Meet Daaron Battle, founder of Produce Your Life, a Phoenix-based organization empowering youth and emerging creatives to turn their ideas into ownership and opportunity. Through a blend of arts, entrepreneurship, and education, Daaron is helping the next generation build sustainable futures rooted in creativity, confidence, and real-world skills.

Learn more & support at www.proyourlife.com

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2. Where is your business based?
Phoenix, Arizona

3. What does your business do, and who do you serve?
Produce Your Life works with youth and emerging creatives, helping them turn their creativity into ownership and opportunity. We use the arts to teach entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and intellectual property so young people can build something real from their ideas.

4. When did you launch your business?
July 2021

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The Entrepreneurial Journey

5. What’s the origin story of your business?
Produce Your Life was born out of a desire to close the gap between creativity and opportunity. I saw talented young people creating incredible work but lacking access to the knowledge and resources needed to protect, monetize, and sustain their ideas. The business was created to ensure creativity could be a pathway, not a dead end, by pairing artistic and creative expression with real-world entrepreneurial tools.

6. What are you most proud of in your entrepreneurial journey so far?
I’m most proud of creating something that feels real and rooted in purpose. Seeing young people shift how they see themselves, from “just creative” to confident, capable, and business-minded, has been incredibly rewarding. Knowing that the work is making a difference beyond just the moment keeps me going.

7. What has surprised you most about being an entrepreneur?
How much of entrepreneurship is about relationships. I expected it to be more about strategy and execution, but what’s surprised me most is how important connection, trust, and collaboration are. The right conversations and partnerships can open doors you didn’t even know existed.

8. What has been the most challenging part of running your business—and what has it taught you?
The hardest part has been balancing vision with capacity. It’s taught me to move intentionally, build systems slowly, and trust the process.

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State Forty Eight Foundation & What’s Next

9. What have you gained—or what do you hope to gain—from being part of the State Forty Eight Foundation community?
Beyond financial support, I’ve gained validation, connection, and access to a network of entrepreneurs who are building with intention. Being part of the State Forty Eight Foundation community means being surrounded by people who value creativity, collaboration, and impact, and that alignment is invaluable.

10. How are the grant funds supporting your business?
The grant is supporting core growth initiatives, including creative tools, program development, and operational systems that allow Produce Your Life to serve more youth effectively. It’s helping strengthen the foundation so the mission can scale sustainably.

11. Where do you hope to take your business next?
I hope to expand Produce Your Life’s programming, deepen community partnerships, and create more structured pathways for youth to move from creativity into entrepreneurship. Long-term, the goal is to establish Produce Your Life as a leading creative empowerment platform rooted in arts, culture, and ownership.

12. What does it mean to you to be an Arizona business owner?
Being an Arizona business owner means contributing to a creative ecosystem that’s growing, diverse, and full of possibility. It’s about honoring the culture, people, and stories of this place while helping shape a future where local talent has the resources and support to thrive.