Stephen Flaaen Selected as 2025 Impact Maker of the Year
Valley Leadership is proud to announce Stephen Flaaen has been selected as the 2025 Impact Maker of the Year!
This honor celebrates an outstanding individual who is driving meaningful change through our Impact Maker initiatives and tackling Arizona’s most pressing challenges. Nominees are evaluated on their dedication to our Principles of Doing, their success in creating lasting impact, and their history of engagement in strengthening our communities.
Stephen has been selected as Valley Leadership’s Impact Maker of the Year for his unwavering commitment to tackling Arizona’s most pressing issues through our Impact Maker work. Since joining the Early Literacy Team in 2019, he has been a driving force across multiple teams, including Chronic Absenteeism and Family Support, consistently stepping up to lead and take action.
His dedication to child well-being and education is evident in his instrumental role in developing the Just Ask Mia Chatbot, which has reached nearly half a million views in just eight months, as well as his leadership in advancing the Science of Reading and the newly launched Leaders for Literacy initiative. Stephen exemplifies the Principles of Doing, demonstrating integrity, building trust, fostering collaboration, and always putting Arizona first. His passion, follow-through, and ability to turn ideas into meaningful impact make him an outstanding leader and a true champion for our community. Keep reading to learn more about Stephen and his involvement with Valley Leadership and the Impact Maker.
VL: What Principle of Doing has most resonated with you throughout your time with the Impact Maker?
STF: Driven to Do, without a doubt. Part of what drew me to VL and Impact Maker was the ability to work on projects that make a difference in the community. To me, there are few things sweeter in life than being able to help someone, and the Impact Maker teams I’ve been a part of have all taken ideas from thoughts on a whiteboard to concrete actions that have made change in the community.
VL: What Valley Leadership class are you a graduate of and what was the highlight of your class experience?
STF: VL Institute Class 41, best class ever! I’m sure everyone says this, but the highlight of my VL experience was getting to know such a diverse group of wonderful and passionate people. Institute Class 41 was a few weeks away from graduation when COVID first changed the world, and I look back on it and think how fortunate I was to have met such an amazing group that was able to support each other during the first months of the pandemic. And we still talk regularly!
VL: You played a key role in developing the Just Ask Mia Chatbot, which has reached nearly half a million views. Can you share how this project evolved and what impact you’ve seen it have on Arizona families?
STF: The seed for Just Ask Mia was planted years ago by a group of nonprofit and social services providers looking at the big picture and asking how we, as a state, can do a better job of keeping families from interacting with the DCS system. From a lot of listening sessions and focus groups to an actual piece of software that’s out in the world, it’s been an amazing journey.
The evolution of the bot has felt really natural, and not something we had to force or stress over. After delivering the initial version of Mia, focusing on Food, Phones, and Clothing, adding Heat Relief was a natural addition to Mia’s resources because of our partnership with 211 and the Maricopa Association of Governments.
From there, we went with the data and added assistance for Housing related issues, as that’s been the number one request in Mia. The impact we’ve seen in a relatively short time has been terrific. In addition to connecting thousands of Arizonans with the resources that they need, we’ve been able to build partnerships with school districts across the state and uncover additional areas of need that may one day get an Impact Maker Team of their own!
VL: The Early Literacy Team’s shift to focusing on the Science of Reading was a major initiative. What inspired this pivot, and why are long-term solutions like this important to creating real impact on Arizona’s most pressing issues?
STF: It all started with a podcast, actually! The podcast Sold a Story introduced me to the Science of Reading, which is a really large body of scientific research that’s shown how kids learn to read and why they struggle to read. I was hooked and immediately told the Impact Team about how much this podcast had blown my mind. Other states that have focused on these kinds of evidence-based strategies for teaching reading have shown the progress is real, but that it takes time. And to me that is what our Impact Teams are all about: looking for solutions that require long-term commitments to solve, because we’re in this for the long haul. Real and lasting change often requires years of trust building and collaboration, and I think the Impact Maker Teams are the perfect example of how this type of big change can be accomplished in Arizona.
VL: Collaboration is a big part of Valley Leadership’s approach. How do you build trust and foster strong partnerships to keep moving the work forward?
STF: I think a huge part of how I’ve been able to build trust and strong partnerships has been by bringing a genuine curiosity and desire to learn when meeting new people and groups. We’re all human with blindspots and sensitivities, so understanding someone’s perspective helps me to put what they say or do into a better frame of reference. And by doing that, I make sure that everyone is rowing the boat at the same speed, in the same direction.
VL: As someone who is always ready to step up and take action, what advice would you give to other leaders who want to make a lasting impact in their communities?
STF: I’m a big believer in the philosophy of servant leadership–that putting people first and helping with their needs is the most effective way to make progress. And for anyone who agrees with that, I’d say the best advice I can give is to always listen and seek to understand. You catch my flies with honey than vinegar, and by listening to others and attempting to help with their needs, you’ll build incredible relationships that will pay you back tenfold in time.