NABL wins 2nd Place in Business Plan Competition

In March, the Native Alaskan Business Leaders (NABL) traveled to Portland, Oregon to participate in the annual American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL) business plan competition. The competition was held at the NIKE World Headquarters.

All of the business plans created by NABL students over the years aim to provide Native Alaskans or rural villages a beneficial product or service. These are viable business plans and could be used by club members in the future if they wish.

This year’s NABL business idea - created by NABL President Jillian Bjornstad, Jordan Kashatok, Maynard Maglaya, Roquel Mills-Bain, and Judy Obat - was for the development of a forest school called “Tuttu Tumi” Caribou Tracks LLC. The mission of NABL’s proposed business is: “Caribou Tracks Institute is dedicated to promoting the essence of the connection of cultural practices and traditions through hands-on educational activities with traditional and ecological knowledge shared by the Native community.”

Their plan earned the Native Alaskan Business Leaders second place in the competition. NABL students learned a lot during this experience and returned to campus eager to begin thinking about their next new business plan in the fall.

Soon after the national competition, NABL presented their research at the annual URSA Research and Creative Activity Day and received the School of Management Dean’s Choice Award.