MCED Connect

Issue: #54          

June 2015 

5 Minutes with Susan Ruhlin
Top Gun Maine, Program Manager
 
Susan started working at MCED in 2009 and manages the Top Gun programs and the PR efforts of the incubator. She has over 15 years of sales and marketing experience and has worked for a tech startup, Computerwise, and owned her own business. She is currently active in many community organizations.

As MCED prepares for its sixth Showcase Celebration of the Top Gun program, I took a few minutes to talk with Susan about how Top Gun has evolved and what's in store for the future. 

1. How has the Top Gun program changed over the last six years? 

 

The first Top Gun class was based in Portland and met at a different location for every session. Service providers stepped up in a big way and donated conference rooms and catering. I have always loved the fact, that Top Gun was initiated by the Portland area business community who saw early on that supporting entrepreneurship benefits everyone. The core tenets of the program have remained pretty much the same, we bring together high-aspiration entrepreneurs, match them world-class mentors and teach them what they really need to know to get their startup launched successfully.  

 

2. Why do you think the Top Gun Program has been so successful? 

 

Two words: collaboration and people. Top Gun would not be possible without the hard work of our partners at the University of Maine and in Rockland who help us execute the program statewide. This year for instance, the UMaine team created the Top Gun manuals while the Rockland team worked on promotion and MCED worked on mentor recruiting and overall program management. Our sponsors and other partner organizations provide financial assistance, which of course, helps on the financial side of things, but also helps expand our networks and grow the exposure of the program. 

 

Another reason for the program's success is simply that being a founder is a crazy state of being so coming together regularly with a group of people who are experiencing the same types of issues and frustrations as you are is enormously satisfying. The peer-to-peer mentoring is extremely important!  

 

3. How do you think the Top Gun Program benefits Maine? 

 

I think it puts Maine on the map for being serious about building startup communities. Since 2009, we have had over 100 entrepreneurs graduate from the program. Together Top Guns have raised 7.5 million in capital, created over 100 new jobs and collectively grew their revenue by 25 million! Graduates have gone on to win Gorham Savings Bank's LaunchPad, compete at MassChallenge, secure MTI grant funding, win Cleantech Open in addition to many other accolades. 

 

4. What opportunities will Top Gun 2016 hold for Maine businesses and entrepreneurs who would like to be involved in the program? 

 

We hope to expand the program to a fourth location in the  

Lewiston / Auburn area, so that will open more opportunities to connect mentors, entrepreneurs and sponsors. In short, the more people we have involved the better it is for everyone!

The Blackstone Accelerates Initiative made the scale up of Top Gun possible and for that we are so grateful. Blackstone got us started and now we hope to continue with new partners in every corner of the state. 

 

MCED will be accepting applications for the 2016 Top Gun class in November - stay tuned for more information!   

 

Happenings

  MCED and Top Gun Maine are happy to announce the Top Gun Finalists to Pitch at the Top Gun Showcase
Celebration!
They are:

From Bangor: RockStep Solutions, CourseStorm 

From Rockport: Pemaquid Mussel Farms, American Unagi

From Portland: Rapport,  Vetro FiberMap  

Wild Cards: Zeomatrix,  Downeast Dayboat, Parent Technology Group LLC,  LooHoo LLC
For more information read our Press Release here 

 #TGMaine2015 company, Rapport, has landed their biggest client to date and has been accepted in the
Northeast CleanTech Open!

#TGMaine2014 company, Double Blue Sports, has been featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:Article Here
. Double Blue is also releasing their new platform: CampCast. Find out about this amazing product here

 #TG2010 graduate company, Hall Internet Marketing, continues its growth - they have added 3 staff recently and see continued growth through year end with more hirings planned.

 
 #TGMaine2014 company, Apiara Hive Technologies is launching its first statewide network outside of New England. We're currently building a colony monitoring system across the state of North Carolina to track honey bee health across the state with support from MTI. 

#TGMaine2014 company, Finest Kind Mixers and Modifiers is excited to be presenting as a semi-finalist at the
 BevNET.com New Beverage Showdown next week! Way to represent Maine in NYC!

 #TGMaine2015 company, NBT Solutions, celebrated the official launch of VETRO FiberMap™, their broadband mapping SaaS Solution for fiber to the home/business/premise (FTTX) providers.  The product was introduced at the 2015 Broadband Communities Summit in Austin TX, a key event for the industry, attracting VETRO FiberMap's target audience of small and mid sized Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and municipal partners looking to build networks.

 With the assistance of their TopGun mentors, especially marketing consultant and "Virtual VP" Bob Feldman, they were well prepared to come out confident with their launch. Reception was extremely positive and they are moving forward with pilot clients from around the country to begin using the platform.  VETRO FiberMap™ is positioned to become the integrated software solution for the full life cycle of growing FTTX internet infrastructure - broadband demand capture, network planning and costing, and network engineering.  For more info visit www.vetrofibermap.com  

 

 #TGMaine2014 Top Gun graduate company, Twenty 2 Vodka, has officially launched a line of flavored vodkas last month, with more flavors to come later this year. Coffee bean, black peppercorn, and lemon & orange flavored Twenty 2 Vodka can now be found statewide. Their flavor comes from real, natural ingredients included right in the bottle, not from concentrated artificial extracts as found in most flavored vodkas available on the market. 

 Also, their traditional 80 proof Twenty 2 Vodka has been awarded another gold medal for quality by the Craft Competition, an international awards program.
FMI Visit these links!


Did you know about Startup Weekend: Women's Edition?

 Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event that brings together Maine designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and experts from all domains to do amazing things.


Startup Weekend: Women's Edition at MECA from June 12-14, 2015 is a chance to explore your talents, break rules, and experience starting a business with a team.
  • Friday night begins with an open mic for 60-second pitches that results in small teams forming around the best concepts.
     
  • Teams spend Saturday and Sunday focusing on customer development, validating ideas, and designing prototypes with the help of experienced mentors (our coaches).
     
  • Sunday afternoon, teams pitch their ideas and receive valuable feedback from a panel of judges and prizes are awarded.

All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and embark on a three-day frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekend culminates with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback!


MCED friends will receive their entry for a discounted rate of $75 if you use the code"FRIEND" at checkout!

Don't Miss It! Events
Good Stuff happening around the state

June 11, 2015
entreverge 2015
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
University of Southern Maine
Abromson Center, 96 Falmouth Street
$15 Members  |  $25 Non-Members
                              FMI here

June 18, 2015

Gorham Savings Bank LaunchPad Competition 

Witness the five LaunchPad finalists pitch their business idea to a panel of judges, who will award the winner $30,000!

Join LaunchPad from 5:30-6:00PM for food, beverages, and mingling. The competition begins at 6:00PM.

FMI or To Register here

June 19, 2015

ACE Monthly Meeting
Making the Most of LinkedIn Bring your laptops and tablets and let's work together on increasing your presence on LinkedIn.  FMI or to register here 

Monday, June 22, 2015 

MTI Tech Walk    

Join MTI at the Holiday Inn By the Bay for an engaging evening showcasing a portfolio of some of MTI's most successful technology-based companies, from long established Maine names to exciting new start-ups.

Meet Maine entrepreneurs, investors and innovators for this unique networking opportunity as over 45 companies exhibit their products and services that they have successfully brought to market. We hope to see you there!

Register Here

Maine Startup & Create Week 2015

MSCW2015 will run from June 22nd to 28th  

75+ Events Over 7 Days A Conference Worth Skipping Work For

MSCW showcases the vibrant, startup eco-system in Maine and connects the growing community of people inspired by the entrepreneurial success and potential of the city. The week will feature educational events, thoughtful speakers, passion-fueled discussion and energized networking.

Check out the schedule here 
Purchase Tickets here 

  

In This Issue
5 Minutes with Jason Harkins
Happenings
Did you know Pub Hub is now an MCED endeavor?
Don't Miss It! Events
Upcoming MCED Events
Meet the Mentor
Important Dates from MTI
Special Thanks
Upcoming MCED Events
Workshops and More!

Tonight!!

June 2, 2015 

PubHub #41: Featuring Corky

Ellis and Brett Austin of Kepware Technologies 

 

Join us tonight at O'Maine

Studios for this fun FREE networking event!  

FMI or to register here  

 

*****

June 23, 2015

  Equity Crowdfunding Lunch and Learn

 

Join us for this panel discussion with Don Gooding, MCED, Greg Fryer, Verrill Dana, Bradley McCurtain and Judith Shaw from the Maine Office of Securities; and catch up on the newest Maine Equity Crowdfunding laws.  

FMI or to register here    

 

***** 

Table TalkJuly 14, 2015

Grant Writing   

 

with Lee Cheever from MCED and Shane Beckim from MTI

Grant opportunities for businesses are different than those in the non-profit arena and the competition is tough. Knowing how to find the right funding source and putting together a strong proposal provide the best chances for success. In this workshop we will discuss how to find likely funding sources, how to review program announcements, tips on preparing the different sections of the proposal, utilizing review criteria, typical reasons for proposal rejection and what to do after an award (in addition to spending the money). 

FMI or to register here 

 

***** 

July 28, Table Talk2015 

Equity Prep 


with Don Gooding, MCED Executive Director


If your company is thinking about raising equity - selling shares - there is a lot to get ready before you start asking for checks. This workshop will walk through the rather extensive list of things to prepare, from financial models, pitch decks and Executive Summaries to cap tables, reference lists, deal structures and exit options. Do you know if and why you need a PPM or should highlight EBITDA?  Is your corporate legal work in order? Even if you don't need the cash for a year it's not too early to starting prepping for raising equity.

FMI or to register here  

Meet the Mentor
 
A large part of what makes MCED and Top Gun Maine so successful are the amazing mentors that work with our entrepreneurs. This year, with our extend program to three Maine locations, we have had some great additions to our team.

I would like to introduce you to



John Viehman

John not only served as a mentor for our Top Gun Midcoast region, but was key in helping to get the Midcoast program up and running smoothly. John is a skilled brand strategist able to identify and capture market opportunities-successfully enter new markets, design brand extensions, align products across the brand, and increase revenue. He has proven ability in both operational and strategic management roles, with a solid track record of successful business turnarounds and startups in niche markets.

To learn more about how to get involved in Top Gun or the Maine Mentor Network follow this link, or contact Maine Mentor Network Manager, Laurie Johnson here


Important Dates
from MTI


The Maine Technology Institute is holding office hours at the Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development on the first Tuesday of each month from 1:00 - 5:00 PM. Joe Migliaccio, Business Development Director will be on hand to meet with entrepreneurs interested in finding out more about MTI's grants, funding and startup support opportunities through MTI.

To schedule an appointment, contact Lou Simms at [email protected] or by phone, 207-588-1015.

   


Special Thanks
MCED has dramatically
expanded our Top Gun programs due to the generous support of
We are thankful and honored
to be part of this ambitious effort to catalyze the creation
of an intentional community
of growth through innovation.



Join us!
There are many available
ways to help bring Maine
growth through innovation.

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