Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X X I I I O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3 24 N E X T U P | 4 0 U N D E R 4 0 F O C U S An entrepreneur connects people, brands and experiences for social impact Obinna Okani, 29 Executive director, Entrepreneurship For All-Maine Director of partnership, the Nimble Group CEO, Naija Made Significant professional accomplishment: I'm an entrepreneur with over a decade of connecting people, brands and experiences through community building and partnerships for social impact. Nicknamed "the value architect," I've sought opportunities that have allowed me to think creatively to design value prop- ositions that are mutually beneficial to the organiza- tions I serve. I serve as executive director of Entrepre- neurship for All-Maine, director of partnership of the Nimble Group and board member of the Third Place. I'm a co-founder and CEO of a lifestyle brand called Naija Made, which caters to Nigerian entrepreneurs, creatives and professionals in all industries and host events, curate digital content, provide small business advertising, and support social impact projects in Nige- ria. I've worked with two Fortune 100 companies — Meta (Instagram and Facebook) and Toyota— to cre- ate marketing strategies for greater engagement in niche markets. Audacious goal: Hitting $1 million in annual recurring revenue for Naija Made in 2025. Favorite quote: "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a mat- ter is the glory of kings." — Proverbs Influential book: "Ego is the Enemy," by Ryan Holiday Favorite TV show: "Black Mirror" How do you recharge: Traveling to a new place and exploring a new environment. A brewery co-founder reaches for top 100 in the US John Paul, 37 Co-founder, Lone Pine Brewing Co. Significant professional accomplishment: Spear- heading Lone Pine's award as Brewer Partner of the Year in 2019 at the National Beer Wholesaler's Associa- tion annual convention. This was a pivotal moment for the business as well as for my per- sonal career in beer sales and distribution. Passion project: Being as much of an active dad as possible and supporting my kids in spor ts, theater, music, etc. Audacious goal: To become a top 100 craft brewery in the U.S. Favorite quote: "I can accept fail- ure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." — Michael Jordan. I read this quote when I was a little kid and it has stuck with me both in my busi- ness and personal life. Influential book: "How I Built This," by Guy Raz. These sto- ries constantly inspire me and teach me about var- ious industries, strategies, amazing personalities, etc. I'm always driving for work so podcasts have become my books. Favorite show: "Schitt's Creek," anything murder mystery related, as long as I am not watching it by myself. How do you recharge: Spending time with my wife and kids, particularly skiing in the winter and boating in the summer. There's nothing better than a Lone Pine in a ski lodge! Positioning the Pentagöet at the 'very heart of Castine' Matthew Powell, 33 Co-owner and managing innkeeper, Pentagöet Inn & Pub Most significant professional accom- plishment: Beyond acquiring the Pen- tagöet itself, I believe our most sig- nificant professional accomplishment thus far has been reopening the res- taurant and pub after its closure during the pandemic as well as our rebranding and extensive marketing work to showcase the inn to a wider audience. Already we're see- ing new faces in the inn who have never ever heard of Castine. In addition to jumpstarting the business post- pandemic, being the first Maine restaurant to be awarded the National Trust for Historic Pres- ervation's "Backing Historic Small Restaurants" grant was a great honor, and in our first year of operation! Passion project: During the peak season, co-owner George [Trino- vitch] and I have very little by means of passion projects — the inn is our passion! But in the off-season, we have worked to position the Pentagöet as the very heart of Castine. Hosting commu- nity parties, having Santa Claus come to town, and creating events for the kids in town — it's all about making the space accessible to our town and to peo- ple from away. Since I have a penchant for marketing, it's also been enjoyable to not only market the inn but to lead the marketing for the town of Castine itself. Audacious goal: Our big 10-year goal is to completely stabilize, insulate and renovate the attic (currently storage) into an old-school, structurally sound recreation and game room. Picture the "Knives Out" top room, but even chic- er and more Victoriana. Absolutely fab- ulous. We love creating spaces that feel unique and discoverable — immersive experiences. It is all part of our goal to create moments of magic for our guests. Favorite quote: "A sheet spread beneath an apple tree can receive only apples; a sheet spread beneath the stars can receive only star-dust." — Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "Wind, Sand & Stars" Influential book: "A Gentleman in Moscow," by Amor Towles Favorite movies or TV shows: "The Crown" How do you recharge: Ever the extreme extrovert, I charge my battery by making people feel at home. It's no wonder I was drawn to innkeeping. It goes without saying my favorite guys to make happy are George and Mister, our pup. They're the reason I put my all into building an extraordinary life in Castine. Obinna Okani, nicknamed "the value architect," seeks opportunities to think creatively about designing value propositions that are mutually beneficial to the organizations he serves. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E John Paul says spearheading Lone Pine's award as Brewer Partner of the Year in 2019 at the National Beer Wholesaler's Association annual convention was a pivotal moment. P R OV I D E D P H O T O P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY We have worked to position the Pentagöet as the very heart of Castine. Hosting community parties, having Santa Claus come to town, and creating events for the kids in town — it's all about making the space accessible to our town and to people from away. — Matthew Powell

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