Spruce Root

Spruce Root Spruce Root provides local entrepreneurs with access to business development and financial resources Spruce Root, Inc. What We Do
Spruce Root, Inc.

Our primary goals are to:

Expand the regional economy
Foster new and sustainable businesses within rural communities


Southeast Alaska’s rural communities are suffering high unemployment rates, the loss of traditional jobs and a stagnant economy. Many residents leave their home communities in search of opportunities in urban areas. This outmigration threatens the very fiber of rural community health and well-being. brings a renewed sense of urgency and commitment to rebuilding our rural economies. seeks innovative ways to stabilize and sustain the economy of Southeast Alaska to meet the economic, social and cultural needs of our rural communities. Expanding the regional economy
We support economic development in the region by leveraging partner resources and capabilities. Our strategy is to focus on new and innovative opportunities to increase sustainability of the regional economy and remove impediments to economic growth. Sustainable local employment
Spruce Root, Inc. is connected to communities at the local level, this is essential to understanding local business needs and provide the expertise that will foster small business growth. By fostering rural entrepreneurship, we enable our communities to maintain traditional lifestyles while diminishing outmigration. Foster a collaborative effort
Our rural communities face unique challenges. We know that it takes true collaboration and partnership to overcome those challenges. collaborates at all levels—from state and federal agencies to individual community members—providing leadership, mentorship and other assistance as necessary to improve the economic, social and cultural vitality of our region.

SE Alaskans, we get how overwhelming Valentine’s Day can be. Across the region, everybody’s thinking the the same thing:...
02/10/2026

SE Alaskans, we get how overwhelming Valentine’s Day can be. Across the region, everybody’s thinking the the same thing:

“Spruce Root offers so many programs and services, and they all have unique personalities and interests, where should I start?!” 

This Valentine’s Day we want to make it easy for you to swipe your way to the perfect match. Visit www.spruceroot.org to make the first move. 💘

Photographs by Shaelene Grace Moler, Bethany Goodrich, and Cale Green

Entrepreneurs, this one’s for you.�The Alaska Airlines Pitch Contest is back at the Alaska Innovation Summit! Join other...
02/06/2026

Entrepreneurs, this one’s for you.�The Alaska Airlines Pitch Contest is back at the Alaska Innovation Summit!

Join other entrepreneurs, leaders, and policymakers at the Innovation Summit in Juneau, and pitch your business venture to a panel of experts (shark tank style!).

You'll have 5-6 minutes to live pitch your business venture for a chance to win a cash prize.

Contestants will get access to pitch materials, practice opportunities, and coaching from a seasoned entrepreneur before taking the stage.

Apply to take part in the Pitch Contest by February 9th: https://www.jedc.org/innovation/pitch-contest/

Those of us who have experienced small business ownership know it can be challenging to find time to step back from the ...
02/04/2026

Those of us who have experienced small business ownership know it can be challenging to find time to step back from the daily grind and reflect on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go. It is in these moments when we slow down, though, that we are able to see our paths more clearly and invest in the changes we want to make. 

At Spruce Root’s Master Class for Entrepreneurs last month, a group of small business owners gathered in Juneau for three days to foster connections, learn from experts about challenges across our region, and reflect on their journeys as they mapped out future directions of their work. Together, we engaged in conversations about climate resiliency, explored practical applications of AI, shared about different aspects of our business “ecosystems”, and left with new commitments to ourselves, our communities, and the work that drives us.

Throughout it all, a common theme emerged: when we partner up to adapt together in the face of changes to our environments, economies, and communities, we experience a collective power strong enough to buoy us through times of uncertainty.

Gunalchéesh Háw’aa to all of our participants, lecturers, and facilitators who shared their time with us at Master Class. We are grateful to learn from you and for the creativity you brought to our gathering. Swipe through to witness some highlights from our time together!

📷Erin O’Farrell

“At its core, financial wellness is about more than individual budgets—it’s about community wellbeing. This approach is ...
01/30/2026

“At its core, financial wellness is about more than individual budgets—it’s about community wellbeing. This approach is central to Spruce Root’s mission. We can’t build a healthy, regenerative economy without people who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be financially well. A strong local economy is one of the foundations of a thriving community, and financial wellness helps make that possible.”

⁃ Alana Peterson

Financial Wellness: Investing in the Future is coming up on February 27th. This one-day workshop is for anyone interested in understanding how to build a long-term financial plan, build generational wealth, and gain a deeper understanding of how personal finance strategies work.

When you complete the workshop, you’ll receive a $250 incentive - a perfect opportunity to practice capital responsibility!

Register today, and make the most of these last quiet months of winter. https://spruceroot.org/etn/investing-in-the-future-virtual-workshop/

Like many folks across Southeast Alaska, Stephanie Merritt’s income has often changed with the seasons. Brought up in a ...
01/24/2026

Like many folks across Southeast Alaska, Stephanie Merritt’s income has often changed with the seasons. Brought up in a family fishing business, her relationship with money has been shaped by ebbs and flows of income throughout the year. “We go through that cycle of having a bunch of money in the summer. And then by the time April rolls around, you’re like, where’d that go?” she shares.

After a particularly good fishing season, Steph was inspired to reach out to her friend, Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness Program Manager Haley Armstrong, to think more about matching her finances to her lifestyle and planning for longer-term goals like retirement. “I was kind of tired of going through that [fishing economy] cycle,” she shares. “I wanted to be able to hold on to my money and make it work for me.”

Haley invited Steph to join a financial wellness workshop held at the Craig Public Library– where Steph now works as a librarian– about a year ago. Since then, she’s participated in multiple other workshops and has received coaching from Spruce Root.

“I think Haley’s very good about making sure that you find something that works for you, as opposed to a really prescribed thing,” she says. For Steph, this looks like using apps to track her spending habits and build credit, something she can do on the go and while tending to other responsibilities in her life.

Working with Haley has also encouraged Steph to adopt an abundance mindset when it comes to decisions with money. “Keeping that mantra of “I have everything I need…” has been useful when I’m tracking my spending,” she says.

Inspired by Steph’s story? It’s easy to get engaged with Spruce Root’s financial wellness programming! Find more details about upcoming workshops and sign up for 1:1 coaching here: https://spruceroot.org/programs/business-support/financial-wellness/

Photo: Stephanie Merritt

This month we’re highlighting what wealth looks like for different folks across our region, and how they’ve come to buil...
01/14/2026

This month we’re highlighting what wealth looks like for different folks across our region, and how they’ve come to build financial wellness habits based on the values they hold and the lifestyles they want to lead.

Osman Casco has always dreamed of owning a pizza food truck. Os, who works as a chef in Juneau, knew that developing a solid business plan was the first step in making this aspiration a reality. A Google search led him to Spruce Root’s website, where he saw an upcoming financial wellness workshop. “I never felt like I had the skills to manage money,” Os explains, “I saw Spruce Root’s course and…I didn’t know exactly how things were going to go, but I knew if I took a step forward it would help me toward my goals.”

Now he has been attending financial wellness programming and participating in coaching for nearly a year. These experiences have allowed Os to build more confidence around implementing financial management practices in his life.

Seemingly small habits have added up in big ways. For Os, who grew up in Miami before settling down in Juneau, supporting family from afar is important. Through the strategies he’s learned with Haley Armstrong, Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness Program Manager, he’s been able to shift his mindset around money to align with his family values. “I held a lot of grudges against myself because I felt like I didn’t have money– or I spent it on other things. But now that I have better money management, I can help out my family…I think that consistency and discipline helped me be closer and be able to help them,” he says.

Interested in taking steps to align your financial decisions with your values? We’re offering a Financial Foundations Workshop on February 2nd & 3rd. Learn more and register here: https://spruceroot.org/etn/financial-foundations/

Applications are due Sunday the 11th for the Sealaska Philanthropy & Development Internship!Our 2026 intern will work cl...
01/10/2026

Applications are due Sunday the 11th for the Sealaska Philanthropy & Development Internship!

Our 2026 intern will work closely with the two Kayla(h)s of Spruce Root:

Kaylah Duncan, Development Manager, who focuses on storytelling, fundraising, and connecting Spruce Root’s work to donors and grants—and Kayla Roberts, who leads Indigenous-led philanthropy and grant-making that benefits Indigenous communities across Alaska.

Together, they represent both sides of the coin: bringing funds in and sending funds out, all in support of Alaska Native community priorities.

Both Kayla(h)s began their own careers as Sealaska Interns and are excited to support the 2026 Spruce Root intern in learning about development, philanthropy, and nonprofit work in Southeast Alaska.

🗓️ Apply by Sunday the 11th. Learn more and apply at https://spruceroot.org/who-we-are/careers/

Tag somebody who you think would be a good fit for this position!

Today is the last day to register for our Master Class for Mid-Stage Entrepreneurs, happening January 23-25 in Juneau!J...
01/09/2026

Today is the last day to register for our Master Class for Mid-Stage Entrepreneurs, happening January 23-25 in Juneau!

Join us to strengthen your leadership skills, explore practical uses of AI, prepare for business continuity during extreme weather, and discover strategies to market and brand your business for long-term resilience.

During the three day workshop, mid-stage entrepreneurs will receive insider knowledge from financial and strategic planning experts, and a
network of mentors, community partners, and Alaskan business owners.

Want to join us but live outside of Juneau? Travel stipends are available! Find more info and register for the course here: https://spruceroot.org/etn/2025-master-class-leading-through-uncertainty/

Ready to give your finances a fresh start in the new year? Tonight is your last chance to register for the Financial Wel...
01/09/2026

Ready to give your finances a fresh start in the new year? Tonight is your last chance to register for the Financial Wellness New Year Mini-Workshop!

If you’ve been curious about Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness program, but haven’t felt ready for a multi-day deep dive, this virtual mini-workshop is the perfect place to start.

In this 2-hour virtual workshop we’ll work together to:
• Identify the values behind your financial decisions
• Distinguish between short and long term financial goals
• Create realistic, personalized financial objectives
• Develop habits that support consistent financial progress

Join us for a couple hours on January 12th, and get the support you need to make your financial goals a reality in 2026. Register here: https://spruceroot.org/etn/new-year-financial-goals-virtual-mini-workshop/

What does wealth look like to you? Rows of canned salmon stacked on the shelf during winter? Building up savings to pass...
01/08/2026

What does wealth look like to you? Rows of canned salmon stacked on the shelf during winter? Building up savings to pass along to future generations?
Our definitions of wealth influence the decisions we make around money. This month we’ll be highlighting what wealth looks like for folks across Southeast Alaska, and how they’ve come to build financial wellness habits based on the values they hold and the lifestyles they want to lead.

For Haley Armstrong, growing up in Craig taught her that wealth looks like the ability to look after one another. “People in the village step up when someone needs help. That sense of care for one another is a big part of why community is such a core value for me,” she says.

In Haley’s experience, though, it can be difficult to balance this community-centered view of wealth with the demands of living in a consumer-driven society that teaches us to tie our worth to what we own.  “I knew my purchasing power didn’t measure my value in society… but it was a challenge to remember that,” she shares.

In her role as Spruce Root’s Financial Wellness Program Manager, Haley works with folks from across Southeast Alaska to build skills that help them align financial decisions with the values and conceptions of wealth that matter the most to them. 

In Haley’s case, this means choosing financial goals that help her stay connected and dependable to her community, like buying a home and building an emergency fund to help herself and others when they need it. 

Interested in taking steps to align your financial decisions with your values? Join Haley on Jan 12 for our New Year Financial Goals Virtual Mini Workshop, or check out upcoming financial wellness workshops and personalized coaching opportunities- find more details about Spruce Root’s financial wellness offerings at the link in bio!

Photograph by Erin O’Farrell and Haley Armstrong

We have one more new team member to introduce before the end of the year! Elsa Sebastian joined the Spruce Root crew a c...
12/22/2025

We have one more new team member to introduce before the end of the year! Elsa Sebastian joined the Spruce Root crew a couple of months ago as our new Communications and Special Projects Manager.

Elsa grew up in Point Baker, a fishing village on Prince of Wales Island. She attended high school in Petersburg and went on to college in Boston, where she earned a degree in Environmental Studies and Communications from Wellesley College.

A second-generation commercial fisherman, Elsa has spent more than a decade captaining and crewing boats throughout Alaska. During fishing off-seasons, she worked and volunteered with several Alaska-based nonprofits. More recently, Elsa has worked as an editor, producer, and director of documentary films, bringing a strong background in collaborative storytelling, visual communications, and project management to her role at Spruce Root. She currently lives in Haines.

Elsa loves the many small communities across Southeast Alaska that she got to know during her years as a salmon troller, and she’s excited to help connect Spruce Root’s services with villages and towns throughout the region.

Phote

Address

One Sealaska Plaza, Suite 400 (2nd Floor)
Juneau, AK
99801

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+19075869251

Website

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