#OFN40 will bring together 2,500 community development finance practitioners and partners from across the country, October 21-24. Register now!

Sitka’s Emerging Leaders, a program of the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce, is excited to announce the 2024 Southeast Summit, a two-day conference to develop Southeast Alaska’s workforce through learning, skill-building, and networking.

Join fellow young professionals from around the region to convene for two days of programming consisting of keynote speakers, impactful discussions, and pre-summit workshops. Take advantage of this special opportunity to network, develop skills to advance your career, and learn from regional experts.

Southeast Conference Annual Meeting

Join business, tribal, and elected leaders from around the region, state and nation as we explore explore the current landscape across each industry area, and work together to undertake and support activities that promote strong economies, healthy communities and a quality environment in Southeast Alaska

Ted Ferry Civic Center
888 Venetia Ave, Ketchikan, AK 99901

Alaska's suitability for seaweed cultivation lies in its clean, cold, and nutrient-rich coastal waters, along with long daylight hours during the summer, making it an ideal environment for seaweed growth. Additionally, its low population density and expertise in aquaculture further position Alaska as a promising player in the emerging seaweed industry.

Seagriculture USA 2024 gathers top speakers, who will share their know-how within seaweed for feed, food, offshore cultivation, biorefinery of seaweed, and much more. 

Learn more at https://seagriculture-usa.com/overview/

Build your credit!

In partnership with Tongass Federal Credit Union, Spruce Root has an exciting opportunity for you! Complete Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness workshop and receive $500 to secure a credit builder card without using your own funds as collateral. 

Join Spruce Root at the Craig Public Library in October on Monday nights 5:30-7:30 p.m. to dive into our Financial Wellness course and dive into money management strategies.

We welcome individuals who are looking to improve their personal financial wellness.  This workshop will cover topics from mastering budgeting basics, creating clear financial goals, navigating the complexities of credit and debt and more.  

This workshop will cover topics from

• mastering budgeting basics,

• creating clear financial goals,

• navigating the complexities of credit and debt, and more. 

Join Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness Workshop, brought to you in partnership with Tongass Federal Credit Union! This exclusive workshop offers you a chance to improve your financial health and kickstart your credit journey. 

Use the secured card for six months, to make regular purchases and on time payments. After six months, the $500 is returned to Spruce Root, and you will be eligible for other credit products.

By making consistent, on-time payments, you can see a positive impact on your credit score.

This course is in-person and will be open to all residents of Prince of Wales Island. There will not be a virtual version offered at this time. 

We especially encourage participants who are Indigenous, Black, people of color.

Registration closes 11:59 p.m. AKST Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

Learn more and register at www.spruceroot.org/financialwellness.

Are you an artist in the Chilkat Valley interested in growing your arts-based business? 

Spruce Root and Chilkoot Indian Association are partnering to offer a virtual workshop on merchandising art and customer service on August 13, 2024.

With generous support from the Chilkoot Indian Association, tribal members in any location and/or Chilkat Valley artists are able to attend this workshop for free.

By participating in this workshop, art entrepreneurs will build their knowledge and skills in effectively merchandising art and providing excellent customer service, helping equip them to build a thriving art business. 

This workshop will take place over Zoom and you must register in advance.

The Path to Prosperity Business Competition is an annual business development competition for businesses with a positive economic, environmental, and community impact on Southeast Alaska. Businesses are judged based on their feasibility and their contributions to community development. The competition includes an intensive in-person training which takes place in Juneau in mid-September and that awards $40,000 annually to two winning businesses.

Applications close by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 30, 2024

Learn more at https://www.spruceroot.org/path-to-prosperity-business-competition

Remembering Forward

We use the phrase “Remembering Forward” as our roadmap. The solutions we seek for our communities as we transition toward healthy, regenerative economies already exist within the foundation of Indigenous cultures.

The Just Transition Summit is our biennial gathering to share knowledge, skills, inspiration, and connect about the equity and justice work we are doing in our communities.

Join us on March 18-20, 2024 in Á’akw Kwáan territory as we build pathways to liberation.

For more information, go here.

Registration for the 2024 Innovation Summit is NOW OPEN!

Organized by the Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC), the annual Innovation Summit attracts hundreds of entrepreneurs, business leaders, industry experts, policymakers, researchers, and change agents from across the country and around the world.

The theme of the 2024 Innovation Summit is “Charting a Course to the Future We Want”. This year, Summit attendees can choose from various tracks, including the exploration of cruise industry research emphasizing balanced perspectives; the role of outdoor recreation in Alaska’s economy; and the upcoming Tongass Forest Plan Revision. In addition to gaining timely and relevant knowledge, attendees can expect to have meaningful discussions, experiment with Scenario Thinking as a strategic approach, and enjoy networking experiences.

Register today at: www.jedc.org/innovation/register/

Help shape the region's economy at the 2024 SE Conference Mid-Session Summit. Scheduled to coincide with the Alaska Legislative session, this conference provides attendees access to the state policy makers, industry updates across every sector, and networking opportunities among the municipal, tribal, and business leaders across the region.

Register today: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event...

Looking to reach a financial goal for 2024? Join us as we create SMART financial goals for 2024.  

Setting achievable financial goals is a skill, which takes information, tools, and practice to develop. 

Through this virtual workshop on January 19, you will learn how to develop SMART financial goals that will provide you with steps to achieve your financial goal. 

Learn more at spruceroot.org/financialwellness. Applications open December 19! Deadline to register is Friday, January 12.

Looking for ways to improve your money management skills, get out of debt, cut back on spending, reach financial goals? Personal financial empowerment is the first step to controlling your financial future. Through this virtual two-day workshop you will learn how to make informed financial decisions and develop skills to take control of your financial future.