The Alaska House: Part 2

Native people pursue dreams in New York City

By RACHEL WISE

It took Andrei Jacobs five months and 8,200 miles to realize he wanted to move from Alaska to New York City.

In 2008, Jacobs, 34, participated in a walk put on by Native American activism organization the American Indian Movement. AIM organized a walk from California to Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Longest Walk in 1978. The group’s goal for both walks was to bring to light issues affecting Native Americans.

“(The walk was for) American Indians, Alaska Natives and indigenous people around the world who felt corporate and government interests were more powerful and were desecrating places that native people found holy,” said Jacobs, an Alaska Native, who is a quarter Yup’ik Eskimo and a quarter Inupiaq Eskimo.

Jacobs accompanied his brother on the trip, which he described as a life-changing experience. One month after he returned from Washington, D.C., Jacobs said he knew it was time for him to leave Alaska for good.

“After having met thousands and thousands of people and having experienced all the different types of emotions, I wanted to continue that and not return to my status quo … especially living in such a remote area,” Jacobs said. “New York was the logical choice for me.”

He packed his things and left for New York to pursue what he perceived to be a life full of opportunity.

And Jacobs is not alone. According to the American Indian Community House, a non-profit organization serving New York City’s Native American population, that’s the same reason many native people move to the City.

“I think it’s an economic opportunity like (it is for) any people. I don’t think Native Americans are any special group in that way,” Jacobs said. “There’s a dream that people have — making it on Broadway, making it as an artist … making it as a banker. … I’m nothing different than normal folks. It’s just the same basic story.”

With an estimated population of about 30,000, the Native American community in New York City is not insignificant, as many are surprised to learn.

“I can understand the surprise because I’m surprised myself. (But), I think it is hard for many of us to meet because … we’re a bit disconnected,” Jacobs said. “We’re not mobilized … politically, socially, governmentally, the way that we should be.”

While Jacobs admits he doesn’t know many of other Native Americans living in New York, he’s doing what he can to keep his culture alive in this urban setting.

Jacobs works as gallery associate at Alaska House, 109 Mercer St., a nonprofit organization that represents Alaska through art, education and special events. Alaska House is the only organization in New York City dedicated to promoting Alaska’s history and culture.

“As an ambassador, we have events that focus on Alaskan politics, government, our economy, our environment, cultures throughout Alaska (and) music,” he said. “If there’s any question that a person has about Alaska, somebody here’s going to be able to answer it.”

The Alaska House is a vibrant, two-floor gallery in SoHo. It celebrates the uniqueness of Alaska and Alaska Natives, and helps educate and entertain residents and tourists alike.

But for Jacobs, life isn’t only about focusing on his heritage.

“My great-grandfather was the first Eskimo Episcopal minister, and he helped to abolish Eskimo dancing and art in one community on Nunivak Island … I’m not really too happy about that idea,” he said. “I want to perpetuate culture and help to create it versus thinking about my past.”

For the 18 months Jacobs has lived in New York, he’s grown to appreciate city living and the many available opportunities.

“I wanted to see what perhaps I could get into (by moving to New York City). And I’m still in search of that idea, that vision I had,” Jacobs said. “I’m getting there — inch-by-inch, day-by-day.”

The Alaska House: Native Culture in N.Y.C.

Alaska House cultural hub for native people  

By RACHEL WISE  

With a population of about 30,000, the Native American community in New York City relies on a handful of institutions to keep their native culture alive. One such place is the Alaska House. 

The Alaska House, 109 Mercer St., is a nonprofit organization that represents Alaska through art, education and special events. It focuses on a unique community of people and has been open since September 2008.

“As an ambassador, we have events that focus on Alaskan politics, government, our economy, our environment, cultures throughout Alaska (and) music,” said Andrei Jacobs, 34, gallery associate and Alaska Native. “If there’s any question that a person has about Alaska, somebody here’s going to be able to answer it.”

When visiting the Alaska House, it’s easy to focus on the predominate collection of art. The current installation is called “Dry Ice,” which centers on artists’ interpretations of Alaska’s land and resources. And all the contributing artists are Alaska Natives.

While Alaska Natives are considered part of the Native American community, Jacobs claims there are many things that differentiate them.

“ ‘(Alaska Native)’ is a lawful word. That’s all about the federal government. That’s The Man telling me what I am,” said Jacobs, who is a quarter Yup’ik Eskimo and a quarter Inupiaq Eskimo. “The difference by law … is our treaties. Our treaties were signed in a very different way back in 1971. So I’m a tribal member, I guess, but I’m also a shareholder in a corporation.”

In 1971, President Nixon signed the Alaska Natives Claim Settlement Act to resolve the long-standing issues involving indigenous land claims and to stimulate economic development in Alaska.

“The federal government gave tribes … billions of dollars to get started with these corporations,” Jacobs said. “They could get into whatever they wanted to — oil, building hotels, owning security companies, working with technology firms.”

Another unique privilege of Alaska Natives is their usage of marine mammals parts. The Marine Mammal Protection Act enacted in 1972 prohibits the import, export or sale of any marine mammal part or product in the U.S. But Alaska Natives are partially exempt from this rule.

“You cannot sell a raw piece of marine mammal in North America unless it’s been rendered into art by a Native American or Alaska Native,” Jacobs said, as he pointed to 14-foot baleen resting against the wall. “And the reason for that is they have a traditional and customary use … and they are therefore protected.”

One traditional view that is a significant theme at the Alaska House is the focus on subsistence. A nine-line quotation by Inupiat elder Willie Hensley dominates the wall space at the gallery. It reads, in part: “Subsistence describes a way of life practiced by Alaska Native peoples for ten thousand years. Our lives are intertwined with nature and revolve around the seasons … Through it all, the arbiter of success is in the hands of nature and the skill of the hunter.”

Jacobs said this idea is central to Native Alaskans.

“When I think of subsistence, I think of my identity through language, food and culture,” he said. “If you don’t have food, then you can’t have an identity, then you can’t have language, then you can’t have art, culture.”

My journey from HTML basics to my new Web site

Last weekend, I attended a two-day workshop on HTML/CSS taught by David Tristman. We went over the basics and tested out our skills by building very primitive test sites. But when the workshop was over, I wanted to keep at it.

I've had my domain for quite some time now, after my brother thankfully purchased it years ago, assuming it'd eventually come in handy. I've wanted to have my own online portfolio/professional Web site but never knew what route to go. Fortunately, the skills David taught us were enough for me to build upon to launch my very own site.

I'm happy to announce RachelWise.com is now functional and online! It's definitely still a work in progress — and there's a lot I want to do to it — but I'm just glad my domain is finally being put to good use.

And I'm also pretty pleased I can now put those HTML skills on my resume, and hopefully keep working at it. Feedback is always appreciated!

Blogging about blogging: Part 2

Despite my feelings about blogging, and the fact that I don't quite understand it in terms of being grouped in the category of journalism, I do find it fascinating. I've been learning a lot about blogging and online media and the technical side of things, for which I see endless possibilities.

One post I came upon I found particularly interesting. Blogger Darren Rowse posted a blog called 29 Debates Bloggers Have about Blogging. He explores some of the key characteristics about blogging, from commenting to design to length to topic. He highlights everything from the most basic to the most advanced features.

I'm not going to list all 29 because if you want to read it, the link is above. Instead, I want to select a few points from his list and weigh in on what I think.

3.  Post Frequency – Post More vs Post Less:

I think it's essential to keep a blog updates as often as possible. Obviously, for people who blog for a living or have a lot invested in a blog, up to several times per day is ideal. But for someone who maintains a personal blog, a couple times a week is enough to keep the content fresh and interesting.

11. Links to External Sources – Should Open in a New Page vs Should Open in the Same Page:

With all I've heard about Web traffic lately, I'd have to say it'd be a better option for links to open in new pages. That means the reader won't just forget about your blog and jump from link to link. Instead, your page remains open so he/she can come back after exploring the links you've posted.

14. Topic – Niche vs Broad Topics:

Either can work. I see a lot of value in focusing a blog on a particular subject because it will certainly draw a specific audience who can contribute to the conversation. But I also think having a somewhat broader topic allows for more freedom, i.e. how my blog is about journalism and media, but not something so specific. But what I don't think works is a personal blog that has no focus at all, i.e. My Opinion on Anything and Everything in the World ... Ever. Unless someone is an established "character" who is really funny or entertaining, it probably won't work.

19. Personal Blogging – Sticking to Topic vs Injecting Personality and Personal details:

In personal blogging, it only makes sense to write in first person. And by referring to oneself, that alone makes the blogger a character in the blog. Therefore it seems fitting for the blogger to offer personal anecdotes, refer to his/her opinion and embrace the ability to be part of it all. But there has to be a balance between the two — too much of topic only would be too impersonal and too much of personal details could seem a bit self-involved.

Blogging about blogging: Part 1

Blogging, trending, SEO, tags, topics, niche, monetizing, content, posts, RSS, domains, hosts and ... does it ever end? 

For the majority of this semester, blogging has been at the forefront of the conversation in 2/3 of my classes. We've talked basics — sites and topics and how to write a blog — and we've gone in depth — how to use keywords for SEO, how to take advantage of trending and topics/niches on which to focus. Most of this is stuff I never thought I'd need to know, and stuff I never thought I'd want to know. And, to be honest, I'm not sure yet whether it is stuff I want to know.

I guess I don't exactly get why people blog. I don't get who reads them and why. For me, I'd rather stick to journalism — and, frankly, I don't see blogging as journalism. I understand the industry is changing. I'm only reminded of that 100 times a day, on average. But that, to me, doesn't necessarily mean blogging is the answer. Why can't journalists write for an online platform, in the form of online articles? 

I see blogging as online journals, most of the time. People can take to the Internet, write about whatever it is interests them, spout off about their opinions and call it a day. Some people might find what someone says to be interesting or humorous or informational, and maybe they like to read that blog. But what is it about this that is journalism? Can anyone help explain this?

Don't get me wrong: I'm not against blogging. Obviously, I myself am a blogger (though, admittedly, not entirely by choice). And I understand it has merit. It's a great platform for people to express themselves and share ideas, and I really see the value in that. My question is: Why can't we draw the line there?

Mostly, this curiosity comes at the heels of a panel of bloggers in my Entrepreneuial Journalism class today. They are really savvy individuals who have worked on some incredible Web sites and launched some cool ideas. But the whole blogging aspect of their jobs is what leaves me baffled.

So, if anyone has the answer to my question, I'd really love to hear it. Maybe I'm just missing something.

Save the Children benefit concert

Musicians including 2010 Rock-n-Roll Hall Of Fame nominee Darlene Love, The Bacon Brothers, Patty Smyth, The Bev Leslies, Tabitha Fair and Pete Francis (of Dispatch) performed a benefit concert put on by Save the Children at the Canal Room in SoHo on Feb. 4, 2010.



Hope for Haiti benefit concert

By RACHEL WISE

After Haiti was ravaged by a historic earthquake on Jan. 12, donations starting pouring in. While some chose to send money or texts to contribute, Deana Concilio-Lenz thought of a different way: host a star-studded benefit concert.

“Instead of writing a check, I thought it’d be better to get a bunch of local musicians together to help raise money for Haiti,” she said.

Concilio-Lenz, founder and president of production company DCL Media, partnered with the non-profit charity organization Save the Children to arrange the Hope for Haiti benefit concert held Feb. 5. The idea was born spur-of-the-moment, so the event organizers had only a week and a half to put everything together.

“It was basically me contacting every Sony client I’ve ever had,” Concilio-Lenz said. “And it was Grammys week, so it was really difficult for us. Everyone was in L.A.”

Concilio-Lenz wound up securing some big-name musicians to perform at the Hope for Haiti concert: Bacon Brothers, featuring Kevin Bacon as front-man; 2010 Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame nominee Darlene Love; Tabitha Fair, who performed at President Obama’s inauguration; Patty Smyth, former lead singer of ‘80s rock band Scandal; Pete Francis; and the Bev Leslies.

The artists donated their time and the Canal Room, a club in Tribeca, donated the space. With ticket prices starting at $20 and a table set up for additional donations, and attendance at an estimated 250, event organizers agreed it was “a success.”

“The energy in the room was amazing. They had so much fun,” Concilio-Lenz said. “There were accountants, doctors, younger people … It was a great cross-section of New York who came to show their support.”

Laura Zotian, 54, of Floral Park, N.Y., was one of the New Yorkers contributing to the positive energy in the room. Zotian snapped photos and whistled loudly when her favorite musicians came on stage.

“The music is great. What’s better than this?” Zotian said. “The musicians are amazing. As talented as they all are, they have such big hearts, too.”

Zotian said she planned to donate “whatever’s left in my wallet” at the end of the night.

“Great music. Great people. They pulled off a great, great thing tonight,” she said.

Emily Pesa, 35, of Astoria, came out after reading about the event on a church Web site.

“I wanted to support Haiti and felt this was a really fun way to do that,” Pesa said. “I thought it was great. The bands were amazing. And I was pleasantly surprised to see Darlene Love on the bill — I’ve always been a big fan of hers.”

Pesa donated $20, the ticket price, but said she planned to give more “very soon.”

But despite the fun aspect of the night, the event made sure to keep the focus on Haiti. Artists thanked attendees for their support and asked everyone to donate as much as they could.

When the Bacon Brothers were onstage, Kevin Bacon raised his arm and pointed to his blue wristband — a wristband everyone was given after making a donation— and reminded the audience to remember what it symbolizes.

Save the Children displayed photos of Haitian children continuously playing on TV screens around the club. They also videotaped the event and plan to produce a video to post on their Web site in hopes of attracting more donations.

“It’s more about awareness. And it’s also important to realize we have so much, (so) we have to give back,” Concilio-Lenz said. “It’s not just about a check. It’s figuring out how we can help these people on a long-term basis.”

Q&A with entrepreneur Phil Garfinkle

This semester, I'm taking a class called Entrepreneurial Journalism at NYU, taught by Adam Penenberg. We're learning a lot about entrepreneurship and doing a lot of brainstorming about new ideas. To help us with this goal of eventually starting our own new ventures, we are interviewing successful entrepreneurs to hear their stories.

I decided to interview Phil Garfinkle, a highly successful entrepreneur who, in the interest of full disclosure, is also my uncle. According to his LinkedIn page, he is a "technology visionary, ... entrepreneur, inventor, CEO, and investor, with a focus on emerging technologies. He is a four-time successful entrepreneur, held a number of senior management and engineering positions, is an active angel investor, and holds many patents." Needless to say, he knows his stuff and had a knack for creativity and innovation.

Here is the Q&A exchange between me and Phil Garfinkle.

Rachel Wise: Why specifically do you think you are considered an entrepreneur?

Phil Garfinkle: Different people are considered entrepreneurs for different reasons.  Some because they enjoy taking chances in order to find success.  My focus is more about taking ideas and dreams and executing in a very pragmatic approach.  If something works, I keep doing it.  If something does not work I am quick to stop it.

RW: What was your very first start-up/entrepreneurial venture?

PG: My first “start-up / entrepreneurial venture was starting a sand and plant terrarium business when I was 12.  I would design and build custom design terrariums and sell them on contract or I would sell them on a street side stand.  I personally invested in all the materials and then entered into an arrangement with a popular gas station near a lot of business buildings.  But…. Based on the questions below, I will “discuss” my first venture backed start up, PictureVision.

RW: How did you come up with the idea for it?

PG: As Chief Technology Officer of a public company, I was very focused on building new technology for Document Imaging or to address the goal of the “paperless office.”  I was mostly focused large-scale system design to deal with large paper flow applications.  I saw the likelihood that it made eventual sense for digital cameras to replace film based cameras for consumer photography.  I also saw the opportunity for networks to eventually come into people’s homes instead of just military and business applications.  I wanted to lead the development and execution of this transformation.  It started with the concept of kiosks because I did not think PC’s and networks would make it to the home quick enough for business success.  We ultimately did both home and kiosk solution.

RW:  How did you turn your idea into a business plan? How long did it take?

PG: The Company I was with was not interested in “consumer” imaging applications.  Their focus was completely on business-to-business applications.  So, I moved forward and built my business plan on my own time.  I decided to go off to determine market interest in my idea.  The business plan and concept developed over a 9-month period.  As I did more research, we become more clear that the home consumer market could be successful and most effort went to pursue that path.

RW: How long did it take to become profitable after officially launching your venture?

PG: Like most start up companies, execution provided education.  I learned quickly that we needed to build various technology pieces so that the company could be successful.  This required substantial capital to drive monster success.  In addition, we were pursuing mass consumer markets so reinvestment was key to success.  PictureVision was extremely successful in gaining market share and putting the investments in place to form the various online photography markets.  After a little over 3 years we merged with Kodak.  Prior to sale, we were never profitable, nor did we plan to be at that stage of the company’s development.

RW: How did you initially fund your idea? What eventually became your revenue model?

PG: We were initially funded out of our own pockets.  Shortly there after, we raised “Angel” financing.  Our revenue model started with the goal of transactions but quickly evolved in to both transactions and “digital processing systems” for the photography business. 

RW:  How did you get the word out/publicize it?

PG: Even at an early stage we used a Public Relations company to help us get the word out.  We participated in industry trade shows and I did a lot of interviews with magazines, newspapers, and TV.  We did very limited advertising.  We aligned with very large partners that did a lot of the advertising for us.  Sony, AOL, Microsoft, Canon, Adobe, and others embedded our product with theirs.  This was my key strategy to launching and sustaining a revenue stream with the least amount of expended capital.

RW: What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in launching your idea? In keeping it alive?

PG: There were many challenges to deal with in our environment.  We were building new technology to make sure our pictures were as good as traditional film pictures.  Digital printers were not really good enough at the time, so we had to work with these technology challenges.  As we found success many attempts from copycat companies would threaten our market position.  We had to constantly balance what we spent with what we could achieve.   All in all the biggest challenge was the consumer shift from traditional snapshots to digital photography.  Getting consumers to boot up their photo album was a pretty big shift from opening up a scrap books of photos.

RW: How many people went into creating and maintaining your venture/business?

PG: We started with 3 people.  After 4 years we were in the hundreds.  We had operations in Israel, Germany, and Japan, with affiliates all over the world.

RW: Who was your competition, and how did you manage to stay ahead?

PG: Everyone.  We were disrupting the entire eco-system of the photography market.  Once we achieved traction, everyone wanted to compete.  Our biggest competitor eventually merged with us…. Kodak

RW: Where is your idea/business today? Do you still maintain it?

PG: My idea and business represents a large portion of Kodak and its operations today.  It has been re-branded to fit into the Kodak infrastructure.  I have not been involved since 2001.

RW: What are you most proud of?

PG: Our approach and idea is ubiquitous in the market.  It is the market and the way everyone shares digital photos.  The patents that I created are the standard in how people share digital photography.  It is great to see people share their photos on their cell phones and be able to put their photos on other products from coffee mugs to calendars so conveniently.

RW: How much of your success would you attribute to your college education, and how much would you attribute to trial and error and hands-on experience?

PG: College taught me how to deal with juggling a lot of issues and how to think independently.  There may not be any direct correlation but taking a start up from inception to exit is about juggling many balls.  It is about making tough decisions and adjusting those decisions based on their impact and reality in practice.   Everything is “trial and adjustment.”  I think passion and “desire to win” trumps “hands-on experience.”

RW: How did your idea change the industry?

PG: Most of professional and consumer photography leverages our original concepts today and the foreseeable future.

RW: What advice would you give to emerging entrepreneurs?

PG: You really have to believe and have passion in your product.  Make decisions and be willing to adjust quickly.  Surround yourself with people that you can trust and share your passion.

RW: Is there anything else you think would be helpful to know?

PG: Family is very important to drive success.  Entrepreneurs need a strong support system to do the crazy things we do.

Think out of the box.  The way things work today does not dictate the ways things work in the future. 

Entrepreneurialism is not about taking risks.  It is about taking your ideas and making them reality.