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As the Senior Vice President of Venture Partnerships at the Arizona Commerce Authority, her and her team lead initiatives that support Arizona’s startup ecosystem and connect investors with emerging companies, such as AZ Tech Week, the Arizona Innovation Challenge, Deal Haus and LaunchAZ. Katie's dedication extends beyond her corporate role through her work with yesAZ, a nonprofit strengthening the Phoenix startup scene with yesPHX and PHX Startup Week. 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She has held leadership roles in high-growth technology companies, including Carvana and RevolutionParts, where she has led recruiting, People Operations, culture, and organizational strategy.\n\nKnown for her candid, practical approach and ability to bring calm and clarity to complex situations, Chiara speaks about leadership, talent, company culture, recruiting, employee experience, and the changing role of AI in the workplace. She is particularly passionate about helping leaders build organizations where people can do great work without losing the human side of business.\n\nToday, Chiara is also a cofounder of RootWorks, an emerging agricultural company focused on improving soil health, water efficiency, and growing performance. 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Her work focuses on using AI, data, and technology to improve how work gets done and what people are able to accomplish.\n\nMinky is CEO and co-founder of Mercurio Analytics, Chair of the Arizona Technology Council’s AI Ecosystem Committee, and a member of the Maricopa County Workforce Development Board. Her career includes work with Nike, JDA (Blue Yonder), the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities, and Orbital Sciences (now part of Northrop Grumman).\n\nHer perspective on AI and the workforce is practical and forward-looking: use AI to make people better at what they do today while developing the adaptability and skills they will need for jobs and opportunities that have yet to be defined.","image":{"url":"https://ucarecdn.com/33eb1349-d386-4418-a6ae-f04cb5489194/","alt":"Minky Kernacs","width":1080,"height":1080},"direct_link":"https://stacklist.com/card/c8ca92ed-d4db-4a6d-be1a-8dec84e9189e","created_at":"2026-10-12T11:32:49.338Z","updated_at":null}],"stats":{"likes_count":0,"items_count":3},"_links":{"self":"/api/public/stack/698e6bd7-dc9c-47cc-bec4-d746ef3dd1ee.json","html":"https://stacklist.com/stack/698e6bd7-dc9c-47cc-bec4-d746ef3dd1ee","rss":"/api/feeds/stack/698e6bd7-dc9c-47cc-bec4-d746ef3dd1ee/rss","json_feed":"/api/feeds/stack/698e6bd7-dc9c-47cc-bec4-d746ef3dd1ee/json"}}