Hello Alaska Startup
Community!
The goal of the Alaska
Startup Digest is to provide you, Alaska's startup community with useful and
meaningful event and resource information to promote community building, and
navigate obstacles to improve probability for success in Alaska.
Head's up, Fairbanks! Memberships
for The Hub - Downtown Fairbanks co-working space for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs & creatives, available now! Go to: http://www.thehubfairbanks.com
Big News for Potential Small Investors
Innovation Summit guest speaker, Michael Shuman, made a guest appearance at the
state legislature last week, providing expert testimony in support of Senate Bill 126: Crowdsource
Funding legislation currently being considered. The proposed legislation a paradigm shift that
stems from passage of the federal JOBS
Act in 2012, already adopted by over a dozen states. If enacted,
instead of only receiving large investments from a few "accredited"
investors, Alaskans starting a business can receive small investments
(no larger than $7,500) from a large group of investors. This makes it
easier for entrepreneurs to access capital, and Alaskans to become equity
investors in businesses in their state and communities. Enacting crowdinvesting
is an innovative way to help business start-ups and could also open up capital
to rural areas of Alaska.
(See also, related SB 108 & HB 194, a wholesale update to the AK Securities Act).
As the bill moves through the Senate, public comment periods will be available.
To hear the testimony and to learn more about SB 126, go to: http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Meeting/Detail/?Meeting=SL%26C
2016-02-11 13:30:00&Bill=SB 126
To
learn more about Crowdfunding, go to: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2014/08/21/states-clear-way-for-crowdfunding
Juneau's 2016 Innovation Summit was a hit - with entrepreneurs, businesses, officials gathering in Juneau’s Centennial Hall, Feb 8 & 9th. Pitch events highlighted local businesses, including single malt whisky distillery, Amalga (http://www.amalgadistillery.com/), Kenai drone service K2 Dronotics (http://www.k2dron.es/), and facilitated activities between public and private sector participants encouraged innovative solution generation. Guest speakers included economist, attorney, entrepreneur, and author, Michael Shuman (Local Dollars, Local Sense; The Local Economy Solution, etc.).
P2P Competition Award Winners Also Announced at Innovation Summit: Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Path to Prosperity (P2P) sustainable business development competition in Southeast, AK: Mindy Anderson of The Salty Pantry Market & Deli, (https://www.facebook.com/thesaltypantry) specializing in rustic comfort dishes made with seasonal produce from local producers in Petersburg, AK; and Bobbi Daniels of Saw Mill Farm, upcycling local food waste for farm raised meat production. To preorder meat w/ 10% discount - go to: https://www.facebook.com/thesawmillfarmsitka Annual competition sponsored by Sealaska/Haa Aani and The Nature Conservancy, and targets Southeast Alaska residents with ideas for triple bottom line oriented businesses; those that will have a positive economic, social, and environmental impact on their communities. Over the past three years over 105 businesses and startups from across Southeast Alaska have applied and 36 entrepreneurs have received intense 'boot camp' management training - the pre-requisite for the competition. Each business will receive $40,000 in technical assistance to be used over the next year.
And last, but not least: Launch
: Alaska is accepting applications until
February 29th. Apply to receive 25k in seed funding and world class mentoring during an intense 90 days. Alaska’s Energy and Arctic Technology Accelerator: www.launchalaska.com
We would like to hear from
you! Have an event you would like highlighted in the weekly Alaska
Startup Digest? Do you know of something happening somewhere else? Drop us a
line: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=alaska%20startups%20zone
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