The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs has selected 32 companies to participate in its 2021 Top Gun startup-training program.
Top Gun, which launched in 2009 as a single class of a dozen entrepreneurs in Portland, will convene cohorts this year in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn, and Waterville.
To date, more than 200 entrepreneurs have gone through the Top Gun program, which consists of hands-on training taught by subject matter experts in finance, business law, marketing, and other critical aspects of business development.
Last year’s cohorts were forced online in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the organization was able to complete the program.
“Laurie Johson, Program Manager, and our regional coordinators did a terrific job pivoting quickly to an online format back in March 2020,” Tom Rainey, MCE’s executive director, told Maine Startups Insider. “They adapted and learned how to keep our cohort members engaged by bringing in great guest speakers, using breakout rooms to maintain the intimacy of smaller group meetings, as well as keeping the mentor relationships going strong.”
The 2021 cohort of 32 companies is smaller than usual. Last year, 44 companies were involved, while the year before 47 companies participated.
One of the reasons is that MCE last year offered two industry-specific cohorts in the areas of aquaculture and craft beverages that met in Brunswick before being forced to move online, but is not doing so in 2021, according to Rainey.
“Primarily it’s because we don’t believe there are a sufficient number of startup aquaculture and craft beverage companies to form cohorts in these dedicated programs each and every year,” Rainey said. “Our hope is that we can offer industry-themed Top Gun programs again in the future, but it will depend on documented demand. As always, startups in these industries are welcome to apply to our regular industry agnostic Top Gun cohorts in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston-Auburn and Waterville.”
MCE’s partners in Top Gun are the University of Maine, the Maine Technology Institute, the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College in Waterville.
Here are the members of Top Gun’s 2021 cohort:
Bangor
108dlt, Inc. – Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay
Iris Data Solutions, LLC – Joy-El Talbot
DenVantage Small Business – Dan Steinke
Medallion Bioplastics LLC – Nicholas Jensen
Farmington Underground LLC – Joseph Musumeci
The Co-Parent Co-Op – Emma Richardson
Intra – Emerald Forcier
The Scone Goddess, LLC – Veronica Stubbs
Lewiston/Auburn
111 Maine – Jennifer Banis
Slicpix – Joan Drappeau
Community Staffing Partners – Mohamed Awil, Azenaide Pedro, Abel Dias
Summer Feet Cycling – Norman Patry
Sweet Cakes Bake Shop – Tara Kieger
DimeRise – Jennie Hatch
The Maine Jerky Company – Maria D’Auria
Portland
Brave Foods – Cooper FitzGerald
Mallard Enterprises – Daniel Peabody Harrington
DuraBike, LLC – Brenden Westin
North Hopes, LLC – Stephanie Noyes
Freeward – Ginny Marvin
Right Here Wellness – Jonathan Scott
Halo Med, LLC – Jason Hine
Solid Pitch – Dragos Santos
Maine Foodie Tours – Pamela Laskey
Tidal Bore – Josh Fox
Waterville
HusseyMedical LLC – Bob Hussey
The Cubby – Josh Kim
SledTRX – Jake Warn
The Good Crust – Heather Kerner
SubLocal – Reilly Kons
Wela – Michele DiGirolamo
The Acadian – Chris Cavallari
Top Gun concludes each year with a final showcase and pitch event. The Maine Technology Institute is providing a $25,000 cash prize to be awarded to the top startup at this year’s final event, which will be held in May 2021.
Last year, an education technology app won the showcase event.
