The Haa Aaní Community Development Fund and The Nature Conservancy in Alaska have received the 2015 International Economic Development Council Silver Award in recognition of their innovative Path to Prosperity business development competition.
The International Economic Development Council, the world’s largest economic development organization, each year recognizes innovative and successful economic development programs that demonstrate positive impacts in their communities and region.
The annual award recognizes Path to Prosperity for its success in retaining businesses and helping entrepreneurs to expand since its founding in Southeast Alaska three years ago. The IEDC presented the award earlier this month at its annual convention in Anchorage.
“According to the State of Alaska, 19 out of 32 Southeast communities lost a cumulative of 750 jobs during the last 10 years,” said Haa Aaní LLC Director Ed Davis. “During the first three years of P2P, we have seen a total 105 applications, so we know the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Southeast Alaska. With help from programs like ours, these entrepreneurs can have a significant impact on the economy of Southeast.”
Each year, the Path to Prosperity contest selects 12 semifinalists from among dozens of entries to attend a Boot Camp for Entrepreneurs. This three-day intensive helps semifinalists prepare their business plans for the final round of judging. The camp offers professional advice from a wide array of academics, business owners and consultants in fields such as marketing, accounting and financial decision-making. Two winning businesses are awarded prizes of $40,000 in business startup services. Since launching three years ago, Path to Prosperity has awarded $280,000 in prizes to seven winning entrepreneurs in Southeast Alaska.
