Grow Maine Show
Martin Grohman is the Executive Director of the Environmental & Energy Technology Council of Maine (E2Tech), a statewide nonprofit focused on growing Maine’s clean technology economy. Marty is a former independent state representative and holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer.
Grohman hosts a podcast for Maine entrepreneurs called The Grow Maine Show, and co-founded DuraLife Decking, a composite decking manufacturing company in Biddeford that grew to $30 million in sales in six years and employs about 50 people.
As a legislator he was twice named American Legion Legislator of the Year, as an honorary life member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, and won the 2016 President’s Award from the Maine Sheriffs Association.
Marty grew up in Carthage, Maine, where his family still runs a small farm keeping Jersey cows. He and his wife, Amy, and their two children live in Biddeford where Amy works in the Biddeford School Department.
The Grow Maine Show with Marty Grohman aired on WGAN from 2019-2020
Friday, August 28, 202008/28/2020
Nick Baudouin is the Co-Founder and Director of Business Development at PowerMarket. PowerMarket has grown to 20 people since it’s…
Friday, August 14, 202008/14/2020
CEO & co-founder of Reconnect
Sam has built and sold two successful tech companies, including Parka to Automattic in 2014. Sam combines technical skill with vision to identify markets and motivate teams. In 2009, an acquaintance of Sam’s received a DUI. The court mandated follow-up process utilized outdated, phone-based systems, and Sam knew he could disrupt the industry. Early in the process he would meet Ed Larson, an investor with a long history in the telco industry. The two would go on to found Call2test, a revolutionary tool for automated and randomized drug court check-ins. 2018 would see the release of ConnectComply, an app-based tool for participants to check in with just a selfie.
Sam then saw another criminal justice market that needed disrupting; court-ordered monitoring. He asked the question “how do we replace bulky, expensive and stigma-inducing bulky ankle monitors?” and went on to rebuild them from the ground up. Launching in 2020, ConnectBands are lightweight, discreet, and easy to use while saving jurisdictions dollars on expensive monitoring systems.
Thursday, August 6, 202008/06/2020
Mike Davis, is an owner & President of the IRC Industrial Roofing Companies in Lewiston, Maine. With over 100 team members, and offices in both Maine and Massachusetts, IRC is Northern New England’s leading commercial roofing, siding, and service company. IRC has been a winner of numerous Safety awards and the Customer Service Award from the Maine Family Business Awards. Mike earned a chemical engineering degree from the University of Maine and an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. In his spare time he enjoys skiing with his kids and chasing Striped Bass on Casco Bay.
Thursday, July 30, 202007/30/2020
Brett Wickard founded his first company, Bull Moose, after his junior year at Bowdoin College. Wickard oversaw Bull Moose’s rise to become the largest retailer of music, movies, games, and books in northern New England. Wickard then founded Crickery Wood – a provider of point of sale software and services. Wickard’s newest company, FieldStack, fuses elegant inventory, point of sale, loyalty, and eCommerce modules with enhanced analytics, decision making and automation into a Lean Retail platform for medium to large sized retailers.
Wednesday, July 22, 202007/22/2020
Amanda O’Brien is the Owner eighteen twenty wines. Amanda started eighteen twenty wines in 2015 with a friend who had been home-brewing rhubarb wine. When she tried it, she had the same reaction everyone else does when they have it “this actually tastes good”.
Amanda has a strong background in marketing, had worked professionally in the wine industry, and wanted to take on the challenge of bringing a good wine to market made with local produce (rhubarb).
She has taken her love of wine and Maine, her digital marketing experience, and constant curiosity to keep eighteen twenty growing into their second year on the market.
Amanda is currently running the business with a troupe of friends and family and some amazing local resources, including the Women’s Business Center at CEI.
Amanda also runs a monthly digital marketing event called Social Media Breakfast Maine, she is a freelance digital marketing consultant, and is the mother to an awesome little boy named Emmett and a vizsla named Otto. She grew up and currently resides on Peaks Island.
Friday, July 17, 202007/17/2020
Thursday, June 25, 202006/25/2020
Thursday, June 18, 202006/18/2020
Friday, June 5, 202006/05/2020
Jack is President and Chief Investment Officer of Harpswell Advisors, a Maine based firm serving foundations and endowments throughout the United States. Harpswell embraces an OCIO approach that leverages the benefits of both passive and active strategies and creates custom portfolios for each institution it serves. Harpswell was named among the nation’s top 108 Charitable Investment Advisors in Investor.com’s 2020 study.
Prior to Harpswell, Jack managed a market neutral hedge fund predominately for non-profit institutions and family offices. Jack also served as a Principal with The Vanguard Group where he was a Senior Analyst working directly for several of Vanguard’s funds and participated in the Chairman’s senior strategy efforts. Prior to joining Vanguard, Jack was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager with Bryn Mawr Capital (a hedge fund) overseeing the firm’s investments in energy and basic materials.
Prior to his career in investment management, Jack served as the Press Assistant to the U.S. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell.
Jack holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hobart College and earned his Masters of Science degree from the London School of Economics. A dedicated civic participant, Jack has been a lifelong volunteer and serves on several Boards and Investment committees.
Friday, May 29, 202005/29/2020
Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a digital agency in Portland, Maine, that’s been in business for over 23 years. He is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media.
He founded The Agents of Change, an annual conference and weekly podcast that focuses on search, social & mobile marketing. He recently co-founded Fast Forward Maine, a podcast and workshop series for growing Maine businesses.
Rich is the author of The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing, a popular and well-received book that helps entrepreneurs and marketers reach more of their ideal customers online. He has appeared in Inc. Magazine, The Huffington Post, FastCompany.com, CNN.com, the Social Media Examiner, and many other news sources for stories on digital marketing. He is also the “tech guru” on the evening news show, 207, which airs on the NBC affiliates in Maine.
