Moonshot

What Moonshot does

Moonshot (legal entity: Northern Arizona Technology & Business Incubator, Inc., EIN 86-1019180) is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2001, originally as NATBI, rebranded to NACET in 2007 and to Moonshot in 2017 under current President & CEO Scott Hathcock. The organization is headquartered at 2225 N Gemini Drive, Suite E12, Flagstaff, Arizona, on a campus owned by the City of Flagstaff, which contracts Moonshot to operate the entrepreneurship program. Moonshot's mission is twofold: help subject-matter-expert entrepreneurs in rural Arizona bring products and services to market, and help rural Arizona cities develop entrepreneurial ecosystems that create local jobs.

The core product portfolio centers on the Rural AZ Pitch Competition, an annual multi-city pitch tour that has scaled to 20 stops across Arizona (with a 2026 expansion placing the first Phoenix-based statewide finals at Heritage Headquarters), supported by title sponsors including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, APS, and the Arizona Commerce Authority. The Moonshot Academy (delivered with Make Startups) provides investment-readiness training with AI-powered feedback. Moonshot Constellations is a private online community of 250+ founders for peer-to-peer learning. Supporting programs include the Founder Fundamentals nine-lesson self-paced curriculum, AZ Stitch Lab (workforce development for industrial sewing in partnership with the City of Tucson and Sonoran Stitch Factory, with pop-ups in Winslow and Sahuarita), the Flagstaff Campus incubator/accelerator space (now with its own dedicated moonshotflagstaff.com website launched May 2025), and a Success Stories video library. Mentorship advisory services have expanded into Nevada and Washington state.

Moonshot's revenue model is grant- and sponsorship-driven, not commercial. Revenue streams consist of federal and state grants (most recently a $2.2M award in 2024 to expand the pitch tour to 20 stops), corporate title and general sponsorships (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, APS, Arizona Commerce Authority), and program fees including workspace leasing, training workshops, and workforce development programming. The annual operating budget grew from approximately $700K in 2017 to $2M in 2025. Distribution is hybrid: a 24-passenger mobile tour delivers in-person programs to rural communities, a physical workspace at the Flagstaff campus serves local tenants, and the Constellations platform enables remote engagement. The organization has 1-10 employees, a C-suite including CEO Scott Hathcock, CFO/COO Donna Eastman Liddle, CMO Kiersten Hathcock, and Chief Learning Officer Dr. Sherri Ondrus, plus an Entrepreneur in Residence and a board with representation from APS, BCBS of Arizona, Arizona Commerce Authority, City of Flagstaff, Deckers, Desert Financial Credit Union, and other Arizona institutions.

Name

Moonshot

Legal name

Northern Arizona Technology & Business Incubator, Inc.

Website

https://moonshotaz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Moonshot is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2001 that supports rural Arizona entrepreneurs and helps cities build entrepreneurial ecosystems through the Rural AZ Pitch Competition tour, Moonshot Academy, the Constellations online founder community, the Flagstaff Campus incubator, and workforce development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship training
• Business incubation services
• Startup pitch competitions
• Workforce development programs
• Rural economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Flagstaff

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue stream from federal and state grants including a $2.2M grant awarded in 2024. As a 501c3 nonprofit, government grants fund core programming.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Title sponsors (e.g., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, APS) and general sponsors fund specific programs like the Rural AZ Pitch Competition and events.
3. Program Fees: Fees for services including workspace leasing, workforce development programs, and training workshops for entrepreneurs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Moonshot is a 501c3 nonprofit that delivers entrepreneurship training, pitch competitions, mentorship, and workforce development programs to rural Arizona entrepreneurs. Its portfolio includes the annual Rural AZ Pitch Competition (20-stop tour), Moonshot Academy (investment-readiness program with AI-powered feedback), Moonshot Constellations (online founder community), Founder Fundamentals (self-paced video curriculum), and AZ Stitch Lab (industrial sewing workforce training), complemented by physical incubator/accelerator space at the Flagstaff Campus.

Product overview

Moonshot is a 501c3 nonprofit organization (DBA Northern Arizona Technology & Business Incubator, Inc.) offering a portfolio of interconnected entrepreneurship programs for rural Arizona. The core offerings include the Rural AZ Pitch Competition (annual multi-city pitch tour), Moonshot Academy (investment-readiness program with AI-powered feedback), and Moonshot Constellations (online founder community). Supporting programs include Founder Fundamentals (self-paced video curriculum), AZ Stitch Lab (workforce development for industrial sewing), and the Flagstaff Campus (physical incubator/accelerator space). The organization operates a separate dedicated website for the Flagstaff Campus. Programs are designed to meet entrepreneurs at different stages, from early ideation through growth and investment readiness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rural AZ Pitch Competition: Annual multi-city entrepreneurship competition and pitch tour focusing on rural Arizona entrepreneurs.
• Moonshot Academy
• Moonshot Constellations
• AZ Stitch Lab
• Founder Fundamentals
• Moonshot Flagstaff Campus

Products and services

• Rural AZ Pitch Competition Annual multi-city business pitch competition and mobile tour that travels to rural Arizona communities, connecting rural entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, and resources from Arizona's urban centers.
• Moonshot Academy Intensive investment-readiness program offered in partnership with Make Startups that walks founders through business strategy, financial forecasting, competitive analysis, and business planning, supported by AI-powered feedback and a dedicated Moonshot mentor.
• Moonshot Constellations Private online community platform connecting over 250 Moonshot founders and service providers for peer-to-peer learning, resource exchange, and ongoing live and virtual events.
• AZ Stitch Lab Workforce development program providing industrial sewing skills and training across Arizona communities through a 5-week Basic Industrial Sewing Skills course covering industrial machine operations, factory safety, construction, and six commonly used industrial seams.
• Flagstaff Campus City of Flagstaff Campus Incubator and Accelerator buildings providing office, lab, and light manufacturing space for Northern Arizona entrepreneurs, managed by Moonshot with separate dedicated website for leasing and reservations.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.2M grant awarded in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• City of FlagstaffcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for entrepreneurship programming. Co-develops and hosts programs for local entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Flagstaff area.
• City of TucsonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for the AZ Stitch Lab program. Co-develops workforce development and entrepreneurship initiatives for Tucson communities.
• Arizona State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for entrepreneurship education and ecosystem development initiatives in Arizona.
• Make StartupsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for Moonshot Academy programming. Collaborates on curriculum development and program delivery for entrepreneurs.
• Sonoran Stitch FactorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for AZ Stitch Lab, a workforce development and maker space initiative combining sewing/maker skills with entrepreneurship training.
• Tucson Hispanic Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber partnership for Hispanic entrepreneur outreach and program promotion in the Tucson region.
• Yavapai College SBDCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall Business Development Center partnership for entrepreneur training and business support services in Yavapai County.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Techstars is one of the largest global accelerator networks, providing mentorship, funding, and programs to early-stage startups. While Moonshot focuses specifically on rural Arizona and is a nonprofit, both organizations serve entrepreneurs through structured accelerator-style programs and provide access to investor networks.
• Kiva: Kiva is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that provides 0% interest loans to underserved entrepreneurs worldwide. Both organizations leverage nonprofit structures to provide capital and support to entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional funding sources.
• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's largest startup accelerator, providing seed funding and intensive mentorship to early-stage companies. While not nonprofit or rural-focused, both organizations run cohort-style accelerator programs aimed at preparing founders for investment and scale.
• 1871: 1871 is a Chicago-based nonprofit technology incubator providing workspace, programming, and corporate connections to digital startups. Both organizations serve as nonprofit hubs providing entrepreneurship programming, corporate sponsorship, and community-building for early-stage founders.
• Accion: Accion is a global nonprofit focused on financial inclusion and small business support, providing capital and advisory services to underserved entrepreneurs. Both organizations serve underserved small business communities with a combination of funding and advisory support.
• SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives): SCORE is a nonprofit network providing free mentorship, workshops, and resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs across the U.S. Both organizations deliver entrepreneurship education and mentorship to small business founders, with similar rural outreach missions.

Direct peers

• MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global nonprofit accelerator that supports early-stage entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, and competition-based programs. Like Moonshot, MassChallenge is a nonprofit running equity-free accelerator programs and uses competition/pitch formats to identify and support founders.
• ETC (Emerging Technology Centers) Baltimore: ETC Baltimore is a nonprofit technology and entrepreneurship incubator serving Baltimore-area entrepreneurs with programs similar to Moonshot. Both are nonprofit community-based incubators running cohort programs, pitch competitions, and providing workspace for early-stage founders.
• Village Capital: Village Capital is a nonprofit organization supporting early-stage entrepreneurs through peer-selected investment readiness programs. Both organizations focus on democratizing access to entrepreneurship resources for underserved founders and run cohort-based programs preparing startups for investment.
• Fledge: Fledge is a nonprofit accelerator focused on mission-driven, for-profit companies that aim to create social or environmental impact. Both organizations run nonprofit, equity-free accelerator programs with intensive cohort-based mentorship for early-stage entrepreneurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moonshot-arizona
• Instagraminstagram.com/moonshotaz
• Facebookfacebook.com/MoonshotAZ
• Xx.com/moonshotaz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Moonshot