As summer winds down and the days get colder, I find myself trying to avoid looking at the mountains in case I start seeing the telltale signs of termination dust that let us know snow is on its way. Fortunately, we had a lot of federal visitors to help distract me from the impending snow shovel-related backaches in my future.
We started by hosting the SBA Deputy Administrator, Dilawar Syed, who was in town to help support small business development programs in the state. We talked to him for over an hour about our work in artificial intelligence (AI), rural business development, SSBCI, and more. You can read more about it below and check out the SBA’s press release reflecting on his visit to Alaska, where he also met with local small business owners and small business support organizations.
We followed that up with a visit from the Treasurer of the United States, Chief Lynn Malerba. Treasurer Malerba was in town with a contingent of Treasury staff to celebrate the launch of the Alaska SBDC’s SSBCI Tribal Consortium. This partnership of 125 Alaska tribes is the largest tribal consortium in the nation and will bring $83 million in new financial incentives to rural and remote businesses across the state. This represents the largest investment in tribal businesses in Treasury’s history.
While things have been busy in Anchorage with our visitors, we’ve also been sending our staff to various locations across Alaska to provide training, deliver new tools, and promote our expanding services. You may have seen Aurora in Cordova, Ruth in Dillingham, or joined us in Valdez. Huge thanks to all of our team members for the amazing work they do, bringing the best business development services and tools to every corner of the state.
Wherever you might be and whatever stage your business might be in, the Alaska SBDC remains your biggest fan and best partner. In our 40-year history, we have never had more programs, tools, training, and opportunities to help your business start, grow, and thrive so that you can continue to do what you do best: grow Alaska’s economy and employ our people.
There’s a lot in this newsletter; be sure to check out the lineup of new statewide SBDC workshops for Alaska Entrepreneurship Week and of course, our business program updates. Stay warm out there, and remember, when shoveling that snow, lift with your knees, not your back!