Entrepreneurs and Innovators

Vision: All entrepreneurs and innovators in Maine have the opportunity to bring their big ideas to life.

Entrepreneurism is at the heart of Maine’s economy, which is increasingly boosted by fresh ideas, startups, and innovative businesses. But turning innovative concepts into marketable products and services can be challenging in a rural state without a unified plan for attracting and supporting entrepreneurs.

Creating the conditions to help entrepreneurs and innovators thrive can help ensure that Maine people, communities, and the economy benefit from their ideas. This means strengthening the partnerships that support innovation, such as regional economic development organizations and industry incubators. Given the reality of 21^st century business, this also meant increasing and improving access to reliable, high-speed internet and other resources, especially in rural communities. Our strategy is to help regions connect with resources and create the ecosystem of supports that entrepreneurs need, while advocating for critical investment in broadband connectivity.

What MaineCF did

We knew that many entrepreneurs, especially those in rural areas and for underserved populations such as women and people of color, have limited services and connections to meet their needs. Some of our strategies helped regions start building an entrepreneurial ecosystem — a supportive network of resources that influence business success.

We worked with the National Main Street Center and the Maine Downtown Center to start the Community Entrepreneurship Program. The program provided technical assistance, planning and implementation grants, and ongoing coaching and peer support to three participating communities – Lisbon, Monson, and Skowhegan – to integrate entrepreneurship and innovation into community revitalization plans and strategies. Participants reported that it helped them build network connections beyond their traditional industry or supply-chain connection, leading to a greater understanding of where both businesses and support partners fit in the network.
The Start Up Scale Up Grant Program invested in nonprofit organizations and projects that help start new businesses or grow existing businesses, like incubator and accelerator programs and collaborative workspaces. In two years, this program awarded over $375,000 to almost two dozen organizations and programs. By supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, these organizations and projects help support Maine people, contribute to community vitality, and help grow Maine’s economy. This grant program is discontinued, but you can see grants here.
The Downeast Innovation Network was created to support entrepreneurs and the organizations serving them in Hancock and Washington Counties through peer learning and a grant program. The Downeast Innovation Fund grant program made grants to more than 30 projects and organizations. The Network is continuing, but the grant program is discontinued.

“We just put this team together specifically for this project…. Without a team and without this grant, there was no money and there was no thought. Once we were awarded the money, we were like, ‘Oh wait, now we have space. We can dream.’ And we could think, what do we want this future to look like?” – Community Entrepreneurship participant

Without internet connectivity, Maine will continue to struggle to support new businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the gaps in Maine’s broadband infrastructure but we have been working on this issue both regionally and statewide.

MaineCF launched the Community Broadband grant program to help expand access to high-speed internet service and the skills, opportunities, and knowledge to effectively use this technology. The program funded efforts to increase local knowledge in and develop working groups around the issue of high-speed internet and to create equitable access to technology. You can see funded projects here.
MaineCF provided capacity-building support for the Maine Broadband Coalition through a multi-year commitment. The coalition is leading advocacy efforts, as well as connecting partners and communities around best practices and driving public education and engagement. Find out more, and join us, at mainebroadbandcoalition.org.
We watched for opportunities to help specific regions and communities take big leaps forward in their community planning. This included grants to the Northern Forest Center, the Island Institute, Sunrise County Economic Council, and tribal governments.
MaineCF partnered with the Axiom Education and Training Center and the National Digital Equity Center to advance an ambitious, multi-year statewide digital literacy program. The program is a collaborative effort between the center, the University of Maine System, and the Maine School and Library Network to provide digital literacy staff and classes in every county in Maine. Find out more here: http://digitalequitycenter.org.

“The support of MCF for community planning is a big deal. It shows communities the importance of this process, provides more flexibility for areas that want to try different strategies and can fund projects (like digital literacy and inclusion in served areas) that state funds cannot do.” – Community Broadband grantee

More information:

MaineCF conducted research in 2018 to better understand entrepreneurial networks in rural communities in Maine. A report by Carole Martin released in fall 2018, "Cultivating Rural Entrepreneur Network Development in Maine," provides important context for our work.

MaineCF hosted its statewide summit, "Maine Grown: Building a Future on Big Ideas," in Bangor on Nov. 13, 2019, to highlight Maine’s entrepreneurial spirit and explore ways to maximize the community and economic impact of entrepreneurship and innovation in Maine. The foundation premiered Maine Grown, a video about Maine's startup ecosystem produced with the Maine Technology Institute.

Supporting Rural Entrepreneurship: MaineCF commissioned Catherine (Reilly) DeLutio, former Maine State Economist, to explore best practices and conditions for success in rural communities for entrepreneurship programs and collaborative workspaces. The research included outreach to the field in Maine to better understand the needs, challenges, and opportunities. You can read the report here.