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DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20260918T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20260918T220000
DTSTAMP:20260821T175601Z
CREATED:20260809T001342Z
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UID:10000484-1789743600-1789768800@akew.org
SUMMARY:Alaska Entrepreneurship Community Stakeholders Session
DESCRIPTION:From Assessment to Action: Strengthening Alaska’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem\nFriday\, September 18\, 2026\nPetroleum Club of Anchorage\n3301 C Street\, Anchorage\, Alaska \nSession I brings the public-leadership perspective into the conversation. Session II brings the whole entrepreneurial ecosystem to the table.\nThroughout Alaska Entrepreneurship Week\, entrepreneurs\, business owners\, investors\, lenders\, educators\, researchers\, economic development organizations\, nonprofits\, government representatives\, advisors\, and other members of Alaska’s entrepreneurial community will have exchanged ideas about what is working\, what is changing\, and where barriers remain. \nEarlier on Friday\, Session I adds another important perspective. Current elected officials and candidates discuss entrepreneurship and small business from the public-policy side of the ecosystem: what government can do\, what it cannot do\, what has already been attempted\, what institutional or policy constraints exist\, and what approaches they believe could strengthen Alaska’s entrepreneurial environment. \nSession II brings those perspectives together. This facilitated working session combines what was heard during Session I with the experience accumulated by Alaska’s entrepreneurial community throughout the week\, throughout the year\, and through the direct experience of the people building\, funding\, supporting\, regulating\, researching\, educating\, and advising Alaska businesses. \nThe objective is to develop a more complete picture of where Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem stands today and determine what should happen next. \n  \nThree Questions\nWhere are we now?\nWhat is actually working? Where are entrepreneurs and small businesses struggling? Where are resources reaching businesses effectively\, and where are they not? Where are organizations collaborating successfully? Where are gaps\, fragmentation\, unnecessary complexity\, or duplication creating problems? \nWhere should we be?\nWhat should a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem in Alaska actually look like? What capabilities should exist? What should entrepreneurs be able to access more easily? What existing programs\, relationships\, policies\, organizations\, or resources should be reinforced? What is missing? \nHow do we get there?\nWhich problems can realistically be addressed? What should be improved\, reinforced\, connected\, built\, simplified\, or reconsidered? And\, most importantly: who is willing and able to take the next step? \n  \nThis Is a Working Session\nThis is not another panel. It is not an organizational showcase. It is not a political debate. And it is not intended to produce another general conclusion that Alaska needs “more collaboration.” \nParticipants will be encouraged to identify specific problems\, challenge assumptions\, contribute direct experience\, examine why existing approaches succeed or fail\, and develop practical next steps where possible. \nThe objective is not artificial consensus. Different parts of Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem see different pieces of the same system\, and those differences are valuable. An entrepreneur may experience a problem one way. A lender may see a different constraint. An investor may identify a different risk. A government official may know that a proposed solution requires statutory authority. An agency representative may know that funding already exists but cannot legally be used in the proposed manner. A university or researcher may identify capabilities that businesses do not know exist. An economic development organization may see the same problem occurring repeatedly across dozens of businesses. \nThe purpose of putting these perspectives together is to understand the system\, not simply the individual pieces. \n  \nWhat Will We Examine?\nThe discussion may include entrepreneurship and small-business formation and growth\, access to capital and investment\, early-stage and growth-stage financing gaps\, innovation and technology commercialization\, workforce development and talent retention\, rural entrepreneurship and regional access to resources\, infrastructure and connectivity\, government procurement and contracting\, regulation and administrative barriers\, research and university-industry collaboration\, healthcare\, energy\, technology and emerging industries\, entrepreneurial education and mentorship\, business assistance and technical support\, coordination among entrepreneurship-support organizations\, resource visibility and accessibility\, economic diversification\, attracting and retaining entrepreneurs and businesses\, the roles of state\, federal\, municipal\, private-sector\, university and nonprofit actors\, and opportunities for stronger collaboration across the ecosystem. \n  \nWho Should Participate?\nSession II is intended for people who actively participate in some part of Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. That includes entrepreneurs and small-business owners who experience the system directly\, investors and lenders who understand the realities of capital deployment\, risk\, and business readiness\, government officials and public-sector professionals who understand governmental authority\, policy\, programs\, implementation\, procurement\, regulation\, funding\, and institutional constraints\, economic development and entrepreneurship-support organizations that work directly with businesses and communities\, universities\, researchers\, educators\, and commercialization professionals\, nonprofit and community organizations\, and advisors\, mentors\, professional-service providers\, and industry leaders. \n  \nParticipation Is Based on Stakeholder Role\nThe afternoon session is not a candidate forum. Participation is based on the experience\, expertise\, or stakeholder role a participant brings to Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. \nIndividuals who are also candidates for elected office may participate when they independently hold a relevant role within Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Candidate status is not a basis for participation in Session II. \nCampaign advocacy\, electoral appeals\, political fundraising\, requests for political support\, comparisons between candidates\, or statements intended to promote or oppose a candidate are outside the scope of this session. Policy disagreement is welcome. Political campaigning is not. \n  \nRules of Engagement\nProblems before promotion. This is not an opportunity to deliver an organizational sales pitch. Programs and organizations should be discussed when they are relevant to understanding a problem\, resource\, solution\, gap\, or opportunity. \nExperience before generalization. Specific examples\, evidence\, observed patterns\, and direct experience are more useful than broad assumptions. \nUnderstand before solving. Some apparent problems are symptoms of something else. Before proposing another program\, funding source\, organization\, or initiative\, the session will seek to understand what is creating the underlying problem. \nStrengthen what already works. Not every solution requires something new. Where things are working\, the question becomes how they can be reinforced\, expanded\, connected\, or made easier to access. \nIdentify duplication and gaps. Alaska may simultaneously have multiple resources addressing one need while another need remains largely unserved. The session should make both visible. \nPolicy disagreement is welcome. Substantive disagreement can improve the analysis. The objective is a better understanding of the available choices\, constraints\, and consequences. \nDiscussion should lead somewhere. Where practical\, significant issues should conclude with something more specific than “we should work together.” \n  \nSession Schedule\n3:00 PM to 3:15 PM. Welcome\, Objectives\, and Ground Rules. Framing of the session\, how Session I input will be used\, and how the working discussion will run. \n3:15 PM to 4:30 PM. Where Are We Now. Facilitated assessment of current ecosystem conditions\, what is working\, and where entrepreneurs and small businesses are struggling. \n4:30 PM to 4:45 PM. Break. \n4:45 PM to 6:00 PM. Where Should We Be. What a stronger Alaska entrepreneurial ecosystem should look like\, which capabilities should exist\, and what is missing. \n6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. How Do We Get There. Priorities\, practical next steps\, what can be started now\, what requires longer-term work\, and who is positioned to help. \n7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Dinner and Continued Conversation. The formal working session transitions into dinner and networking\, providing additional time to continue conversations\, develop connections\, and explore potential collaborations identified during the afternoon. \n8:30 PM to 8:45 PM. Closing. Commitments\, synthesis\, and what happens next. \n8:45 PM to 10:00 PM. Optional Networking. The venue remains open until 10:00 PM. \n  \nWhat Should Come Out of the Session?\nSuccess does not require solving every challenge facing entrepreneurship in Alaska in one afternoon. It requires leaving with a better shared understanding than existed when the session began: what is working and should be reinforced\, what is not working and why\, where entrepreneurs are falling through the cracks\, where resources exist but are difficult to discover or access\, where organizations or programs are duplicating effort\, where meaningful gaps remain\, which barriers are structural and which are operational\, which opportunities could be pursued relatively quickly\, which challenges require longer-term work\, and where stronger connections between stakeholders could produce meaningful results. \nAnd wherever possible: who should do what next. \n  \nRegistration\nIn-person participation is limited. Advance registration is required. Only 40 community registrations are available for the in-person session. \nSession II and Dinner\, $50 per person\, includes participation in the Community Stakeholders Session\, dinner\, and networking. \nFull Friday Program\, $75 per person\, includes the Session I Candidate and Public Leadership Forum\, buffet lunch\, the Session II Community Stakeholders Session\, dinner\, and networking throughout the day. To register for the full day\, add both the Session I and Session II registrations to your cart and the $25 Full Friday saving is applied automatically at checkout. \nRegistration deadline: Monday\, September 7\, 2026\, or before available community registrations are filled\, whichever occurs first. \nParts of the program may also be accessible remotely through Google Meet. A free virtual registration is available below. \nAll registrations are final. No refunds are offered. \nAttend virtually for FREE: \n\n\nVideoconference:\nmeet.google.com/tjr-wqqk-zie \nID: tjr-wqqk-zie\n\ntel.meet/tjr-wqqk-zie\nPin: 1764937666155\n\n(US) +1 617-675-4444\nPin: 1764937666155\n\n\n\nSponsor-Supported Tickets\nThanks to AKEW sponsors\, a limited number of complimentary registrations are available for members of Alaska’s entrepreneurial community for whom registration cost would otherwise create a barrier. Sponsor-supported registration may be requested for Session I\, Session II\, or the full Friday program. An application is required. Availability is limited\, and submitting an application does not guarantee a ticket. \nApply for a sponsor-supported registration \nThe application is deliberately demanding and takes most people twenty to thirty minutes to complete. It cannot be saved and resumed. Organizers review each application individually and may request more information before deciding. Applying does not guarantee a registration. \n  \nThank You to Our Sponsors\nAKEW’s September 18 programming is made possible with support from organizations investing in Alaska’s entrepreneurial community. \nTech Wildcatters\nAK Coffee Company\nREFocus \nSponsorships Are Still Available\nOrganizations interested in supporting Alaska’s entrepreneurial community can still participate as sponsors. Sponsorship can also help expand access by providing sponsor-supported registrations for entrepreneurs and community members who otherwise may not be able to participate. \nBecome a sponsor. Email contact@akew.org \n  \nFrom Session I to Session II\nThe two sessions are designed to work together. Session I provides the public leadership perspective. Session II integrates it with the experience of the broader entrepreneurial community. The objective is not to treat government\, entrepreneurs\, investors\, universities\, nonprofits\, and support organizations as separate conversations. They are different parts of the same entrepreneurial system. \n  \nAbout Alaska Entrepreneurship Week\nAlaska Entrepreneurship Week is a statewide\, volunteer-led initiative designed to spotlight\, support\, and strengthen entrepreneurship across Alaska. AKEW brings entrepreneurs\, small-business owners\, mentors\, investors\, educators\, support organizations\, government partners\, and other members of Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem together through events\, conversations\, shared promotion\, and statewide coordination. \n  \nEncourage   –   Leverage   –   Connect.
URL:https://akew.org/event/alaska-entrepreneurship-community-stakeholders-session
LOCATION:Petroleum Club of Anchorage\, 3301 C St.\, Ste. 120\, Anchorage\, AK\, 99503\, United States
CATEGORIES:Hybrid,Networking & Community,Resources & Ecosystem
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://akew.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Session-II_small.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Alaska Entrepreneurship Week Team":MAILTO:contact@akew.org
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20260918T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20260918T200000
DTSTAMP:20260814T173812Z
CREATED:20260814T173812Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260814T173812Z
UID:10000491-1789750800-1789761600@akew.org
SUMMARY:#RetroTechno Wrap Up event
DESCRIPTION:### #RetroTechnoWrap 🎶✨ \nLet’s go out with a **BANG!** 💥 \nJoin us **September 18 from 5–8 PM** at the awesome **Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry** for our AKEW Mat-Su wrap-up celebration! \nCome together to **network\, vibe out\, and celebrate** Alaska Entrepreneurship Week with **cool music\, great vibes\, and light refreshments**. \nCome see what’s new at this incredible museum\, connect with local entrepreneurs\, creatives\, businesses\, and community leaders\, and celebrate everything we’ve built together during AKEW! \nWe are **super grateful to our venue sponsor and host** for helping make this celebration possible! \n🎶 Cool vibes\n💡 Music & lights\n🥂 Light refreshments\n🤝 Networking\n🚗 An awesome museum to explore \n**September 18 | 5–8 PM** \nLet’s #RetroTechnoWrap AKEW and **go out with a BANG!** 🚀
URL:https://akew.org/event/retrotechno-wrap-up-event
LOCATION:AK
CATEGORIES:In-Person
ORGANIZER;CN="Alaska Media Firm":MAILTO:alaskamediafirm@gmail.com
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20260918T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20260918T200000
DTSTAMP:20260822T001341Z
CREATED:20260821T234951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260822T001341Z
UID:10000530-1789754400-1789761600@akew.org
SUMMARY:JA Youth Entrepreneurship Week: Day 5\, Shark Tank Style Pitch Contest
DESCRIPTION:The week closes with a Shark Tank style pitch contest. Students take turns pitching their product or service idea to the class and to a panel of judges. \nJudges award the winning student an Apple iPad. \nAttendance at the sessions starting September 14 was required to compete. \nGrades 9 to 12. Free. 15 seats. Register by September 1\, 2026. \nStudents must attend the sessions starting September 14 to compete in the Shark Tank style pitch contest on September 18. \nRegister through Junior Achievement of Alaska. Zoom details are sent by Junior Achievement after registration.
URL:https://akew.org/event/ja-youth-entrepreneurship-week-day-5-shark-tank-style-pitch-contest
LOCATION:AK
CATEGORIES:Online (Virtual),Pitch Competitions & Showcases,Youth & Student Engagement
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20261002T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20261004T213000
DTSTAMP:20260820T195202Z
CREATED:20260820T194454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T195202Z
UID:10000507-1790962200-1791149400@akew.org
SUMMARY:Techstars Startup Weekend - Seward September 2026
DESCRIPTION:— ORIGINAL EVENT AND TICKETS HERE —\n\n\n\n\nJoin us in Seward\, Alaska for a three-day event for aspiring founders to pitch their ideas\, assemble a team\, and bring a company to life. \n\n\n\n\nWhy Techstars Startup Weekend – Seward\nCome join us at Startup Weekend – Seward\, a 54 hour business plan competition where you will have the opportunity to meet like minded individuals\, dream big ideas\, prototype businesses\, and pitch to Alaska biggest investors. All you have to bring is your enthusiasm and Alaskan Can-Do attitude. If you already run a business\, this is an opportunity to rapidly test out new ideas in a safe environment. All ages and skill levels are welcome. No prior business experience necessary. You will be given the tools and the methodology to create Alaska’s next biggest tour company. \nThis event is hosted in Seward with optional events before and after the weekend. Participant tickets are $175 (steep discounts available). \nIncludes: \n\nDiscounted $95/night Harbor 360 Hotel stay\, $25/night for students\nTransportation for participants from Anchorage (leave Anchorage at 12:30pm)\nMeals\nSupplies\nBusiness workshops\n\nTravel and hotel accommodation discounts and stipends will be available. Please select this “ticket” option to receive more information. \nA separate ticket is available for attending only the final pitch event Sunday evening. The experience is invaluable and spectators are welcome to sign up for the pitch event. \n\nThis event is organized in partnership with:\n\nUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks\nCenter for Innovation\nEPSCoR Interface of Change\nCommonwealth North\nAlaska Version 3\nAnd many others!\n\n“Well worth being stuck inside on a sunny weekend! Met some awesome people to work with and come up with some pretty sweet ideas! The initial experience did eventually inspire and motivate me to get outside of my own comfort zone and create my own business.”Dan Newman\, founder of Alaska Premier Auctions and Appraisals \n\nSince 2012\, the start of Alaskan Startups\nTechstars Startup Weekends have been happening at least once annually in Anchorage since 2012. It has kick-started many entrepreneurs in our community. We believe that the tourism demand and opportunity are so great that it is time to focus on a promising sector to grow the Alaska economy. We welcome you to explore\, create\, and create in this space. \nConnect with other creators \nStartup Weekend – Alaska Tourism is a great place to connect with passionate people driven to build something new. There is no better place to meet new friends\, colleagues\, mentors\, cofounders\, and investors. \nStart something great \nKnowing you’re not alone can make all the difference. Startup Weekend – Alaska Tourism provides participants many opportunities to engage and connect with like-minded individuals — and truly start something amazing. \nLearn from the best \nLearn what it really takes to innovate\, disrupt\, and start a company from people who’ve been there. Startup Weekend features deep experiential learning guided by experienced tourism entrepreneurs & experts. \nImprove your knowledge \nSometimes you really need more skills and knowledge to go to the next level. Startup Weekend also goes deep on specific topics or skill sets. Just what you need to progress quickly. \n\n\n\n  \nTICKETS\nHERE
URL:https://akew.org/event/techstars-startup-weekend-seward-september-2026
LOCATION:University of Alaska Fairbanks – Seward Marine Center\, 201 Railway Avenue\, Seward\, AK\, 99664\, United States
CATEGORIES:1. Idea,Competitions & Showcases,Competitions Beyond Pitching,Creative & Experiential,Demo Days & Pop-Ups,In-Person,Mentorship & Office Hours,Networking & Community,Networking, Mixers & Social,Pitch Competitions & Showcases,Workshops & Trainings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://akew.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/image.jpg
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