Exiting: Five Founders Share Their Stories (Alaska Startup Week)

The Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is pleased to be participating in this year’s Alaska Startup Week 2023.  Join us from 5pm to 7 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 3rd, 2023 in the Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop at the K Street Market located at 718 K Street, Anchorage, AK 99501 for “Exiting: Five Founders Share Their Stories!”

Are you a business owner thinking of exiting your business, and have questions like:  “How do I talk to my colleagues about exiting?” or “When should I start thinking about exiting my business?” or, perhaps “What would someone who has ‘been-there, done-that’ tell me about exiting my company?”  Well, this might be a great chance to start finding answers to those questions and more!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to exit a business?

“Exiting: Five Founders Share Their Stories” is a free opportunity to hear from a panel of five entrepreneurs as they share the highs and lows of exiting their business, and… where they are today.  This in-person panel discussion will be moderated by Jon Bittner, State Director of the Alaska SBDC, and is for anyone who wants to know more about exiting a business.  As one of over 30 events happening during Alaska Startup Week 2023, be sure to check out the incredible list of all events starting October 2nd at https://akstartupweek.com

The “Exiting: Five Founders Share Their Stories” panel discussion is for anyone who is interested in lessons learned from local entrepreneurs who have exited their companies.  Participants will gain a deeper understanding of pitfalls to avoid, how to step away from your business while maintaining strong relationships with your coworkers, and how to plan for an exit.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

Moderator:  Jon Bittner is the State Director of the Alaska SBDC, and has a background in resource development, politics, economic development and technology. The Alaska SBDC is part of the Business Enterprise (BEI) Institute at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Panelist:  Megan Militello founded Elevated Oats in 2019 and closed it in 2023. She is now bringing her manufacturing expertise to the Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) at the Business Enterprise Institute (BEI) at the University of Alaska – Anchorage (UAA) as the Supply Chain Optimization Manager Manager.

Panelist:  Ben Kellie founded The Launch Company in 2015 and exited it in 2023. Currently he’s on sabbatical, writing a book, and serving as the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development Entrepreneur in Residence.

Panelist:  Geoff Wright is one of the co-founders of Pango Technology, which he retired from in 2023 after 25 years.  Along with coaching Alaska Junior Nordic, he works part time at the Alaska SBDC as a Business and Funding Specialist.

Panelist:  Carrie Shephard co-founded Toast of the Town in 2014, and left the company in 2021. She is pursuing new entrepreneurial endeavors while working as a Business Coach and Trainer for the Alaska Women’s Business Center – a program of Business Impact Northwest.

Panelist:  Tyler Arnold founded Tyler Systems, SimplySocial, and Circa Victor and exited all of them by 2023. He is currently the Program Director for the Technology Research and Development Center of Alaska (TREND) program at the Alaska SBDC.