Maine Center for Entrepreneurs and Northern Maine Development Commission Announce the 2026 Top Gun Class
(Portland, ME) The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE) along with its partner, the Northern Maine Development Commission announced today the 24 businesses selected for the Top Gun 2026 Class. Beginning in 2009 with 12 companies, the 15-week Top Gun training program has proudly worked with over 370 Maine entrepreneurs across the state to help them launch and grow their startups.
“Entrepreneurs are critical to Maine’s economic future, and programs like Top Gun help turn great ideas into viable companies,” said Laurie Johnson, Top Gun Program Manager at the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs. “We’re pleased to work alongside partners like the Northern Maine Development Commission to ensure founders across the state have access to high-quality educational programming, mentorship, and business networks that accelerate growth.”
MCE and NMDC are pleased to announce this year’s group of Top Gun businesses and entrepreneurs:
Presque Isle
Aroostook Technology – Wade McFarland
Timber Candle Bar - Geraldine Nadeau
Northern Trails Marketing - Tyler Brown
RosieO – Rosie Otalora
Fiddlehead Life LLC – Elizabeth Carroll
Rolling Acres Ranch - Kamaria Brathwaite
W.E. Events and Rentals LLC – Candace Whitmore
Portland
An Artisan Distillery - Jay Lombard
A Value-Added Seafood Company – Entrepreneur Unnamed
Driftful - Kate Greene
Elevate Path - Malcolm Thompson
Flashways Logistics LLC - Clovis Ihahore
Go Natural English - Gabrielle Wallace
Goldenseal Resilience - Lisa Churchill
GYNKGO - Mackenzie Maher-Coville
Klimm - Madeline VanMan, Madalyn Zelinski
MeasureVet - Biswa Prakash, Jeremy Halperin
Perception Greenspace Design - Sofia Doe
Reuse Maine – Suz Okie & Sydney Harris
Saco Bay Sea Farms - Michael Scannell
Two Maine Mermaids - Kelsy Hartley and Caitlin Hopkins
Vinalhaven Aquaculture Company - Brad Bousquet, John Morton, Ben Beckman, Zachary Jones
WellSpace Maine - Lindy Graham, Erika Pausman
Wend & Root - Tricia Jamiol
“We are proud to celebrate these entrepreneurs as we launch our fourth cohort,” said Brandon McDonald, NMDC Program Manager. “The Top Gun program provides invaluable coaching and exposure for businesses in Aroostook and Washington counties. It shines a spotlight on the innovation happening here in our rural communities—resources that, without MCE, simply wouldn’t be geographically accessible for these founders.”
Top Gun is sponsored and supported by the Maine Technology Institute, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, Machias Savings Bank, the Northern Maine Regional Prize Sponsor, and Ignite PI, the Northern Maine Regional venue sponsor. partner economic development organizations, local businesses, corporate and non-profit sponsors and dozens of volunteer advisors and mentors around the state.
About Maine Center for Entrepreneurs:
Established in 1997, MCE’s mission is to build and lead a community of growth-oriented businesses in Maine, by providing the training, connections, coaching and mentors they need to commercialize and grow their ideas, products and services so that their companies will drive the growth of Maine’s economy. Over its 25+ year history, the organization has accelerated the growth of hundreds of businesses and established a mentor network of over 320 members. Please visit www.mced.biz.
About Northern Maine Development Commission:
Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) is a membership organization comprised of participating communities and counties in the Aroostook Washington Economic Development District. NMDC provides federal and state services at the regional and local levels. NMDC will continue its efforts to expand, diversify, and attract business and industry in the region. The Commission also will continue its outreach to northern and eastern Maine communities and its efforts to work with those communities to create the capacity needed to support development.
Please visit www.nmdc.org
