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V O L . X X I V N O. X I X S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 8 22 S TA R T- U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S F O C U S Development, Maine Community Foundation and law firm Eaton Peabody. e innovation center has joint workspaces, a community lab, private offices, high-speed internet and a con- ference room equipped with a 60-inch high-def video monitor. Printing, copying, scanning, mailing and faxing services are available. Co-working space can be rented on a day pass or monthly membership. The Maine attraction In the past year, the city received a dozen or so inquiries from as far as California and Canada. Most inquiries come from Maine and the Northeast. Word gets out through advertising, articles and partner networking, includ- ing referrals from the offices of U.S. Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins. e building is 80% occupied. Why are folks interested in being in Ellsworth? "A lot of them want Maine," says Sumpter. "ey want to be by [ Jackson Lab]. ey think it's beauti- ful to live here." Leases start at $10 per square foot. At that price, startups get networking events, volunteer mentors, workshops and onsite coaching by experts ranging from intel- lectual property attorneys to UMaine leaders. e center's "Dream Series," open to the public, explores business topics. "If they rented a space downtown, which might be a much nicer space, they wouldn't get these benefits or the coaching," says Sumpter. "at's a big part of this." Veena Dinesh, director of busi- ness incubation at UMaine's Office of Innovation and Economic Development, provides the monthly coaching sessions and connections to university resources and potential funders. "e entrepreneur may be great in their technology field, but run- ning a business is completely differ- ent," says Dinesh. Business tools e four founders of GenoTyping Center of America, the innovation center's first tenant, have taken advan- tage those opportunities, says one of the founders, Strategic Director Carrie LeDuc. e GenoTyping Center offers a genotyping test that determines dif- ferences in individual genetic makeup to research labs across the country and in Korea and Canada. e innovation center's business services helped the company with funding applications, workshops on customer development and marketing, and presentations from companies on how they've overcome issues. It also helped navigate Small Business Administration programs. "You might have the skills and talent, but you still need the business tools," says LeDuc. Affordable leases and Ellsworth's affordable lifestyle help attract tenants, says Ford. "It brings your overhead costs down for the development of your product or service," says Ford, founder of PT3D at the center. "at's a real draw. ey don't need that $2,000 to $3,000 per month in rent or lease plus utilities. ey just need a place to work." Like Ford, who works full-time for Fedcap Rehabilitation Services, most of the entrepreneurs have "day jobs." Monoclonals' Soto works in house- keeping for now. "e team understands the idea of bootstrapping," Soto says. "ey under- stand the idea that you need another job. Someone who's well-funded might not We offer you a great price backed with 70 years of experience, 26 convenient loca ons and the ability to bundle home hea ng fuel and electricity. Get the energy savings and value you deserve. Bundle and Save with CN Brown Energy! We're proud of our Electricity Department. When you bundle electricity with your hea ng fuel you'll save 5¢ per gallon on your hea ng fuels. C O N TA C T T H E O F F I C E N E A R E S T TO YO U : cnbrownenergy.com CEI helps grow good jobs, environmentally sustainable enterprises and shared prosperity through financing, advising and policy advocacy. To work with us, call 207-504-5900 www.ceimaine.org Coastal Enterprises, Inc. 30 Federal Street, Brunswick, ME 04011 Building an economy that works for everyone » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D Chuck Carter of Eagre Games at the Union River Center for Innovation in Ellsworth.

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