Maine Center for Entrepreneurs

Maine’s food & beverage scene just got a major boost! We’re thrilled to launch SmartLaunch for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) — a brand-new pilot program from MCE in partnership with FocusMaine. If you’re developing retail-ready food or beverage products, this 12-week journey gives you access to syndicated data (Nielsen + SPINS), expert mentorship, and a strategy to launch smarter, not riskier. New product? New advantage. Learn more and apply for our first cohort by May 5! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gkW8X29w #SmartLaunchCPG #RetailReady #FoodInnovation #MaineEntrepreneurs

Top Gun 2025 Highlight | Women Leading in Personal Betterment Meet three incredible women entrepreneurs who are helping others grow, heal, and thrive—professionally and personally. Through therapy, coaching, and emotional wellness programs, they’re changing lives across Maine and beyond: 💼 Holly Smevog, ACC of HMS Career Coaching – Empowering professionals at all stages to discover fulfilling careers aligned with their strengths and values. 💫 Karen Lane, LCSW of Life Ideals – A therapist and health coach guiding people through the noise of daily stress to build realistic, restorative paths to well-being. 🔥 Hannah Curtis, LCSW of New Approaches – Helping compassionate professionals beat burnout, set boundaries, and amplify their positive impact through programs like the Beat Burnout Workshop. These founders are proof that building better lives starts with bold leadership and deep compassion. 💛 #TopGun #MaineEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness #CoachingForGrowth #EmotionalWellbeing #BeatBurnout #MentalHealthMatters #PersonalBetterment #WorkWellLiveWell

🛠️ WORKSHOP SPOTLIGHT: Maine Entrepreneurs Summit 2025 🛠️ If you’re looking for a proven, practical framework to scale your business with clarity and confidence, Workshop I is for you! Leveraging EOS: A Framework for Growth and Success, Led by Megan Piper, MBA of EOS Worldwide, this session will dive into how the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) helps leaders build strong teams, gain traction, and drive sustainable growth. Whether you're just starting out with EOS or looking to refine how your team uses it, you'll walk away with actionable insights to strengthen your operations. You’ll also hear real-world examples from Maine business leaders who are putting EOS to work every day: 🔹 Linda Varrell, APR Broadreach 🔹 Irene Ketelaar - Moon, Bristol Seafood Their candid case discussions will shed light on what EOS looks like in action—what works, what’s hard, and how it can truly transform a company’s trajectory. 📍 May 16 at USM Abromson Center! 🎟️ https://lnkd.in/g-Tkm3-t #MaineEntrepreneurs #EntrepreneurialOperatingSystem #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipTools #StartUp

✨ KEYNOTE SPOTLIGHT: Maine Entrepreneurs Summit 2025 ✨ We’re gearing up for an incredible day of insights, ideas, and inspiration at the Maine Entrepreneurs Summit on May 16—produced by the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs—and we’re especially thrilled to welcome Dr. Stephanie Woerner of the MIT Sloan School of Management as our keynote speaker! Her talk, Building a Future Ready Business, is a must-attend session for anyone navigating the fast-changing business landscape. As Director of MIT CISR and co-author of Future Ready: The Four Pathways to Capturing Digital Value and What’s Your Digital Business Model?, Stephanie is a leading voice in helping companies harness technology and data to unlock growth. Her research has been featured in Forbes, CNBC, MIT Sloan Management Review, and she’s advised everyone from Fortune 500 boards to the Federal Reserve. We can’t wait to hear her perspective on what it means to be “future ready”—and how entrepreneurs and business leaders across Maine can apply those insights to their own ventures. This keynote will be one of many thought-provoking moments throughout the day - don't miss out!🎟️ https://lnkd.in/g-Tkm3-t #MaineEntrepreneursSummit #DigitalLeadership #MaineEntrepreneurs #FutureReady #TopGun

Congratulations to the 2025 Tastemakers Awardees announced by CEI (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.)! Amazing to see so many great companies recognized, many of whom we have had the pleasure of working with 👏🎉 Aurora Mills & Farm Cape Seafood LLC Fishermen's Net Glidden Point Oyster Farms Jordan's Farm Maine Garum Company Ocean's Balance Pembertons Gourmet Foods Singing Pastures THIRTY ACRE FARM We can't wait to see what happens next for these Maine entrepreneurs! https://lnkd.in/gw_CXKeR #maineentrepreneur #mainestartup #mainefoodproducer

Huge shoutout to our incredible Top Gun Educators for a fantastic Data Session this past Saturday📊 Francis Boero Ph.D., CFS, Ph.D.—a powerhouse in science and entrepreneurship—shared insights from his 35+ years of experience shaping business strategies in the wellness and food industries. From his work at Gavenum to pioneering safe cannabis edibles with Anthea LLC, Francis is a true force in Maine’s entrepreneurial ecosystem! Mike Cote, Specialty Food Brand Strategist—a food industry veteran with 40 years of experience—gave our cohort a masterclass in brand building, retail, and food manufacturing. From Pepperidge Farm and Odwalla/Fresh Samantha to Bar Harbor Foods, Mike knows what it takes to create and grow successful food brands! And of course, a special thank you (again! 😉) to our very own Mentor Manager, Terry Johnson! Terry always brings invaluable expertise to MCE, helping growing companies refine their processes and scale for success. We appreciate you, Terry! Thanks again to all our speakers for sharing your knowledge and experience with the Top Gun 2025 cohort🔥 #MaineEntrepreneurs #TopGun #Mentorship #StartupSuccess

We're honored to have officially joined the newly launched Maine Farmed Seafood Coalition! This coalition is on a mission to tell the true story of farmed seafood and aquaculture in Maine, pushing back against misinformation that threatens our fishing communities and working waterfronts. By supporting sustainable aquaculture, we're ensuring Maine’s future as a leader in local, sustainable, and delicious seafood production—one that benefits our people, environment, and economy. Did you know? The U.S. imports 85% of the seafood we consume, and nearly half of that is farmed. But local food is better—for jobs, for the environment, and for the table! We’re proud to stand alongside the coalition’s founding partners: Maine Aquaculture Association FocusMaine CEI (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.) Island Institute World Wildlife Fund Join us in supporting Maine’s aquaculture and working waterfronts! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g426KEDj #MaineSeafood #SustainableFarming #Aquaculture #LocalFood #WorkingWaterfronts

BIG shoutout and Thanks to THIS Top Gun Educator, Terry Johnson 👏🙌 Terry has over 30 years experience in product design, technology development, customer support and enabling new product line growth at Texas Instruments, Fairchild Semiconductor, and National Semiconductor. Terry is an experienced manager, consultant, and product and technology development professional. At MCE, we are lucky to be able to work with Terry every day because he manages the Maine Mentor Network and is responsible for ensuring that the network has the skills and experience needed to support companies and entrepreneurs in all the MCE programs. THANK YOU TERRY! #mentors #topgun #maineentrepreneurs

Take a moment to read this amazing story of resiliency and passion from one of our current Top Gun cohorts, Red Kettle Kimchi 👇 Great interview of Ger with Mainebiz! https://lnkd.in/ez4ReXBY #mainebiz #mainebusiness #mainefoodproducer #startup #topgun

Nor'Easter Oyster Co., MCE's 2024 Top Gun prize winner, is making waves in the seafood industry...They’re turning raw bar rejects into high-quality shucked oysters, reducing waste and capitalizing on a smart market opportunity. Read more about their innovative approach in SeafoodSource: https://lnkd.in/g9g56FMr