Alaska Small Business Development Center

Pour a cup, this week's success story is a good one. ☕

What started as a simple idea to make great coffee more accessible has grown into a thriving Alaska business.

XtraCup Coffee Co LLC was built around a simple idea: great coffee should be available wherever your day takes you. Through innovation, persistence, and a commitment to growth, the company has expanded its reach, created jobs, and continued bringing its unique portable brewing solution to customers across Alaska and beyond.

We're proud to celebrate their journey and the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps Alaska's small business community moving forward.

Read their story: https://bit.ly/4vdlxb6

Tax scammers are getting more sophisticated, but knowing what to watch for can help protect your business and personal information. The is reminding taxpayers that threatening robocalls, voice mimicry, and spoofed caller IDs are common signs of a scam. Learn how to recognize and report IRS impersonation attempts: irs.gov/scams.

If you could build your ideal Alaska SBDC Summit, what would be on the agenda? 👀

More marketing? AI? Access to capital? Leadership? Networking? Something completely different?

We're gathering ideas now and would love to hear from Alaska's small business community.

Take our quick survey and help shape the future of the Summit:
https://bit.ly/440oYWk

It only takes a few minutes, and your ideas could help build the next Alaska SBDC Summit.

Summer in Alaska is here and small businesses across the state are officially in their busy season. ☀️

From hospitality and tourism to retail, food service, tours, coffee shops, artists, and makers, Alaska businesses help create the experiences people travel here for.

This month’s article explores Alaska’s summer business season, the realities of running a business during peak months, and why you do not have to navigate growth, staffing, and operations alone.

Read the article: https://bit.ly/43e7RA9

🚀Navy SBIR/STTR Program
📅 June 10 | 10:00 AM AKT

The FAST Program is excited to host an exclusive webinar featuring leadership from the Department of the Navy SBIR/STTR Program.

If you're a small business, researcher, or entrepreneur exploring federal R&D funding, this is an opportunity you don't want to miss.

Join us to learn:
✅ Current Navy SBIR/STTR priorities and technology focus areas
✅ Funding pathways and how to compete for Navy opportunities
✅ Strategies for aligning your innovation with national defense needs and commercialization goals

Hear directly from Navy SBIR/STTR program leadership on how small businesses are shaping the future of national security technology.

🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/4uicKTP

Alaska Federal And Technology Partnership Program (FAST) SBIR/STTR Join us for an exclusive webinar hosted by the Alaska FAST program as we highlight the Navy SBIR STTR program with Director Mr. Brian Shipley DoN SBIR/STTR Programs. America's Seed Fund for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Innovation Technology Transfer (STTR) focus on tr...

We're always excited to see Alaska entrepreneurs featured and sharing their stories. Check out this episode of This Alaska Business to learn more about the people behind Red Eye Rides, LLC and the role they play in serving travelers across Southcentral Alaska! 👏

This Alaska Business: Red Eye Rides The newest episode of This Alaska Business hitches a lift with Red Eye Rides, carrying travelers from Seward and Homer to the Anchorage airport and back.

Six entrepreneurs. Six innovative ideas. One exciting showcase for Alaska's future. 👏

Congratulations to the participants of the Alaska Healthcare Innovation Accelerator on completing the program and sharing their ventures during this week's Virtual Showcase.

Over the course of the accelerator, these founders refined their ideas, strengthened their business models, and explored new ways to address healthcare, wellness, technology, and community challenges across Alaska.

Thank you to our participants for bringing your creativity, expertise, and passion to the program. We can't wait to see where your journeys take you next.

And the journey doesn't stop here... 👀

If watching these innovators sparked an idea of your own, stay tuned. Another accelerator is on the horizon, and we can't wait to see what Alaska entrepreneurs build next.

Happy Friday, Alaska. Here's to big ideas and the people brave enough to pursue them.

Today’s the day! 👏

Meet more of the entrepreneurs taking part in the Alaska Healthcare Innovation Accelerator (AHIA) Virtual Showcase happening today from 11 AM – 1 PM AKST.

Hosted in partnership by Alaska SBDC and the UA Center for Economic Development (CED), these founders are creating solutions centered around wellness, innovation, and access for Alaska communities:

• Sharay Samuel | Grace Given Wellness
Grace Given Wellness empowers individuals and families to live naturally, intentionally, and abundantly through faith-filled wellness experiences. From Praise Cardio and outdoor wellness hikes to hands-on DIY wellness classes, sewing academies, and retreats, Sharay is building spaces focused on movement, creativity, connection, and holistic health.

• Jonathan Strong | Spark Alaska RHTP, LLLP (Strong Solutions LLP)
Jonathan Strong is focused on sparking innovation and technology development for rural Alaska through hardware and software solutions designed to create long-term, sustainable impact for future generations.

• Rebekah Burket, Ph.D. | CalmKey Telehealth Connection LLC
CalmKey Telehealth is an established Alaska behavioral health practice working to expand access to specialized psychological care, testing, and workforce development across Alaska.

Join us virtually today and hear directly from Alaska entrepreneurs building creative solutions for communities across the state.

🔗 Register here: https://bit.ly/4dIyMsv

Big ideas, Alaska innovation, and a lot of inspiring conversations ahead 🚀

Exciting news for Alaska small businesses! 🎉

Several Alaska businesses have officially been awarded $20,000 grants through the Amex Shop Small Grants Program, made possible by American Express and Main Street America.

These grants are helping small businesses grow, innovate, and continue making an impact in their local communities, and we love seeing Alaska entrepreneurs recognized on a national level.

Congratulations to all of the recipients on this well-deserved achievement! 👏

🎉 Big news! 🎉

In partnership with American Express®, we are thrilled to announce more than 500 recipients of the Amex Shop Small® Grants Program, awarding over $10 million in funding to small businesses across the country. Each recipient has received a $20,000 grant to help them grow, innovate, and support their local communities.

Meet the grant recipients here: https://mainstreet.org/the-latest/news/more-than-500-small-business-owners-awarded-20-000-amex-shop-small-grants

Meet some of the entrepreneurs taking part in the Alaska Healthcare Innovation Accelerator (AHIA) Virtual Showcase this Thursday. 👏

Hosted in partnership by Alaska SBDC and the UA Center for Economic Development (CED), these founders are building solutions designed to support Alaska communities in practical, creative, and meaningful ways:

• Aktta Patel | Adivo: Community-Powered Care
Adivo is a mobile app connecting communities with help for everyday needs, from household tasks and outdoor work to community-specific support services. The platform is live and continues evolving to better serve Alaska communities through partnerships and a new subscription model.

• Marisha Bourgeois | Speak-Its: Words That Stick
Marisha is developing “Speak-it, See-it,” an innovative tool designed to help bridge the gap between speech therapy sessions and everyday practice at home, creating more opportunities for learning and communication support outside the clinic.

• Theresa Reynolds | Cooking Confidence
Registered dietitian Theresa Reynolds is creating hands-on cooking classes focused on building confidence in the kitchen through approachable, health-focused recipes and practical skills. From knife skills to summer pizza classes, her goal is to make cooking functional, enjoyable, and accessible.

Join us this Thursday, May 28 from 11 AM – 1 PM AKST for the live virtual showcase.

🔗 Register here: https://bit.ly/4dIyMsv

More participant spotlights coming soon!