Starting a thriving small business is daunting on even the best days. But what happens when you want to start a small business in an often stigmatized Anchorage neighborhood like Fairview, Spenard, Muldoon and Mountain View?

According to the Anchorage Community Land Trust (ACLT) and its partners like the Cook Inlet Lending Center and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, the path forward to revitalizing these neighborhoods is business creation, local job growth and resident leadership through innovative programs like the Set Up Shop.

"When you believe deeply in the potential of every single person in a neighborhood, regardless of their skin color, or their economic attainment, or their credentials, and you believe that they all can contribute in some way, I think really incredible and powerful things can happen," said ACLT CEO Kirk Rose of the Set Up Shop program.

So far, the program, which offers microloans and business training, has served nearly 400 small businesses and provided over 3,000 hours of direct support to entrepreneurs. In 2013, ACLT won the National Development Council’s Most Innovative Community Development Project Award, and in 2016 the nonprofit won the Alaska Planning Association’s Grassroots Planning Award.

HOST: O'Hara Shipe

GUESTS:

Kirk Rose, CEO, Anchorage Community Land Trust

Jeff Tickle, CEO and President, Cook Inlet Lending Center

Jamieann Bell, Program Director, Anchorage Community Land Trust/Co-owner, Arctic Moon Bakery

Shane McHale, President, Blueberry Tours

LINKS:

Anchorage Community Land Trust

ACLT Indigenous Peoples Set Up Shop program

Cook Inlet Lending Center: small business lending

Cook Inlet Tribal Council

Arctic Moon Bakery

Blueberry Tours