Santa Ana, California-based, Optima Tax Relief recently selected Chandler, Arizona, for its first location outside of "The Golden State." The company, which has more than 450 employees in California, is beginning operations with 20 employees in its office at 5530 W. Chandler Blvd. Founded in 2011, Optima Tax Relief is the largest tax resolution company in the nation. 

The company believes Chandler offers the right environment to support its continued growth. "After considering five major markets across the country, Optima Tax Relief chose Metro Phoenix and, in particular the City of Chandler, due to its strong workforce and low operating costs," said Ben Simpson, vice president of Phoenix operations for Optima Tax Relief. "We were very impressed with Chandler. Our experience has been very positive and we have rapid expansion plans, with 20 employees currently and a goal to reach 100 employees over the next 12 months."

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The City of Chandler and its PHX East Valley partners are offering a series of free workshops for individuals interested in becoming angel investors. Two workshops have been held so far and there are four more scheduled through March 2018. The next workshop will be held tonight from 5 to 6 p.m. at the ASU Chandler Innovation Center, 249 E. Chicago St.

Led by Jim Goulka, Managing Director of Arizona Tech Investors, tonight's session introduces techniques for valuing investment opportunities.  "The topic of valuation is at the heart of all investing and, in angel investing, is more art than science," said Mr. Goulka. "My presentation will be based on a huge amount of analysis and practice that has gone on in the angel community over the last 19 years, research conducted by the Kauffmann Foundation, and a variety of programming. All of which is to say that there is a lot of value stored in the presentation I will do."

Visit investphxev.org to learn more about this initiative, view past presentations and register for upcoming workshops.

Four businesses in Chandler participated in the Metro Phoenix Export Alliance ( MPEXA) Export Challenge Pitch Competition on Tuesday, Dec. 5. They joined six other contenders chosen from a pool of nearly 30 applicants, following an initial round of submissions. Each of the 10 finalists presented their export plans before a panel of judges and a live audience. A total of $50,000 in grant funds was awarded to the first, second and third place winners to help them implement their plans. The grants were made possible with the philanthropic support of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The SHE Power Half Marathon & 5K had its Arizona debut in Chandler in April 2017. Designed to empower women of all ages and abilities, the event attracted more than 1,500 female runners including 83 non-Arizonan participants from more than 25 states. In addition to promoting "SHE power," these visitors brought new economic activity to Chandler by shopping, dining and staying at local hotels. Planned to be an annual event, the SHE Power Half Marathon & 5K will return to Chandler on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018. See below for a brief promotional video.

With strong demographics, great visibility and easy access from Interstate 10 and Loop 202, West Chandler has for years been a prime retail destination. The area boasts more than 2.7 million square feet of retail space that includes top brands at Chandler Pavilions and the Shoppes at Casa Paloma, dozens of restaurants and several luxury auto dealerships. Over the past year, vacancy has fallen to 5.6% (its lowest level since 2008) as the area has welcomed several new retailers and restaurants. The following are just some of the businesses that have recently opened in West Chandler:

• Copper Still Moonshine Grill: 7450 W. Chandler Blvd.
• Jaguar Chandler: 7470 W. Orchid Ln.
• Land Rover Chandler: 7470 W. Orchid Ln.
• Potato Barn: 865 N. 54th St.
• REI: 870 N. 54th St.
• Salad and Go: 5985 W. Chandler Blvd.