A huge and celebratory crowd gathered at Omni Tempe at ASU for the Champions of Change Awards, where Arizona business and community leaders were recognized for transforming industries, strengthening communities and redefining what leadership looks like through innovation, philanthropy and service.
Hosted by Az Business magazine and presented by Phillips Law Group, the fourth annual event honored standout organizations and individuals who are creating lasting impact across Arizona.
“This event is about honoring those individuals and organizations who have the courage to adapt to the world around us and make the changes needed to lift others up, give them strength, make them better, and in the process, elevate entire communities and industries,” said Amy Lindsey, vice president and publisher of AZ Big Media.
Held in a packed ballroom at Omni Tempe at ASU, the event celebrated finalists selected from hundreds of nominations, recognizing achievements in healthcare, philanthropy, innovation, business leadership and nonprofit impact. This year’s ceremony also introduced two surprise honors — the Quiet Champion Award and Inspiring Change Award — spotlighting extraordinary leadership behind the scenes and resilience through adversity.
Lindsey praised the finalists and winners as examples of resilience, purpose and transformational leadership.
“Becoming a champion of change in business demands courage, resilience and unwavering belief,” Lindsey said during the ceremony. “True change-makers lead with heart, lift others as they rise and transform challenges into opportunities that spark lasting, meaningful change.”
To download the photos from the Champions of Change Awards, click here.
The event featured an energetic, superhero-themed program co-hosted by Lindsey, complete with custom walk-up songs, capes for winners and a surprise AI-generated “co-host” cameo. Sponsors included BOK Financial, Phillips Law Group, Plexus Worldwide, Valleywise Health and CHASSE Building Team. Signature sponsors included Ballet Arizona, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Child Crisis Arizona, Cox Communications, Desert Financial Credit Union, Mercy Care, Rafi Law Group, Salt River Project, Sun Health and Tribal Health.
In addition to honoring corporate and community leadership, BOK Financial awarded grants to the winners of the nonprofit categories, which were selected by more than 100,000 public votes.
2026 Champions of Change winners
Medium-size Business Leader of the Year — Nasser Abujbarah, Phillips Law Group
Large-size Business Leader of the Year — Ryan Abbott, Clayco
Business of the Year — Salt River Project (SRP)
Philanthropic Business Leader of the Year — Alec Clark, Plexus Worldwide
Philanthropic Company of the Year — Desert Financial Credit Union
Corporate Philanthropic Organization of the Year — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation
Healthcare Leader of the Year — Morgan Haynes, Tribal Health
Healthcare Organization of the Year — Sun Health Foundation
Innovative Company of the Year — BioLab Holdings
Nonprofit Leader of the Year — Michael Hughes, A New Leaf
Nonprofit Organization of the Year — The Worker
Quiet Champion Award — John Hernandez, APS
Inspiring Change Award — Diana Gibson, REDW Advisors & CPAs
Lifetime Achievement Award — Steve Purves, Valleywise Health
As the ceremony closed, attendees raised their hands to catch superhero capes tossed from the stage — a fitting ending to an event designed to celebrate Arizona leaders changing the game and inspiring others to do the same.
