Alaska Startup Week -- July 22nd - 30th 

It's Alaska Startup Week and we have a couple great events coming up this week! We started out the week by taking a small group (including the Mayor, CBJ Assembly members, CBJ Port Director, Representative Parish, JEDC, DBA and Travel Juneau board members, staff, and more) through Juneau's seafood processing plants to highlight the creative and entrepreneurial opportunities in that industry.  

Hank from Taku Smokeries took us around the facility. They employ over 100 people in the summertime.

Kristie Erickson, Mike Erickson, and Peter gave us a tour of the Alaska Glacier Seafoods plant and showed us new products that are available for consumers.

Thank you to Juneau Empire for writing a great article on our events this week and the fresh entrepreneurial energy in Juneau! Read all about it here. 

The  Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC)  and the  Juneau Chamber of Commerce  invite you to hear from a diverse group of Juneau entrepreneurs to talk about startup experiences, challenges, and everything in between. This Alaska Startup Week round-table discussion focuses on Juneau's startup culture from the perspective of entrepreneurs in various stages of business. 

Panelists:

• Grady Saunders (Heritage Coffee Roasting Co.)
• Reecia Rae Wilson (Juneau's Waterfront Restaurants)
• Midgi Moore (Juneau Food Tours)
• Matt Kern and Lia Heifetz (Barnacle)

Our goal is that the combination of seasoned and newer entrepreneurs creates a montage of insight from all levels of the entrepreneurial field. 

RSVP is encouraged -- This event is expected to sell out. 

$20 for Chamber members, $25 non-members

The  Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC)  and  The Downtown Business Association  invite you to hear from downtown entrepreneurs about why they Choose Juneau to operate their businesses either year-round or seasonally. We'll be hearing about: What is attractive about the downtown Juneau market? What is different about where they spend the rest of the year? What can we learn from others, and more!

This Alaska Startup Week roundtable discussion focuses on Juneau's startup culture from the perspective of downtown entrepreneurs in various stages of business. 

Panelists:

10 Years at JEDC!

This year marks Becca's 10th year with our organization. Becca leads Talent Development for JEDC. During her time here she has helped build and maintain our successful STEM (Science - Technology - Engineering - Math) program throughout the state, including managing and growing the statewide 

FIRST in Alaska  robotics program.  During her tenure and with great support from colleagues, volunteers, and partners, we have seen our statewide FIRST robotics program grow to reach school districts representing 85%+ of our population, become completely supported by corporate contributors and donations (in-kind and cash) and reach more students per-capita than any program in the nation and enjoy one of the highest rates of female participation in robotics in the US. Thank you, Becca, for your amazing dedication and effort throughout the years.

Registration Open for 1-Day Southeast Workforce Education/Training Conference on August 1

 

Greetings Southeast Alaska employers, education professionals, leaders, and community members!

 

Registration is now available for the Southeast Alaska Workforce Education and Training Conference. The conference will take place on Tuesday August 1st at the UAS Juneau campus, 9AM-5PM. Alaska Postsecondary Access and Completion Network is presenting the conference (with assistance from McDowell Group), sponsored by the Lumina Foundation, with in-kind support from UAS.

 

Informative and thought-provoking presentations and panels are planned, including:

• Malia Sieve of the Lumina Foundation
• Dan Robinson of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
• Model training and workforce development programs from around Southeast
• + more to be announced!

Your participation in this event will be important in forming an action plan that meets the unique needs and opportunities in the region.

 

Due to a grant from the Lumina Foundation, the Network is able to offer the conference free of charge to all attendees. Coffee, lunch, and snacks will be provided.

 

Please visit this site to see a description of the event, a draft agenda, and to register:

 

Click Here to Register for the August 1st Conference

 

Some airfare scholarships are available, please contact Heather Haugland at McDowell Group if you are interested in this option ( [email protected] ).

Economic Indicator: 

Alaska's Larger Communities Vary in Their Ethnic Diversity

In Juneau, Alaska Natives (and American Indians) comprise about 17 percent of the population. In Ketchikan, the Native population is about 19 percent and in Sitka about 21 percent. This contrasts with Anchorage, where Alaska Natives and American Indians are 12 percent of the population, and Fairbanks, where they are 10 percent of the population. However, Anchorage has the largest percent of Asian and Black or African American residents in the state.