Arizona has plenty of logos. Mike Spangenberg has a life. If you only know him as State Forty Eight’s co-founder- the silhouette that became Arizona pride- you’ve missed the story underneath.
"Everyone calls me 'Spanky.' The nickname came from my dad" ...And it fits.
Even his ink tells you who he is: Pat Tillman on his arm (“what he stood for: Arizona legend, American legend”), and an entire leg dedicated to family: “I call my mom ‘Ma’—M-A—with angel wings on my shin.”
Born and raised a Zoni, he grew up frustrated that Arizona didn’t have a cool, wearable identity.
“It was the corny three-for-$10 Walgreens shirts,” he says. “We’re better than that.”
Fashion wasn’t a phase; even as a kid, he loved shopping. But before the tees, Mike washed dishes at a Residence Inn, worked his way up to GM, and fell in love with people.
“I think you can control your own destiny. That’s what we translate into State Forty Eight. It’s not about transactions- it’s about creating experiences.”
The brand’s origin story is now folklore: a bedroom brainstorm with childhood friends Stephen & Nicholas; a $1,500 collective investment; a heat press in the house; one unforgettable “upside-down” print; Instagram in its early heyday, when 1,000 followers actually saw your posts. But the inflection point was earned, not gifted.
Phoenix Fashion Week sharpened their business chops, and then Bruce Arians opened a door. A silhouette tee of the coach became an instant hit and, more importantly, a blueprint for impact: fashion with purpose, collaboration with give-back.
“From the beginning, I wanted it to be more than selling shirts and hats,” says Mike.
Partnerships with the Cardinals, D-backs, Suns, universities, and nonprofits followed. Today, they’ve worked with more than 2,000 Arizona organizations; there’s even a State Forty Eight license plate on the road. One of Mike’s favorite moments: a 13-year-old Make-A-Wish kid chose State Forty Eight to create a shirt, donating all profits to Phoenix Children’s.
“That’s what gets me fired up.”
The collaboration model is intentionally frictionless: minimum 50 shirts, no up-front costs, with design time and hard costs baked in. Most partners buy at wholesale, then fundraise or outfit their teams.
“It lets people tell a story on a T-shirt.”
But the business today is bigger- and more behind-the-scenes- than most realize.
State Forty Eight prints for countless Arizona companies that don’t carry the State Forty Eight logo at all… tees, hats (via embroidery), promo goods- with a minimum order (24) and a production engine capable of 200,000 shirts a month.
“Printing most people’s shirts in Arizona lets us do more intentional work.”
The State Forty Eight Foundation is where that intention is formalized.
Launched in 2020, the 501(c)(3) has awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to early-stage entrepreneurs and packs rooms- 300 people a week- at its four-week speaker series.
“We know how hard it is to start and sustain, so we bring different founders to give practical tips. Everyone starts somewhere.”
To be eligible for grants, attendees join at least three of the four sessions, and the Foundation also hosts free Beyond Business networking nights to keep the momentum alive.
“These rooms are powerful. You might meet your next partner."
Success, of course, isn’t a straight line. Ask Mike for something you don’t know and he doesn’t blink: “The last two years have been the hardest of my life in business.”
Retail- so aligned with his love of experiences- proved costly. He closed a store, made painful cuts, and said goodbye to longtime teammates.
“It kills you,” he admits. “But if you don’t do that as a leader, you hurt the business more. Do your best, forget the rest.”
How do you keep going?
“Your circle,” he says. A Vistage group that “calls you out in love,” friends who double as mentors… names like Scott Harkey, Kurt O’Donnell at Freestar, the Baseballism crew that serves as a fractional CFO, Bad Birdie’s Jason for industry brain trust, and athletes who’ve become close.
“As you get older, your circle shrinks, and that’s okay.”
Off duty, Mike lives Arizona... from Cardinals kickoffs to Suns tip-offs. If you shove him into a jersey decision today, he lights up: “I’m a big Calais Campbell fan… glad to see him back (and featured in this issue as well!).” The dream wearer? “Devin Booker,” he says, hinting at custom shoes they’re working on.
There’s also a personal chapter still unwritten. Mike’s single. The non-negotiable?
“Someone who truly understands entrepreneurship. It should feel easy if it’s your best friend. Have fun, lay low, wants to travel, and be self-motivated.” (Consider this your nudge, Arizona.)
For all the numbers… more than $25 million in lifetime sales, thousands of collaborations, a foundation cresting $200,000 in grants… Mike resists the urge to reduce it to metrics. He still stops when he sees a State Forty Eight tee at the grocery store.
“I will never take that stuff for granted.”
Ask him what he’d tell young Spanky and he goes quiet for a beat.
“I’d say I’m proud of you.” Then he smiles, a little sheepish. “As entrepreneurs, we’re never satisfied. I’ve let that get the best of me. I need to celebrate the wins more.”
He's a guy who turned a bedroom idea into a statewide love language… and still pauses long enough to say thanks.
statefortyeight.com
“You can control your own destiny. It’s not about transactions; rather, creating experiences.”
“As entrepreneurs, we’re never satisfied."