Posts Categorized: Success Stories

Rusty Bus Brewing – Lewiston

Rusty Bus Brewing Logo, red, orange and yellow type is in the shape of a bus

Nikki & Peter Ouellette shared both a passion for good beer and a talent for creation. Together, they wanted to share those skills with the community. However, after investing in some equipment, they had difficulty in finding a supportive location in which to invest the time, money, and energy necessary for establishing themselves and opening… Read more »

The Osprey – Georgetown

Group Photo of The Osprey Resturant, two white men and two white women with their arms around each other inside a restaurant doorway.

The pandemic created an opportunity for Sarah (Armstrong) Kecskemethy, Zoli Kecskemethy, Tessa Boepple, and Dylan Boepple to come together to form the Four Cuckoo Birds, Inc. These two couples, who share vast experience in the food industry and a passion for food & community, were eager to get their dream business going and use their… Read more »

Seacoast Senior Advisors – Scarborough

Many seniors face large transitions and changes later in life and Dani Rockey loves getting to help families unravel and understand their options. So she started Seacoast Senior Advisors, a community-based organization focused on helping families navigate Senior Living options, understanding that transitions are hard enough and wanted to help make them easier. But to… Read more »

Groove 207 – Biddeford

Groove 207 owners, two women smiling at each other wearing shirts with Groove 207 Logo, white and gold type on black background

Val Parziale and Haley Bauman are two experienced dance instructors who wanted to offer dance classes for adults as an alternative to other forms of workouts. They saw a need in the marketplace when they realized that many dance studios in their geographic area only offered classes for children or classes geared toward professional dance,… Read more »

AWEN – Portland

Three white women squat on a wooded trail with a white and tan dog, all 4 are smiling.

AWEN; Family Recovery and Relationship Coaching, is an educational and counseling service for friends, partners, and parents of people with substance use disorder. It is different from most programs, as it uses a holistic experience-led approach. The coaching program offers support, education, resources, and community. Founded by Brinn Flagg, AWEN is unique in that Brinn… Read more »

The Nexus Arcade and Gaming Lounge – Winslow

Mark Blaschke and Nicholas Murray, the partners behind The Nexus Arcade and Gaming Lounge at the front desk.

Mark Blaschke and Nicholas Murray, the partners behind The Nexus Arcade and Gaming Lounge, wanted to create a place that brought the local gaming community together around their shared passions. They brought a lot of enthusiasm to the project but not much knowledge about the business side of things, Mark knew he needed help making… Read more »

CIA Cafe – Saco

Photo of the dining room at CIA Cafe, wooden tables and chairs and windows letting in natural light on the neutral walls and floor.

In early 2022, Jamie Bissonnette and his business partner Duncan Taylor were presented with the opportunity to purchase CIA Cafe (pronounced see-ya), a successful coffee, sandwich and art shop located in Saco. With tons of food and beverage business management experience, Jamie decided it was time to take a chance and step out on his… Read more »

Aegir’s Den Meadery – Palermo

Mark and Carrie Mancini both come from families familiar with fermentation and preserving, but a friendly competition leading to the accidental brewing of a honey mead made Aegir’s Den Meadery possible! After nearly a decade of experimenting and testing different meads with friends and family encouraging them, they opened their Pittsfield storefront in 2019 and… Read more »

Wine House on Main – Kennebunk

External photo of Wine House on Main's red building and large sign with logo and open flag.

Betsy Ross owns the Wine House on Main, a small wine shop and bar located in downtown Kennebunk. Since 2021, Wine House on Main has offered wine selections from small families around the world. With decades of experience in hospitality and the wine industry, Betsy shares the stories of winemakers, vineyards and regions with her… Read more »

Odyssey Event Designs – Portland

White women smiling in black jumpsuit sits at a table she set for a formal event

Rachel Johnson pivoted in college from Fine Art to Hospitality, which set her on the path of finding her passion in event planning! She worked her way through boutique hotels and luxury resorts learning as much as she possibly could and eventually started a side hustle while continuing to work her 9-5 job. She even… Read more »