How Kelley Keffer and Mesa Business Builder Are Cultivating Growth from the Ground Up
By Ava Marie LaMonica ,Senior Editor
Mesa is known for drawing headline-making companies like Meta and Virgin Galactic, but its most transformative growth may be happening at a smaller scale. Tucked into storefronts, maker spaces, and digital studios across the city is a new wave of entrepreneurs building businesses with the full backing of the City of Mesa. At the center of it all is Kelley Keffer, the strategic mind and entrepreneurial heart behind Mesa Business Builder, a nine-part initiative reshaping how cities support small businesses.
Kelley Keffer serves as project manager for the program. Her approach is grounded in experience. “Every business I meet teaches me something new,” she says. “It’s the most rewarding part of what I do.”
From Carpenter to Connector
Before becoming a fixture in Mesa’s economic development office, Keffer spent two decades as a high-end carpentry contractor. Her entrepreneurial path eventually led her to advising and teaching. She ran the Small Business Development Center in Mohave County for seven years and taught at the community college level. When she joined the City of Mesa 13 years ago, it was to help downtown businesses navigate the upheaval of light rail construction.
“That was really my introduction to working with small businesses here in the city,” she says. “It was street by street, literally walking door to door, talking to owners about what they needed.”
Mesa’s Downtown Renaissance
Over the last decade, Mesa’s downtown has evolved from torn-up infrastructure into a thriving hub for innovation and investment. What began as a massive light rail project became a springboard for revitalization and an opportunity to rethink how the city supports local entrepreneurs.
“There was a time when Mesa didn’t offer much in terms of direct small business resources,” Keffer recalls. “But now, we’ve built a comprehensive ecosystem with nine coordinated programs. And every piece of it came from listening.”
Inside Mesa Business Builder
Mesa Business Builder (MBB) is the city’s most ambitious small business support system to date. Its nine programs are organized into three focus areas: Information and Communications, Education and Training and Specialty Spaces. Together, they offer guidance and infrastructure at every stage of the business journey.
Information and Communications
At the front end is clarity and access. The MBB website, MesaBusinessBuilder.com, serves as a centralized resource hub. The city also publishes a 16-chapter Business Resource Guide, updated twice a year with tools ranging from grant opportunities to market data.
MBB’s Business Advocate newsletter reaches 9,000 subscribers with a 47 percent open rate. Monthly themes are based on feedback from the business community. A newly launched podcast, recorded at The Studios, features expert interviews and soon will include Mesa-based founders sharing their own stories.
Education and Training
Next is capacity building. The Small Business Assistance Program offers free one-on-one consulting in areas such as marketing, finance, and business planning. It is open to Mesa-based for-profit businesses with 25 or fewer employees, including home-based operations. Consultants are vetted and matched to each business’s specific needs.
“Just because you’re a great carpenter doesn’t mean you know how to do books,” Keffer says. “That’s where we come in.”
The city also funds the MCC Tuition Program, which covers select classes at Mesa Community College for up to two employees per business. Popular programs include accounting, entrepreneurship, and digital skills.
The Mesa Hub platform provides 24/7 access to online resources, including a message board, grant portal, training library, events calendar, and a local business directory.
Specialty Spaces
For entrepreneurs ready to scale, Mesa provides dedicated spaces through LaunchPoint and The Studios.
LaunchPoint is the city’s business incubator, offering private office space and lab facilities at a sustainable $25 per square foot per year. More than 70 companies have participated, collectively raising over $500 million and creating nearly 400 jobs. Sectors include medical technology, environmental science, and advanced materials. Keffer often helps founders refine their technical messaging when pitching to investors.
The Studios provides multimedia and creative tools such as Alienware workstations, AR/VR gear, and a full podcast recording suite. “We wanted to create a space where startups could build and tell their story without needing $20,000 in gear,” says Keffer.
Proof in Practice: URBIX
URBIX, a company specializing in advanced composite materials, is a standout success story. Founded by three University of Arizona graduates, they entered LaunchPoint with three offices and one lab. Today, they occupy seven offices and three labs, and they are still expanding, all while keeping Mesa as their headquarters. URBIX reflects Mesa’s commitment to nurturing high-impact businesses that stay and grow locally.
The Road Ahead
Looking ahead, Keffer sees the next five years as a time for deeper integration. The city plans to attract more elevated retail, restaurant concepts, and lifestyle investments that support founders and their families. The Studios will continue to adapt as technology evolves, with new tools centered around AI and immersive media. There are also plans to expand the reach and scale of LaunchPoint to serve even more innovation-driven sectors.
But the core philosophy will remain the same: development rooted in community input. “Programs shouldn’t be based on assumptions,” Keffer says. “They should be based on listening.”
Planting the Seeds
Keffer sees herself not as a manager of city programs, but as someone helping entrepreneurs unlock potential. Her mindset is grounded in growth.
“We call it economic gardening,” she explains. “We plant seeds, nourish them, and harvest the growth right here.”
Mesa’s approach may not be flashy, but it is deliberate. It’s about building an ecosystem that doesn’t just attract businesses from elsewhere, but grows them from the inside out.
LEARN MORE:
Website: MesaBusinessBuilder.com
Studios Info: mbbthestudios.com
Contact Kelley Keffer: kelley.keffer@mesaaz.gov
Direct Line: 480-644-6958
