WATERVILLE, MAINE, October 2018 – Calling all entrepreneurs and innovators! The second annual Central Maine Converge and Create Weekend will be hosted at Thomas College in Waterville on Friday, November 16, 2018, from 12:30 to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday, November 17, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College, Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, Central Maine Growth Council, Waterville Creates!, Waterville Public Library, CGI, and Bricks Coworking & Innovation Space are the organizing partners.
The two-day event is for individuals who are interested in business; would like to turn their business idea into a startup; monetize a side hustle; or, take an already existing business and scale it to the next level. Participants will be engaged in thought-provoking keynotes, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and will network with experts in their field.
Registration is available online at wwwold.thomas.edu/create. Cost is $35 for the public and is free for students. Fee includes dinner on Friday evening and snacks and beverages for both days.
“Once again, we are thrilled to be able to bring such a high-powered event to Central Maine,” said Executive Director of Thomas College’s Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation Mike Duguay. “The group of entrepreneurs and resource providers that we have presenting and who are available this year is outstanding.”
Friday evening’s keynote address will be given by area entrepreneur Derek Myska, who will talk about his venture-capital-backed, dot com technology startup company. Regional entrepreneurs who will be running breakout sessions and will be available to talk with event participants include RJ Anzelc of Bricks Coworking & Innovation Space; Kelly Lacasse of The Maine Meal; Tracy O’Clair of TOC Media; Nate Towne of Christopher Hastings Confections; Matt Beach of The Cre8iv Company; Chris Voynik of Wag Rags and Drone Scout; Amy Rowbottom of Crooked Face Creamery; Brendan Paradis of Lockout Labs LLC; and, Zach Atherton of Lockout Labs LLC.
Business resource providers presenting at the event include Reilly Kons of GHM Insurance; Allison Watson of SBDC; Linda Diou of SCORE; Martha Bentley of MTI; Sally Garand of FAME; and, Jean Claveau of Camden National Bank.
For more information on the event or for registration assistance, please call 207-859-1159 or go to wwwold.thomas.edu/create.
About Thomas College: Celebrating its 125th anniversary, Thomas College offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in programs ranging from business, entrepreneurship, and technology, to education, criminal justice, and psychology. Its Guaranteed Job Program, the first of its kind in the nation, is built on students’ academic, career, and leadership preparation. Thomas is also home to the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation and the Center for Innovation in Education. In 2017, Money Magazine ranked Thomas 23rd of all colleges and universities in the country for adding the most value to their degrees, and data reported by the New York Times ranks Thomas in the top 15 percent of all higher education institutions in the U.S. for upward mobility of its graduates. For more information, visit wwwold.thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at rileym@thomas.edu or 207-859-1313.