Meet the Business Experts Council
The Business Experts Council is a group of local professionals who serve as mentors and advisors to the members of Cowork by RSD. Whether you’re launching something new, growing a team, or just need a seasoned perspective on a tough decision, our council members are here to share what they’ve learned building and running businesses in Alaska.
Get to know them below, then come see the space where it all happens.
Our Experts
Allan Carraway
President, Focal Point Business and Executive Coaching
Allan Carraway has spent more than 30 years starting and running small businesses. He knows the long days of entrepreneurship and the weight of the decisions that come with ownership. He later served as Center Director of the Anchorage Small Business Development Center, where he supported hundreds of local businesses. Today he is President of Focal Point Business and Executive Coaching, working with practice owners, small business owners, and executives on the practical side of running a business well.
Nicholas Wiandt
Employee Benefits Consultant, Aflac
Nicholas Wiandt is the District Sales Coordinator for Aflac’s Anchorage District Office, based downtown on W. 8th Avenue. He works with Anchorage-area businesses and professionals, and as a member of the Business Experts Council he’s glad to share what he knows with Cowork by RSD members.
Rob Muller
Marketing Expert, Dauntless Development
Rob Muller has been building websites and marketing Alaskan businesses for more than 20 years. He got his start at the Alaska Travel Industry Association, then spent years at an award-winning Anchorage marketing agency. Today he runs Dauntless Development, creating marketing plans, websites, search strategies, and social media campaigns for local nonprofits, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and an Alaska Native corporation. He and his wife also run Jewel Lake Bed & Breakfast, so he knows the small business side firsthand.
Tristan Bellotti
IT & Mead Expert
Tristan is an Anchorage-based entrepreneur who runs two very different businesses. Hive Mind IT is a managed service provider that has supported small and medium businesses across Anchorage, Palmer, and the Mat-Su Valley since 2012, handling everything from day-to-day IT support to infrastructure, security, and virtualization projects. He also owns Hive Mind Meadery, a geek-culture taproom on W 58th Ave where the mead is brewed in-house. Tristan is active in Alaska’s event and fandom scene, with ties to Senshi Con, Arctic Comic Con, and the 3 Barons Renaissance Fair, and he enjoys connecting fellow small business owners with practical resources.
Mark your calendar
Every Second Wednesday Morning
The experts meet in the Fire Room to hang out with waffles, coffee, and good advice.
Work alongside Anchorage’s business community
Cowork by RSD is a lease-free, high-tech workspace in downtown Anchorage, built for entrepreneurs, small teams and remote professionals. Come take a look.