Reo Miyake opened Aomori Restaurant and Market in Portland as the next chapter in his family’s long history in Maine’s restaurant industry. Located on Hanover Street, the restaurant and market bring together traditional Japanese cuisine and specialty goods through a shared family vision.Read More
Aomori Restaurant and Market – Portland
Honey Bee Healing Hive, Yoga, and Wellness – Auburn
Melissa St. Pierre opened Honey Bee Healing Hive, Yoga and Wellness in Auburn to bring together modern psychology and the ancient practice of yoga. After years of academic and professional work in psychology and education, she found her personal wellness practice through yoga, and decided to share that experience with others. Now, she is expanding her offerings to include workplace wellness consulting alongside her growing yoga studio.Read More
Emily Carle FNP Mobile Direct Primary Care – Freeport
Emily Carle launched her mobile direct primary care practice in Freeport to reimagine healthcare delivery. With over 20 years of healthcare experience, including work as a medical missionary, EMT, ER nurse, forensic nurse, and now as a nurse practitioner, she knew she wanted to build something different. She envisioned a model rooted in authenticity, community focus, and genuine care, bringing healthcare back to what it simply is: health and care.Read More
Timber Candle Bar & Boutique – Caribou
Located on Route 1 in Caribou, Timber Candle Bar & Boutique is redefining retail in Northern Maine by blending handcrafted home fragrance products with immersive, experience-based retail.Read More
Twinkle Time Cleaning – Millinocket
Elizabeth Pio launched Twinkle Time Cleaning in Millinocket to create the kind of opportunity she once struggled to find herself. In recovery for over a decade, she overcame significant personal challenges to rebuild her life. Today, she uses that experience to support others through employment and compassionate service.Read More
Lynne Stewart Designs – Kennebunk
Lynne Stewart operates Lynne Stewart Designs, a custom sewing workroom based in Kennebunk that blends fine home décor craftsmanship with imaginative soft-sculpture creations. With a BFA in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design and over 2 decades of experience, Lynne balances her days between client commissions—cushions, pillows, and window treatments—and a line of fabric sculptures crafted from upcycled materials.Read More
Factory 3 – Portland
In 2019, Patrick Walker Russell opened Factory 3 in Portland’s Libbytown neighborhood with a bold vision: to create a makerspace that would lower the barriers to entrepreneurship for artists, artisans, and tradespeople. Located in a 4,400-square-foot warehouse on Saint James Street, Factory 3 provides tools, training, and workspace for woodworking, welding, sewing, 3D printing, and more. For a monthly fee, members gain access to specialized equipment, private studios, and a collaborative community designed to help them turn ideas into businesses.Read More
Amy Lewis Photography – Brunswick
Amy Lewis launched Amy Lewis Photography in Brunswick in 2022 after a slow and steady rollout the year prior. Her business now serves clients across Southern and Midcoast Maine, offering family portraits, senior pictures, weddings, and a growing list of commercial services such as real estate and marketing photography.Read More
Root 2 Salon – Wilton
In December 2023, Madisyn Smith lost everything when devastating floods swept through Farmington, destroying the salon where she worked as an independent contractor. The building was left with no insulation, frozen pipes, ruined floors, and a landlord unwilling to help. What had once been a dream became unsustainable. “I was so unhappy in a building that was making me bankrupt,” she said. “Everything happened for a reason.”Read More
Perakis Ironworks Group – Portland
Sam Perakis is the owner of Perakis Ironworks Group in Portland, where he specializes in architectural ironwork such as railings, fences, and gates. His work also includes sculpture, historical reproduction, repairs, and tool making. With a decade of blacksmithing experience and active membership in regional and national blacksmithing associations, Sam brings deep craft knowledge and creativity to every project.Read More