Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 M AY 1 6 , 2 0 2 2 S M A L L B U S I N E S S Brunswick spot will be the first of many other locations as the couple pursues sourcing Maine-grown corn for their arepas, dishes made from corn they grind in-house. "Right now we are knocking on the doors of different farms to find different kinds of corn we can work with," Watler says. "But the goal at the end of all of this is to grow our own corn here in Maine." Quincy Hentzel, president and CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, hails the Indus Fund as a "game changer for many New Mainers with a dream of starting their own business" and Durdag as a visionary dedicated to improving the community. Longer-term, Durdag's goal is to expand the fund to around $1 million and for the model to be replicated elsewhere. "Organizations and communities have reached out to us and we, in the spirit of open-source information, are sharing what we are doing and the les- sons we are learning," he says. "ere is a Talmudic saying that when you save one life, you save a universe." R e n e e C o r d e s , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s Get a free banking review f rom our Business Banking team: 207.640.2227 | northeastbank.com Above-market interest rates and low fees A dedicated customer service team Full suite of online cash management products Extended FDIC deposit insurance programs available Free remote deposit capture and scanner for qualifying customers Katie Rooks Business Banking Relationship Manager Lucie Hannigan Senior VP, Director of Business Banking Tailored Banking Solutions for Maine Small Businesses Your success is our success. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S Kinshasa native Mimie Mobesha used her $10,000 Indus Fund loan to help boost her stock of dry goods at her small grocery store in Portland. Many of her customers are fellow immigrants, who pay with General Assistance vouchers and food stamps.

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