UAA College of Business and Public Policy

Finalists Selected for Business Plan Competition

March 15, 2021

Four finalists have been selected to compete at Perfect Pitch, the final event in our Business Plan Competition, on Friday, March 26 at 5:30 pm. Perfect Pitch attendees will vote in the People's Choice category ($1,500) while ten judges deliberate over winners for the Grand Prize ($6,000), Second Place ($3,000), and First Fortune $500 Award.

Finalists include:

• Arctic Biotech Oath

  Founder: Michael Martinez, a University of Alaska Anchorage Chemistry Major
  Arctic Biotech Oath provides green bio-mining extraction and recovery of rare earth elements in the circumpolar northern countries, in contrast to traditional methods that largely use acid chemicals or bioleaching with acidic thriving bacteria for extraction.

• Telaquana Outdoor Journeys, LLC

  Licensed owners: Kiana Till, Karen Evanoff, and Danielle Stickman
  Telaquana Outdoor Journeys, LLC aims to build a bridge between cultures and the environment by providing Athabaskan-influenced journeys in Qizjeh Vena, ‘a place where people gathered,’ also known as Lake Clark.

• Tiny Haven LLC

  Majority owner: Aimee Hassell
  Tiny Haven LLC fills a pressing need in the shortage of Anchorage housing options by providing charming places to stay. It focuses on two distinct populations of customers: students during the academic year, and visitors to Alaska.

• Your Equity.Fund

  Founders: Yaso Thiru, Kirsten Halpin, Sai Sadasivam, Alaska Pacific University
  Your Equity.Fund provides an equity crowd-funding app for Alaska, providing opportunities for startups and small businesses to conveniently raise local and low-risk equity capital.

About the Business Plan Competition and Perfect Pitch

The Business Plan Competition is sponsored by the College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP) at the University of Anchorage Alaska. Perfect Pitch is the culmination of a longer process that included a competition kick-off and mentoring sessions designed to support participants through the process of developing a robust plan and a public pitch.

Ten judges from Alaska and beyond have volunteered to provide advice and inspiration from the business community. They include:

• Mr. Joel Yarmon, Founder and Managing Director Pipeline Capital partners
• Mr. Steve Socolof, Managing Partner, Tech Council Ventures
• Mr. Jon Bittner, State Director, Alaska Small Business Development Center
• Mr. James Kostka, Chief Operating Officer and Owner Alaskan Data Solutions
• Mr. Allan Johnston, Chief Encouragement Officer
• Ms. Candy Fitzpatrick, Founder, Restangles, LLC
• Ms. Lauren Puleo, Portfolio Associate, McKinley Capital Management
• Dr. Helena Wisniewski, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Chair Management, Marketing, Logistics & Business Analytics Department, College of Business and Public Policy.
• Mr. Greg Wolf, Executive Director, World Trade Center Alaska and Vice Chair Advisory Board, College of Business and Public Policy
• Mr. Joe Zimmerman, Owner and Director of Cook Inlet Marketing Group, Inc., Chair, Dean’s Advisory Board, College of Business and Public Policy

Community sponsors include Mr. Allan Johnston, Northrim Bank (Ms. K. Bender), and Alaskan Data Solutions (Jim Kostka, Owner), which developed the new First Fortune $500 Award.

The Business Plan Competition is organized by Dr. Helena S. Wisniewski, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Chair, Department of Management, Marketing, Logistics, and Business Analytics.

Visit our Business Plan Competition page for more details, including a complete guidebook.

Related
Alaskan Data Solutions Develops New $500 Business Plan Competition Award
Entrepreneurship at New Highs Say Judges for UAA Business Plan Competition
2020 Business Plan Competition Winners