20 JUNE 2026 By Mallory Gleich Giving back has become a family tradition for one Michael Nuss and his son, Tyler, whose connection to Society of St. Vincent de Paul began through a service group and has since grown into a meaningful way for the entire family to support the community. Tyler first became involved with SVdP through Boys Team Charity (BTC), an organization he participates in alongside his father. BTC is focused on instilling a spirit of philanthropy in young men through collaborative projects with their parents. Boys in grades 7-12 aim to strengthen community ties, promote personal growth, and develop leadership skills. Through the group, Tyler and Michael were introduced to SVdP’s Hearts and Hands opportunities, which quickly became a regular part of their service calendar. Hearts and Hands takes place every first Saturday of the month and offers a variety of opportunities for all ages. What started as a father-son activity soon became a family effort. Today, Tyler, his mom, his dad and his sister often volunteer through the National Charity League, helping support the programs while also earning volunteer service hours. Their responsibilities vary depending on the day’s needs. “Activities include making craft projects or creating blessing cards – which is what we do most of the time,” Tyler said. “Occasionally we are able to work in the kitchen area when they need our help, but we enjoy being flexible and open to new experiences.” For Tyler, the most rewarding part of giving back is knowing the work directly benefits people in need. “Knowing that what we’re doing is going toward a greater cause, and that it will truly make a substantial difference, is my favorite part,” he said. Volunteering alongside his father also makes the experience especially memorable. “I think just the dynamic he always brings is the best part,” Tyler said. “He always manages to make our volunteer opportunities much more exciting than I expect them to be.” The Nuss family said they’ll continue to support SVdP because of the organization’s commitment to helping vulnerable populations across the Valley. “St. Vincent de Paul does excellent work supporting the most defenseless people in our community,” Michael said. “It’s a pleasure to be part of the organization.” Outside of SVdP, the family volunteers through other Boys Team Charity opportunities, including Saving Amy, a philanthropy focused on giving underprivileged children opportunities to visit fun and exciting destinations. Through their continued service, the family hopes to inspire others to find meaningful ways to give back and strengthen their community. Like father, like son: Valley duo give back to SVdP By Michael P. Murphy Though we may hate to admit it, we love technology. In many ways it enhances our lives and makes the world a better place. This is why AZ Tech Week, held in April, was so vital in raising the profile of technology, not only across the world, but especially in Arizona. To say it was a big success would be an understatement. “We had over 18,000 people attend the inaugural event,” said Katie Sieker, Senior Vice President of Venture Partnerships with the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). “Thirty-nine states and 26 different countries were represented, making it the largest inaugural tech week on record.” One of the goals of the ACA was to tell the story of Arizona throughout AZ Tech Week. As a result, 419 tech events were held in 29 cities, offering a variety of programs, demonstrations and lectures. Events included a drone show, a tour of the Amazon warehouse, even a robot rodeo in Chandler. There were also creative things like concerts, hiking, yoga and running events. “Anyone can hold a Tech Week event,” Katie said. “Our role at ACA was to help convene the state by spreading the word and hosting the platform for the website and the application, called Particle, that allows people to sign up for events. We convene on this model to help support people, and then you can do anything.” One event was led by Chantel Newman, a junior at Xavier Prep. She recognizes Artificial Intelligence is everywhere in our lives, so she set out to learn how it affects her generation. After performing an essay study with a group of students, the result was a 41-page AP research project, How GenAI Impacts Teen Curiosity, that she presented to a group in Scottsdale during AZ Tech Week. “There really haven’t been any studies on this because it’s so new,” Chantel said. “I had three statement groups. No AI, Ethical AI, which is AI for brainstorming, and Full AI, where they can just generate the essay. There was just a minor correlation between curiosity and AI use. Overall, I found there wasn’t a strong relationship between the two.” After analyzing the data further, she found the students were asking questions to discover what AI has to tell them. The bottom line was they wanted to know how to use it better. “I want to learn more about how AI impacts curiosity and students overall,” Chantel said. “I want to encourage healthy use and show how it can be used for good.” The subject was a major thread that ran throughout AZ Tech Week, as was venture funding with Venture Capital. It was a perfect opportunity for small businesses to participate in economic development. Global attention was invaluable, with many outside companies coming to see how they can engage and take advantage of the growth in Arizona. “AZ Tech Week was a massive success,” Katie said. “I felt a real sense of pride because we’ve been a fragmented market over the last decade while we’ve been trying to figure out the industries that are going to take hold. It was amazing to feel proud of what we’ve been holding together over the last decade.” Despite not knowing most of the attendees at her presentation, Chantel came to appreciate their questions and comments. “Just being in a community of people to interact and discuss technology with was what made AZ Tech Week so special,” she said. AZ Tech Week 2027 is already being planned. Don’t be surprised if Chantel has more to say about AI by then. azcommerce.com Innovation shines at inaugural AZ Tech Week Tyler and Michael Nuss have become regulars at St. Vincent and help with the Hearts and Hands program. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL NUSS Attendees and presenters Jonathan Cohen, Sandra Watson, Bill Gross, Governor Katie Hobbs, Cristian Rabiti, Allen Morgan, and John Schreiber. PHOTOS COURTESY OF AZ TECH WEEK

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