February feels like 2023 is already in fast-forward
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How does it feel like this year is going so fast?
We're off and running at Spruce Root. January and February have already been busy with the first Business Basics for Artists workshop complete, the Path to Prosperity Business Competition winners announcement, and the Southeast Conference Mid-Session Summit.
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Spruce Root Technical Assistance Program Director Ashley Snookes, left, and Executive Director Alana Peterson pose with 2022 Path to Prosperity Business Competition winners Rebecca Kameika and Alannah Johnson, along with the competition administrator Izzy Haywood. (Photo by Rachel Deehan)
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Congrats to the 2022 Path to Prosperity Business Competition winners!
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Congratulations to Rebecca Kameika of Costa Brava, Bakery & Pâtisserie and Alannah Johnson of New Earth Fungi on winning the 2022 Path to Prosperity Competition.
The winners were formally announced today at Southeast Conference's Mid-Session Summit in Juneau.
Learn more about them at www.spruceroot.org/2022-winners.
We want to give a huge shoutout to Southeast Conference for hosting the Path to Prosperity Business Competition winner's announcement!
Southeast Conference is one of the many sponsors that makes our work possible.
Thank you Southeast Conference for hosting a collaborative space emphasizing the opportunities of growing our region and including entrepreneurship and small business support as part of those opportunities!
Our other sponsors include: The Edgerton Foundation; Sealaska; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Opportunity Finance Network; The Nature Conservancy; Wells Fargo; Oweesta; Sustainable Southeast Partnership; Jump/Scale; The Avista Foundation; Alaska Brewing Co.; Elgee Rehfeld; Kensington Mine; and AK Litho. Spruce Root is grateful for these contributions. |
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Path to Prosperity turns 10 years old!
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As we’re marking the 10 years of this competition, we wanted to share a few numbers we’re especially proud of. There have been…
- 312 businesses who have submitted applications from 23 communities
- 119 finalists have been trained in triple-bottom-line business planning at our signature intensive boot camp
- And 21 winners have been awarded a total of 660,000 dollars to build their local businesses.
Behind all of these numbers is a rich network of caring and driven entrepreneurs across Southeast Alaska.
And over the past year, we’ve really been able to see just how much that network has grown.
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Meet Kaylah Duncan, the new communications catalyst for Sustainable Southeast Partnership
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Kaylah is Tlingit and a child of the Daḵl’aweidí clan. She carries the name S’eiltín and was raised in the territory of the Áak’w Ḵwáan (Tlingit communities of the Auke Lake region).
Kaylah graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Environmental Policy and a minor in American Indian Studies.
She spent two summers interning with Barnacle Foods as a Kelp Management Intern and Marketing Intern.
Upon completion of her internships Kaylah joined the SSP and Spruce Root team as the Communications Catalyst.
In this position she will utilize her traditional, ecological, and Indigenous knowledge to communicate with communities across the Southeast region in sustainable and impactful ways.
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Reminder: Applications for the Alaska PFD are open!
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You can now select Spruce Root as a charity through your PFD and Pick. Click.Give. Visit pickclickgive.org to learn more and access your MyAlaska account.
Your support of Spruce Root through Pick.Click.Give allows us to provide critical support to small businesses and artists and to further our mission of building a regenerative Southeast Alaska through community and economic development.
Go to pickclickgive.org for more information and donate today!
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Land of the Midnight Surf
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Inside Yakutat Surf Club’s budding stoke scene in Southeast Alaska. Learn more at Patagonia.com/Stories If you’d like to support Yakutat Surf Club’s ongoing effort of connecting the local youth to their waves and beaches, head to yakutatsurfclub.com/donate.
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Patagonia featured Yakutat Surf Club in a story.
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SSP Rural Economic Development Catalyst: The overall goal of the Rural Economic Development Catalyst is to catalyze and support economic development activities in rural, especially tribal communities in southeast Alaska.
You should expect these economic development activities to be guided by a blend of indigenous cultural values and a triple bottom-line framework that integrates economic, social and ecological sustainability principles into each economic development project and activity.
Southeast Alaska Resilient Circles Director: Resilience Circles Director excited to co-develop the pilot implementation plan and lead the program management team in Alaska.
The ideal candidate is looking to dedicate 20+ hours a week to support the success of the Resilience Circles pilot program in Southeast Alaska, with an openness to the growth of this role.
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For more details about jobs at Spruce Root, go to spruceroot.org/careers.
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The Nature Conservancy is hiring for a Southeast Alaska Program Director
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The Nature Conservancy is seeking a passionate, dedicated leader to join its Alaska team and work within the Western U.S. and Canada Division of TNC to meet TNC’s ambitious 2030 Goals.
Systems leadership, team building, creativity, and the ability to influence without authority are key in this role. Come join TNC and apply today!
The position would be based in Juneau.
Salary Range: $92,500
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Thank you to all our partners, supporters, donors and communities for continuing to share in our vision for the region!
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Spruce Root is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Our services for small businesses include coaching, training and lending for startup enterprises, working capital, business expansion, leasehold improvements and other business capital needs. We are a driver of a regenerative economy across Southeast Alaska so communities can forge futures grounded in this uniquely Indigenous place.
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