Rain Coast Data

What Rain Coast Data does

Rain Coast Data is a privately held economic research and consulting firm founded in 2014 by Meilani Schijvens and headquartered in Juneau, Alaska. The firm specializes in economic analysis, socioeconomic impact studies, survey research design and administration, strategic economic planning, and public involvement for clients in Southeast Alaska. Its primary service lines are recurring flagship publications (most notably the annual 'Southeast Alaska by the Numbers' report, now in its eighth year), custom survey research including the Southeast Alaska Business Climate Survey (300-500+ respondents per cycle), tribal housing needs assessments (nearly 30 completed), transportation benefit-cost studies supporting state and federal infrastructure funding applications, comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS) and municipal comprehensive plans, tourism impact and recovery studies, and healthcare workforce analyses. The firm does not operate a unified software platform; deliverables are consulting reports and downloadable publications.

The firm's business model is fee-for-service professional consulting, with revenue derived from project-based engagements with government agencies, tribal organizations, municipalities, regional nonprofits, and healthcare providers. Go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven: the firm does not advertise; it wins work through Schijvens's professional network, her prior roles at Southeast Conference, McDowell Group, Juneau Economic Development Council, and the State of Alaska, and the recurring visibility of its publications, which have been referenced in the New York Times and cited in U.S. Senate hearings. Delivery is direct to clients, with project work augmented through subcontracted partners such as Corvus Design (urban design), Agnew Beck Consulting (planning), and SALT (tribal assessments). The customer base spans municipal governments (City and Borough of Juneau, Wrangell, Valdez, Haines Borough), tribal organizations (Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority, Nome Eskimo Community, Sealaska), regional nonprofits (Southeast Conference, Sitka Economic Development Association, Travel Juneau), and healthcare organizations (SEARHC, Bartlett Regional Hospital, Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association), with Southeast Conference serving as the primary publication partner and Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority as the dominant housing assessment client.

Name

Rain Coast Data

Legal name

Rain Coast Data

Website

https://raincoastdata.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rain Coast Data is a Juneau-based economic research and consulting firm serving Southeast Alaska governments, tribes, and nonprofits with economic analysis, survey research, and flagship annual publications like 'Southeast Alaska by the Numbers.'

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Juneau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research and Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements with government agencies, tribal organizations, municipalities, nonprofits, and businesses for economic analysis, surveys, and planning services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rain Coast Data is a research and consulting firm that delivers economic analysis, socioeconomic impact studies, survey research, and strategic economic planning services to government agencies, tribal organizations, municipalities, and nonprofits across Southeast Alaska. The firm produces data-rich publications headlined by the annual "Southeast Alaska by the Numbers" report and designs custom surveys such as the Southeast Alaska Business Climate Survey. It also develops tribal housing needs assessments, transportation benefit-cost studies, comprehensive economic development strategies, tourism impact analyses, and healthcare workforce reports to support funding applications and policy decisions.

Product overview

Rain Coast Data is a research and consulting firm specializing in economic analysis, socioeconomic impact studies, survey research, and strategic economic planning for Southeast Alaska. Founded in 2014, the company offers a portfolio of services including economic publications (most notably the annual Southeast Alaska by the Numbers publication), survey research services, housing needs assessments, transportation economic analysis, comprehensive planning, tourism assessment studies, and healthcare workforce analysis. The company does not offer a unified software platform but rather provides consultative services and published reports to clients including communities, tribes, and organizations across Southeast Alaska.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Southeast Alaska by the Numbers Annual comprehensive economic and socioeconomic report providing regional data on demographics, employment, earnings, and industry trends across Southeast Alaska sectors including maritime, visitor, seafood, mining, timber, and healthcare; widely cited resource used by policymakers, business leaders, tribes, and media.
• Economic Publications Data-rich economic publications including Southeast Alaska by the Numbers, economic conditions reports, and sector-specific analyses used by policymakers, business leaders, tribes, and media across Southeast Alaska.
• Survey Research Services Custom-designed surveys delivering critical feedback and analysis on business conditions, community needs, shareholder sentiment, and economic trends; includes the Southeast Alaska Business Climate Survey and sector-specific assessments that support strategic planning.
• Housing Needs Assessments Tribal housing needs assessments developed for the Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority, Nome Eskimo Community, and other tribal communities across Alaska to help secure funding and guide development strategies.
• Transportation Economic Analysis Benefit-cost studies for rural harbors, ferry projects, fuel docks, cruise ship dock electrification, drive down floats, regional transportation access reports, and economic modeling to support state and federal infrastructure funding applications; includes freight and shipyard studies.
• Comprehensive Planning Services Long-range economic and community development strategies including Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS), 5-year community plans, municipal comprehensive plans, and regional growth frameworks rooted in quantitative analysis and community engagement.
• Tourism Assessment Studies Tourism assessment studies including visitor economy analysis for the City of Valdez and City and Borough of Wrangell, cruise ship passenger forecasting for Southeast Alaska ports, and post-COVID recovery planning for regional communities.
• Healthcare Workforce Analysis Regional healthcare workforce reports, wage and labor trend analyses, and staffing needs assessments for rural health providers including SEARHC and Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association.

Quantifiable outcome

• Southeast Alaska by the Numbers is widely cited by policymakers, business leaders, and media including the New York Times
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Alaska SoutheastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with University of Alaska Southeast on Southeast Alaska Health Care Workforce Analysis project, combining academic research capabilities with Rain Coast Data's regional economic expertise.
• SEARHC (Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on healthcare workforce analysis, providing economic data and analysis for regional healthcare workforce planning.
• Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on statewide healthcare workforce analysis including wage and labor trend analyses.
• Tlingit Haida Regional Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership conducting nearly 30 tribal housing needs assessments across the region.
• Southeast ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary regional partner for annual economic publications including Southeast Alaska by the Numbers and business climate surveys.
• Corvus DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated on urban design and comprehensive planning projects including waterfront master plans.
• Agnew Beck ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubcontracted partner on various regional planning and assessment projects.
• SALTminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered on tribal community needs assessments and housing surveys.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northern Economics: Anchorage-based economic and policy consulting firm serving Alaska public and private sectors. Highly comparable in service mix (economic analysis, benefit-cost studies, sector reports, planning support) and Alaska-focused client base.
• McDowell Group: Juneau-based Alaska economic and market research firm where founder Meilani Schijvens previously worked. Closest direct peer — both serve Alaska government, tribal, and private clients with economic impact studies, survey research, and industry analyses.
• SALT (formerly Spruce Root / Haa Aaní): Alaska-based tribal community development and needs assessment consultancy. Direct peer on tribal housing needs assessments, community surveys, and tribal economic development planning — Rain Coast Data has partnered with SALT on these engagements.
• Agnew Beck Consulting: Anchorage-based planning and economic development consultancy serving Alaska communities, tribes, and regional organizations. Active subcontracting partner of Rain Coast Data on regional planning projects and directly comparable in tribal/community engagement scope.
• Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Alaska Anchorage: Academic research institute producing Alaska economic research, demographic studies, and policy analysis. Overlaps with Rain Coast Data on statewide economic and workforce research, though delivered via university rather than private practice.

Broad incumbents

• Fourth Economy Consulting: National community and economic development consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, CEDS, and economic analyses for regions and municipalities. Comparable service mix but operates at a larger scale across many U.S. regions.
• TIP Strategies: National economic development and strategic planning consultancy producing economic analyses, target industry studies, and CEDS for regions across the U.S. Comparable methodology and deliverable types, but broader geographic scope and larger team.

Regional players

• Corvus Design: Juneau-based urban design and planning firm that has partnered with Rain Coast Data on waterfront master plans and comprehensive plans. Comparable on planning scope but distinct discipline (urban design vs. economic analysis).
• Juneau Economic Development Council (JEDC): Juneau-based nonprofit economic development organization where founder Meilani Schijvens previously worked. Comparably focused on Southeast Alaska economic development, though operates as a nonprofit rather than fee-for-service consultancy.

Others

• Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED): State agency producing Alaska economic data, community profiles, and planning grants. Serves overlapping information needs but as a public agency rather than a private consultancy — a complementary rather than directly competing entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southeastalaskaraincoastdata
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rain-coast-data

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rain Coast Data