STARTUp Alaska

1
STARTUp Alaska

• Self-Employment for Alaskans with Disabilities

2
The Big (MIG?) Picture

• Alaska Works Initiative
• Vision
• Alaskans who experience
• disabilities are employed at a
• rate as close as
• possible to that
• of the general
• population

3
AWI Framework

• 9-year strategic effort to advance sustainable
  systems change
• Transform public programs to emphasize employment
  for Alaskans with disabilities
• Help people with disabilities to pursue
  employment or self-employment

4
AWI Framework
5
MIG and STARTUp-Alaska

• Promote linkages between Medicaid and
  self-employment services
• Develop comprehensive supports for people with
  disabilities starting businesses

6
Business as an Expectation

• Promote entrepreneurship as a real option to
  Alaskans with disabilities, their families, and
  service providers
• Develop policy that supports Alaskans with
  disabilities who want to start businesses

7
STARTUp Alaska Project

• 3 year, 1.2 million grant from Office of
  Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Research and demonstration of self-employment
  models efficacy
• 3 grantees in
• nation (FL NY)

8
Project Goals

• Identify and evaluate existing resources and
  training, technical assistance and policy needs -
  resource mapping and needs assessments
• Develop, test, evaluate customized
  self-employment model at 3 one-stop job centers.
• Develop, test, evaluate business incubator
  model.
• Modify and/or develop policy facilitating
  permanent, systemic change that results in
  increased numbers of Alaskans with disabilities
  becoming self-employed.

9
Management Structure

• Oversight - Alaska Works Management Team
• STARTUp Alaska Partners
• Governors Council Alaska DD council
• University of Alaska Center for Human Development
  Alaska UCEDD
• Department of Health and Social Services
• Behavioral Health Senior and Disability
  Services Public Assistance
• Small Business Development Center
• Department of Labor Workforce Development
• Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Security
  Business Partnerships
• Department of Education and Early Development
• Teaching and Learning Support

10
Management Structure

• Advisory Consortia
• People with disabilities and families
• Entrepreneurs with disabilities
• Tribal vocational rehabilitation
• Community rehab providers
• Private finance and business sector
• Veterans Administration

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Roadblocks to Self-Employment

• Fear of losing benefits
• Lack of comprehensive vocational services
  including benefit counseling
• Lack of work incentives knowledge
• Financial disincentives
• Fragmented systems
• Limited entrepreneurial opportunities

12
The Two Roads

• Customized Self-Employment
• Job Centers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and
  Southeast Alaska
• 8 successful micro-enterprise start-ups at each
  of 3 sites
• Business Incubator
• Facility-based services in Anchorage and
  elsewhere as needed
• Virtual resources statewide
• Micro-enterprise loan/grant fund
• 6 successful small business start-ups

13
The Customized Model

• Customized Self-Employment
• Discovery process - uncover entrepreneurial
  aptitude
• Technical assistance and support
• Links with business development resources

14
Customized Self Employment

• Discovery
• Conditions/Contributions
• Business Team
• Business Plan
• Implement the plan
• Follow up to ensure
• success

15
Mallinger Stonework

• Garden stones design and production
• VR, DD Waiver, School District, Direct Service
  Providers, Family, IL Center, MH Trust
• Likes working along
• Father was a mason
• Artistic bent
• Sells stones at local craft fairs and garden store

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Canine Care Professional Dog Walking Service

• TBI survivor
• DVR and WIA client
• Loved his dog - walk her several times a day
• Supports from VR, STARTUp-AK, CRP, AMHTF grant,
  SBDC
• Severe chemical sensitivity has delayed startup

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Admiralty Westside Lodge
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Admiralty Westside Lodge

• Job related disability with mental health
  sequelae
• Owned land for 30 years, dream to develop lodge
• Business Team of STARTUp-Alaska, DVR, JSBDC
• Did not qualify for conventional financing DVR
  grant and micro-enterprise funding
• Opened August 2007 paying customers now

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The Mini-Discovery Process

• Look at conditions, preferences and contributions
  of the individual.
• Look at the tasks needed
• Develop a Business Team
• Refine and review the Business concept
  (operations, marketing, labor analysis, financial
  aspects)
• Business Plan
• Coordinate resources and start up business.

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The Incubator Model

• Business Incubation Center
• Physical or virtual environment
• More advanced or larger ventures
• Support entrepreneurs in developing and realizing
  plans
• Acquire additional resources
• Ally with disability, finance, and business
  communities

21
Collaboration Potential

• Incubation alliances
• YWCA Micro-enterprise Incubation Center
• Kenai Economic Development District
• Mountain View revitalization
• Kotzebue Senior
• Resource Room

22
Project Outcomes
23
Policy Change

• Job Center self-employment process
• DVR and DPA self-employment policy
• Incubation adopted by system
• Micro-enterprise and asset building programs
• Behavioral health
• program revisions

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STARTUp-USA

• Technical Assistance Training
• Mentors
• Entrepreneur Leadership Network
• Webcasts
• Information and referral
• http//www.start-up-usa.biz/
• http//www.griffinhammis.com/

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Project Status

• November 2006 ODEP grantee meeting
• December 2006 - Convened key partners
• December 2006 - Advisory consortia recruited
• January 2007 - advisory consortia meeting
• February 2007 - Technical assistance planning
• March 2007 - Resource mapping begun
• April 2007 - Technical assistance plans developed
• May September 2007 - Incubator and
• Self-employment staff recruited
• June 2007 - SE clients enrolled
• July 2007 - Training launched

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Resources Contacts

• Employment For All
• www.employmentforall.org
• Governors Council on Disabilities Special
  Education
• Richard Rainery, Project Director 269-5703
• richard.rainery_at_alaska.gov
• UAA Center for Human Development
• Ken Hamrick, Project Coordinator 264-6235
• ankeh1_at_uaa.alaska.edu