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WHAT IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
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Q&A WITH BILL DANN
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RELATIONSHIP BUILDING FOR A BETTER BRAND
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BUDDING INDUSTRIES FACE LEGAL HURDLES
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FINDING WORK-LIFE BALANCE AS A TEENAGE ENTREPRENEUR
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ENCOURAGING ALASKA NATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS SAVVY
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ROADBLOCKS AND RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS
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LESSONS FROM THE FAST TRACK
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THE LIFECYCLE OF A BUSINESS
ALICE ROGOFF | Publisher MAIA NOLAN-PARTNOW | Editorial Director JAMIE GONZALES | Editor VIKI SPIROSKA | Production Coordinator JOSHUA GENUINO | Art Director Copyright © 2015 Alaska Dispatch News P.O. Box 149001 Anchorage, Alaska 99514 This publication was produced by the special content department of Alaska Dispatch News in collaboration with Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. The ADN news department was not involved in its production. Send letters to the editor to jgonzales@alaskadispatch.com.
ELLO and welcome to the new Alaska Innovator magazine. You will notice the publication has gotten a makeover. We are excited to have partnered with Alaska Dispatch News to publish this edition. The purpose of this magazine is to inspire and educate the entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs in our community, and bring awareness to entrepreneurship that is already in the works right here in Alaska. Our focus in this issue is on roadblocks and resources for entrepreneurs in the Last Frontier. At AEDC our mission is to grow and diversify the Anchorage economy. As we have watched the price of oil drop and the impact that has had on our state’s economy, I hope you would agree with me in saying that it is a critical time to diversify the economy in our city and state. How can we do that? We have to innovate and think outside the box. In this edition of Alaska Innovator
we sat down with seasoned Alaska entrepreneurs, and with the next generation of entrepreneurs in Alaska. We wanted to know, what were their roadblocks? How did they overcome? What’s their advice to others? We have talented, skilled and imaginative people in Alaska with great ideas. I encourage you to take the next step. Your idea or innovation could be the spark that fuels a renaissance in Alaska and opens the door to a more diversified economy. We hope you enjoy the magazine. At the moment we are planning to publish just one Alaska Innovator a year. I would encourage all of our readers to go to www.AEDCweb.com and watch some or all of the new AEDC video series, Where to Startup. We’ve put together a suite of videos for the Alaska entrepreneur, innovator and inventor that covers a variety of topics on starting a business. We hope that you can use these tools to take your idea to the next level. G o o d lu c k a n d t h a n k s for reading!
Bill Popp President & CEO Anchorage Economic Development Corp. bpopp@aedcweb.com www.AEDCweb.com Sign up for our e-newsletter on www.AEDCweb.com www.facebook.com/AEDCweb Twitter: @AEDC Instagram: @AEDCweb / @iloveanchorage
www.AEDCweb.com
KATHERINE JERNSTROM Owner/Co-Founder, The Boardroom
JON BITTNER Vice President, AEDC “At its core, it’s really a spark of creativity and a passion to shape the world the way you see fit.”
“To be an entrepreneur you have to be passionate and have the desire to put everything else on hold and really create something from the ground up.”
LYNN KLASSERT
MICHELLE TAYLOR
Anchorage Center Director, Alaska Small Business Development Center
Account Supervisor, Spawn Ideas
“An entrepreneur is a person who has an idea, a concept, a way of doing business that’s different.”
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“Entrepreneurship is having a lot of chutzpah and just that internal drive to make something happen.”
ERIC MCCALLUM President, Arctic Wire Rope & Supply “It’s mostly about having curiosity. I do think you need to be curious, because otherwise how do you wake up in the morning and say, ‘How do I make my business better, smarter, faster?’”
ANDREW MITTON Attorney, Vellum LLC “Someone who sees a need or a pain point in the way that business is operated and finds a solution to make that easier.”
NATALIE OSBORNE Owner, WONDERBUILD.com
DARREN FRANZ Alaska Regional Business Banking Manager, Wells Fargo “The way the book defines it is anyone that organizes, starts and operates a small business... Entrepreneurs, one step further, are dreamers and visionaries.”
“It’s about taking an idea, a product or a service that maybe you know your market is missing and people would benefit from and then just moving forward with that, not waiting for someone else to do it.”
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Writer Michaela Goertzen sat down with Bill Dann, founder and president of Professional Growth Systems, to tap into his management and business performance expertise. He had great insight for employers and employees at every career stage. Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Q:
You’ve made a career of enabling others to achieve their full potential. Were you motivated by a particular experience? A certain mentor?
A: Honestly, I think I came into this life with
it. A liberal education in the 60s cemented it. The 60s were all about human potential, optimism about the future, possibilities. Two years with the Indian Health Service and then my work establishing and growing the Norton Sound Health Corporation ground truthed all of that. I became obsessed with how best to have organizations create results. Organizational success is built upon individual success. Learning that was the key experience that has propelled my work ever since.
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Q: You just published a book on creating high performers. What is the bottom line?
A:
Employee motivators have shifted and if you are going to create high performers, the practice of supervision must shift as well. Historically, supervisors were rather like cops. They put targets in place with associated rewards. Today’s employees don’t want these rewards— what they really want is self-direction, mastery and a sense of purpose. The purpose of supervisors needs to shift from overseeing the work…to partnering with employees for their success. Bottom line:
if your employees are not improving performance over a given period, then you have not added value to the company over that period.
Q:
What is the most rewarding part of helping other individuals and companies succeed?
A:
Q:
You’ve been very successful at creating organizational structure. Do you have a formula? What strategies can small business owners implement within the scope of their business?
Q:
You emphasize the importance of metrics in good decision-making. In your evaluation of other companies, what are the most under-appreciated metrics?
A: Initially, structure needs to be comprised
of these elements: sales/marketing, production, finance. Once you have enough sales to be viable, then you can work on the other elements. Each job in an organization must be defined by the following elements: why does the job exist; what is the job to produce; what is the process of the job.
Q:
What advice would you give to a manager who is trying to be a change agent, but continues to hit a company culture wall?
A:
Empower your employees to make the change rather than have management design it and try to impose. Give them the challenge and the tools to design, plan and manage the change. Support that change and the resources/decisions needed to make it happen as if it were your own creation.
Q:
What are three key elements that every small business owner needs to address in their strategic plan?
A:
Define a core ideology (purpose, vision, values) that is clear and compelling. Define an effective, strategic agenda that will differentiate you from your competitors in the minds of the customers that is based on solving their problems. Develop tight project plans that have clear targets and clear outcomes. Manage accountability…create a culture of results rather than one of reasons why results didn’t happen.
Seeing individuals and groups accomplish what they did not think was possible, which empowers them to go to the next level.
A:
Whether you are continuing to deliver on what your customers say differentiates you from your competitors; whether the core processes of the organization are stable or improving; success in attracting and getting customers to take an active interest in your business; looking at point in time vs. trend data to know whether changes are an anomaly or part of a new positive or negative trend that warrants change in policy/strategy; metrics on whether your strategies for growth or improved performance are working.
Q:
In your book, you note the difference between “can’t do” (supervisor responsibility) and “won’t do” (employee responsibility) problems. Which is more difficult to address and overcome?
A: The “won’t do” problem is much
more difficult to spot and to overcome. The “won’t do” problem will often appear as the “can do” employee: energetic, committed, wants to be involved in everything, knows it all. But their failure to produce (vs. talk) tells the truth. When you do spot them, they will deny, deflect, blame others. They are very successful at creating self-doubt for supervisors. A goal in writing my book was to enable supervisors to emerge from this self-blame game and focus rather on getting the most from those who want to perform.
DANN’S 7 QUESTIONS FOR SUPERVISORS 1. Do you know what is expected of you? 2. Do you know what good performance looks like in your job as defined by your supervisor? 3. Do you get feedback on the results that you produce? 4. Do you have sufficient authority to carry out your responsibilities? 5. Do you get timely decisions in the areas where you don’t have authority? 6. Do you have the data, resources and support needed to meet what is expected of you? 7. Do you get credit for the good results that you produce? From Bill Dann’s book, Creating High Performers: 7 Questions to Ask your Direct Reports.
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by Jamey Bradbury HANK YOU FOR BEING one of the first 500 people to sign up for the all new Kaladi Brothers Newsletter. As a token of appreciation Kaladi would like to offer a BUY 1 GET 1 FREE on a pound of
coffee.” The message popped up in my email inbox a week or so after I signed up for the newsletter—which I did when
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prompted by a message on Facebook. I follow Kaladi Brothers on Twitter, too. I stop by the coffee shop on Northern Lights roughly three or four times a week for a morning brew, and I own at least six different pieces of Kaladi’s swag. This, according to David Taylor, is a perfect example of good branding.
“BRANDING IS ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL’S RELATIONSHIP WITH A CERTAIN PRODUCT, SERVICE OR ORGANIZATION.” BEYOND LOGOS “‘Branding’ has become very much a buzzword, but few people understand what we’re discussing when we talk about branding,” said Taylor, the creative director of Element Agency. He went on to explain that most people, when they think about a brand, conjure up a familiar company logo—Nike’s distinctive swoosh, for instance. Or Kaladi Brothers’ red goat. But a logo is only one small part of branding. “Branding is about an individual’s relationship with a certain product, service or organization,” Taylor said, adding that good branding is crucial because audiences are inundated daily—even hourly—with messaging and advertising. “People have developed these very sophisticated filters to deal with all this messaging. What branding does is enhance the relationship a company has with its audience so that relationship becomes seamless.” This can be done any number of ways, but it starts with creating a consistent message and delivering it to an audience. When locally owned and operated Salmon Berry Travel and Tours decided it was time to rebrand, co-owner Candice Kotyk knew she wanted to maintain the “feminine” feel of the company and its website. “We feel like the femininity makes us look trustworthy,” she said. “We also thought the women in the family make a lot of the decisions when they travel, and they trust us, and that starts with the feminine feel of our brand, in our logo, in our brochures, on our website.”
That website—salmonberrytours.com— underwent an overhaul because Kotyk understood the importance of web presence in supporting her company’s brand. Salmon Berry’s site now employs a cleaner look with soft colors and features photos of smiling tour guides enjoying Alaska’s inviting outdoors, all in an effort to convey to would-be tourists the message that Salmon Berry is a safe, approachable company. Kotyk reinforces that message by connecting with clients and travel agents on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. “We have tons of followers, from past guests to travel agents, who comment on our posts regularly, and I feel like it keeps us in the forefront of their minds.” WEB PRESENCE: PROCEED WITH CAUTION Although web presence is a crucial part of branding, not every company will benefit from engaging its customers on social media. “People want to use all these tools to get their message out, but they don’t realize how much time they’re going to spend doing those things,” said Natalie Osborne, owner of WONDERBUILD. com, a web development and marketing company. Her advice, especially for small, local businesses just starting out, is to use the social media they’re already engaged in. “If you’re launching your personal trainer business and you’re already on Facebook, use your following there. Use your own personality to sell yourself. That can be really helpful if it’s done right. And it’s free.” It can also boost word of mouth,
something that’s crucial in a local market like Anchorage, where bolstering a relationship with customers can make or break a new enterprise. Osborne brings up South Restaurant and Coffeehouse, a new establishment from the owners of Snow City Café and Spenard Roadhouse. “There are some business types where the website is less important,” Osborne said. “South’s website isn’t really published yet, and all of their communication is on their Facebook page,” where the restaurant has been building anticipation among Snow City and Roadhouse patrons since before its doors were even open. South Restaurant has the advantage of being able to rely upon the consistent message and positive customer relationships its sister restaurants have spent years building. It’s a real advantage in a small market, said Taylor, where the biggest hurdle new entrepreneurs face is breaking in. “How do you start a relationship?” he asked. “That’s the tricky part, and to be honest, it hasn’t been solved.” One method he suggests is innovation. “If you can create a solution to a problem, you’ll get a loyal following.” So: There’s a dearth of restaurants in south Anchorage? Snow City and the Roadhouse solved the problem by opening South. Most Alaska tour companies seem too masculine and make Alaska seem intimidating? Salmon Berry Travel and Tours embraces its feminine energy. New entrepreneurs who can recognize a problem and offer a smart solution for Alaskans are in a position to build a lasting brand. l
More on branding and marketing in Where to Startup video series: www.AEDCweb.com
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AEDC MISSION
To grow a prosperous, sustainable and diverse economy.
CONNECTING BUSINESSES TO INFORMATION & OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS AEDC provides industry expertise and economic resources to both large corporations and growing companies interested in locating or expanding their business in Anchorage. • • •
Trusted employment data Economic research Clear snapshot of Anchorage’s economy
Call AEDC today (907) 258-3700 to find out how we can help your business.
AEDC VISION
Anchorage will be the #1 city in America to Live, Work and Play by 2025. Love Anchorage? Follow “I Love Anchorage” on Instagram! #iloveanchorage
www.AEDCweb.com
by Jamey Bradbury ARA WILLIAMS KNOWS what it’s like to have a
bad high. The first edible, or cannabis-infused food, she consumed was a cookie that sent her into an anxiety attack that lasted for three hours. “That helped me realize that the consuming population doesn’t know what they don’t know, until we tell them,” explained the CEO of Midnight Greenery in Palmer. She has hopes that her company will eventually be a vertically integrated operation with a cultivation facility and a dispensary. But for now, Midnight Greenery is
focused on education, offering classes on responsible marijuana consumption, plant physiology and learning to grow. She’ll be first in line, she said, to apply for a business license when the time comes. For now, though, “We’re absolutely, one hundred percent respecting the law.” While an initiative that took effect February 24 makes it legal for Alaskans to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and to grow up to six plants, regulations for the legal commercial sale of marijuana are still being developed. Lawmakers won’t begin accepting business license applications until February 2016, with the first licenses expected to be issued in May of that year. In the meantime, entrepreneurs like Williams have found ways to start growing their brand while staying within the bounds of the law.
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“IT’S NOT GOING TO HURT THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY TO BE A REGULATED INDUSTRY. ALCOHOL IS A REGULATED INDUSTRY, AND IT’S DOING FINE.”
THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW “Sharing your knowledge with people, that’s never going to be a crime in the United States,” said Cynthia Franklin, director of Alaska’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board. “If you’re educating, or doing innocuous things like [selling] plant stakes—all of that is allowed. But if you’ve got a business and you’re making money from marijuana being consumed or exchanged, you’re in no man’s land.” Put that way, the law seems clear. But everywhere self-described growing coach Brett Lemay turns, he runs into another fuzzy area. “Clients want me to give them cuttings, and I’d love to, but I can’t legally keep a cutting garden,” Lemay said, referring to the Alaska statute that limits personal possession to six plants (only three of which can be mature, flowering plants). “Even running ads on my website—if one of them is a seed seller, but I’m not involved personally…I can’t directly sell, but can I offer people a solution through a third party?” Some areas of the law are crystalclear, though, said Franklin. “When you look at something like a club, for instance, you bring your own marijuana and you smoke it there,” she said. But, she added, Alaska Statute 04.16.090 prohibits bottle clubs,
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unlicensed businesses that charge a cover to customers to bring and consume their own alcohol. “If you take the word ‘alcohol’ and substitute the word ‘marijuana’ in that statute, you have places like Alaska Cannabis Club and Pot Luck Events. If you can’t do it with alcohol, you can’t do it with marijuana.” Part of the problem with private cannabis clubs, Franklin continued, is that the marijuana consumed there isn’t tested or taxed. Businesses like these not only risk being shut down; they’re flirting with the possibility that they may never be issued a business license. Franklin’s advice is for entrepreneurs to wait for the license application period to open. “Nobody goes out and starts an insurance business without following the rules. It’s not going to hurt the marijuana industry to be a regulated industry. Alcohol is a regulated industry, and it’s doing fine.” Come May 2016, cannabis entrepreneurs won’t be done struggling with legal issues. The dichotomy between Alaska state law and federal law also poses problems. “We can’t even operate with a bank account, since banks are insured by the FDIC, and if they support an illegal business they could be shut down,” explained Williams. Franklin’s office is working with the
Division of Banking and Securities at the Department of Commerce, but she said, “There are just going to be problems as long as the state law is in conflict with federal law.” She anticipates a time when legalization in California and Nevada will accelerate pressure on the federal government to resolve banking issues. For now, Williams operates her business on a cash-only basis. “It’s a little scary. It’s a weird world to live in, where you’re doing something that’s federally illegal but state-wise legal.” A DIFFERENT HIGH-FLYING ALASKA INDUSTRY
Beau Bivins (L) and Tyler Currier (R)
Differences between state and federal laws aren’t just causing headaches in the cannabis industry. They’re also affecting Alaska’s other rapidly burgeoning sector: drones. After lifting the prohibition on the use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), for commercial purpose in 2012, the FAA began granting exemptions authorizing applicants to operate UAVs within a specific geographic area. In April, Alaska Aerial Media became the first Alaska company to be granted such an exemption. Now the FAA is busy developing a new code of federal regulations (CFR) for commercial drone use, hoped to go
into effect sometime in the next two years. In the meantime, said Alaska Aerial Media co-owner Beau Bivins, “Working with changing regulations is something we’ve been able to navigate by being in constant contact with the FAA.” Those regulations will continue to change as the State’s Legislative Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems adopts and refines privacy guidelines “that seem necessary to protect Alaskans,” according to the Task Force’s 2014 Final Report to the Legislature. Though commercial use of drones is regulated by the FAA, matters of privacy have been left to state and local governments. “Ultimately, I think commercial drone operators will be regulated by the FAA and that federal laws will preempt state laws because we’re talking about airspace,” offered lawyer Andrew Mitton of Vellum LLC. “Local governments can regulate land use and designate certain areas to say, ‘This is where you can’t launch a drone.’ I think privacy laws will probably be encapsulated into federal regulations.” Bivins hasn’t come up against many privacy issues. And since Alaska Aerial Media was granted its exemption, the application process has become relatively easier. Now, Bivins said, his biggest hurdle is “getting people aware
“ULTIMATELY, I THINK COMMERCIAL DRONE OPERATORS WILL BE REGULATED BY THE FAA AND THAT FEDERAL LAWS WILL PREEMPT STATE LAWS BECAUSE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AIRSPACE.” www.AEDCweb.com | 2015
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of the capability of these [UAVs] and seeing where they fit and how they can be implemented.” Not every entrepreneur wanting to break into the UAV industry has chosen to apply for an FAA exemption, though. Some businesses, like the startup Alaska Drone LLC, are instead waiting to see what the FAA’s code for UAVs will look like. “We anticipate the CFR to be pretty similar to
those for manned aircraft,” said Alaska Drone LLC project manager Coby Kubitz. Without the ability to fly UAVs for commercial purposes, he added, “We’re primarily focused on market analysis and on preparing early adopters with a UAV system that will work for them when the opportunity presents itself.”
THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW A BUSINESS WHILE THE LAW IS STILL IN FLUX.
Cody Kubitz
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“MY HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE TREAT IT LIKE A REAL INDUSTRY. IN THE MEANTIME, WE DO WHAT WE LEGALLY CAN, AND WE WAIT. WHO KNOWS? A YEAR FROM NOW, IT COULD BE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WORLD.” PATIENCE AND POSITIONING For entrepreneurs in still-developing industries, there aren’t ways around the law, exactly. But there are opportunities to grow a business while the law is still in flux. Williams has spent this interim period developing her business plan. “It’s been the guiding light to moving forward. And if you want to get into this business, the marijuana control board is going to require that document, so you might as well get started.”
She hopes that the laws developed for the cannabis industry will put the public’s mind at ease when it comes to marijuana use, just as regulations for commercial drone use are working to answer the public’s questions about privacy issues. “My hope is that people treat it like a real industry. In the meantime, we do what we legally can, and we wait. Who knows? A year from now, it could be a totally different world.” l
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by Matt Reed RAYSON DAVEY JUST SPENT the last two and
a half months of his eighth grade year recruiting, hiring and training the first cadre of employees for Alaska Paracord Designs, a company he founded in 2013 at the age of 11. Each of the five workers, who range in age and experience from high school student to stay-athome mom, work from their own homes with materials and jigs provided by Davey, and earn up to $20 an hour braiding survival bracelets and keychains from the company’s small
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but growing catalog of woven paracord products. Like a lot of outdoorsy kids, Davey had dabbled in paracord bracelets, tightly woven lengths of parachute cord usually closed with a simple knot or eye-loop. But it wasn’t until a family friend and his daughter flipped a boat and nearly died of exposure that he saw their business potential. “When he came back, he said the one thing they needed was a way to start a fire,” said Davey, referencing the incident. Six months later, Alaska Paracord Designs was born.
THE CONTRAST The savviest entrepreneur I knew growing up was my best friend Pat, who used to bike to boarding school a couple times a week with grocery bags full of junk food and store brand soda swinging from his handlebars. He set up a concession stand in his dorm room and used the profits mostly for ski equipment and name brand soda for himself, and we considered him shrewd because he wouldn’t offer friend pricing even for his closest friends. More recently, I’ve tiptoed around a chicken yard as my then-pre-teen nephew, Liam, toured me through his
proudly homemade, deeply in-the-red, egg production business. While both Pat and Liam went on to bigger things (Pat now works at the U.S. Patent Office and Liam has taken up ski tuning for travel money), their businesses were essentially exercises in commerce— low stakes experiments that would ready them for the adult world. Both were still limited by kid timetables and schedules. There seems to be something more artful going on at Alaska Paracord Design.
THE PRODUCTS Currently Alaska Paracord Designs’ catalog consist of three models, the original fire-starting bracelet and two keychains, the Fire Bug and the Fish ‘n Flame. All three are made from military spec 550 paracord and contain a firesteel and scraper, plus waxed jute twine (for tinder). The Fire Bug includes an additional two- by six-inch mylar signal mirror (that can also be used as sunglasses), while the Fish ‘n Flame contains a host of fishing accoutrement suited for emergency: hooks, flies,
fishing line, split shots and yarn. Each bracelet and Fire Bug takes up to 30 minutes to assemble and weave, while the Fish ‘n Flame takes about 40. Davey has also seen demand grow in internet as well as in store sales (Alaska Paracord Designs products can currently be found at B&J’s Sporting Goods and Eagle Enterprises, among other local retailers). When describing the evolution of his product, from hobby to business, Davey says, “These are definitely 2.0.”
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THE GROWTH Product testing and refinement has led him to find inexpensive ways to machine firesteel (the small lengths of metal used with the scraper to produce sparks) and more efficient means to contain the jute twine. And in one reversal, he replaced the straight clasps with curved clasps, only to return to the straight clasps. “Everyone liked how they fit, but they just didn’t meet our quality standards.” At the same time that order volume has increased for Alaska Paracord Designs, Davey has earned his own positive notices. In the past year, he won the business plan competition in the
local Young Entrepreneurs Academy program and received an Alaska Spirit of Youth Award. His publicity photos show a young man with a wide toothy smile in a suit (still fitting large enough that it might survive another growth spurt). When I met him and his mom, Lori Davey, at the Huffman Drive Kaladi Brothers, it had been fours days since the end of school and he was in considerably less formal attire: T-shirt and jeans, but again with the same beaming smile. While we waited in line for drinks, I asked him what he had planned for the summer
and was expecting to hear something about production or R&D, but instead he said he was going to Colorado to shoot shotguns. “Like skeet?” I asked. “No. Trap.” “What’s the difference?” He tried to describe some of the basic differences between traditional and Olympic trap, but after a while realized he was talking to a sporting clay illiterate, and smiled. “My mom’s better at explaining it than me.” He said he also has plans to spend time with his grandparents in Tok.
HIS PUBLICITY PHOTOS SHOW A YOUNG MAN WITH A WIDE TOOTHY SMILE IN A SUIT (STILL FITTING LARGE ENOUGH THAT IT MIGHT SURVIVE ANOTHER GROWTH SPURT).
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HE ALSO SPENT HIS ENTIRE WINTER BREAK FILLING A SINGLE $6,000 ORDER BY HIMSELF, AND HAS STRUGGLED TO FIND TIME TO FIT IN OTHER AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. THE BALANCE The impetus for the spring staffing up has come in large part to better bridge the gap between the demands of a profitable company and the realities of a typical teenager’s life. Over the last semester, his grades have dropped some. “It’s not bad. He went from straight As to Bs and the occasional C,” said Lori, adding, “And I don’t mind. It’s really taught him to reach outside of the box.” He also spent his entire winter break filling a single $6,000
order by himself, and has struggled to find time to fit in other after school activities. (In addition to shooting, he is also a burgeoning saxophone player). But after hiring a handful of workers, which wasn’t without its own pitfalls—“I tried friends at first, but it didn’t work...”—he’s found that he can reduce his daily commitment to production, and concentrate more on sales, customer service and publicity, and yes, he can also go on vacation. l
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by Michaela Goertzen
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“THE RESIDENTS OF OUR REGION HAVE GREAT TALENT AND RESOURCEFULNESS AND IT’S BEEN MEANINGFUL FOR US TO BE INVESTED IN THE SUCCESS OF THIS PILOT PROJECT.” HAT
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ARCTIC
botanical-based skin care products, Bethel-grown organic vegetables and a statewide teen suicide prevention program have in common? They were all concepts developed and implemented with support from the Alaska Native community. Alaska Native corporations, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) and their financial partners are coming together as a community to inspire new products and services created by Alaskans, for Alaskans and with Alaska-based materials. The premiere innovation incentive program to date has been Alaska Marketplace. It was developed by AFN to join visionaries, financiers, technical experts and entrepreneurs in an ideas competition that encourages economic development in rural Alaska. Open to Alaska Native corporation shareholders and non-shareholders alike, AFN’s goal has been to help spur economic growth in rural areas, according to Aurora Lehr, AFN vice president. Therefore, eligible business plans must be directly related to the rural economy. AFN only provides financing to winning concepts, but connects all participants to mentors during the competition phase, so everyone comes away with new resources. Since its inception, the competition has drawn from a broad rural base. Representatives from Fort Wainwright, Kwigillingok, Galena, Juneau, Anaktuvuk Pass, Fort Yukon, Deering, Gambell, Nome and Quinhagak have all submitted business proposals. Projects have included some really technical solutions, from electric cars to biomass
heating to wind energy. Patterned after AFN’s competition, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation’s North Slope Marketplace and the Aleut Corporation’s Aleutian Marketplace are both regional competitions that have been successful as idea incubators. The first tier of Aleut’s competition produced 23 new business ideas. Finalists came from Sand Point, False Pass and King Cove. Their concepts included a safety improvement alteration for a knife sheath on a belt used by fishermen; a baked goods company featuring traditional recipes with local, wild herbs; a sustainable tourism company revolving around berry picking and homemade jam-making; and a food truck that would service various Aleutian chain communities via the Alaska State Ferry System. “The residents of our region have great talent and resourcefulness and it’s been meaningful for us to be invested in the success of this pilot project,” said Thomas Mack, Aleut Corporation president. In addition, this year the Foraker Group, a company dedicated to supporting nonprofit and tribal organizations, hosted a competition to promote economic development and job creation in the Southwest communities of Iguigig, Iliamna, Kokhanok, Naknek, Newhalen, Nondalton, Pedro Bay, Port Alsworth and South Naknek. Funded by Anglo American, a mining company, for upwards of $1 million in awards, the Foraker Rural Capacity Initiative Business Plan Competition was a one-time competition seeking long-term, viable business plans to establish start ups within the region. As a part of its structured process, the competition offered advisors,
accou ntabi l it y a nd net work i ng opportunities to participants. READYING SHAREHOLDERS FOR COMPETITIVE MARKETS
At the institutional level, Ahtna, Incorporated has implemented innovative solutions for shareholder recruitment. The corporation provides multiple online tools for shareholders to keep their resumes updated with current training and areas of interest; it reaches out to village councils to communicate current openings; and it keeps a dedicated shareholder development coordinator on its staff. “The coordinator conducts outreach and is a bridge with subsidiaries and the parent corporation to improve their ability to find employment,” said Roy Tansy Jr., executive vice president for Ahtna. The corporation’s effort to promote employment within the region, and actively seek out shareholder talent continues to benefit the corporation and its region’s residents. In addition to matching shareholders with permanent positions, it is committed to giving the region’s students opportunities through meaningful internships. Safety management, project management and accounting are a few of the roles they offer students. Business innovation within Alaska Native corporations at both the individual and institutional levels is something managers and shareholders are taking responsibility for, and they’re finding innovative ways to ensure rural and urban Alaskans are market-ready, no matter where they live. l
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BUILDING ALASKA’S ECONOMY Fro m th e A l eu tia n Isla nd s to th e No r th Slo p e, ou r su bsidia ries a re o n th e fro n t lin es of in nova tio n.
Brice • Runway Construction, Kotzebue
Brice Environmental • Contaminated Soil Removal, Dutch Harbor
Chiulista Services • Full Food Services for the United States Coast Guard, Kodiak
Futaris • Southeast Alaska Power Authority, Ketchikan, Tyee Lake, Swan Lake, Petersburg and Wrangell
Nordic-Calista • Drilling Rigs, North Slope
Solstice Advertising • Advertising services for Northern Air Cargo, Statewide
Tunista, Inc. • Business Complex, Bethel
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www.AEDCweb.com | 2015
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by Valerie Walsh
ROADBLOCK: Where to start. I have an idea, but I’m not sure where to begin. RESOURCE: Pick up the phone. Call the Small Business Development Center (In Anchorage: 907-786-7201, Outside Anchorage, toll-
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free: 800-478-7232) or find them online and set up a meeting. They have a ton of resources and a team of experts to help you get started. They will point you in the right direction. Another resource is AEDC’s Where to Startup video series available at www.AEDCweb.com.
a nd have a g reat net work of entrepreneurs and investors to connect with. Other great opportunities to network include: Startup Weekend and 1 Million Cups. Not located in a city? You can connect with people online! Follow the groups above on Facebook to start making connections.
ROADBLOCK: Money. Starting a business from scratch can be expensive. Raising capital for your great idea might feel like a 12-foot brick wall across your path. RESOURCE: Visit a bank. There are experts at your local branch who can help you identify your cash flow. Many banks have online tools available to help you with this, too. Alternative capital-raising options include the crowdfunding model of Indiegogo.com or Kickstarter.com. You might also be able to crowdsource a loan through Kiva Zip. And do keep an eye on local angel investor groups, such as the 49th State Angel Fund.
RESOURCE: Delegate to a digital assistant. Use the tools you have at your fingertips to get the wheels moving. Need an on-demand workforce? Believe it or not Amazon has a tool for that—Amazon Mechanical Turk. Assign tasks and Amazon will pair you up with a digital assistant to get the job done.
ROADBLOCK: Market Research. I have identified my product, but how do I learn more about the market and my competition? RESOURCES: Go online. It may sound too easy, but a great tool is Google. They do have specialized tools for research (e.g. Google Patent Search, Google Think Insights, Google Trends). Is your target market in Anchorage or Alaska? Use the Alaska Prospector tool (AlaskaProspector.com) to pull demographic, real estate and community information. Depending on your financial situation, you may be able to enlist the help of a local research firm for a fee.
ROADBLOCK: Connections. Looking to get advice from peers, meet investors, find mentors and build your network? RESOURCE: Plug in to local networks. Get connected around Alaska with entrepreneurial groups and events. Great resources include: The Boardroom in Anchorage and Juneau. They host events year-round
you can make the most out of your limited time.
ROADBLOCK: Time. If only we all had more time, right? Work smarter not harder, and
ROADBLOCK: Marketing. How will customers know about your product or service? You need to promote your new business. RESOURCE: Social media advertising. Marketing is critical to every business, large or small, and as an entrepreneur you need to find cost-effective ways to promote your new product or service. Many online platforms provide easy-to-use tools to start advertising campaigns from scratch, at low cost. Platforms include: Google AdWords, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have the finances, meeting with a marketing or public relations agency is another great option.
If you want more resources, go to http:// aedcweb.com/ where-to-startup/additionalresources/
www.AEDCweb.com | 2015
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LARRY CASH ON THE INCEPTION OF RIM ARCHITECTS by Jamie Gonzales N SUNDAY, March 30, 1986 (a rotten year for the Alaska economy—oil prices plummeted to $12/barrel), Larry Cash learned his 9-year run at an Anchorage architectural firm had reached its end. He and his wife, Barbara, were moments away from the birth of their second baby and he was out of a job. “Barb and I talked about it and prayed about it and decided it was time for me to start my own practice,” Cash said. “I came into her office on Monday morning and got a business license, started making calls and here we go.” By Tuesday, April 1, 1986, he’d started Larry S. Cash Architects, the precursor to RIM Architects. Ten days later, Cash welcomed baby number two, son Jordan. And just a few weeks after that, he was keeping a watchful eye on the bassinet in the corner of his office and juggling a sizable crew and project across town.
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WHEN CASH FOUND HIMSELF JOBLESS, HE ALSO DISCOVERED A SAFETY NET OF FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES WHO APPRECIATED HIS WORK ETHIC. THE VALUE OF RELATIONSHIPS RIM is a Last Frontier-incubated firm with offices in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii and California, promising “Results with IMagination.” But it all started with just three things: Cash’s reputation, an Anchorage School District contract and a line of credit. With nearly a decade of work and community involvement in Alaska under his belt, when Cash found himself jobless, he also discovered a safety net of friends and colleagues who appreciated his work ethic. Just a few weeks after the ink dried on his business license, he’d found enough work for 15 employees. A partnership with an engineering firm had helped him land part of a sizable Anchorage School District project. And a line of credit from KeyBank made it possible for him to pay his workers. “I didn’t have the resources to make it to the first payment from the school district,” Cash said. “Mike Burns, the president of KeyBank here in Alaska at the time, was a friend through other acquaintances. I called Mike. We met and talked about it. He granted a $50,000 credit line. I will never forget that.” Cash remains a steadfast KeyBank customer.
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A SOUTHERNER MOVES NORTH There’s still a recognizable Southern drawl when Cash speaks, though he’s lived in Alaska longer than he did in his home state of Alabama. Following college in Alabama, Cash ventured West to Palo Alto, California, where he worked for four years and was registered as an architect. When he picked up his head to look around for new architectural frontiers, Anchorage made it on his shortlist of opportunities. Alaska had been in the back of his mind since he was a kid, listening to the stories his dad—who was stationed in Alaska at the end of World War II—told about life in the North. “I said, ‘I’m going to see Alaska for a year’... 37 years ago,” Cash said with a chuckle. It helped solidify his decision to stay when he was seated next to a lovely lady, now his wife, on a Seattle to Atlanta flight for the Christmas holidays. “I sat next to her and made her talk to me! We were married six months later.” Two kids, two grandsons and several airplanes later (Cash is also a private pilot and proud owner of “the ultimate Alaska airplane,” a Cessna 185 on amphibious floats), the Cashes are content to be working side by side. Barbara is president and CEO of RIM Design and Larry is president and CEO of RIM Architects.
“I SAID, ‘I’M GOING TO SEE ALASKA FOR A YEAR’... 37 YEARS AGO.”
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30 We Believe in Alaska 2015 | www.AEDCweb.com
LEARNING FROM A LIFE IN MANAGEMENT
Cash to expand his firm first to Guam, followed by Hawaii and then California.
Overcoming roadblocks is key to longevity in business. Cash had a few tips to offer up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
3. BE MINDFUL of the way in which you’re training your senior managers. “I could have been better at training for succession than I have been,” Cash admitted. “My focus has been we’re all in this together, we’re working together to make excellent architecture.” But rather than charge ahead and assume his people were taking notes on his methods, he’s had to slow down and rethink his strategy. “I’ve had to become more deliberate about teaching.”
1. BE PART of your community. “I always have believed in community service and giving back,” he said. Over the years, he’s served as a board member for the American Institute of Architects Southcentral Section, Alaska Pacific University, the UAA Honors College, Northrim Bank, Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Anchorage Economic Development Corporation and Girdwood 2020. He’s a Rotary member and he and Barbara have also been active volunteers with United Way. Cash’s friendships in 1986 Anchorage, and relationships he’s developed since, are the reason he’s still in business today. 2. SURROUND YOURSELF with a great team. “My criteria has been picking people who are morally sound, good people, talented people, hardworking people who are passionate about excellence and the profession of architecture,” he said. Having trusted managers enabled
4. LEARN TO ADAPT and be patient; change takes time. Before adding California, the offices in Guam, Hawaii and Alaska evolved independently of each other and with different names, office cultures and clients. They reached a point where they became too disconnected and were focused on their own backyards, rather than collaborating. Cash and his partners made the tough decision to unify the firm across all three locations to better serve their clients. The unified entity was renamed RIM Architects. “Now we are RIM with five locations. Making that transition and becoming CEO over all of RIM has resulted in my having to learn a whole new world, because now I have to share my focus abroad,” said Cash. “It takes time. We’re into our sixth year [rebranded as RIM], almost 30 years in business, and we still have challenges from time to time, but we’re all in this together. Local decisions have global impact, positive and negative.” l
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU START YOURS by Michele White TRATEGISTS TRADITIONALLY MODEL the
life cycle of a business on the biological life cycle: introduction, grow th, expansion (or maturity) and decline. Joe Morrison, principal of Biz 21 Consulting, helps
INTRODUCTION: THINK IT THROUGH The Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) calls this the “think” stage. Strategists like Morrison and Lynn Klassert, center director and business advisor at Anchorage SBDC, advise entrepreneurs to do their research in this stage. Get experience in the industry of the business you are launching. Network with others in the industry. Conduct a feasibility study and market test your products or services. “What’s the problem? Can we solve it? Do we even have something we can sell?” said Morrison, running through the questions an early-stage entrepreneur should ask. “If people
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entrepreneurs in the introduction stage of development, wrestling with the questions that go into planning a start-up business or identifying new ventures and products in established businesses.
aren’t interested in the product, essentially, there are two choices: Find a product that people are interested in, or fail.” That’s exactly what the owner of Urban Greens sandwich shop, Noam Schulgasser, did when he started selling sandwiches out of his friend’s small gelato shop on E Street. Urban Greens’ introduction stage took place in three days. “[I said] ‘Hey, can I sell sandwiches in your store.’ He said, ‘Yeah, sure.’ That evening we came up with a name. The next day, we started writing the menu and the third day, I ordered the sign.”
ONCE YOU’RE READY TO START YOUR BUSINESS, “EXPECT A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, CHAOS AND A LITTLE PAIN,” ADVISED MORRISON. LAUNCH: WRITE YOUR PLAN The SBDC considers this late-stage introduction. After you’ve answered your questions and identified your product, it’s time to write a business plan, develop a marketing strategy, implement a bookkeeping system and find funding. It’s here that SBDC helps entrepreneurs set up the framework of a business from start to finish, providing counseling, resources and tools, and helping them find investors. “Generally for a start-up, you’ve got to have at least 25 percent of those funds on your own,” said Klassert, “The rest can come from a partner, a lender, a venture capital source, an angel fund, just to name a few.” Schulgasser, out of necessity, launched his business on a shoestring budget. “We weren’t able to get a loan for the business,” he said. “So we used our credit cards, and our parents helped us out a little bit.” He and his wife spent their first year in business trying to make money and put it back into the business. Once you’re ready to start your business, “Expect a lot of excitement, chaos and a little pain,” advised Morrison. “Excitement because you’re doing something wonderful—it’s so exciting—but chaos because you don’t have a process in place.” And pain, he said, because you feel all of that.
GROWTH: TAKE YOUR PRODUCT TO BIGGER MARKETS You now have a proven product in the marketplace. It’s time to grow. “The question is how many people want it and where can you sell it and how large can you scale that?” Morrison said. “And in the interest of Alaskans, sometimes it’s worth asking, how much do they want to scale it? Not every entrepreneur wants to go out and conquer the world. Generally speaking, you would sell as much of the stuff as you can in as many markets as you can.” For Schulgasser, the growth he experienced with Urban Greens was as much personal as it
was professional. “Being able to look at the business year after year and season after season and see how it morphed was a fun experience,” he said. “It’s interesting to see how the business changed and how I changed with it.” Morrison said most decisions to be made about a company can be viewed against a business life cycle. “In the introductory phase, it’s ‘Can you do it?’ In the growth phase, it’s ‘Can you scale it?’ In the maturity phase, it’s ‘How much money can you make out of it?’ In the decline phase, it’s ‘Can you reinvent yourself?’” Urban Greens evolved from pivotal decisions just like those. “A lot of it was decisions we made because we had to,” said Schulgasser. “We got to a fork in the road and we had to choose which way we were going.”
EXITING ONE BUSINESS CAN BE THE BIRTH OF A NEW BUSINESS AND A WHOLE NEW LIFE CYCLE. MATURITY: REINVENTING THE BUSINESS You’ve peaked as an entrepreneurial business and now it’s time to reinvent. Schulgasser reinvented Urban Greens with a catering component. And, in January, he added house-grown herbs to the menu when he introduced 30 basil plants in a hydroponic system in the back of his store. “The basil yields me about a pound a week and it covers my needs and then some,” Schulgasser said. “So, it started out as part hobby. I think the customers really like it, but it was also a way for me to test the waters in terms of what I’d like to do if I am able to exit Urban Greens, and I’d like to.”
DECLINE: CHOOSING TO EXIT GRACEFULLY “Sooner or later, you have to ask yourself what’s going to happen when you leave and if that business outlives you,” Morrison said. SBDC clients are coached in writing an exit plan. “We talk at the very beginning about starting a business that you need to know your exit strategy from day one,” Klassert said. “Because things happen.” Those things are not always negative. Business owners may retire, move out of state, pass the business on to the next generation, sell a portion of it or merge it with another company and begin another stage of growth. Schulgasser recently put his business on the market as he approaches the exit stage of his business cycle. “I’d like to be an urban farmer,” he said. “ I’d like to be one of the pioneers in sustainable indoor agriculture. I think there’s a little bit of a movement right now, but there’s a lot of room to grow at the same time.” Exiting one business—as in Schulgasser’s case—can be the birth of a new business and a whole new life cycle.
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3.625 x 9.75_MPFC AEDC AD_JUNE 2515.pdf
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FEDEX EXPRESS Dale Shaw, Managing Director
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FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA
THE WILSON AGENCY, LLC Lon Wilson, President & CEO, Past AEDC Chair
ANCHORAGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Bruce Bustamante, President
TOTEM OCEAN TRAILER EXPRESS Grace Greene, Alaska General Manager
ANCHORAGE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP Chris Schutte, Executive Director
WALSH SHEPPARD Jack Sheppard, President and COO
ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT Ed Graff, Superintendent
WEIDNER APARTMENT HOMES Gregory Cerbana, Director of Public Relations
ANCHORAGE WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY Andrew Eker, AWWU Advisory Board Member
GCI Greg Pearce, VP & GM Businesses Services, Past AEDC Chair HOTEL CAPTAIN COOK Raquel Edelen, Vice President of Operations HOLLAND AMERICA/ PRINCESS TOURS Ralph Samuels, Vice President of Government Affairs LYNDEN INC. Rick Pollock, Vice President-Global Projects NORTHERN AIR CARGO Sami Glascott, Chief Operating Officer NORTHRIM BANK Larry Cooper, Senior Vice President PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS Scott Hansen, Business Manager PREMERA BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ALASKA Lynn Rust Henderson, Vice President, Sales, Alaska Market
WELLS FARGO & COMPANY Joseph Everhart, Alaska Region President, Past AEDC Chair
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS ALASKA LEGISLATURE Senator Berta Gardner Senator Lesil McGuire Representative Matt Claman Representative Gabrielle LeDoux MUNICIPALITY Mayor Ethan Berkowitz Assembly Member, Ernie Hall, Past AEDC Chair
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH SYSTEMS William Dann, President
Assembly Member, Bill Evans
PROVIDENCE HEALTH AND SERVICES ALASKA Kirsten Schultz, Director for Communications & Marketing
AIDEA Chris Anderson, Deputy Director
APPOINTED BY THE BOARD
ALASKA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY Dr. Don Bantz, President
ARTIQUE, LTD. Tennys Owens, President, Past AEDC Chair AT&T ALASKA Chris Brown, Director of Business Planning Management, Past AEDC Chair CHUGIAK – EAGLE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Susan Gorski, Executive Director COOK INLET HOUSING AUTHORITY Carol Gore, President/CEO DELTA AIR LINES Tony Gonchar, Director Pacific NW, Global Sales GIRDWOOD 2020 Diana Stone Livingston, Co-Chair KEYBANK Brian Nerland, District President, Past AEDC Chair
www.AEDCweb.com | 2015
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LYNDEN INC. Dennis Mitchell, Vice President Oil and Gas, Past AEDC Chair
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE Thomas Case, Chancellor
MUNICIPAL LIGHT & POWER
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA Mary Hughes, Board of Regents, Past AEDC Chair
PORT OF ANCHORAGE Steve Ribuffo, Port Director RIM ARCHITECTS Larry Cash, President & CEO, Past AEDC Chair
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STATE OF ALASKA, DCCED TED STEVENS ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT John Parrott, Airport Manager, Past AEDC Chair
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PLATINUM INVESTORS
SILVER INVESTORS
Alaska Communications Alaska Integrated Media Anchorage Community Development Authority Anchorage Media Group Chugach Electric Association, Inc. CIRI CRW Engineering Group, LLC DOWL First National Bank Alaska KeyBank KTUU Northrim Bank Ohana Media Group, LLC Providence Health & Services Alaska Shell Exploration & Production Stantec The Hotel Captain Cook Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Inc.
Alaska Business Monthly Alaska Channel Alaska National Insurance Company Alaska Public Media Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. Architects Alaska, Inc. Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot Blood Bank of Alaska Brews Brothers (Glacier Brewhouse) Buzz Rohlfing, Inc. Carlile Transportation Coffman Engineers Inc. Cook Inlet Tribal Council DenaliTEK Incorporated Eklutna, Inc Flint Hills Resources Gonzales Marketing Graphicworks iHeartMedia JL Properties, Inc. Microcom Mini of Anchorage NANA Development Corporation Northern Air Cargo Odom Corporation Penco Properties Petrotechnical Resources of Alaska RIM Architects RSA Engineering SteamDot Tesoro Alaska Petroleum Companies, Inc. The Boardroom The Superior Group, Inc. Think Office, LLC Verizon Wireless
GOLD INVESTORS Alaska Railroad Corporation Alaska Regional Hospital Aleut Corporation Alyeska Resort ASRC Energy Services AT&T Alaska BAC Transportation Bank of America Merrill Lynch BDO USA LLP Calista Corporation Cook Inlet Housing Authority Creative Lighting & Sound Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union ENSTAR Natural Gas Co. FedEx Express KPB Architects Lynden Inc. Orthopedic Physicians Anchorage Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Peak Oilfield Service Company Princess Cruises Rasmuson Foundation The Alaska Club The Wilson Agency LLC Thompson & Co. Public Relations
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2015 | www.AEDCweb.com
BRONZE INVESTORS 3M Accurate Vision Clinic AECOM Agnew Beck Consulting AK Supply Inc Alaska AFL-CIO Alaska Cargoport, LLC Alaska Executive Search
Alaska Growth Capital Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Alaska Magazine Alaska Permanent Capital Management Alaska Rubber and Supply Inc. Alaska Sales and Service Alaska Sausage and Seafood Alaska SeaLife Center Alaska Small Business Development Center Alaska Waste Alyeska Pipeline Service Company Alyeska Title Guaranty Agency American Marine International Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall – Simon Property Group Anchorage Concert Association Anchorage Convention Centers-SMG Anchorage Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic, PC Anchorage Golf Course & O’Malley’s on the Green Anchorage Marriott Downtown Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center Anchorage Public Library Anchorage Sand & Gravel Co. Aprokrisis, LLC. Arcadis Arctic Controls, Inc. Arctic Wire Rope & Supply, Inc. Art Services North Artique, Ltd. BBFM Engineers, Inc. Beacon Occupational Health & Safety Services, Inc Bear Tooth TheatrePub Better Business Bureau Bettisworth North Architects & Planners, Inc. BiNW Bond Commercial Properties Bradley Reid + Associates Bristol Bay Native Corporation C2 North LLC Capital Management & Benefits Corp. Carr Gottstein Properties Chenega Corporation Chenega Energy
Jack White Real Estate JW Industries Ken Brady Construction Kiewit Building Group Kittelson & Associates KPMG Kumin & Associates, Inc. Lottsfeldt Strategies Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Matanuska Electric Association, Inc Matanuska Telephone Association Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union Matson MBA Consulting Engineers, Inc. Michael Baker Jr., Inc. Millrock Resources, Inc. Mind Matters Research LLC Nana Management Services (NMS) National Cooperative Bank NeighborWorks Alaska Norcoast Mechanical North Star Terminal & Stevedore LLC Northern Economics, Inc. Northwestern Mutual Old Harbor Native Corporation Opti Staffing Group Pacific Northern Academy PangoMedia, LLC Parker, Smith & Feek, Inc. PCL Construction Services, Inc. Petro Marine Services Pfeffer Development Group, LLC Quantum Spatial R&M Consultants, Inc. Ravn Alaska RE/MAX Dynamic Properties, Inc.
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PRESIDENT AND CEO Bill Popp bpopp@aedcweb.com
RESEARCH DIRECTOR James Starzec jstarzec@aedcweb.com
VICE PRESIDENT Jon Bittner jbittner@aedcweb.com
LIVE. WORK. PLAY. DIRECTOR Archana Mishra amishra@aedcweb.com
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Valerie Walsh vwalsh@aedcweb.com
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Karli Lopez klopez@aedcweb.com
AIRPORT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Will Kyzer wkyzer@aedcweb.com
COMMUNICATION ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Brooke Taylor btaylor@aedcweb.com
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Bridgette Coleman bcoleman@aedcweb.com
Introducing a New HR Solution for Alaskan Businesses
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Tammy Gossett tgossett@aedcweb.com
Physical and Mailing Address 510 L Street, Suite 603 Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 258-3700 Fax: (907) 258-6646 Twitter: @AEDC Facebook: AEDCweb Instagram: @AEDCweb / @iloveanchorage LinkedIn: Anchorage Economic Development Corporation
• Full-Service Human Resources • • Supplemental Support • • Special Projects • Our Team of certi�ied HR experts brings decades of experience managing and administering Human Resources in companies of all different sizes and industries. We apply this hands-on experience and operations-focus to tailor HR solutions and services to meet your needs.
Call us today to see how we can help!
907-777-0290
info@connecthrllc.com • www.connecthrllc.com
Why do you live in Anchorage? Why would you leave Anchorage? Take the LIVE. WORK. PLAY. survey today! www.AEDCweb.com
WHAT IS STAR OF THE NORTHWEST? A comprehensive high school and postsecondary program for Alaskan students. A coordinated effort by the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, Alaska Technical Center, and the University of Alaska, along with partners statewide. An 11–14 structure serving secondary and adult learners and resulting in industry and college certifications.
CULINARY ARTS
HEALTH CARE CAREERS
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION
Career and Technical Education teachers serving schools districtwide. Interactive StarNet video distance courses. Variable length Kotzebue-based career education opportunities. A residential magnet school, with an emphasis on a safe, engaging residence life program, serving Alaska students statewide.
We provide a safe, positive structure parents expect
NWABSD provides Equal Opportunity Programs
atcstar.com 907.442.1804
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For more information, call 257-4242