The Aleut Corporation Launches Business Plan Competition Partnership
51st Annual Meeting.
The Aleut Corporation
The Aleut Corporation is partnering with McKinley Alaska Growth Capital to launch a new regional business plan competition, the Aleut Shareholder Marketplace. The entrepreneurial program is meant for Aleut shareholders and registered descendants in Alaska.
Spreading Success to New Regions
McKinley, a Native community development financial institution, has been administering a similar program, North Slope Marketplace, in partnership with Arctic Slope Regional Corporation since 2009. In that time, McKinley has facilitated more than $1 million in financial awards to more than sixty North Slope businesses.
Since McKinley took the lead on managing North Slope Marketplace in 2022, the firm has aimed to extend the model to other regions of the state.
Through Marketplace, McKinley provides comprehensive technical assistance followed by a financial award, giving individuals the knowledge, mentorship, and resources to successfully launch and sustain their business ventures. McKinley’s Marketplace is exclusively open to Alaska Native entrepreneurs and business owners in Alaska.
Current Issue
September 2026
The Aleut Shareholder Marketplace officially opens on April 15. The process starts with a business concept application. Aleut shareholders and registered descendants with a business idea, or an existing business looking to expand, are eligible to apply. A panel of judges selects the top ten concepts to move forward in the competition. Semi-finalists participate in several trainings, including a three-day Business Boot Camp. Throughout the trainings, entrepreneurs learn how to write a comprehensive business plan and prepare financial projections. They also connect with each other and an extensive network of mentors, leaders, and business coaches. The top three business plans receive a financial award to start or grow their business.
Artists at Aleut Picnic.
The Aleut Corporation
“Through the Aleut Shareholder Marketplace, we are able to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and foster economic growth, while fulfilling Aleut’s mission to our shareholders. By investing in the potential of our people, we are investing in the future prosperity of the Unangax̂ community,” says Skoey Vergen, Aleut President and CEO.
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