Thomas College conference will focus on 'the art of the startup'
Courtesy / Thomas College
Martha Bentley, of the Maine Office of Business Development, spoke at last year's Converge and Create Conference at Thomas College. This year's event is virtual.
The state's budding entrepreneurs and innovators will hear about paths to success from those who found it, at the fourth annual Central Maine Converge and Create Weekend, hosted by Thomas College on Nov. 13-14.
The theme of this year's conference, held via Zoom, is "The Art of the Startup," and features a lineup of entrepreneurs who will talk about how they went from the idea stage to become successful businesses. The conference will also feature the preliminary round of the "Greenlight Maine Collegiate Challenge" pitch contest.
The two-day event is for "individuals who are interested in entrepreneurship and hearing the stories of how ordinary people took ordinary ideas and turned them into extraordinary businesses," conference organizers said in a news release.
The conference is hosted by the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College, as well as Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, Central Maine Growth Council, Waterville Creates!, Waterville Public Library and Bricks Coworking & Innovation Space of Waterville.
One of the Alfond Institute's foundational pillars is to create an entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem, said Mike Dugay, executive director of the institute. “The Converge and Create event is essential in this effort, in that it provides an opportunity for existing entrepreneurs to be able to exchange ideas with other entrepreneurs," he said.
The conference also allows an opportunity for those individuals who want to get involved in entrepreneurship, including Thomas College students, a platform from which to network with people who are already on the entrepreneurial journey, Duguay said. "As a result, the ecosystem is strengthened by this comradery and creation of capacity in the subject matter.”
From 12:45 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, attendees will hear stories from Maine entrepreneurs "who are creating some of the state's fastest-growing young companies," according to the release, and have the opportunity to interact online with them.
Friday’s lineup includes Amber Lambke, CEO and founder of Maine Grains Inc.; Amy Rowbottom, founder of Crooked Face Creamery; Heather Lux, CEO of True North Beauty Inc.; Owen McCarthy, president and CEO of Medrhythms Inc.; Chris Wolfel, cofounder and CEO of Helpful; Nick Rimsa, cofounder of Eariously; Nate Wildes, cofounder of Flight Deck Brewing Co.; Ethan Sclar, Amazon FBA expert; Garvan Donegan, director of Central Maine Growth Council; and Marty Grohman, executive director of E2 Tech.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, college entrepreneurs can pitch in the preliminary round of the "Greenlight Maine Collegiate Challenge" pitch contest television show. A panel of judges will determine who goes to the next round of the competition.
Registration is open to the public, at www.thomas.edu/create, and there is no cost to attend.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments