Francine Hardaway remains on the lips and holiday card lists of many tech company leaders in the Phoenix area. But who is Francine Hardaway and why should you care? For many business owners, Francine is a sounding board, a connector, a promoter, and an experienced entrepreneur. And in some ways Francine has affected the lives of every individual living in Phoenix through the business community and through her PR tactics. Today, Francine understands the problems within the tech community yet remains focused on her goals.
In 1968, Francine moved to Phoenix with a boy. “It was the Summer of Love and I was in love,” said Hardaway. With her PhD in hand, she taught for 10 years at a local college before starting her legendary PR firm called Hardaway Connections in 1980. During this time, Francine began researching technology to offset her startup costs. Hardaway states,

“I couldn’t afford a secretary when I started my business, so I got an Apple 2 and an answering machine and pretended I was an expert. In truth, I WAS a futurist and always have been.”

In 1993 she began her second business venture called Hardaway Marketing Services. With the 18+ years of business experience and the ability to take her client’s businesses to the next level, she co-founded Stealthmode Partners in 1998 to continue her habit of helping Phoenix business owners and the city as a whole. In 1999, with four other cohorts, the company Opnix was added to her list of startups. Currently, she is in talks with others regarding a new bank called Ventana Bank.

When asked which clubs and conferences she has established or been a part of establishing in Phoenix, the list was long and impressive. The list includes Arizona Futures Institute, Enterprise Network, Arizona Software Association (now Arizona Tech Council), Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council, NAWBO Phoenix, Phoenix Community Alliance, AZCREW (formerly Women in Commercial Real Estate), Greater Arizona ELearning Association (GAZeL), Arizona Health Information Technology Association, Arizona Entrepreneurship Conferences, Social Media Club, and Stealthmode Roundtable. “I know there were others, but they don’t still exist or I don’t remember them” said Hardaway.

According to Hardaway, Phoenix faces many problems regarding the technology industry yet she understands the problems and remains steadfast in her goals. She believes there is lack of expertise among entrepreneurs about what it takes to running a business, lack of true innovation, lack of seed capital, and lack of skilled teams. Her goal is to keep educated children in Phoenix by creating high paying jobs in entrepreneurial companies as well as switching the focus of the community from attracting new people (growth and real estate) to retaining good people.

Francine Hardaway continues to remain available for business advice through her FastTrac program. To learn more about Francine subscribe to her blog and subscribe to daily hoopla.

Tags: Francine Hardaway, Stealthmode