From My Kiln to Capitol Hill: Small Businesses Demand Action Over Empty Praise

Earlier this month, a group of Arizona small business owners, including myself, traveled to Washington, D.C. to discuss crucial support for small businesses in 2025. As an artist and entrepreneur from Phoenix, I’m intimately aware of the disconnect that can exist between policy decisions and on-the-ground realities.

I own Milkweed Arts, a fused glass education center and gallery in Phoenix, along with Unique Glass Colors, a small manufacturer of enamels for glass artists. Our enterprises are part of a creative economy that combines education, local manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. Like many Arizona businesses, we feel the impact of federal decisions regarding wages, tariffs, and technology access.

During our meetings, I engaged with staff from Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, addressing three critical issues: access to AI tools, the necessity of raising the federal minimum wage, and the detrimental effects of international tariffs on domestic producers.

First, let’s discuss AI. While larger tech firms often dominate the conversation, these tools are essential for smaller businesses like mine. We utilize AI for transcribing educational videos, creating marketing materials, and ensuring effective customer support. Rather than replacing jobs, AI equips us to operate efficiently without burnout.

Equitable access to AI is not just beneficial; it’s essential for smaller businesses to compete against better-funded rivals. Federal policies must prioritize responsible and affordable AI solutions for all, rather than just catering to large corporations.

Next, the minimum wage. I advocate for raising the federal minimum wage—not as a trend, but because it fosters economic vitality. When employees are paid enough to live, they work better. Consumers spend more when they aren’t struggling financially. Supporting small businesses and their workers leads to thriving local economies. A business model based on wage suppression is neither sustainable nor ethical.

We require a wage floor that reflects today’s living costs, moving past outdated assumptions of previous decades.

Finally, tariffs. Supporters may present them as leveling the playing field, yet they often harm the wrong parties. As a small manufacturer who sometimes sources materials internationally—materials unavailable in the U.S.—I have seen costs swell. Unlike larger companies, I lack the leverage to absorb these costs or negotiate terms. Every increase chips away at already narrow margins.

Poorly designed tariff policies do not protect small businesses; they strain them. We need trade strategies that recognize the realities of size and intent.

The senators’ offices actively engaged in our discussions, posing questions and taking notes, which leaves me hopeful that these conversations could lead to further action.

Throughout each meeting, I stressed that creative small businesses like mine are vital to Arizona’s economy. We serve as community anchors, offering classes and creating dignified jobs. We sustain local supply chains and personify the innovation and resilience that Arizona should champion.

I also invited the senators’ offices to visit Milkweed Arts, emphasizing how our kiln rooms and classrooms illustrate the relationship between cultural and economic development.

Small businesses require more than just symbolic support; we need coherent policies. This includes AI legislation that doesn’t disproportionately affect small operators, fair wage structures, and tariff strategies tailored to business size and capabilities.

While it’s easy to host press conferences in support of small businesses, the challenge—and necessity—lies in truly listening to our needs and shaping policies that reflect our realities.

I’m thankful for the chance to represent Arizona’s creative economy on Capitol Hill. However, one trip is insufficient. Genuine support begins when policymakers regard small businesses not just as photo opportunities but as vital partners in shaping Arizona’s future.