Governance
How Alaska Entrepreneurship Week is governed. Statewide Co-Chairs, policies, and full governance terms.
Why Governance Matters
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 only works if the initiative is protected. Governance exists to ensure that AKEW remains mission-driven, financially transparent, and accountable to the communities it serves. The structures on this page are not about control. They are about stewardship: making sure that the effort belongs to Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, not to any individual or organization.
Statewide Co-Chairs
AKEW is led by two Statewide Co-Chairs who serve in equal standing:
Pascual J. Reig-Munoz and Norma M. Lucero
The Co-Chair designation carries no fixed term. Both serve on a volunteer basis with zero compensation, coordinating the initiative statewide and ensuring it remains mission-driven and accountable to the communities it serves.
Both Co-Chairs hold equal authority. Either may act independently on behalf of AKEW, and all governance powers described on this page may be exercised by one or both Co-Chairs.
What the Co-Chairs Do
Coordinate statewide activity. The Co-Chairs set the calendar, align City Leads across regions, and ensure that AKEW operates as a unified initiative rather than a collection of disconnected local events.
Approve events, sponsorships, and affiliations. Any event, sponsorship, partnership, or use of the AKEW name and brand requires written pre-approval from at least one Co-Chair. This applies to all activity conducted under the AKEW name, now and in the future.
Ensure mission alignment. The Co-Chairs review all proposed activities to confirm they serve AKEW’s mission of building and delivering a complete entrepreneurial ecosystem for every community in Alaska.
Protect the AKEW brand. The Co-Chairs maintain standards for how the AKEW name, logo, and promotional materials are used across all channels and communities.
Allocate resources equitably. Where AKEW has resources to distribute (sponsorship funds, promotional support, platform access), the Co-Chairs ensure allocation is fair and mission-aligned.
Exercise reserved authority. The Co-Chairs may revoke any City Lead designation, deny or cancel any sponsorship, and cancel or deny any event or activity, at any time, for any reason, without obligation to provide an explanation. This authority exists to protect the initiative and the communities it serves.
What the Co-Chairs Do Not Do
Receive compensation. Neither Co-Chair receives any salary, stipend, honorarium, or financial benefit of any kind from AKEW activities.
Benefit financially. No AKEW funds, sponsorship revenue, or in-kind contributions flow to either Co-Chair personally. All resources are directed to the initiative and the communities it serves.
Exploit the initiative for personal gain. AKEW is a community effort, and every contribution matters. Volunteers, designers, speakers, City Leads, and partners all play essential roles, and each contribution is recognized and credited to the individual or organization that made it. The Co-Chairs do not use AKEW for personal financial enrichment. However, AKEW’s organizational infrastructure remains under Co-Chair stewardship and cannot be claimed, appropriated, or taken over by any other individual or organization. The Co-Chairs remain in place to ensure that the community gets as much out of this collective effort as possible.
Bear personal legal or financial liability. Neither Co-Chair assumes personal legal or financial responsibility for the actions, decisions, or obligations of any participant, City Lead, volunteer, sponsor, or event host associated with AKEW.
Co-Chair Contributions and Sponsorships. The Co-Chairs, or businesses they are affiliated with, may contribute to AKEW as sponsors, in-kind donors, or service providers on the same terms available to any other contributor. Such contributions (whether financial donations, professional services, products, or volunteer hours documented as in-kind support) are recognized through the same sponsorship tiers and acknowledgment channels as any other sponsor or contributor. The Co-Chairs receive no preferential treatment in recognition, but they are not excluded from it either. Contributing to AKEW does not create a conflict of interest; withholding recognition for legitimate contributions would.
Pre-Approval Requirement
Any event, activity, affiliation, sponsorship solicitation, or use of AKEW promotional materials, name, or branding, now or in the future, must receive written pre-approval from at least one Statewide Co-Chair before proceeding.
This requirement applies on an ongoing basis and is not limited to any single program year. It applies to all individuals and organizations participating in or associating with AKEW in any capacity.
Activities conducted without written pre-approval are not authorized AKEW activities and do not represent Alaska Entrepreneurship Week.
Participation and Acceptance
By participating in AKEW in any capacity, including as a City Lead, volunteer, event host, sponsor, speaker, partner, or attendee, all individuals and organizations acknowledge and accept the governance structure described on this page and in the full Governance Framework, as well as all rules, policies, and decisions made by the Statewide Co-Chairs.
Full Governance Framework
The complete governance framework is documented in a standalone document that applies to all AKEW participants. It covers:
- Statewide Co-Chair Authority and Reserved Powers
- Written Pre-Approval Requirement for All AKEW Activity
- Scope, Waiver, and Legal Protections
- Brand and Name Usage Policy
- Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure
- Social Media and Public Statements
- Intellectual Property Assignment
- Data Handling on Termination
- Anti-Disparagement
- Governing Law and Dispute Resolution (State of Alaska)
- Co-Chair Limitation of Liability