Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I N O. X V I I A U G U S T 1 1 , 2 0 2 5 12 G rowing every year since then, Startup Maine Week attracted close to 800 attendees this May. A brand ambassador for Maine on the national and international stage, Shorey volunteers with Junior Achievement of Maine and recently joined the board to have an even greater impact. She was also this year's commencement speaker for Central Maine Community College in Auburn. Mainebiz: How do your roles with Live + Work in Maine and Startup Maine complement each other? Katie Shorey: At Live + Work in Maine, I focus on talent attraction and retention on a statewide scale. With Startup Maine, I get to zoom in on a specific, high-potential sector of that ecosystem — entrepreneurship. A robust startup scene is a critical part of talent strategy. When Maine positions itself not only as a place where large employ- ers thrive, but also where founders can flourish, we broaden our appeal. MB: What are Maine's biggest selling points as a place to live and work? KS: e people. Maine is a commu- nity-centric state where relationships matter. ere's a sense of accessibil- ity and openness that makes it easy to build real connections quickly. In Maine, you're not just a cog in a machine — you're visible, valued and have the chance to shape your work- place, community and industry. And of course, our beautiful outdoors. C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 3 » Katie Shorey, director of engagement for Live + Work in Maine and president of Startup Maine, is a force of nature in Maine's business community. She is a self-described connector and convener of people, resources and opportunities. Startup Maine, a volunteer-run nonprofit she helped create in 2018, evolved out of Maine Startup and Create Week. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY B y R e n e e C o r d e s Maine's startup and talent attraction impresario Katie Shorey Director of engagement, Live + Work in Maine President, Startup Maine

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