In June I had a wonderful opportunity to drive to Seward and participate in the Port Partners program as a judge. Royal Caribbean Group teamed up with the Gateway Hotel, Alaska Small Business Development Center’s Kenai Peninsula Center, Alaska Vocational Technical Center, Seward Chamber of Commerce, City of Seward, and the University of Alaska for the Port Partners program, which combined a ten-week course with mentorship and coaching to help small businesses owners in Seward build business acumen and, for one small business, win a $20,000 grant.

In early June the course was complete, relationships were forged, and the sun was shining, so all that was left was to select which small business would get $20,000. As we gathered in the new Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Seward Cruise Terminal (which celebrated its official ribbon cutting earlier the same day), I was eager to hear pitches from the owners. It quickly became clear that all the businesses had incredible potential, so as the presentations continued, I kept coming back to the same question: how does this business make Seward better?

In their own way, all small businesses make communities better—small businesses are the community. They provide gathering places, essential goods, and quality services. They understand local seasons, needs, and obstacles. They create opportunities for work: first jobs for local youth, part-time jobs for parents who need flexibility, or career tracks for deep-rooted residents.

To honor those contributions, we continue to publish the Best of Alaska Business awards year after year. While the businesses in those ranks range from large to small, the majority are small businesses, and we love the opportunity to celebrate them.

Thank you, again, Royal Caribbean, for facilitating such a unique opportunity for me: traveling to Seward, engaging with the incredible business community there, and giving what feedback I could to narrow down an amazing cohort of small businesses to just one. Congratulations, Exit Glacier Greenhouses: we’re all rooting for you.