by Dustyn Bailey and Bryan Roche
Here at Maine Icons, we are excited to follow the progress of the various leaders, innovators and rising stars that we spotlight in the world of Maine business. As the summer continues on, there’s lots of news to report. Let’s take a peek at what these folks have been up to…
Help Maine Icons Grow!
Congrats to Emerging Maine Icon Katie Shorey, who successfully lead her first conference as the new president of Startup Maine. The 2018 edition of the event, held June 21-23, brought together the Maine business community for a weekend of networking, workshops and growth, all geared to help and inspire Maine’s startup community.
The gavel has been passed from one Maine Icon to another, as Pat Weigel will be taking over the chairmanship of the Maine Bankers Association from Andrew Silsby. The member banks elected Weigel to be acting chair at the association’s 125th annual meeting, and she began serving in her new role on July 1. Congratulations to both Andrew and Pat!
Bissell Brothers, co-founded by Emerging Maine Icon Noah Bissell, is getting closer and closer to achieving their goal of opening a taproom in their hometown of Milo, Maine. Partnering with Spruce Mill Farm & Kitchen, the new Bissell Brothers Three Rivers taproom is an ambitious next step for the company. The test drive for the new facility is planned to be open to public on July 14th.
Emerging Maine Icon Alex Steed was recently on the 207 as he and his colleagues kick off the reboot of Food Coma TV. The web series has a focus on non-feature food areas across Maine from the streets of Biddeford to the wide open expanses of Presque Isle. The eighteen episode series will bring a third season of food and conversation as a way to entertain online foodies and Mainers alike.
Beth Shissler, Maine Icon and founder of Sea Bags, continues to grow her business with the addition of a new Rockland location. This year-round store has been welcomed to the Rockland community by the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, Rockland Main St Inc. and the elected officials of the town. Congratulations to Beth and the Sea Bags team!
Great news for Emerging Maine Icon Tyler Frank and his business, Garbage to Garden. After a successful year-long pilot program, the company has been given the green light by the city of South Portland to continue their food waste collection partnership, expanding eligibility to all residents. As compost buckets become available for the town, Julie Rosenbach, the city’s director of sustainability, tells The Forecaster that she hopes to see South Portland recycle 40% of its waste by the year 2020.
In other startup news Sean Sullivan, Emerging Maine Icon and leader of the Maine Brewers Guild, will be a panelist for the Mainebiz New Ventures/Startup Forum on August 21. Held at the DoubleTree in South Portland, the event will feature workshops designed to assist Maine’s community of entrepreneurs. Sullivan will take part in the opening discussion on the 10 best ideas for startups and entrepreneurs.