This Week: Ready for Liftoff

Normally, when one thinks of the Spaceport, sub-orbital tourism comes to mind. However, there's another opportunity to use the facility. The Spaceport America Cup, put on annually, is a chance for more than 100 teams of young people to experience the facility, try their experimental rockets, and, most importantly, network for the next big job in space. Our economic development Senior Reporter Jacob Maranda brings us the report from Southern New Mexico. | READ MORE

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News You'll Want to Know

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• On Monday, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) spoke at an event about artificial intelligence and its impact in the community. The event, hosted by the Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team (WESST) and Bay Area-based nonprofit AIandYou, centered on AI and how it affects education, the workforce and small businesses.? Learn more in this piece from New Mexico News Fund Fellow Brody Foster . | READ MORE
• Applications are now open for the Route 66 Centennial Grant Program , facilitated by the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD). The aim of the program is to support projects that will promote events, marketing and infrastructure tied to the 100-year commemoration of Route 66, which will occur in 2026. Get the details from our Editor-In-Chief, Meagan Nichols . | READ MORE
• On July 16, the New Mexico Film Office, which is under the New Mexico Economic Development Department, reported the local film industry surpassed $740 million in direct production spending since October 2023. The Office attributed the figure to New Mexico's film tax credit , which has yielded an average economic return of $7.77 for every dollar invested in film from FY20 to FY23, according to a news release.?Read more from reporter Aayush Gupta . | READ MORE
• Two new hires on the radar this week - M'Tucci's Restaurants names longtime General Manager/Partner Chris O'Sickey as the company's inaugural COO ; and seasoned South Valley native and community strategist Javier Rojo starts July 29 as the new executive director of the Rio Grande Community Development Corporation.
• Feelin' a little cheesy? Husband and wife duo Alexis and Kyler Salisbury are launching Texas cult fave Roni's Mac Bar in the UNM area . Once it opens, the fast-casual restaurant will offer customizable mac and cheese bowls, and grilled cheese sandwiches. The standard meal, which includes a entree, a side and a drink, will be priced at $15, Kyler said. Why open a franchise in their hometown? "We're just two New Mexicans, trying to live the dream," Alexis said.

Our newsletter is curated by Albuquerque Business First's Managing Editor Wende Schwingendorf BA, MFA . If you have tips you'd like our reporters to check out, please reach out to her at [email protected] , or to our Editor-in-Chief Meagan Nichols at [email protected] .