Alaska Angel Conference kicks off with free workshops in preparation for investments
A screenshot from last year’s Zoom conference calls for the Alaska Angel Conference (Photo courtesy of Erin Laughlin, of the Juneau Economic Development Council).
Every year, one Alaska startup receives a $100,000 investment from angel investors at the Alaska Angel Conference, but a lot of legwork happens before that initial moment.
The Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC) is taking the lead on the conference this year. Erin Laughlin, program assistant at JEDC, says they began planning in August, and the first workshop of the year is for entrepreneurs and investors interested in joining the 2020 conference.
“The workshops are here to help and educate,” Laughlin said. “You don’t even necessarily have to participate in the conference if you’re just interested in learning more about investing.”
The Alaska Angel Conference pairs experienced and novice angel investors together and leads them through a 12-week process of managing a group angel investment. During that process, entrepreneurs who apply for funding are mentored and taught how to communicate with angel investors in hopes of receiving an investment. The deadline for entrepreneurs to apply is Jan. 22, 2020.
Last year, Tim Fulton of Ramper Innovations was chosen to receive the investment — and while Attently wasn’t, it was awarded a similar amount of funding from investors outside the program.
The first meeting of the season will take place Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m. and will be led by Kevin Croy of 9Mile Labs, which will cover previous conferences and the basics of angel investing. Attendees can call in via audio or video call. Laughlin says the workshops take place over Zoom, which serves as an online conference room. If in-person meetings are more your speed, you can stop by JEDC at 5:30 p.m. or a to-be determined location in Fairbanks and Anchorage.
If you can’t make the first workshop, there are 10 more throughout the fall, ranging from pitch deconstruction to go-to-market strategies and term sheets. A full schedule can be found on AAC’s website.
“Startups need access to capital, sometimes through loans or savings, but also often from investors,” Croy said in a press release. “This statewide effort connects Alaskans interested in raising capital as well as in investing capital. We want to introduce more Alaskans to how to invest in Alaska and its entrepreneurs.”