Maine Center for Entrepreneurs

Mainebiz highlights the incredible impact of our partners at FocusMaine 👇 This is a true testament to the power of collaboration and partnerships in driving measurable results for Maine’s food and beverage industry! Together, we’re helping to grow the local economy, create jobs, and support our entrepreneurs and we’re so proud to have had the opportunity to contribute to this feature 💪 #MaineEconomy #Entrepreneurship #FoodAndBeverage #Collaboration

Top Gun 2025 Applications are Now OPEN! 💫 Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Top Gun is accepting applications for the 2025 program, and we’re looking for driven entrepreneurs like YOU! This year, we're offering cohorts in: 📍 Bangor  📍 Portland  📍 Presque Isle/Machias 📍 Waterville Don’t miss your chance to join a supportive, innovative community of Maine entrepreneurs and take advantage of top-tier mentorship, workshops, and resources to grow your business. A big thanks to our regional partners: Upstart Center for Entrepreneurship, Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College, and Northern Maine Development Commission for helping make this possible!  Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gZdxAeGA #TopGun #MaineEntrepreneurs #BusinessGrowth #MaineInnovation

The MCE team had way too much fun yesterday hosting the Golden Fork Judging Competition at the Southern Maine Community College Culinary Department! A massive thank-you to SMCC for being the best hosts, led by Maureen Lasalle, department chair, and to our superstar judges who had the tough job of narrowing down the finalists for Best in Retail, Best in Food Service, and Best New Product! Let’s give a round of applause to our fabulous judges: Francis Boero, Gavenum Group & MCE Food Mentor Holly Aker, Local Goods Gathered Jake Daniele, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Erin Lynch, Rosemont Market & Bakery Breena Hensley, Seafood Expo Events Chef Tony Poulin & Chef Bo Byrne, SMCC Kathleen Pierce, HospitalityMaine Laurie Johnson, MCE Christine Rudalevige, Food Writer David Turin, David's Restaurants Cal Hancock, MCE Board Member Nicholas Orgo, NACE Maine Samantha Elliott, Mainebiz And an extra special thank-you to all the amazing Maine food producers who wowed us with their delicious entries—picking finalists was no joke! Last but definitely not least, a HUGE shout-out to Molly Campbell, SMCC Hospitality and Tourism Management student, who kept everything running smoothly from prep to plating to cleanup. Molly, you’re a rockstar! Mark your calendars—the winners will be revealed at the Maine Food Producers Showcase on October 24th at Brick South Thompson's Point. Stay tuned, folks! #GoldenForkAwards #SMCC #MaineFood #LocalFlavors #EntrepreneurLife

💡 Yesterday marked the start of the 2nd cohort of our FoodTech program, and it was such an inspiring kickoff! We welcomed our newest cohort of innovators who are cooking up the future of food tech. From cutting-edge food production to sustainable packaging, these entrepreneurs are ready to take the industry by storm 🌱 Thank you to BerryDunn — Assurance, Tax and Consulting and Mast Landing Brewing Company for hosting our group! Swipe through for a sneak peek of our hands-on learning and great discussions 📸 #FoodTech #MaineInnovation #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfFood #MaineCenterForEntrepreneurs

Meet the 2024 FoodTech Maine cohort and their founders! 👏 1. Nor'Easter Oyster Co. (Brunswick) – Co-Founders: Jacqueline Clark & Sean Corcoran 💡 Sustainable shellfish and value-added seafood products using innovative storage and processing technologies. 2. Green Geans LLC (Westbrook) – Founder: Gina Mannarino 💡 Custom freeze-drying services revolutionizing Maine’s food systems by preserving nutrients while reducing waste. 3. Pen and Cob Farm (Pembroke) – Co-Founders: Katherine Swann & Ato Swann 💡 Creators of the first U.S. Spruce Syrup and foragers of unique Downeast Maine flavors. 4. Ragged Coast Chocolates (Westbrook) – Co-Founders: Kate Shaffer & Steve Shaffer 💡 Artisanal chocolates using local ingredients with eco-friendly, compostable packaging. 5. THOLA (Portland) – Founder: Nneile Nkholise 💡 AI-powered platform ensuring climate sustainability for businesses using advanced geo-spatial monitoring. 6. Watermelon Pie (Belfast) – Co-Founders: Kachina Miller & Vanessa Greco 💡 A social recipe-sharing platform that connects home cooks and the local food community through shared food experiences. 7. mainelove (Yarmouth) – Co-Founder & CEO: Jen Millard 💡 Pure water sourced from Maine, packaged sustainably in aluminum cans. We’re so excited to kick off work with this amazing group tomorrow 🙌 #FoodTechMaine #Innovation #Sustainability #LocalFood #MaineEntrepreneurs

Two years after the inaugural Maine Food Producer Showcase & Golden Fork Awards, organizers are cooking up an encore for late October in Portland. https://ow.ly/uJgA50Tp87n

Delicious bites always pair well with great connections. MCE Mentor Kim Koehler and MCE team member Janine Bisaillon-Cary met up with John Schulz, co-founder of Healing Home Foods in Oxford, ME yesterday and we’re already dreaming of tasting their granola, crackers, and biscotti at this year’s B2B Maine Food Producer Showcase on October 24th at Thompson’s Point in Portland 🤤 Visit our events tab on mced.biz for more info! 📸: 👈 John & Kim 👉 #B2BShowcase #MaineEats #LocalGoodness #HealingHomeFoods #MCEMentors

🚛📦 MCE team members Emily Lane and Janine Bisaillon-Cary hit the road and toured Volk Packaging Corporation and their 100k sq ft highly automated facility 🤖 So many exciting options for Maine Food Producers looking to elevate their packaging game. Huge thanks to the Volk team for the fantastic tour and insights. #MaineEntrepreneurs #PackagingInnovation #MaineFoodProducers #VolkPackaging #Automation

Are you a retail/grocery buyer, category manager, or foodservice distributor in the food and beverage industry? Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind B2B trade show and awards ceremony, celebrating Maine's iconic and emerging food producers! Meet: Maine's renowned food producers Taste: Innovative, exciting products Discover: New opportunities to grow your business Join us for the Maine Food Producer Showcase and Golden Fork Awards on October 24th and unlock new sourcing and selling possibilities! For more information and to register visit: https://lnkd.in/gHJhHCJU Please note that this is an industry-only B2B event. 📽 O'Maine Studios

🚀 Calling all entrepreneurs and innovators! 🚀 The 3rd Annual Maine Startup Challenge is back, and it's bigger and better than ever! Whether you're in K-8, high school, college, or already out in the world hustling, this is your chance to shine 🌟 and turn those big ideas into reality. Hosted by our friends at Maine Venture Fund, this competition is all about encouraging entrepreneurial thinking at every age. The top two ideas in each category will walk away with cash prizes 🏆💰 Ready to take the leap? Applications open October 7th and the deadline to apply is October 25th. ✨ Learn more and grab your lesson plans & templates here: https://lnkd.in/gDNMXPWh #MaineStartUpChallenge #Entrepreneurs #MaineInnovation #BusinessPlans #StartupSuccess