Recharge Our Community’s Economy: How Kodiak’s Value Chains Are Moving Local Ideas Into Action
Recharge Our Community’s Economy Value Chains Update
Over the past year, community members across Kodiak came together through the Recharge Our Community’s Economy workshop series to identify opportunities for local economic growth. The workshops, hosted by KEDC in partnership with the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), brought forward practical ideas from residents, businesses, nonprofits, and regional partners.
From this work, five community driven Value Chains emerged. Each group reflects a shared commitment to strengthen quality of life, support local businesses, and build a more resilient island economy.
What Are Value Chains?
In this context, a Value Chain is a group of people and organizations who work together to strengthen a specific part of Kodiak’s economy. Each chain brings partners together around a shared goal, moves ideas forward, and identifies steps that can be taken with local leadership.
The five Value Chains identified by the community are:
Business Support
Kodiak Walkability
Childcare
Housing
Seafood Market Development
These projects are not theoretical initiatives. They represent work already underway, led by people who live and work on Kodiak Island. KEDC and RCAC continue to provide facilitation, technical support, and project management to help each group move from ideas to tangible progress.
Business Support: Strengthening Local Entrepreneurship
Led by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, the Business Support Value Chain is focused on practical tools that help small businesses start, grow, and navigate the local economy.
The group is developing a Business Start Up Guide, which will serve as a central resource for permits, licensing, technical assistance programs, and local support networks. This work responds directly to what new and existing business owners have been asking for, and it strengthens collaboration among partners who support entrepreneurship.
Kodiak Walkability: Connecting Our Community
The Walkability Value Chain, coordinated by Sandra West, is working toward a shared vision for a more connected, accessible, and inviting Kodiak.
The group has partnered with Discover Kodiak on a downtown signage project to improve navigation for residents and visitors. They are also exploring opportunities to enhance pedestrian access, trails, and public spaces that support health, safety, and economic activity.
Walkability is not just about sidewalks. It is about strengthening the way people move through and experience our community.
Childcare: Supporting Families and the Workforce
The Childcare Value Chain has not yet identified a coordinating lead, but interest and participation remain strong. Community members and organizations continue working toward solutions that support childcare availability, affordability, and quality.
KEDC and RCAC remain ready to provide coordination and technical assistance once the group identifies its organizing partner. This Value Chain remains a critical priority, as childcare access directly affects workforce participation, economic stability, and overall community well being.
Housing: Coordinated Action to Support Kodiak’s Future
KEDC continues to lead the Housing Value Chain, which played a central role in developing the Housing Action Plan and the structure for the Housing Steering Committee.
Work in this Value Chain has included:
Public forums and focus groups
Village visits
Outreach across the island
Data collection and analysis
Development of the Housing Dashboard
Recommendations to support construction, affordability, zoning reform, and infrastructure planning
This Value Chain has advanced into the implementation phase, with the Housing Steering Committee reconvening to guide coordinated action.
Seafood Market Development: Strengthening a Core Local Industry
Led by Theresa Peterson, with support from Danielle Ringer, the Seafood Market Development Value Chain is focused on strengthening local seafood markets and celebrating the people and communities behind Kodiak’s working waterfront.
The group is exploring ways to:
Increase local access to Kodiak harvested seafood
Support marketing efforts that highlight quality and place
Connect harvesters with consumers
Share community stories tied to tradition, culture, and local pride
This work aligns with broader opportunities in mariculture, tourism, and value added processing, and it builds on Kodiak’s long history as a major fishing community.
Why Value Chains Matter
The Value Chain approach is grounded in local leadership. Instead of requiring large programs or outside direction, each chain builds momentum through small, coordinated actions.
Key strengths of the ROCE Value Chains include:
Community ownership
Collaboration between multiple sectors
Clear, achievable steps
Flexibility to adapt and grow
Support from KEDC, RCAC, and local partners
Focus on local solutions that strengthen the island’s economy
Each Value Chain is becoming a consistent contributor to broader economic progress, and together they create a foundation for long term community resilience.
What Comes Next
KEDC and RCAC will continue supporting the Value Chains with facilitation, outreach, and project management. In the months ahead, the focus will include:
Helping each group track milestones and progress
Supporting recruitment and participation
Sharing quarterly updates with the public
Designing tools and resources that reflect community needs
Ensuring coordination among partners across the island
The Value Chains are an example of what is possible when community members come together with a shared purpose. KEDC is grateful for the commitment of partners who continue to give their time, energy, and ideas to strengthen Kodiak’s future.
