In studios, labs, and downtown storefronts, founders like URBIX are turning ideas into impact—and Kelley is there every step of the way.
Mesa might be known for big names like Meta and Virgin Galactic, but the city’s most exciting growth is happening quietly—in small shops, studios, and labs where entrepreneurs are building businesses with the city right behind them. Take URBIX, for example. The company started inside LaunchPoint with just three offices and one lab. Today, it’s producing battery-grade graphite for electric vehicles and energy storage—and it’s still headquartered in Mesa, creating high-tech jobs and strengthening the local economy.
“That was really my introduction to working with small businesses here in the city. Street by street, literally walking door to door, talking to owners about what they needed,” says Kelley Keffer, who guided URBIX and dozens of other founders through Mesa’s growing ecosystem.
URBIX’s story is exactly what Mesa Business Builder set out to do: give local entrepreneurs the resources, space, and guidance to grow, and watch them become global innovators rooted in the community. From early lab work to a 31,000‑square‑foot headquarters in Mesa’s Falcon District, URBIX shows what happens when a city invests in the people who live and work there.
Kelley Keffer: From Carpenter to Connector
Kelley didn’t start in an office. She spent 20 years as a high-end carpenter, running her own business, solving problems, and figuring out what it takes to make a business work. That experience led her to advising and teaching—running the Small Business Development Center in Mohave County, teaching at a community college, and eventually joining Mesa to help downtown businesses navigate the chaos of light rail construction.
Those early street-by-street walks became the foundation for Mesa Business Builder, nine programs built around listening to the people actually doing the work. The goal is simple: support businesses so they can grow and thrive right here in Mesa.
How Mesa Business Builder Works
Mesa Business Builder is organized into three areas: Information and Communications, Education and Training, and Specialty Spaces. Each part meets businesses where they are and gives them what they need next.
Information and Communications is where it starts. The website, MesaBusinessBuilder.com, is a hub for resources. There’s a 16-chapter guide updated twice a year. The Business Advocate newsletter reaches 9,000 subscribers with a 47% open rate, sharing information businesses actually want. And the podcast at The Studios gives founders a stage to tell their stories and lessons.
Education and Training comes next. Free one-on-one consulting helps business owners tackle what they didn’t learn in school or on the job—marketing, finance, planning.
“Just because you’re a great carpenter doesn’t mean you know how to do books. That’s where we come in,” Kelley says. Mesa also covers tuition for select Mesa Community College classes for up to two employees per business—accounting, entrepreneurship, digital skills. And the Mesa Hub gives 24/7 access to online resources, grant portals, and a local business directory.
Spaces That Make Growth Real
“The Studios gives startups access to workstations, recording gear, and creative tools—everything they need to build, create, and tell their story without a huge upfront investment.”
For businesses ready to scale, Mesa offers LaunchPoint and The Studios. LaunchPoint provides office and lab space for $25 per square foot per year. Over 70 companies have participated, raising more than $500 million and creating nearly 400 jobs. Kelley works with founders to refine messaging and presentations, turning ideas into results.
The Studios gives startups access to equipment and creative tools—workstations, recording gear, and more—so they can build, record, or create without a huge upfront investment.
“We wanted to create a space where startups could build and tell their story without needing $20,000 in gear,” Kelley says. URBIX is a perfect example of this support in action: starting small, getting the guidance and space they needed, and now growing into a company that creates jobs and strengthens the local economy.
Looking Ahead
Kelley sees the next five years as a chance to deepen the impact. The city plans to bring in retail, restaurants, and other businesses that support founders and their families. LaunchPoint and The Studios will continue to evolve to meet the needs of more companies.
“Programs shouldn’t be based on assumptions. They should be based on listening,” Kelley says. At its core, Mesa Business Builder is about economic gardening—planting seeds, nurturing growth, and watching results take root in the community. You can see it downtown—in a studio filled with activity, a lab full of ideas, or in a founder’s eyes when a plan comes together. Mesa’s transformation isn’t flashy. It’s real, deliberate, and happening right in front of you.
For more information on the Mesa Business Builder, visit www.mesabusinessbuilder.com
