Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1541920
O N T H E R E C O R D V O L . X X X I N O. X X V I I I D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 2 5 22 B Y R E N E E C O R D E S / P H O T O S B Y J I M N E U G E R B Y R E N E E C O R D E S / P H O T O S B Y J I M N E U G E R Every print edition of Mainebiz features an "On the Record" interview in question-and- answer format with a business or nonprofit leader in Maine. Here's a recap of memorable quotes from a dozen leading voices in 2025. GRETCHEN JOHNSON, executive director of the Center for Grieving Children, on the mission of the Portland-based nonprofit: "Our mission is to ensure that children don't grieve alone." Belfast-based entrepreneur KACHINA MILLER, founder and CEO of Watermelon Pie, on what sets the recipe-sharing platform apart: "In a word — community." J O H N L E W I S, executive director of the Manufacturers Association of Maine, on how to attract the next generation of talent: "It starts with awareness. Without it, there's no interest — and without interest, there's no training. But awareness must be paired with the right message, aligned to individual and personal goals and delivered strategically or it's wasted effort." ALEXA COULOMBE MCGOVERN, founder of Dirigo Sea Farm, on what prompted her to start a business that creates bioplastics from kelp: "I had read about seaweed farming probably five or six years ago on a plane, and I became obsessed with it. But I don't drive a boat and I don't have a biology degree, so I told myself I'd sit on the sidelines and watch it hopefully take off as a growing part of Maine's sea economy. Fast forward to 2023, when I had my daughter and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Both of those experiences were eye-opening for me in relation to our toxin exposure from a human health perspective. I had this really personal drive to try to figure out how to fix that." JUSTIN HAFNER, co-founder and CEO of Ateklo Inc., on his newest business venture: "Ateklo is a company that creates companies. Just like a traditional tech company produces and sells products, our products happen to be startups. Specifically, we turn frontier scientific researchers into entrepreneurs who impact industries through venture creation."