Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. X V I Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Torey Penrod-Cambra is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of HighByte, a Portland-based industrial software startup launched in August 2018. HighByte has 11 employees and aims to grow to 58 by the end of 2024. She knows it won't be easy, speaking of a "tech talent war" onstage at the Gorham Savings Bank LaunchPad competition in June; HighByte won, taking home $50,000 in prize money. We asked her about HighByte's hiring plans and her advice for tech entrepreneurs thinking of moving to Maine, as she did a decade ago from Ohio. Portland industrial software startup HighByte sets out to win the 'tech talent war' B y r e n e e C o r d e s Tory Penrod-Cambra is co-founder and chief marketing officer of HighByte, a Portland startup with a global customer base ainebiz: What does HighByte do and who and where are your customers? Torey Penrod-Cambra: Our soft- ware helps manufacturers collect and model raw industrial data generated from the plant floor and transform it into trusted, ready-to-use informa- tion. e modeling engine and codeless user interface make the software truly unique. Our customers are mid-sized to large global manufacturers produc- ing industrial products, consumer packaged goods and pharmaceuticals. Our software is currently deployed in eight countries with trials in 24. MB: What are HighByte's near- and longer-term hiring plans? TP-C: Today, we are a team of 11. Sales growth and the LaunchPad grant will help propel us to 16 full-time employ- ees by the end of this year. We aim to create 29 jobs by the end of 2022 and 58 jobs by the end of 2024. Most of these positions will be in R&D, technical sales and customer success. MB: In addition to the technical skills required for many of the positions you hire for, what soft skills do you consider most important and why? TP-C: Collaboration and curiosity are two of our core values, and we really lean on them during recruitment, onboarding and performance manage- ment. We're looking for great commu- nicators who enjoy working with our internal team, customers and partners to solve complex problems. We are tinker- ers. We ask a lot of questions. When you hire for collaboration and curiosity, you build a team that's always growing and inspired by the work. MB: How are you putting the $50,000 LaunchPad prize money to use? TP-C: Less than 24 hours after the win, we met to re-evaluate our recruit- ment strategy and allocate the funds across several open positions. e prize money enabled us to provide more competitive salary offers and get more aggressive with our hiring schedule. In fact, two new employees have signed offer letters since the LaunchPad event, both of whom are based here in Maine. We wasted no time putting the money to work. MB: Looking back at the competition, what was the most valuable part of participating? TP-C: While the prize money was of obvious value, the exposure has been invaluable. Our "careers" web page traffic shot up 98% in the week following the event. We've hired two new employees and we're currently interviewing some exciting candi- dates. Beyond HighByte, I think the win also signaled tech's growing momentum in Maine. ere is value in that collective momentum. MB: What should tech entrepreneurs thinking of a move to Maine know about Portland? TP-C: Portland is a vibrant little city with so much to offer you, profes- sionally and personally. Of course, you will bring great ideas, but don't forget to let Maine change you as well. After 10 years in Maine, the grit, resourcefulness and respect for nature I've learned from the people here have made me a more well-rounded entrepreneur. MB: And once they're here, what startup resources would you point them to for making connections? TP-C: Maine is fortunate to have great resources for startups, includ- ing Startup Maine, Live + Work in Maine, Maine Startups Insider, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Maine Technology Institute, Mainebiz events, interesting co-work- ing spaces, and so many more. is community is so generous with their time and support. Let's all continue to pay it forward. M After 10 years in Maine, the grit, resourcefulness and respect for nature I've learned from the people here have made me a more well-rounded entrepreneur. 10 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine

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