[ad_1]
The JEDC team at the 2023 conference (photo credit Jazz Garrett/Kinney)
JUNEAU, Alaska (KINNEY) – This year, the Innovation Summit explored how businesses and organizations can thrive through purpose-driven actions and shared values across industries.
The Innovation Summit was held at the University of Alaska Southeast from March 15th to March 16th.
Brian Holst is executive director of the Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC), which organizes the event.
Every year they have a different theme.
Holmes said this year was as successful as any other.
“It was a good opportunity to bring Alaskans together to talk about building the capacity to create innovation. This year, it is especially focused on purpose. Purpose and business strategy,” he said. “We had a great turnout, a variety of people from around Alaska. We had a great venue here at the University of Alaska Southeast. It was a success.”
They also included carbon credits in the discussions.
“We looked at the objective, but we spent a couple of hours talking about the use and storage of carbon credits. That’s an opportunity that a lot of Alaskans were talking about a few years ago. Right now, it’s a topic. A lot of attention. So we want to make sure we understand the opportunities,” he commented. “It could be innovative for the state of Alaska. There’s already experience, but it looks like there are some opportunities that we’re trying to get our heads around. How big is this opportunity? And where are the opportunities for Alaskan companies and opportunities? For Alaskans?”
Speaking at the conference were Sealasca President and CEO Anthony Malott and Sealasca Board Chairman Joe Nelson.
He said Alaska could be a leader in carbon sequestration. Not only that, but Sealaska can.
Nelson comments on how people like Tilgit have brought purpose to their actions for thousands of years. It is part of their culture to see purpose in every living and inanimate object.
“It’s a little sad that we’re organizing to have this kind of conversation,” he said.
What makes Innovation Summits interesting, Holst says, is that they can be reinvented a little each year.
Holst gave the highlights of this year’s summit.
“We started with a traditional dance. We had the Juneau Alaska Music Matters students share three new Tlingit songs that they’ve developed over the past few years. They did a welcome ceremony in and out. Again, in the community,” Holst said. “We always celebrate art at the Innovation Summit. We had the opportunity to check out some of the sculptures here on campus as well.”
This year’s summit included deep-dive workshops, 10-minute “brief” presentations and networking sessions. Leaders from outside of Alaska and within Alaska spoke about themes surrounding the mission in keynote presentations.
There was competition in all of this.
The 2023 Alaska Airlines Pitch Competition was held at the JDC Annual Innovation Summit on the evening of Wednesday, March 15 at the UAS Egan Library.
There were 5 contestants and 5 expert judges from Alaska.
Each contestant had 6 minutes to pitch their company and 4 minutes of questions and answers from the judges.
There were two winners.
A judge’s handpicks a company, and attendees vote to select their favorite.
This year, the judge’s choice was Alana Johnson with New Earth Fungi.
The People’s Choice was with Lance McMullan in Sitkana.
They will each receive $1,500, partially donated and raised by the Juneau Chamber of Commerce, and round trip tickets on Alaska Airlines.
Both winners are based in Juneau.
The five judges were Jake Carpenter, Terek Rutherford, Ricky Tejapaibul and Alexander Kotlarov.
Below: Lance McMullan with Sitkana. (Photo courtesy of JEDC)
Sitka is building renewable energy systems using ocean currents to provide low-cost electricity to coastal communities. Sitkana is replacing costly diesel generators with modular, scalable canal systems that connect directly to existing power grids and are installed by local fishing vessels.
Below: Alana Johnson with New Earth Fungi. (Photo courtesy of JEDC)
New Earth Fungi is a leading commercial mushroom farm in Southeast Alaska that provides grocers, restaurants, community members and visitors with locally grown fresh mushrooms, mushroom products and nature-based educational activities. Their service is for the benefit and health of all people. This allows them to develop cooperative relationships in the same way that fungi do in order to create a thriving local economy and environment.
Both winners are participants in the 2023 Alaska Angel Summit.
Anyone interested in investing in these companies can join the conference as an investor and learn how to make angel investments. No experience is required.
The other participants were Frank Deseco from DVM6, Dimitrios Alexiadis from Get By, and Aaron Murray and Travis Smith from Treadwell: Alaska’s Lost Mine.
“Very interesting. There are winners, but it’s not really about the winners. It’s really a great example of how brave and business people show their ideas,” added Holst.
Nikhil Bumb is the Managing Director of FSG and was the speaker on both days of the conference. He shared his thoughts with North News after the summit.
“I was very impressed with the conference. I think it stuck with me. There’s a lot of energy and a lot of potential for purpose-driven business and Alaska,” he said. “A lot of examples are organizations and companies that are already purpose-driven and solving some pretty big social and environmental problems. So I’m excited to see where it goes and how we can bring it elsewhere.”
The boom extends to the ways in which businesses are adopting new approaches.
“I really appreciated some of the things we heard last night at the innovation competition in Sitkana. Tidal wave energy and the technology seems like it could be scalable and useful when we think about transition and renewable energy,” he said.
He said that he would like to participate in another conference in the future.
At the end of the Innovation Summit, the hosts were asked who they thought was missing from the conversation about joining Alaska businesses.
Boom gave his perspective.
“My little pessimism is that in these conversations about social and environmental problems, sometimes we forget to include those that directly affect us. So I want us to be better at doing that. I think it makes us better at addressing these with business opportunities and purpose,” said Bumb. “But my bright Hope comes from the fact that this has already happened. That disturbance usually comes from the corner you are looking at. Although Alaska is by no means small, I think this was a theme that was overlooked. The wider the conversation, the more innovation is happening. Furthermore, this is no longer just a moral obligation, it is a business imperative.
Below: Boom (left) at its peak. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
Holst comments that anyone who is absent and has a business is missing out.
“This year’s theme is about building purpose into your strategy, into the strategy of your business. We want every company in Alaska to think about not only how they can do their business well, but the impact their business has on their community. What we’re here to learn from the experts is that business matters. “Companies should build purpose into their strategy. When you incorporate successfully, you will attract more customers, you will attract your employees, you will attract your investors because the returns are higher. They are more accepted in their community because their businesses respond positively. Who lost their influence on society? Any business that wants to succeed.
Yaso Thiru said she wants educational institutions to be a big part of the conversation. She was a professor of accounting and management at Alaska Pacific University and a keynote speaker.
The two most common responses shared by other participants were that they would like more youth and legislators to attend the conference in the future.
Representative Alysse Galvin attended the Innovation Summit. To clarify, it’s important to look at purpose before just looking at profits, and she said it’s important to look at how Alaska is leading in innovation as an elected official.
Also widely considered by attendees was the focus on youth and inspiring future generations as a theme for future summits.
“One of the greatest things we can do is inspire the possibilities of the future,” said Stephen Trimble, founder and CEO of Arctic Solar Ventures Corp.
Bottom: Left to right: Ky Holland, Rep. Alyse Galvin and Brian Holst in the Egan Library. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett/KINY)
[ad_2]
Source link
