Business in Maine:
Overcoming Today’s Challenges & Finding Opportunities
Join the Association for Consulting Expertise as we host three of the thought leaders in our community for an engaging discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing the greater Portland area and the State of Maine as a whole. How do they see the current landscape and what are their predictions for the future for startups and established businesses? What resources are most lacking? What is being done right and what needs improvement? How can the members of ACE help drive success? You will hear the panelists perspectives as they have a conversation about these topics while engaging the audience and addressing questions.
Panelists are:
Katie Shorey, President & Chair Startup Maine; Community & Business Development, People’s United Bank
Tom Rainey, Exec. Director, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs
Nancy Strojny, Chapter Chair, Portland SCORE
Nancy Strojny relocated to Maine in 2009 to live near the ocean, and she never looked back. She is the principle of her consulting practice. A business mentor, coach and visionary entrepreneur, she provides relevant insights, positive inspiration and measurable results for clients. Nancy has more than 30 years of consumer products expertise in marketing, sales, and brand development.
A volunteer with Portland SCORE since July of 2010, Nancy serves as a trusted mentor to business clients, both in person and virtually.
She is the Chapter Chair of the Portland SCORE, a nonprofit organization of 70+ members who volunteer as certified mentors to emerging and existing small businesses.
SCORE Portland has recently been named this year’s best SCORE Chapter in the US !
Nancy is also a current Board Director of the SCORE Association in Herndon, VA, and she was elected Board Secretary in 2016.
Nancy was selected by President Obama as a White House Champion of Change on March 7, 2012. She was named a MaineBiz Woman to Watch in 2017.
Thomas Rainey (Tom) was named Executive Director of the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE) in September 2016. Prior to MCE, Tom was President of Rainey & Associates; a consultancy specialized in planning and implementing innovation-based development initiatives. Tom brings 28 years of experience in building and managing successful business incubators and accelerators for start-up companies.
Early in his career, Tom served as the Executive Director of a World Trade Center serving the California Central Coast, and served as Director of Small Business Development for the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. In 1998 Tom was recruited by the State of Florida and Kennedy Space Center to establish a network of six NASA-funded incubators to assist laid-off aerospace workers in the wake of industry downsizing. From 2001-2012 Tom developed a biotechnology strategy for New Hampshire; plans for a Health Care Institute for Wisconsin and award-winning business incubators at the University of Vermont, Dartmouth College, Northern Arizona University, and in Western Phoenix, Arizona.
Katie Shorey is president and chairwoman of Startup Maine, an organization that serves as a convener, educator and accelerator of the Maine startup community. Startup Maine is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit, and its flagship event is an annual conference in Portland, Maine.
For her day job, Katie Shorey works for People's United Bank where she focuses on community and business development. Prior to joining the bank, Katie worked in Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA, and most recently served as corporate relations director at the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP). Her former roles included Program Manager for Clifton Consulting LLC and Program Associate at the Partnership for Public Service.
Katie is active in economic development initiatives to help foster innovation and entrepreneurship. She serves on the advisory board of Maine Accelerates Growth, is a member of Maine Women for Women - a group that aims to increase the number and quality of female investors, and sits on the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce’s advocacy committee. She attended St. Lawrence University and Fryeburg Academy, and now resides in Westbrook.
Roundtable:
The Roundtable runs from about 9:45 to 10:30 and is optional. This is usually a skill-building session facilitated by a member(s).
Panel Follow Up
What can we as consultants and service providers do to assist with the challenges and opportunities for doing business in Portland and Maine?
The Facts...
The ACE regular meeting has networking, a buffet breakfast and a speaker. Guests are welcome.
Registrations (and registration cancellations) are required by April 16th. If you want to be included on the registration list at the meeting then you need to register by the due date.
You can pay online by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) or mail a check to:
ACE
110 Marginal Way #142
Portland ME 04101
If you are mailing a check, please register here so the system can track the registrants for us. Thanks!
Members: the $22 fee only works if you pay in advance. At the door, it is $28.
Cancellations:
If you find you can't attend, please notify us by April 16th. After that date, we cannot refund or push forward.
Cancellation - the meeting will be cancelled if Portland Schools are cancelled.
