Spruce Root

11/04/2026

Last month, finalists from our Path to Prosperity Business Competition gathered in Anchorage for Entrepreneur Camp

A key part of the P2P competition, Entrepreneur Camp is a unique opportunity for collaborative learning and connection. Each year, we bring our finalists together for an in-person “camp” to share knowledge, build relationships, and strengthen networks across the state. For the past two years, we’ve partnered with Alaska Growth Capital to host camp alongside their Marketplace finalists in Anchorage.

One P2P finalist shared: “This was truly a transformational experience. I am walking away with more information than I could have asked for and feel confident in my next steps for my business.”

Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa, Nt’oyaxsnn to all our finalists, presenters, and partners for making this year’s camp a memorable one! We’d like to thank our partner orgs Alaska Growth Capital, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation , UACED , Cook Inlet Lending Center - NMLS # 269839 , and Element Agency for their collaboration and support. And to Aloft Anchorage and JL Properties for their hospitality.

And congrats to all our P2P finalists for all the work you’ve put into your business journeys through the Business Competition. We’ll be announcing our P2P winners early next year — stay tuned!

Photos courtesy of Alaska Growth Capital and Cale Green

10/29/2026

Entrepreneur Angie Ketah has owned a small business in Sitka for nearly a decade.

Sitka Flowers & The Chocolate Moose, soon to be re-named as "Roots & Blooms Cafe", is a community staple that offers a full espresso bar, locally made chocolates, fresh cut flowers, plants, home accents & decor.

For Angie, small business ownership has come with its share of ups and downs over the years. After moving locations in 2024, Angie found herself burnt out and stressed about the future of her storefront.

“I was pretty exhausted and had nothing left in me. I was really stuck,” she shares.

When her daughter, Kayaaní, stepped up to take over day-to-day operations, it allowed Angie to take time to reflect and think about a business plan.

“A full year later, I finally had some clarity. Now, we are working to build out the cafe concept even more so it feels like a community gathering space.”

Angie was a member of Spruce Root’s second Resilience Circles cohort. Resilience Circles brings together a cohort of Alaska Native entrepreneurs for a year of training and development. The program centers the healing, cultural connection, and leadership of individual entrepreneurs; preparing them to run successful businesses rooted in Indigenous values.

Throughout her time in Resilience Circles, Angie worked with her fellow cohort members and practitioners to develop out her business plan for the new cafe space. Alongside building business skills, the program allowed Angie to place her wellbeing at the forefront of her operations.

“Throughout the program, I learned to give myself some grace,” says Angie. “You’re going to manage things like your financials or your marketing techniques a lot more successfully if you’re at a place where you’re not constantly stressed out.”

Read more about Angie’s business journey and her experience with Resilience Circles on our blog — link in bio!

Photos by Angie Ketah and GEMINI WALTZ MEDIA

10/28/2026

"We will need to lean on the relationships we've built between Tribal governments, non-profits, land managers, funders, Native Corporations, schools, with youth, with Elders, with municipalities, and more, and put our heads, hearts, and hands together to do the big lift of building communities and a region we want our kids to grow old in." — Alana Peterson, Spruce Root Executive Director (Spruce Root )

Southeast Alaska historically has faced hard times. What the last year has proven is that meeting this moment takes ingenuity, private and philanthropic investment, creative cost-sharing, and long-term financial models like the Seacoast Trust. It will also take something this region has always had: people who show up for one another.

Read "Local Solutions: Southeast Alaska Responds to Federal Funding Cuts" on our website or in the Juneau Empire here: https://sustainablesoutheast.net/local-solutions-southeast-alaska-responds-to-federal-funding-cuts/

Photo by Bethany Sonsini Goodrich

10/27/2026

10/27/2026

Pt. 2 of what wellness looks like for our team clocked in & out ⏱️

10/27/2026

When we’re not working hard to build a regenerative economy across Southeast Alaska, the Spruce Root staff knows how to show up in life. Check out a glimpse of what our team does to stay well on and off the clock!

10/26/2026

We still have spots open for this upcoming virtual course! Up your wealth management game ahead of the holiday season.

Register here by Friday: https://spruceroot.org/etn/investing-in-the-future/

This course is open to participants who have completed one of Spruce Roots’ standard Financial Wellness Workshops or received one-on-one coaching from Spruce Root. If you are interested in the course…

10/22/2026

For many small businesses across Southeast Alaska, the transition to a quieter winter means more time to focus on local patrons and community collaboration. Winter can be a time to give back, slow down, and foster connections.

This is front of mind for Angie Ketah. For nearly a decade, Angie has offered house-made chocolate, fresh flowers, and cafe drinks to locals and visitors at Sitka Flower & The Chocolate Moose.

As she thinks about what’s next for the storefront, Angie, alongside her business partner & daughter Kayaaní, have been working to transform their space into a community gathering space and creative hub.

Part of this transformation includes debuting a new name: Roots & Blooms Cafe.

“When we started thinking about this new chapter, Kayaaní and I took the perspective that someday this is probably going to be hers. How do we make a change that I like and that Kayaaní can take over and tell her story with?” Angie shares.

“The name is a nod to our traditional roots and roots in the community. It is also a nod to Kayaaní taking over and blooming in her role.”

Read more about the story behind the Roots & Blooms name, how Angie has navigated the ups and downs of small business ownership over the past decade, and what’s in store for the future of her business on this month’s blog. You can find it at the link in bio!

Photos courtesy of Angie Ketah

10/22/2026

We are honored to be a part of Tsiin Gyimgm Aatk's journey!

Ketchikan's Tsiin Designs sells made-to-order clothing featuring Ts'msyen formline art by local Alaska Native artists, produced when ordered.

10/20/2026

As the Sustainable Southeast Partnership Climate Adaptation Catalyst, Annika Ord spends much of her time thinking about how our communities can cultivate strength in the face of a changing climate.

From her perspective, small businesses play an important role in this climate work.

“When you have a strong relational network, people take care of each other. Businesses are a part of that,” Annika shares. “Running a small business is an opportunity to strengthen the broader communities we’re all a part of. If our communities are strong, it supports businesses being strong as well; it’s a really reciprocal relationship.”

Annika will be leading a guest session at Spruce Root’s upcoming virtual Master Class. Join us this November 7-8 to learn more about the connections between small biz and climate reslience!

Link in bio to register.