Governance
How Alaska Entrepreneurship Week is governed. Statewide Co-Chairs, policies, and full governance terms.
How AKEW Works
Alaska Entrepreneurship Week is a statewide, volunteer-led initiative. No one gets paid. No one profits. Every event, sponsorship, and partnership exists to serve Alaska’s entrepreneurs and the communities they build in.
That model works because the people involved care about it. This page describes how AKEW is organized, how decisions are made, and how to get involved.
Statewide Co-Chairs
AKEW is coordinated by two Statewide Co-Chairs who serve in equal standing:
Pascual J. Reig-Munoz and Norma M. Lucero
Both serve on a volunteer basis. Their role is to keep the initiative running: setting the calendar, supporting City Leads who host and produce events across regions, reviewing sponsorships and partnerships, and making sure AKEW operates as one unified effort rather than a collection of disconnected local events.
Neither Co-Chair receives any salary, stipend, or financial benefit from AKEW. All resources go to the initiative and the communities it serves.
City Leads and City Co-Leads
City Leads host events, create programming, build local partnerships, and drive the week’s activity on the ground. Coordinating other organizers is part of the role, but City Leads are expected to lead by doing.
When a city or region benefits from shared leadership, additional City Co-Leads join the same territory. Co-Leads operate as equals and share responsibility for both producing and coordinating events.
Anyone interested in leading a city or region can apply by contacting contact@akew.org, or can be nominated by an existing Lead. Appointments are based on the applicant’s ability to produce events, their networks, and familiarity with Alaska’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, along with the needs of the area.
Vertical Leads
Vertical Leads focus on specific topics that cut across regions, such as social entrepreneurship, youth and education, or access to capital. Like City Leads, Vertical Leads may have Co-Leads and coordinate with the statewide team to ensure their focus area is represented across the calendar.
How Decisions Are Made
Events and partnerships. City Leads create, host, and curate events in their regions. They also recruit additional event hosts and build partnerships with local organizations. The Co-Chairs review proposals to confirm alignment with AKEW’s mission and coordinate the statewide calendar. The goal is to say yes to everything that serves the Alaskan entrepreneurial community.
Sponsorships and funds. All sponsorship funds are pooled statewide and allocated based on need across all participating communities. This ensures that smaller or more remote regions benefit from statewide fundraising, not just the cities where sponsors happen to be located.
Brand and communications. AKEW’s name, logo, and messaging are managed centrally to keep the initiative’s identity consistent. City Leads and partners are encouraged to promote AKEW through their own channels, using the shared brand assets available through the Media Kit.
Financial Transparency
AKEW processes all financial transactions through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor. No individual handles cash directly. Sponsorship commitments, in-kind contributions, and fund allocation decisions are documented and available to the organizing team.
The Co-Chairs, or businesses they are affiliated with, may contribute to AKEW as sponsors or in-kind donors on the same terms as any other contributor. Contributions are recognized through the same tiers and channels that apply to all sponsors.
Strategic Partners
A Strategic Partner is an organization that contributes across multiple dimensions: shared resources, programming, and institutional alignment with AKEW’s mission. Unlike sponsors who provide financial support or event hosts who contribute individual sessions, Strategic Partners integrate their programs into AKEW’s statewide calendar and co-deliver services to the entrepreneurial community.
The designation is annual. Strategic Partners are confirmed each year by the Statewide Co-Chairs based on the depth and breadth of the organization’s involvement. There is no application form or formal checklist. The Co-Chairs evaluate whether an organization’s contribution rises to the level of a true partnership across resources and programming.
Strategic Partners receive co-branding across AKEW’s website, event calendar, and communications. Their programs are featured as part of AKEW’s core offering, not as standalone listings.
For City Leads and Organizers
Operational details for City Leads, including outreach tracking, sponsorship processes, conflict of interest expectations, and the planning timeline, are covered in the City Lead Guide.