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
Thursday, May 21, 202005/21/2020
Whit is an award-winning journalist and communications professional. After more than a decade in the newspaper business, during which time he won the prestigious Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, Whit took his experience crafting narratives and distilling complex topics into easy-to-understand terms to the corporate world. Until recently, he led communications and investor relations for 4Front Ventures, a publicly traded company operating in the legal cannabis industry. Whit led 4Front’s communications and marketing efforts from its nascent stages to emerging from stealth mode to finally going public in the summer of 2019. During that time, Whit was instrumental in developing the communications strategy that the company used to raise more than $35 million. Whit is also the founder of Maine Startups Insider, which provides news, resources, information, and events for Maine’s startup founders and innovation-focused companies.
Thursday, May 14, 202005/14/2020
Les Otten has been a leader and an innovator throughout his nearly five-decade entrepreneurial career – in a wide range…
Thursday, May 7, 202005/07/2020
Friday, May 1, 202005/01/2020
As Executive Vice President of Corporate Development, Matt Timberlake works with all Vortex divisions throughout the United States to ensure its mission, vision and values are fully implemented and maintained. A lifelong resident of Maine, Timberlake grew up in the underground utility industry as a third generation member of the family owned Ted Berry Company Inc. of Livermore, where he served as its president.
In February of 2019, the Vortex Companies acquired the Ted Berry Company. Together the two companies present a tremendous opportunity for growth, not only in the northeast region but across the country, as well given its history of success and strong reputation.
Over the course of his career, several industry associations have recognized Mr. Timberlake for his contributions to the advancement of trenchless solutions and underground utility repair.
Thursday, April 23, 202004/23/2020
William J. Ryan, Jr. began his professional career as an attorney, practicing corporate law in Portland before embarking on his career in the sports business. Bill has worked as a sports marketing executive, owned the Oxford Plains Speedway and founded the Maine Red Claws. His current focus is on angel investing, principally in companies based in Maine. In addition to his business interests, he currently serves on the board of the Portland Museum of Art.
Thursday, April 16, 202004/16/2020
Lisa DeSisto is the Chief Executive Officer of Masthead Maine, the state’s largest media network. She oversees the companies that publish five daily newspapers in Maine – the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Morning Sentinel, Kennebec Journal, Sun Journal and Times Record – and their websites. The network also includes 23 weekly newspapers and two commercial printing operations in Lewiston and South Portland. Together the Masthead Maine papers constitute the largest newsgathering organization in northern New England and reach most of Maine’s residents. The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, the state’s largest newspaper, has in recent years won some of journalism’s top awards, including the Loeb Award and the Polk Award, and was a finalist for a Pulitzer in 2016.
Lisa serves on the board of the Associated Press, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine. She hosts a live event series, “Like A Boss,” in which she interviews other Maine CEOs on their leadership principles.
Before joining Masthead Maine (then MaineToday Media) in November 2012, Lisa spent 17 years at The Boston Globe, where she served as Chief Advertising Officer and Vice President/General Manager for Boston.com. She joined Boston.com as marketing manager in November 1995, just two days after the site’s launch. A native of Stoneham, Massachusetts, she is a 1985 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Lisa lives with her family and a herd of alpacas in North Yarmouth, Maine.
Thursday, April 9, 202004/09/2020
Christopher Lynch is the President, Founder and sole owner of Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. From its inception in 2006,…
Thursday, April 2, 202004/02/2020
Rob Simopoulos, Co-Founder – Defendify
Rob Simopoulos is the Co-Founder of Defendify, the all-in-one cybersecurity platform that makes cybersecurity possible for Small Business. Rob is a lifelong entrepreneur, as passionate about small business as he is about cybersecurity. In his 20+ years in the security industry, he has received awards, accolades, and recognition from a variety of trusted industry experts and publications. Rob and the Defendify team are based in Portland, Maine, and are on a mission to simplify cybersecurity and help secure small businesses and channel providers from evolving threats. You can reach Rob at rsimopoulos@defendify.io.
Andrew Rinaldi, Co-Founder – Defendify
Andrew Rinaldi is the Co-Founder of Defendify, the all-in-one cybersecurity platform that makes cybersecurity possible for Small Business. Andrew has over 20 years of experience in business, marketing, digital, and strategic leadership. At Defendify, his passion for entrepreneurship has fueled a mission to protect Small Business from evolving cybersecurity threats. Andrew has long been a champion for business health, transparency, and efficiency, having implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)—at Defendify and in previous businesses—successfully driving brand, culture, vision, traction, and growth.
Thursday, March 26, 202003/26/2020
Kevin Hancock is an award-winning author, speaker, and CEO. Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber Company operates ten retail stores, 3 sawmills and a truss plant. The company also grows trees on 12,000 acres of timberland in Southern Maine and is led by its 550 employees.
Hancock Lumber is a six-time recipient of the Best Places to Work in Maine’ award. The company is also a recipient of the Maine Family Business of the Year Award, the Governor’s Award for Business Excellence, the MITC ‘Exporter of the Year’ award, and the Pro-Sales national dealer of the year.
Kevin is a past chairman of the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association. Kevin is also a recipient of the Ed Muskie ‘Access to Justice’ Award, the Habitat For Humanity Spirit of Humanity’ Award, the Boy Scouts of America ‘Distinguished Citizen’ Award, and Timber Processing Magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’ Award.
Kevin’s first book, Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse won three national book awards. His second book, The Seventh Power – One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership releases February 25, 2020 and is being distributed by Simon & Schuster.
Kevin is a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals—within a company or a community —through listening, empowering, and shared leadership.
Kevin is a graduate of Lake Region High School and Bowdoin College. He lives in Maine with his wife Alison.
Thursday, March 19, 202003/19/2020
Mahesh is proving that building a more sustainable world is no longer a dream, but a global evolution. As president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) he leads a community of 13 million people that’s growing every day.
A graduate from India’s Annamalai University with a degree in Computer Engineering, Ramanujam couples a strong background as a data scientist with his goal of building healthier communities and democratizing sustainable living.
Transformative thought programs, partnerships, and initiatives continue to be at the heart of Mahesh’s work today. He leads hundreds of employees and thousands of volunteers who work tirelessly as the backbone of the green building movement. He believes that sustainable living is not just about the physical building and rebuilding of our communities, but ultimately about our willingness to reimagine the way we treat each other. He envisions a world where construction is as much about compassion as it is about the convenience and efficiency of the structures themselves. And most importantly, behind every strategy, he emphasizes our universal responsibility to prioritize health and wellness, to make a commitment to the longevity of our planet, and to create a better quality of life for ourselves and future generations.
