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V O L . X X I I N O. X I I I J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 18 S M A L L B U S I N E S S F O C U S Rodney Sampson, a partner in diversity and inclusion initiatives at TechSquare Labs in Atlanta, is an angel investor and serial entrepreneur with four startups and two exits to his credit. TechSquare Labs has $25 million in venture funding. Sampson is especially interested in reducing the U.S. poverty and wealth gap by advancing innovation, coding, entrepreneurship and investment as a way of life, with an emphasis on under-represented communities. Knox says that as a serial entrepreneur, he also can talk about how to learn from failure. Mimi Chun is co-founder of San Francisco-based Loveback, a service aiming to create more meaningful and reciprocal relationships between creators and fans. Prior to that she led special projects on Airbnb's product team. Food, EdTech among panels Each day of MSCW has panels of experts on various topics, including edu- cational technology and the era of cus- tomized learning, corporate innovation, rapid prototyping, food waste, innova- tion tools, becoming a rockstar presenter, sea technology covering food and fuel for the future, getting government fund- ing for research and development, track- ing the return-on-investment for social media, artifi cial intelligence, health care big data and 3D prototyping. At the end of the week, on June 24, the fi nale for the Greenlight Maine competition will be held at Merrill Auditorium, where one company whittled down from an original fi eld of 26 will win $100,000 in cash. Among the remaining contestants are Chimani, Garbage to Garden and Revolution Research. Knox says the fi nal weekend will off er up concerts, road races and other events so attendees who stay can experience Portland. Another chance to pitch investors MSCW will add a Pitch Panel this year giving 30 teams of company founders an opportunity to attract investors. It will likely be held for small groups at several diff erent times on June 21 . e judges are still being chosen. Knox notes that the panel is not a competition, "so everyone gets a shot, no matter your startup's stage, trac- tion, revenue or funding to date." e focus will be on delivering the best product and business ideas. L o r i Va l i g r a , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t lva l i g r a @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ L Va l i g r a BANGOR MAINE 1 College Circle 207.941.7100 PRESQUE ISLE On the NMCC campus 207.760.1176 WESTBROOK 340 County Road 800.562.1294 ONLINE online.husson.edu 855.902.9965 Find out more at... learn.husson.edu | 800.448.7766 We're committed to ensuring that the future you want is not only in sight, but also within reach. Husson offers... ■ Prior Learning Assessment – Earn up to 30 credits toward your Bachelor's degree! ■ Undergraduate and graduate degree programs ■ Affordable tuition ■ Flexible class options – Online, afternoons, evenings and weekends ■ Convenient locations – Westbrook, Bangor, Presque Isle and Online Invest in yourself. Advance your career. Finish a degree. You've worked, sweated, and sacrificed. You've made good on a few of life's dreams. Our team will honor this lifelong effort with the same level of dedication —and the same work ethic—that it took to realize your dreams. First Advisors PERFORMANCE YOU CAN TRUST First Advisors Investment Management. Retirement Planning. Trust Services | firstadvisorsonline.com | 866-563-1900 PROTECTING DREAMS | Securities and investment products are not bank deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not obligations of, nor guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate, and may involve investment risk, including the possible loss of value or principal amount invested. YOUR LIFE'S WORK IS OUR LIFE'S WORK. IS OUR LIFE'S WORK. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E

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