Business & Economic Development

The Business & Economic Development (BED) department is dedicated to creating tribal enterprises that not only have a financial bottom line but a social, cultural bottom line that reflects who we are as Native people.

Tribal enterprises include: » Elizabeth

Peratrovich Hall » Sacred Grounds

Café

» Sacred Shine Auto Detailing » Smokehouse Catering » Smoke Signals » Southeast General Contractors Although each tribal enterprise varies in nature and scope of work, they Lgeik’I Eesh Will Ware Chief Development Officer are all grounded in the mission and vision to help economically diversify the Tribe and provide employment and training opportunities to tribal citizens. BED works internally with several of the Tribe’s departments such as Employment & Training, Head Start, Reentry & Recovery, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to place clients in work experience positions within the tribal enterprises.

Jodie Gatti Tribal Enterprise Manager BED enhances community planning efforts on economic development projects in Southeast Alaska through the development of the Tribal Community Economic Development Strategy (Tribal CEDS) plan and by partnering with local, state and federal agencies. The Tribal CEDS identifies the economic conditions and needs of the region and is a tool to initiate and sustain local planning and development efforts. The plan is updated every five years and developed with input from tribes, tribal citizens, Alaska Native corporations, and small business owners.

The department also supports tribal small businesses through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Rescue Small Business Relief program which provided grants of $5,000 to 446 tribal citizen-owned small businesses in 2021. The program will remain open through2024or until all funds are disbursed.

In 2021, BED’s tribal enterprises, which are largely based on gatherings, events, and face-to-face contact continued to be significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the vaccine launch and variant surges, every effort was made to keep enterprises running and employees at work while ensuring the safety of employees, citizens, customers, and the general public. BED implemented best practices incorporating safety preparedness and mitigation plans to operate following tribal and state mandates.

ƒ Administered the Rescue Small Business Relief program that provided over $2 million in grants to tribal citizen small business owners adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 27 Alaska communities and 24 states. ƒ Conducted retail sale of fireworks in June, July and December of 2021 which generated just over $250,000 dollars in gross sales.

ƒ Successfully transitioned the Little Eagles and Ravens Nest (LEARN) child care to the Cultural

Heritage & Education Division to become part of the Tribe’s holistic education efforts. ƒ Relocated Sacred Shine Auto Detailing to a larger more convenient location while generating over $100,000 in net revenue.

Certified Tribal Artist Program

The Certified Tribal Artist program promotes Alaska Native-made arts and handicrafts through certifying tribally enrolled artists. Upon certification, applicants are issued a certificate, permit card, and free gift tags, stickers, or a combination thereof to assist in marketing tribal citizen artwork. ƒ Provided 19 certified tribal artists with Rescue Small Business Relief grants of up to $5,000. ƒ Certified 11 Tlingit and/or Haida tribal citizens under the Certified

Tribal Artist program bringing the total number of certified tribal artists to 80.

Tlingit & Haida Cultural Immersion Park

The Tlingit & Haida Cultural Immersion Park (Immersion Park) is a long-term commitment of the Tribe. The Immersion Park will serve as a powerful instrument in fulfilling the Tribe’s mission and vision, and enhance the awareness, preservation and perpetuation of our Southeast Alaska Indigenous cultures. ƒ Received a report from NORTECH, Inc. as a follow up to the spillage identified onsite and continued efforts to address environmental issues through collaboration with the Native Lands & Resources department and other tribal entities including the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. ƒ Hosted youth cultural activities outdoors at the Thane site. ƒ Explored various grant opportunities to fund site development with ongoing efforts around ARPA. ƒ Continued partnership with the Thane Neighborhood Association on a project to support State of

Alaska Department of Natural Resources and safe beach access. ƒ Continued ongoing efforts exploring procurement of leases and transfers of land ownership for the remaining surrounding parcels.

ƒ Apply for U.S. Economic Development Administration Technical Assistance fund program. ƒ Provide remote communities with in-person technical assistance pop-up clinics for Rescue Small

Business Relief program. ƒ Create and implement a business consultant service to provide startup, incubation, on-going enterprise education, financial referral, and other pertinent services to tribal citizens. ƒ Continue to identify grants, private endowments, and fundraising opportunities for the Immersion

Park. ƒ Revamp the Certified Tribal Artist program and its logo and expand services to include an online artist directory and featured artists.