category in 2024) have proven the power of building businesses and careers outside of hotspots like New York and San Francisco.

This year, Forbes set up shop in Arizona where we hosted the first of three Phoenix-based Under 30 summits. And to celebrate bringing Forbes to the Grand Canyon state, we highlighted the state’s top young local entrepreneurs with the Under 30 Local Arizona list.

This year’s local class includes marketing founders shaping how other local businesses promote themselves online, a creator interviewing the biggest music names in the industry, and a golfer defying what it means to be an athlete on a national stage. To learn more about them, we featured five standout Under 30 Local listers in our weekly Under 30 newsletter.

Here are our favorite excerpts:

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Daniel Wall, 29

Founder, Behind The Wall

What first pulled you into media and entertainment, and when did you realize interviewing was your lane?

What’s interesting is I don’t know if I ever had a moment where I decided interviewing was my lane. I’ve always just been drawn to conversations and curiosity. I started making content when I was around 12 or 13, but my parents didn’t want me posting on social media, so I’d constantly have to take things down. Years later, I finally committed to it and started posting consistently, just because I loved it. I didn’t have a viral moment until around my first 150 posts, and honestly, I don’t feel like I really understood what I was doing until a few thousand in.

I didn’t study journalism or learn how to ask questions in a traditional way—I was just deeply interested in the same industry I was trying to understand. Even now, I don’t really think of myself as a traditional interviewer or journalist. I just try to listen, stay present, and ask the questions I genuinely want answers to.

You posted 150+ videos before going viral. What made you stick with it?

Honestly, I just really enjoyed it. At the beginning, there was no money in it and I never thought it would turn into a career. It was more like, “Wait, I can make videos about things I actually care about, and just keep doing it?” I was making videos about the behind the scenes of entertainment, but also just stuff I thought was funny. It felt fun to me, not like work.

I do remember the first time something went viral, it got around 300,000 views, which felt crazy at the time. And then I tried to do it again, and the next video got like 7,000 views. And I remember thinking, “Okay… that’s not the same.” I think that’s the moment where most people stop. But for me, I didn’t really see it as failing. I just saw it as part of figuring it out. Over time, you start to learn what works, what doesn’t, what connects, what doesn’t. That only comes from doing it over and over again. Now I’ve posted over 10,000 videos and gotten over 4 billion views across platforms.

Give us a hot take you have after being in the entertainment world.

Most people think the entertainment industry is about talent, but it’s really about consistency. There are incredibly talented people who never get seen, and there are people who just kept showing up and figured it out over time. Most people don’t fail because they’re not good enough, they fail because they stop too early.

Read his full Q&A here.

Ahmad Alatrash, 28

Founder, Fresh Street Mex

You went from one to-go storefront to now operating more than 10 dine-in restaurants. What have you learned about scaling?

When we started with a single to-go storefront, we thought scaling simply meant repeating what worked in more places. What we learned is that real scaling isn’t repetition, it’s discipline. You don’t expand what you hope works; you expand what’s already proven to hold up, consistently, under pressure.

As we moved into dine-in restaurants, the challenge became keeping the experience consistent across different teams, volumes and environments. That required building strong systems and a clear culture before we ever opened the next door.

Going from one storefront to more than ten wasn’t about doing more. It was about doing the right things consistently enough that they could be trusted anywhere. That’s the real lesson. Growth isn’t about moving faster. It’s about building something that can stand anywhere and still feel like the same brand.

What’s unique about running a restaurant business in Arizona compared to other states?

Running a restaurant in Arizona is unique because the environment and community truly shape how you operate. The desert heat pushes us to be extremely disciplined about freshness and food quality every single day. Arizona also has strong local pride and high expectations for Mexican food. Guests know flavor, so authenticity and consistency are everything. With the state’s rapid growth and competition, we’ve learned that standing out isn’t just about great food. It’s about hospitality, community involvement and building real relationships.

You made $13 million in revenue last year. What’s been the biggest revenue driver for the business?

The biggest revenue driver for us has been consistent demand for our core menu and strong repeat customer traffic. We’ve focused heavily on building a product that people come back for regularly. Fresh ingredients, bold flavors and a fast-casual experience that works for both everyday meals and group orders. A big part of growth has also come from community engagement, like the fundraisers and local partnerships, which have helped us expand our reach and bring in new guests who often turn into repeat customers.

Read his full Q&A here.

Amy Bockerstette, 27

Golfer and Founder, I GOT THIS Foundation

Your 2019 round with Gary Woodland reached tens of millions of people. How did that sudden visibility change your life and your sense of responsibility?

Playing golf with Gary Woodland changed my life overnight. Millions of people learned my story and that par became a message about inclusion, ability and believing in yourself. In that first year, I did many interviews and was invited to 29 different events around the country. I made speeches, played in tournaments and helped nonprofits raise money. To pay it forward, my family launched our own nonprofit, I GOT THIS Foundation, on my 21st birthday, asking family and friends to donate to the foundation as my birthday present.

I soon realized that many families and people with intellectual disabilities saw hope and possibility in that par with Gary Woodland.

You’ve been a trailblazer for athletes with Down syndrome. What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced early on that people might not see from the outside?

The biggest obstacle was overcoming low expectations. Many people saw my Down syndrome before they saw my abilities. Some assumed I couldn’t compete, be independent or handle responsibility. Early in my career, I got funny looks in pro shops and on the first tees at golf courses, and people asked my parents, “Can she keep up?” I hope others now see that people with Down syndrome can achieve amazing things when given support and opportunity.

You’re helping reshape representation in athletics. What changes would you still like to see from institutions like colleges, sponsors and governing bodies?

I would love to see more organizations create opportunities for inclusion. Colleges can create more paths for athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete and be part of athletic communities. Sponsors can help by recognizing the talent, influence and impact athletes with intellectual disabilities can bring. Sports organizations should continue expanding accessibility, adaptive and unified programs, and competitive opportunities. The USGA, for example, does an awesome job of embracing athletes with disabilities through their adaptive golf programs and the U.S. Adaptive Open.

Read her full Q&A here.

Nina Cedro and Erica Kazuko, 27 and 28

Cofounders, TalaKō Creative

The name TalaKō Creative comes from your Filipino and Japanese roots. Can you describe the inspiration for the name?

Cedro: The name TalaKō Creative was deeply inspired by both of our cultural backgrounds as AAPI women. When we were brainstorming names for the agency, we knew from the beginning that we wanted something that reflected both of our heritages while also tying back to the heart of our creative approach.

Kazuko: “Tala” means star or shining light in Tagalog, and “Ko” means child in Japanese. For us, TalaKō represents using childlike creativity and imagination to shine a light on the stories of local businesses.

Is there a trend that you have seen emerge as a game-changer in marketing and advertising over the last five years?

Kazuko: One of the biggest game changers has been brands building publicly before everything is fully polished or complete. More founders are bringing audiences into the process early by sharing behind-the-scenes moments, challenges, growth, and the real journey of building something.

And as AI becomes more integrated into marketing and content creation, human connection becomes even more valuable. The brands that are winning right now are the ones creating genuine trust and community, not just visibility.

“Promote, hire, fire”: TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn?

Cedro: For a founder or personal brand, I’d probably say:

Promote: Instagram; Hire: LinkedIn; Fire: TikTok.

But I actually think the answer changes depending on whether you’re talking about a personal brand versus a small business.

Kazuko: I agree that each platform serves a very different purpose.

For a product-based brand, I’d say: Promote: TikTok; Hire: Instagram; Fire: LinkedIn

For a personal founder brand: Promote: Instagram; Hire: LinkedIn; Fire: TikTok.

Read their full Q&A here.

Dylan Capshaw, 20

Founder, Stemistry

You founded Stemistry at just 15 years old. What motivated you to get into entrepreneurship so early?

I had been starting businesses long before I even knew what entrepreneurship was. I would identify a need, figure out a solution, and sell it. Stemistry was the first venture that really gained momentum, and it was incredible getting to learn so many lessons at such a young and influential time in my life.

What motivated me most was the realization that I could create something from nothing. Once I saw that happen, I became obsessed with building, improving and growing.

What’s a small decision you made early on that ended up having an outsized impact on your growth?

Turning down the risk-analysis portion of my brain. Everyone told me that opening one new location per year was unrealistic, and they were probably right. But sometimes you have to be a little delusional to succeed.

When you take big swings, you push yourself to perform at a higher level. Your competition is working every day to outpace you. If you don’t keep up, you fall behind. Sometimes, being a little delusional is exactly what you need to build something big.

What’s something about Arizona’s startup scene that surprises outsiders?

Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the United States and one of the fastest-growing metro areas. With tens of thousands of new residents each year, strong job growth and thousands of new businesses opening annually, Phoenix has quickly become a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.

What surprises outsiders most is how fast things move here. Arizona has a strong pro-business environment, and local leaders genuinely want founders to succeed. Compared to other major cities, the ability to launch, build, and scale quickly here is a huge advantage.

Read his full Q&A here.