Community Value Chains

to Recharge Our Community’s Economy

  • "These workshops are about bringing people together to create real change."

  • "We need everyone at the table—each person’s input adds a new dimension to the ideas we can create together."

  • “I really enjoyed the timeline exercise. I learned a lot about Kodiak’s history and economy from multiple perspectives, and that really helped me frame the overall goals of the workshop series."

  • "The ROCE workshop was inspiring to be part of. It demonstrated Kodiak’s potential and highlighted how many great people we have, who want to better our economy."

  • "Every community has untapped potential, and our role is to help bring it to light. Kodiak has so much to offer."

  • "I hope that through ROCE, we can build projects that make Kodiak an even better place for families, businesses, and future generations."

  • "Every participant plays a role in the conversation, and the facilitators from RCAC and KEDC are there to guide the process every step of the way."

  • "This is a great opportunity for the younger generations especially to get involved in a supportive, friendly, and collaborative environment.”

Turning Community Ideas Into Action

Kodiak has no shortage of good ideas, committed residents, hardworking businesses, and community partners who want to see our island thrive.

The challenge is often not a lack of ideas.

The challenge is creating the structure, support, and momentum needed to move those ideas forward.

That is where Community Value Chains come in.

Community Value Chains are local working groups supported by KEDC and the Rural Community Assistance Corporation, known as RCAC. Each group focuses on a specific area of opportunity for Kodiak and brings together residents, business owners, organizations, and community partners who want to help shape practical solutions.

The Value Chains grew out of the 2025 Recharge Our Community’s Economy workshop series. While that workshop series has ended, the work that came from it is continuing. KEDC and RCAC help support these groups through facilitation, technical assistance, meeting structure, content development, and project support.

Value Chains are designed to be practical, supported, and action-oriented. Participants do not need special experience or a formal role. What matters is a willingness to participate, share ideas, listen to others, and help move useful work forward.

This is an invitation to shape the future of our island together.

Why Value Chains Matter

Community progress happens when people have a clear place to bring ideas, identify needs, and work together toward next steps.

Through the Value Chains, KEDC and RCAC help participants:

  • Identify practical needs and opportunities in Kodiak

  • Bring together people with different experiences and perspectives

  • Develop ideas into projects, trainings, conversations, or next steps

  • Connect local knowledge with technical support

  • Keep momentum going between meetings

  • Create opportunities for residents and businesses to help shape Kodiak’s future

The goal is not to create more meetings for the sake of meeting. The goal is to create focused spaces where community ideas can become useful action.

Current Value Chains

Business Support Value Chain

The Business Support Value Chain focuses on practical support for local businesses, entrepreneurs, and people interested in strengthening Kodiak’s business environment.

This group looks at the needs of small businesses, solo entrepreneurs, growing businesses, and people who may be considering starting a business in Kodiak. Topics may include customer outreach, business planning, marketing, customer retention, technical assistance, training opportunities, and tools that help businesses operate and grow.

KEDC and RCAC are working with participants to make this group a useful space for business learning, connection, and action. The goal is to help local businesses access support that is practical, timely, and relevant to the realities of doing business in Kodiak.

Walkability Value Chain

The Walkability Value Chain focuses on how Kodiak residents and visitors move through the community and how the built environment can better support safety, access, connection, and quality of life.

Walkability is about more than sidewalks. It includes how people get to schools, businesses, parks, services, and community gathering places. It also connects to downtown vitality, public safety, transportation, recreation, tourism, and the overall experience of living in Kodiak.

This group provides a space for participants to identify barriers, discuss opportunities, and support practical next steps that can make Kodiak more connected, accessible, and welcoming.

Career Connections Value Chain

The Career Connections Value Chain focuses on strengthening connections between students, job seekers, employers, training providers, and community partners.

Kodiak’s economy depends on a strong local workforce. This group supports conversations and projects that help people better understand local career pathways, connect with employers, explore training opportunities, and build awareness of the jobs and skills needed in Kodiak.

Areas of focus may include career exposure, job shadowing, internships, workforce development, employer engagement, school partnerships, and helping young people see a future for themselves in Kodiak’s economy.

Housing Value Chain

The Housing Value Chain focuses on one of Kodiak’s most significant economic and community challenges: housing.

Housing affects workforce recruitment, business growth, family stability, public services, and the long-term health of Kodiak’s economy. This group supports conversations and next steps related to housing needs, barriers, policy ideas, community education, and implementation of local housing priorities.

KEDC’s housing work also connects to the Kodiak Housing Action Plan and ongoing collaboration with community partners. The Housing Value Chain helps keep residents, employers, organizations, and local partners engaged in the work of improving housing options for Kodiak.

How to Participate

Value Chains are open to people who care about Kodiak’s future and want to be part of practical, community-driven work. You do not need to be an expert. You do not need to represent an organization. You simply need an interest in the topic and a willingness to participate constructively.

Each Value Chain may meet on a different schedule depending on the work underway. Some meetings focus on discussion and planning. Others may focus on trainings, project development, outreach, or specific next steps.

You may be a good fit for a Value Chain if you:

  • Care about one of the topic areas

  • Have lived experience or professional experience to share

  • Want to help identify practical needs and next steps

  • Are interested in learning from others

  • Want to help strengthen Kodiak’s economy and quality of life

Join the Conversation

KEDC and RCAC continue to support the Community Value Chains as a way to help local ideas move forward with structure, support, and momentum.

If you are interested in Business Support, Walkability, Career Connections, Housing, or other community economic development priorities, we invite you to connect with KEDC and learn more.

Your perspective matters.

Kodiak’s future will be stronger when more people have a place to participate, contribute, and help shape practical solutions.

If you have an interest in housing, local food systems, childcare solutions, business support, or walkability, your voice matters.

You do not need prior experience. You simply need a willingness to engage.

LEARN MORE

Shape Solutions for Kodiak

Practical, Supported, and Action-Oriented

We understand that time is valuable. Value Chains are designed to be focused and productive. Meetings are structured, agendas are clear, and participants receive facilitation and technical guidance to help projects move forward.

Communities across the country have demonstrated the power of this approach. When local leaders work together with support and accountability, they build durable solutions that reflect their community’s strengths.

Kodiak has that same potential. The foundation has been laid. Now the work continues.

Learning from Success

Communities already have incredible results from similar initiatives:

  • In Arizona, participants built a local food system that enhanced food security while boosting the local economy.

  • In Montana, a ROCE-inspired group revitalized their downtown, filling storefronts with vibrant businesses and creating community gathering spaces.

  • In Nevada, workshops led to the creation of a community hub that improved local engagement and provided essential services.

Kodiak has everything it needs to replicate and even surpass these successes. With its entrepreneurial spirit, rich natural resources, and a strong sense of community, our island is poised for transformation.