Today and Tomorrow in Scottsdale Don Henninger

Jason Richardson is the founder of Bad Birdie Golf, a company known for its vibrant and unique golf apparel. The path that led him there started when he was 12 and introduced to golf as a caddy at Forest Highlands. Along the way, he came up with the idea of building a business around golf apparel, which lead to an appearance on Shark Tank and now has resulted in a solid business based in his hometown of Scottsdale. Whether you’re are skilled player or not, Jason has found a way to make everyone look good on the golf course.

Diana and David Vowels have launched Pet Ortho Braces, a Scottsdale company that provides compassionate care for pets. Specializing in custom orthotic braces, they offer non-surgical treatment options for dogs suffering from torn canine cruciate ligament injuries. They also produce a range of other braces, prosthetics, and wheelchairs for various pets, including horses. Their innovative solutions help pets regain their mobility and lead healthier lives and bring comfort and peace of mind to their owners.

Nathan Slater, the district athletic director for the Scottsdale Unified School District, is nearing the end of a 30-year career in the school system. His roots go deep. He is an SUSD graduate who returned to spend a remarkable career in a number of positions with the district, with the last overseeing athletics for all the district’s schools. He has always made core values and academic standards the priority for his student athletes and those values no doubt will continue long after his retirement.

With two business degrees from ASU, J.D. Hill was ready to join the business world after graduation when he discovered that his true passion was farming. As he started looking for options in that field, he learned of the food recycling business. Soon, he started composting recycled food in his back yard and … fast forward … today it’s a business with 20 employees that recycles 12,000 pounds of food waste per day from 150 commercial and 3,500 residential customers, with lots of them in Scottsdale. Check out his impressive career journey, one that is making a big difference for our environment.

Betty Janik is in the last year of her first term as a member of the Scottsdale City Council. Find out what it’s been like to serve on council – including good and bad surprises – and her take on the most important issues facing the city. Betty has decided not to seek re-election but she’s been a consistent contributor to the community and there’s no doubt she’ll do more of that after her term expires. She has ideas already on how she’ll continue to be a champion for Scottsdale.

David Ariosto has worked as a journalist, editor, executive and author in a career journey through more than 50 countries. Included along the way were two years in Cuba working for CNN, where he developed material for a book, “This is Cuba: An American Journalist Under Castro’s Shadow.” It’s a fascinating look at his time there. Find out how David’s journey led him to now living in Scottsdale where he’s working on a new book about the great space race.