Maine Center for Entrepreneurs

05/22/2026

Food Accelerator client spotted in the wild!

Yesterday, MCE’s Janine Bisaillon-Cary stopped by the Costco Roadshow in Scarborough this week to support Co. CEO Lewis Goldstein alongside MCE Mentor Brian Guthrie as they connected with shoppers and shared their Maine-made products.

These roadshows are a huge opportunity for emerging food brands, offering real-time customer feedback, retail exposure, and nonstop sampling action. It’s exciting to see Maine companies continuing to grow their reach and build momentum in major retail spaces like 🙌

If you’re headed to Costco Scarborough this week, stop by and support them through 5/24! 🛒

05/20/2026

What a day👏

The 2026 Maine Entrepreneurs Summit brought together founders, funders, mentors, partners, and innovators from across the state for an afternoon full of celebrating Maine entrepreneurship.

From packed workshops and meaningful networking conversations to the energy of the Top Gun Statewide Pitch-Off, this event was a reminder of just how strong and supportive Maine’s startup ecosystem truly is.

A huge thank you to our speakers, sponsors, volunteers, and every attendee who helped make this year’s Summit such a success. And of course, congratulations to all of the incredible entrepreneurs who took the stage and shared their vision for Maine’s future!

05/19/2026

05/19/2026

We love seeing our entrepreneur community building businesses around real-life experiences and unmet needs!

Congrats to MenoPantry founders Kate Howe and Caitlin Hosmer, MS, RDN, LD on this feature in the Portland Press Herald highlighting their mission to support women navigating perimenopause and menopause through nutrition-based products.

MenoPantry is part of the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs Cultivator program, and it’s been exciting to watch their growth as they bring innovation, transparency, and purpose to an often-overlooked space in wellness.

Read the article here 👇

The founders of MenoPantry hope their smoothie mix will help them break into an $18 billion menopause marketplace.

05/14/2026

Our Food Accelerator team is thrilled to welcome Shovel and Spoon to MarketShare, MCE’s program supporting Maine food and beverage brands as they grow and scale, funded by 🥙

Shovel and Spoon was founded by Tomer Kilchevsky and Courtney Perry, and started as a small farm-to-table catering venture on their organic farm in Limington and has grown into a fresh, refrigerated food brand bringing Middle Eastern flavors and Maine ingredients together in a really beautiful way.

And trust us when we say their hummus deserves the hype!

Smooth, creamy, made in small batches with clean ingredients and no preservatives, this is the kind of product you try once and immediately start telling people about with its “accidentally finish the container in one sitting” quality.

From hummus and tahini to labneh and pita, everything they make is rooted in quality ingredients, and real flavor without shortcuts.

We’re especially excited to support their continued retail growth and help expand the reach of their products across Maine and beyond.

Welcome to MarketShare, Shovel and Spoon. We’re glad you’re here! 💛

05/12/2026

🚨 BIG NEWS FROM THE MAINE ENTREPRENEURS SUMMIT 🚨

Congratulations to winner of the 2026 Top Gun Showcase and recipient of the $25,000 grand prize sponsored by 🏆

After an incredible day of pitches from some of Maine’s most innovative startups, S**o Bay Sea Farms rose to the top with a standout presentation and bold vision for the future.

A huge congratulations as well to all of this year’s finalists for taking the stage and showcasing the strength of Maine entrepreneurship. 👏

**oBaySeaFarms

05/06/2026

Last night’s Top Gun Portland Pitch Off brought such positive energy with a room full of people showing up for Maine entrepreneurs 🙌

A huge thank you to our community who joined us, and to our incredible judges for their time and thoughtful feedback. Thank you to for generously extending their space to us. And of course, thank you to all of the Top Gun founders who stepped up to pitch! It takes courage to get up there, and you made it an inspiring night.

Congratulations to our Portland winners:

✨
✨
✨ Klimm

These three are headed to the Maine Entrepreneurs Summit on Tuesday, May 12, where they’ll compete against the Presque Isle finalists (being selected tomorrow, May 7!).

We can’t wait to see what happens next. Stay tuned 👀

Interested in joining us at the Summit next week, but still haven’t secured those tickets? Link in bio!

05/05/2026

is joining MarketShare, MCE’s program supporting Maine food and beverage brands as they grow and scale! 🎉

Founded in 2014 by a group of longtime friends, Orono Brewing started in the basement of a historic building with one person running 100% of production. Fast forward a few years (and a lot of hard work), and they’ve grown into one of Maine’s larger breweries, without losing their authentic voice.

If you’ve seen their social, you know…their team, their spaces, and their beverages all suggest a good time you want to be part of. From Tubular NEIPA to Wicked Maine Blueberry Ale, their lineup has become a staple across the state.

And if you caught this weekends paper, you may have seen their Maine Life Pale Ale getting some love with a can design inspired by the iconic Maine Atlas and Gazetteer. Doesn’t get much more Maine than that!

You can visit them in Orono or Bangor, or spot them on shelves and taps throughout Maine.

Welcome to MarketShare, Orono Brewing. We’re glad you’re here 🍺

04/30/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out last night!

Our Maine Algal Innovations: Beyond Food event brought together a full room to explore the growing momentum behind Maine’s algal sector, from biotech and life sciences to sustainable product innovation.

Huge thanks to our partners at and and to for hosting.

There were great conversations and a community that continues to push what’s possible!

04/29/2026

Our food accelerator team Naomi and Janine, are soaking it all in at the Maine Tourism Conference, where Maine’s hospitality and tourism community are showing up strong!

This industry plays a huge role in supporting so many of our food entrepreneurs, from sourcing local products to showcasing Maine-made goods in unforgettable ways.

Thank you to the Association and Maine Office of Tourism for co-producing such a great show!