On the Record: Keeping services ‘affordable, competitive and relevant’ for Maine entrepreneurs

Photo / Jim Neuger Tom Rainey, executive director of the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, leads the statewide business incubator from a waterfront office in Portland.

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By Renee Cordes

As executive director of the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs for close to a decade, Tom Rainey has a front-row seat to the state’s startup scene. He runs the business incubator from a waterfront office inside the New England Ocean Cluster Hús.

Mainebiz: What brought you to Maine in 2016?

Tom Rainey: As an Air Force ‘brat’ who moved around a lot as a kid, I have a strong wanderlust and need to experience new places. When I was 17, I took a train from my hometown of St. Louis to Vermont to hike through the Green Mountains. That’s when I really fell for New England. Later in my career, I had the opportunity to develop the first technology business incubator programs in Vermont and New Hampshire. When the position at MCE opened up nine years ago, I jumped on the opportunity to move to Maine.

MB: What sets MCE apart from other business incubators in the state?

TR: MCE distinguishes itself through a statewide approach and specialized programs tailored to key Maine industries serving companies at various stages of development. Our 15-week Top Gun Program for entrepreneurs is one of our best-known programs but we don’t just work with startups. Our Cultivator and MarketShare programs are designed to help more mature Maine food, beverage and aquaculture businesses expand and scale to the next level so they can establish a market presence nationally. Another major asset is our Maine Mentor Network of over 300 volunteer business coaches whom we match with client companies.

MB: What’s a typical day — or week — like for you?

TR: As the executive director, my job is to serve our small but mighty team; to build and maintain our strategic partnerships; and ensure that our services remain affordable, competitive and relevant. There is also a lot of fundraising and reporting involved. MCE’s program managers and mentors get to work more directly with our client businesses as I’m often either working behind the scenes or serving as our goodwill ambassador in the community. I also work closely with our board of directors planning new initiatives.

MB: How does Maine measure up as a place to start — and scale — a business?

TR: In the plus column, we have a very broad and collaborative support ecosystem in Maine. It’s a tight-knit community and our network is very quick to offer support. Unlike some of the larger cities I’ve worked in, our businesses have a lot more visibility and access to decision-makers. There are many physical places to start your business such as maker spaces, co-working spaces, business incubators, and more recently shared commercial kitchens and laboratory spaces. Maine’s high quality of life makes it easier to recruit and retain creatives as you scale, and there are sources of early-stage seed funding if you have a solid business plan and know how to pitch your business. The challenges include our small local market size, hence our focus on helping businesses sell outside of Main and with access to skilled labor, logistical issues and costs associated with our largely rural location.

MB: What’s next on the program horizon?

TR: Our next big event is the Maine Entrepreneurs Summit on May 16 featuring workshops and keynote presentations, followed by our Top Gun pitch competition. This always draws a huge crowd and is a great networking event. This year we will have six international digital startups in attendance from Western Balkan countries in support of the Maine National Guard’s NATO mission in Montenegro. We are starting to recruit for our next cohort of Visionary Leadership Program members in collaboration with the University of Maine. New initiatives include collaborations with the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science and its new Algal Innovation Center; the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center and the Island Institute, on initiatives to diversify and grow Maine’s coastal economy. Finally, thanks to support from FocusMaine, we are launching a new pilot program called SmartLaunch CPG [Consumer Packaged Goods] to assist food and beverage businesses exploring the viability of launching new products into national markets.