Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 2 6 18 ainebiz: What's the premise of the business? Jen Millard: Mainelove is about shar- ing one of Maine's greatest natural resources — our incredible water — in a way that's sustainable, com- munity-driven and proudly local. We source from Sebago Lake, package in infinitely recyclable aluminum cans and partner with Maine breweries to keep production and economics right here at home. MB: What motivated you to start the business? JM: I'm a 12th-generation Mainer, and I've always wanted to build something meaningful here. When I came back to Maine, I saw this incredible natural resource in Sebago Lake, and also saw breweries with world-class equipment that weren't always being fully utilized. It felt like an opportunity to connect the dots — celebrate Maine's water, support local businesses and create something sustainable and scalable. MB: What's your previous career experience? JM: My background has been in building and scaling consumer A Maine love story In one year, Jen Millard grew her canned water brand mainelove to 500 stores B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r ENTREPRENEUR LEADER Jen Millard Founder, mainelove Jen Millard founded mainelove in 2024 to package water from Sebago Lake — considered one of the cleanest in the country — in recyclable aluminum cans. Today, the brand is in 500-plus stores, licensed in 21 states and expanded into New Hampshire and Massachusetts. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY mainelove mainelove.com 15 Saunders Way, Suite 500 C, Westbrook What it does: Source and packages water from Sebago Lake in recy- clable aluminum cans in partnership with Maine breweries Employees: 4 full-time, 3 part-time Founded: 2024 M

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