January 7, 2021
Maine Center for Entrepreneurs and Partners Announce the 2021 Top Gun Class
(Portland, ME) The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE) along with its partners, the University of Maine, the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College, announced today the 32 businesses selected for the Top Gun 2021 Class. Beginning in 2009, Top Gun has helped over 200 Maine entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies.
Entrepreneurs selected for each region completed an application process that included submitting a pitch deck, pitching their business, and one-on-one interviews with program staff. Before the program begins in early February, each business will be matched with a mentor. Top Gun consists of “hands-on” training and group learning exercises taught by subject matter experts in finance, business law, marketing, and other critical aspects of business development.
MCE is pleased to announce this year’s Top Gun participants:
Bangor
108dlt, Inc. – Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay I
DenVantage Small Business – Dan Steinke
Farmington Underground LLC – Joseph Musumeci
Intra – Emerald Forcier
Iris Data Solutions, LLC – Joy-El Talbot
Medallion Bioplastics LLC – Nicholas Jensen
The Co-Parent Co-Op – Emma Richardson
The Scone Goddess, LLC – Veronica Stubbs
Lewiston/Auburn
111 Maine – Jennifer Banis
Community Staffing Partners – Mohamed Awil, Azenaide Pedro, Abel Dias
DimeRise – Jennie Hatch
Slicpix – Joan Drappeau
Summer Feet Cycling – Norman Patry
Sweet Cakes Bake Shop – Tara Kieger
The Maine Jerky Company – Maria D’Auria
Portland
Brave Foods – Cooper FitzGerald
DuraBike, LLC – Brenden Westin
Freeward – Ginny Marvin
Halo Med, LLC – Jason Hine
Maine Foodie Tours – Pamela Laskey
Mallard Enterprises – Daniel Peabody Harrington
North Hopes, LLC – Stephanie Noyes
Right Here Wellness – Jonathan Scott
Solid Pitch – Dragos Stancu
Tidal Bore – Josh Fox
Waterville
HusseyMedical, LLC – Bob Hussey
SledTRX – Jake Warn
SubLocal – Reilly Kons
The Acadian – Chris Cavallari
The Cubby – Josh Kim
The Good Crust – Heather Kerner
Wela – Michele DiGirolamo
Top Gun is supported by corporate and non-profit sponsors, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, local businesses, partner economic development organizations, and dozens of volunteer advisors and mentors around the state. Additionally, the Maine Technology Institute has provided a $25,000 cash prize to be awarded at a final statewide Showcase pitch-off to be held in May 2021.
About Top Gun and MCE:
Top Gun is an annual program for competitively selected entrepreneurs that combines mentoring with high-impact weekly learning sessions held in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn, and Waterville. Beginning with just a dozen entrepreneurs in Portland in 2009, Top Gun has helped 200+ entrepreneurs across the state accelerate their businesses.
MCE was established in 1997 to build and lead a community of growth-oriented businesses in Maine by providing the training, connections, coaching and mentors. Over its 20-year history, the organization has accelerated the growth of hundreds of businesses and established a mentor network of over 200 members. In 2020 alone, MCE served 34 Top Gun startup companies, and 23 later-stage food industry companies that participated in our Cultivator and MarketShare programs.