May 11, 2023 (Portland, ME) The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE) along with its partners, the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council, and the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College, announced the winners of the 2023 Top Gun Program Regional Semifinal Pitch Competition.
Regional Pitch-offs were held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week in Portland, Waterville, and Lewiston /Auburn. A total of 29 entrepreneurs participated in the Regionals and each presented a 5-minute pitch to a panel of judges, followed by a brief question and answer period. Scoring was based on innovation, scalability, feasibility, and presentation.
The finalists in each location will move on to participate in the Top Gun Showcase on May 25th at USM’s Hannaford Hall and will compete for a $25,000 cash prize sponsored by the Maine Technology Institute.
The six 2023 Regional Finalists are:
awen – Brinn Flagg (Waterville), professional coaching services and app developed for families and loved ones of addicted individuals.
Hootenanny Bread – Derek DeGeer (Waterville), a farmer’s market artisan bread bakery.
ReachMyTeach – Helen Cohen (Portland), a school-home communication and translation platform engaging parents, students and teachers.
Shred Electric – Nick Planson (Lewiston/Auburn), designs and markets electric off-road vehicles and boats with one battery that is interchangeable and can be swapped to power them all.
The Sleep NP – Carrissa Hankins (Lewiston Auburn), provider of medically necessary CPAP coaching services.
Tootie’s Tempeh – Sarah Speare (Portland), producer of organic, locally sourced & sustainable plant-based tempeh, using a company developed plastics-free fermentation process.
Congratulations to all 2023 Top Gun companies on their hard work and accomplishments this year. Each is destined for success in building and expanding their businesses and contributing to Maine’s economy.
MCE is pleased to announce that this year’s Top Gun Showcase will be held in conjunction with our inaugural Maine Entrepreneurs Summit; a half-day event celebrating Maine entrepreneurship. The summit will kick off at 2:00 PM with “Perfecting Your Pitch” Workshops, followed by Keynotes and a Fireside Chat with John Harthorne, Founder/Managing Director of Two Lanterns Venture Partners, and founder of MassChallenge; Hannah Pingree, Director, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future; Brian Whitney, President of Maine Technology Institute and Tom Rainey, Executive Director of MCE. For more information go to: https://www.mced.biz/maine-entrepreneurs-summit-2023.
About MCE:
MCE was established in 1997 to build and lead a community of growth-oriented businesses in Maine by providing the training, connections, coaching and mentors. Over its 25-year history, the organization has accelerated the growth of hundreds of businesses and established a mentor network of over 250 members statewide.