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V O L . X X X I N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 2 5 12 E N E R G Y / E N V I RO N M E N T F O C U S She teamed up on the effort with San Francisco-based Kalon Gutirrez, a former brand manager for Ralph Lauren Fragrances, and Frank Grondin of Brickyard Hollow Brewing Co., which is based in Yarmouth (and where Millard now lives). For Millard, one motivation for start- ing the business was to find a way to keep breweries busy when production lines would otherwise sit idle. Alongside Brickyard Hollow, Geary's Brewing Co. and Mast Landing Brewing Co. are lending a hand with water filtration. After packaging, the cans are stored at a warehouse in Westbrook before distribution to Brickyard Hollow and Mast Landing retail locations, as well as the Portland Community Squash Club, the Hearts of Pine soccer team store in Portland and Millard's alma mater in Waterville. "Beer takes two days to make and people are drinking less," Millard explains. "By using their facilities, we are creating foundational revenue for them in a dark period when there's no incentive for them to make beer. ey are yielding water all winter so you can pay expenses and employees and not lay people off." She's looking to work with other Maine brewers as well, as long as they meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards. In the next few weeks, the aim is to expand distribution to various Portland- area restaurants with a broader launch this spring. e company is targeting early May for the release of ice teas and flavored sparkling waters, also made with water from Sebago Lake, accord- ing to mainlove spokeswoman Jeannie Assimos. While not aware of any other Maine brand of canned water, she notes that Millard was an investor in Liquid Death. e six-year-old national brand ran a TV ad during this year's Super Bowl with a hard-rock- sounding "Drink on the Job" jingle. "ey're a very niche-y, canned rock-hard water," Assimos says. "We're the antithesis of them." Garvan Donegan, Central Maine Growth Council's director of plan- ning, innovation and development, calls Millard an innovator. "Jen's innovation story is a testa- ment to the power of returning to your roots," he says. "Her vision for mainelove goes beyond just selling canned water. It's about celebrating Maine's heritage, supporting local industries and pioneering a more sus- tainable approach to water utilization within the brewing industry through vertical integration." Millard's advice to other entrepre- neurs in Maine: "Start showing up at startup meetups. Integrate yourself into the community and understand what that means in your town. Learn what resources are available to you and take a class." "After you have your business idea, talk to 100 people about it," she continues. "Did your idea resonate with them? You need to talk to many people about what you are working on. Eventually, you will get to a place of 'alright, there's something here,' or not." Helping businesses 'unplug' to save energy Based out of TechPlace in Brunswick, Revert Technologies is helping businesses unplug — literally — to save energy. Building on the concept of "smart plugs," Revert uses AI-powered technol- ogy to help schools, government offices and other institutional clients save on utility costs by turning appliances and machines off when they're not in use. "e fundamental problem we're trying to solve is 'phantom power' or 'vampire energy' — where appliances continue to draw power whether you are using them or not," says Ryan Li, the company's CEO and co-founder. "We won't be able to magically drop your bill to zero, but we'll cut 20% to 30% in a month's time with no need for any upfront, expensive investment," explains. "Customers pay us on actual performance." In 2022 when electricity costs were surging, Li teamed up with Joe Lybik to launch their patented Teak Smart Cube for homes. e Make new connections with the Wells business community! REGIONAL SP ONSORS HORS D'OEUVRES / CASH BAR / NETWORKING WITH AREA BUSINESS EXECUTIVES S PACE IS S PACE IS L IMITED L IMITED, BE S URE TO , BE S URE TO R EG IS TER! R EG IS TER! Please register ahead at www.mainebiz.biz/OTRWells25 PRESEN T ING SP ONSOR T H U R S D A Y , M A R C H 1 3 / 4 : 0 0 – 6 : 0 0 P M / Y O R K C O U N T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E WELL S » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Eventually, you will get to a place of 'alright, there's something here,' or not. — Jen Millard mainelove

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