eadlines that ask yes-or-no questions can always be answered “no.” British tech journalist Ian Betteridge codified this law in 2009, but headlines have ended with question marks for as long as newspapers have existed. A compilation of Murphy’s Law variants published in 1991 called it “Davis’ Law” (for unclear reasons). Whether known by that name or as Betteridge’s Law, this wisdom is honored more often in the breach than in the observance.

Or not often at all. This magazine employed question marks on its cover seven times in its first sixty issues, including the first one ever printed. Does “no” automatically apply?

distinctive entrepreneurial spirit thrives in Alaska, driven by enterprises that balance sustainability and environmental stewardship with their economic activities. These organizations work to reduce their ecological impact while contributing to the economy and society. They are not just seeking to make a profit; they are dedicated to making a difference.

Take Spruce Root, for instance. The Juneau-based, Native-led nonprofit gives local entrepreneurs access to business development and financial resources in the form of loan capital, business coaching, workshops, and competitions. For more than a decade, Spruce Root has operated its annual Path to Prosperity Business Competition. The program trains entrepreneurs in Southeast to develop business models based on the “triple bottom line” approach, which considers social, environmental, and economic impacts, also known as the Three Ps: people, planet, and profit.

ince Adam Smith wrote the first two treatises on economics, all the technological advances in the last 250 years still can’t accurately predict the financial future. What technology can do is provide data to economists, who distill it into usable information for strategic planning. Economists traditionally work for governments, higher education, and private companies, but financial institutions hire them as well.

hat makes Alaska a treasure trove of critical minerals? According to retired state geologist Steven Masterman, it’s partly a matter of simple geography.

“We are one-sixth of the country, so even if we were just average, we would have one-sixth of the country’s resources—but we’re not average,” Masterman explains. “Because we’re so large, we can supply a lot of minerals. We have a lot of geological environments in Alaska, and so we host a lot of different mineral deposits.”

Alaska already boasts the nation’s largest zinc mine at Red Dog, which produces critical minerals, such as gallium, as byproducts. The state also has significant deposits of graphite, lithium, rare earth elements—forty-nine of the fifty minerals deemed critical to national security and technological advancement, many that have yet to be fully explored.

n its tenth year, Best of Alaska Business is better than ever! Bigger, certainly: the survey in March 2025 saw the most votes cast of any year by far. Respondents chose their favorites in forty-one categories, plus nominees for Corporate Citizen, chosen by the editors. New categories include Engineering Firm, Martial Arts Studio, and Festival, each chosen to represent a cross-section of business-to-business services and customer-facing excellence. Best Boutique adds recognition for more retail shops, but the surface is barely scratched.

By presenting the winners in three concise pages, this section has room for deeper coverage of some featured businesses. Carrying this format into the next decade of Best of Alaska Business opens the possibility for additional categories in the future.

Please read on, meet the returning champions and the fresh faces, and learn from them what it takes to become the Best of Alaska Business.

hat do an ammunition delivery service, an indoor playground, and a fantasy-themed event planner have in common? Two things: they started business in 2024, and all three quickly earned enough fans to be voted Best Startup. This year’s best startup businesses all found unexpected ways to tap into community among their clientele.

The couple—both former military and competitive shooters—had been talking about the idea since 2012, when James found himself dashing from one local retailer to another, last minute, trying to locate the bullets he needed for his first Alaska hunting season. He’d been used to life in the Lower 48, where he could hop online, order what he needed, and have nearly any ammunition delivered to his doorstep.

very year, Alaska Business readers honor a unique and broad range of best-in-class Alaska companies. This Best of Alaska Business distinction is a sought-after honor that’s evidence of top-shelf customer service and memorable and meaningful performance.

Alaska Business reached out to some of this year’s winners to learn more about their differentiation, distinctiveness, and future direction. Here’s what they had to say.

Q: What is your company best at?

A: Making sandwiches with lots of flavor.

oga, as popular as it is, has some stereotypes to overcome.

“In Western culture, yoga is often portrayed as a place where you put on your Lululemon outfit and then stretch and sweat for a good workout. That image often keeps people from trying yoga. But there are so many facets to the practice. The physical movement is just a small piece,” says Katey Inman, co-owner and director of Anchorage Yoga. “You don’t have to be able to do splits or headstands. You don’t have to look a certain way. You just have to come and breathe!”

A welcoming attitude also pervades Studio Hot Yoga at the Jewel Lake branch of The Alaska Club. The second-story space features natural light through windows on three of the four walls of the 1,600-square-foot studio with advanced heating and humidifying systems, a sound system, and expert teachers who offer empowering yoga sessions. At its entrance, Studio Hot Yoga has a lounge with lockers for storage and a place to meet other yogis.

he Best Corporate Citizen category is unique in the Best of Alaska Business awards. While our readers provide all of the nominations, the final unranked winners of this category are selected by the Alaska Business editorial team. We consider the number of votes provided by our readers, as well as our knowledge of how these companies choose to support communities across Alaska through volunteer efforts, charitable programs, in-kind donations, and direct funds. This year we’re excited to share a little more about the efforts of Alaska Airlines, Matson, and Wells Fargo to enrich the everyday lives of their Alaskan neighbors.

business proprietor or employee needs to communicate information to the company’s clients and luckily has an email list to facilitate that communication. But shortly after sending the blast, it becomes clear many of the emails are bouncing back. It turns out the recipient’s email client blacklisted the sender, tagging the email outreach as spam. One workaround is to email customers one at a time; another is to hope customers check the business’ website or social media pages for updates. Both are less effective and stall the outreach campaign.

Blacklists are one of the worst-case communication scenarios a business can face. Even as digital communication evolves, email remains a key tool for organizations of all types and sizes. Successful email outreach must break through crowded inboxes and the regulatory framework laid out by the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM Act).

ommercial real estate can be a lucrative investment, but keeping up with the operation, maintenance, leasing, and security of a facility can make an owner wonder whether the outlay is worth it. Real estate management companies can help make owning a property easier, taking care of day-to-day issues and helping owners meet their long-term goals.

Facets of managing commercial properties range from securing and maintaining the physical assets to providing financial services such as collecting tenant rents. Some companies also offer construction services to help with tenant-requested updates, as well as “à la carte” services to deal with specialized client requests.

“When we say we’re in real estate management, people automatically think of traditional property management from the residential side—companies that take care of apartments,” explains Shea Niebur, broker, managing director, and majority owner of Anchorage-based PTP Management, established in 1998. “But the commercial sector operates differently.”

ime has a way of marching forward. But every summer, three generations of the Binkley family turn back the clock—for a few hours, anyway. For seventy-five years, their Riverboat Discovery tour has steered guests down Fairbanks’ Chena and Tanana Rivers for a glimpse of the Interior’s past and present.

“The goal of the tour [is] to introduce guests to the people of the Interior and to create a conversation so that the guests can understand what draws people to this unique part of the state and why we continue to live here and call this place home,” says Wade Binkley, president of Riverboat Discovery and a fourth-generation Alaskan who, along with his siblings and cousins, runs the Binkley family business.

Through the years, the Binkleys have adapted to grow with the tourism industry, all while remaining true to their roots.

“They’re not going to rest on their laurels at all,” says Jay Lewis, “The Voice of Discovery,” who narrated the tour for thirty years. “It’s the only way you survive seventy-five years.”

novagold.com/donlin-gold

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