Startup Maine plans first full-time hire to power growth

Katie Shorey greets crowd at Startup Maine Week

Photo / Renee Cordes Katie Shorey, president of Startup Maine, addresses this year's annual gathering in May. She said the group will use $325,000 in funding from MTI to hire its first full-time staff member and scale up initiatives in Maine and out of state.

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By Renee Cordes

With $325,000 in fresh funding from the Maine Technology Institute, Startup Maine is gearing up to hire its first full-time staff member and scale up its flagship annual conference and other initiatives.

“It will be the charge of the executive director to drive the strategy and activities of the organization,” Katie Shorey, president of Startup Maine, told Mainebiz.

The funding award was one of four announced by MTI this week through a program designed to bolster Maine’s capacity for innovation, entrepreneurship and high-quality job creation.

The four grants combined total $1.65 million. Other recipients include Northeastern University's Roux Institute, the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay and the Waterville-based Central Maine Growth Council.

Startup Maine, a volunteer-run nonprofit Shorey helped create in 2018, evolved out of Maine Startup and Create Week. Close to 800 people attended this year’s Maine Startup Week in May.

'Elevate Maine's profile'

As a condition of the MTI grant, Startup Maine has pledged to raise $450,000 in matching funds.

"This investment enables us to build our team, advance our strategic goals and elevate Maine's profile as a growing center for innovation," Shorey said

"The impact of this support means we can better connect founders to investors and resources, focus on PR and storytelling and level up our existing initiatives," she added.

With next year's Startup Maine Week, Shorey said the goal is to get some bigger-name keynote speakers, line up tracks for investors and others, book guest speakers with specialized expertise. The group is also aiming for a bigger turnout than last year, when close to 800 people attended.

"We are excited for our organization's next chapter," said Shorey. She is also director of engagement at Live + Work in Maine and was honored by Mainebiz this year as an Outstanding Woman in Business.