A Year of Community at ACLT
At ACLT, we pride ourselves on supporting our community. We lead by putting our community’s needs first and showing up each day with that commitment at the center of our hearts and our actions.
This year was one of the most challenging ACLT has experienced. Amid funding cuts, constant change and uncertainty, program restructuring, the loss of clients, and personal and professional crises, we remained focused on keeping our community’s needs at the forefront. What was different this year was that we needed that same support in return—and our community showed up tenfold.
We are deeply grateful. We could not have made it through this year without the care, generosity, and dedication of our partners, funders, supporters, clients, friends, and families. You stepped up in countless ways to ensure that, day by day, our work could continue. This year more than ever, we are thankful for each and every one of you who supported our team and our mission, in big and small ways. We are here because of you.
Hear directly from our staff about what your support has meant to them this year:
Kirk Rose, CEO
"'Eddy Out' is a term for a paddling maneuver in a river or strong current where a boater moves from the main, fast-moving current into a calm, sheltered area behind an obstacle, called an eddy. Eddying out allows the paddler to stop, rest, wait for others, or look downstream without being swept away by the main current. This year, after 14 years at ACLT and 11 as CEO, I received a Rasmuson Foundation Sabbatical Award and got to 'eddy out' when it was most needed. The currents of life, work, business, and politics will always charge forward. I had the chance not to escape those, but to duck out of the thrust for a sweet, little bit. This relatively short bit of time completely away (no phone or work email!) made so many problems, concerns, and stresses fall away. Being unburdened from some of these usual stressors allowed a refocus on what has always been most important but often rushed past- my family, health, and appreciating life and our world. My sabbatical gave me the strength, energy, and clarity I needed to get through all that this year held. My time away asked a lot of the ACLT staff team and Board. I'm thankful for them and how they stepped up in so many ways during my absence. This was only possible for me because of the support of so many others. Absence is a gift and a lesson, and I appreciate being given the opportunity. Thank you!"
Emily Cohn, Director of Communications & Development
"This year has been one of the hardest I've weathered, both personally and professionally. The same week I lost my mother, we also lost our programmatic funding. I've reflected a lot on what it means to face professional and personal hardship at the same time, and how essential community support is in times of crisis. I have been humbled this year by the outpouring of support from my community. When my mom passed, our Board of Directors sent gifts, Set Up Shop clients offered food, and partners shared heartfelt messages about their own experiences with grief. When our funding was cut, our Board stepped up to lead with long hours of scenario planning, our accountants worked on the evenings and weekends to balance our books, and our clients amplified our advocacy and calls for support. Our funders and partners answered those calls. I'm proud of our staff team for taking turns both leading and stepping back when needed. When I had to take FMLA to care for my mother, Kirk and our staff team stepped in for me. When Kirk took his sabbatical afterwards, it was my chance to step in for him. Events like these have a funny way of showing you instantly what is and isn't important to spend time on, and letting the unimportant fall away. The good news is, there is still so much at ACLT that is important to our community, and it's a privilege to get to work on that every day with our team and all of you who make it possible."
Caitlin Taylor, Director of Programs
"Like many on our team, I experienced the intersection of personal and professional hardship in 2025. I’m deeply grateful that I took the Triple Impact Leadership course early in the year—just in time to put its lessons into practice. With so much change to navigate, the framework my instructor, Gwen Kennedy, shared helped me stay grounded in what I—and we—needed to move through complexity and keep moving forward. I’m especially thankful for our staff team, who stepped up after our funding was cut to pause, reassess, and lead. Through months of hard work and thoughtful decision-making, they restructured our services to align with our evolving capacity while keeping client and community needs at the center. Hardship often blurs the line between the personal and the professional. When I experienced a long-term injury this summer, my professional network became a source of personal care—offering help with meals, chores, medical recommendations, and more. It’s the people I work alongside who motivate me most, and who make our relationship-centered programming not only possible, but meaningful."
Jay Her, Program Manager
"This year, I was reminded that community support flows both ways. When we faced disruptions, business owners and industry professionals immediately reached out to offer help. Another thing I'm grateful for is witnessing our entrepreneurs show up for each other; coming to workshops, celebrating at graduations, and gathering in peer circles to share how they're navigating these uncertain times. Their tenacity and willingness to support one another reminded me why this work matters. As we're working together with individual businesses we're becoming a part of a community that sticks together. I have no doubt that with this fervor and resilience, we'll continue to grow stronger together, year after year."
Caleigha Gotthardt, Program Manager
"We often talk about supporting our community, but this year I truly felt that support returned to us. During a difficult year, Set Up Shop alumni and community partners showed up with encouragement, grace, and continued engagement, reminding me that this work is carried through care and shared responsibility. I’m deeply grateful to be part of that and look forward to what 2026 brings."
Helena Sarcone, Program Manager
"I'm grateful for the understanding and grace the small business community has shown the ACLT team during this year of change, and for the resilience that the small business community and Set Up Shop entrepreneurs have shown in a period of uncertainty and volatility. While organizing Spenard 2nd Saturday, I saw this resiliency on display each month as business owners stepped up to build community, and customers stepped up to support them."