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V O L . X X I I N O. X V I J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 1 6 6 TechHire Maine gets $4M boost for IT training e Brunswick-based nonprofit Coastal Counties Workforce Inc. and EducateMaine received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to support TechHire Maine, which helps displaced and young workers enter the state's IT industry. CCWI serves Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo and York counties. It provides coaching, paid internships, on-the-job training and IT boot camps. rough partnerships with employers including Goodwill Workforce Solutions and Axiom Technologies, the nonprofit prepares workers for jobs like computer systems analysts, software developers and IT project managers, according to a release announcing the funding. TechHire Maine was one of 39 partnerships across the country that received a total of more than $150 million in funding through the Department of Labor's TechHire program. USDA awards $108K to farms, businesses irteen Maine businesses and farms have been awarded a total of $108,001 in grant funding through the Rural Energy for America Program to assist in lowering energy costs and install- ing renewable energy systems. USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Lisa Mensah and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree made the announcement on June 30 in Springvale, at McDougal Orchards, where Hanson Farm Inc., which operates the orchards, was awarded a $14,837 REAP grant to purchase and install a 20.14kW solar photovoltaic roof-mounted system. e other awardees were: Richard Jones, d/b/a Pine Tree LLC, Poland, $7,624; Erna Smith d/b/a Smith Farms, Lisbon Falls, $3,379; Birch Haven Campground LLC, Fort Kent, $18,750; Fat & Happy Inc., North Berwick, $15,159; Christopher Hahn LLC, South China, $6,895; Rollins & Sons Auto Body Inc., West Rockport, $6,224; Robert Johanson, d/b/a Goranson Farm, Dresden, $2,939; Moir Farms LLC, Woodland, $3,966; Harvest Gold Jewelry Co., Lovell, $4,043; Waugh's Mountain View Electric Inc., Rumford, $4,572; Little River Veterinary Hospital, Northport, $15,856; Frederick S. Whited, Bridgewater, $3,757. NOAA to aid in cost for at-sea fishing monitoring e National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it will help pay for the cost of at- sea fishing monitoring for the New England groundfish fishery. As of July 1, fishermen covered by the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan will be reimbursed for their at-sea monitoring costs through an arrangement with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. e at-sea monitoring program analyzes the fishing area, as well as the catch and gear type, in order to monitor sector quotas. e Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the research arm of NOAA Fisheries, is required to col- lect scientific, management, regula- tory compliance and economic data for fisheries, according to a release. Maine Job Bank set for relaunch after upgrade e Maine Job Bank, which is com- ing off of a record high number of job postings in May, kicked off a major upgrade that will allow the Maine Department of Labor site to connect to national job sites. Maine JobLink, as it is now known, will be a cloud- based job board with improved search and job-matching functions, noti- fications of job matches via email, a professional resumé builder, support for more than 60 languages using Google Translate and a new mobile- friendly design. Maine JobLink will also be connected to national job databases, providing national recruit- ment for Maine employers using the system. "Our team has been working extremely hard behind the scenes to make this transition as smooth as possible for our custom- ers," Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette said in a release. "As with any technology change, we expect that there will be some bugs to work out after launch and a learning curve as users get comfortable using the website's new features and services." N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded several state and local preparedness grants to the state of Maine. The awards total $9 million and are part of the FY 2016 Homeland Security Grant Program. In another grant, Sens. Collins and King announced that the B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state Maryland company aimed at adaptive athletes moving to Brunswick Rob Mueller was an entrepreneur on a mission at Maine Startup & Create Week. As part of moving his company, Mpower Sports and Recreation LLC, from Maryland to Brunswick, and further honing its business plan, he volunteered at the event to make local connections. Mpower is an adaptive sports media network whose web- site uses journalists, photographers and filmmakers to tell stories about athletes with disabilities. Mpower Sports still is in its early stages. The challenges Mueller and co-founder Eli Wolff face are typical of entrepreneurs who have identified a market need and are trying to figure out a business model to generate revenue. Its stated mission on its website is to "resolve the 'media desert' surrounding adaptive sports and recreation and to reduce the amount of time it takes someone to discover their ability through the power of sport." "There are 1 billion people with disabilities in the world," Mueller said. "The disability group is the largest minority in the United States. It's also a group any of us can join at any time." Mpower Sports started in June 2013 in Gaithersburg, Md., curating content for media outlets like ESPN, NBC, Bleacher Report and Whistle Sports. "We need to come into the 21st century and create an online resource as a tool," Mueller said. "I started writing a blog, and that grew into Mpower Sports, a publishing platform where we aggregate and curate content. We're now branch- ing into original content. We will be a hub focused on content." Mueller sees the website as both a rehabilitation and education tool. Co-founder Wolff, who had a stroke when he was 2 years old, was a member of the U.S. Men's Paralympic soccer team in the 1996 and 2004 Paralympic Games. He is program director for the Sport and Development Project at Brown University. To date, Mpower has been self-funded by Mueller. Its revenue comes from advertising. One of its top advertisers is Invacare, which makes handcycles and wheelchairs. But being a media company focused on getting ads is a business model that makes it tough to attract outside investors like venture capitalists, Mueller said. He's looking to branch out, including into the business-to-business market, where Mpower would work with events, video marketing and branding for athletes. Mueller is actively talking to local entrepreneurial groups, and has looked into the Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development's Top Gun program and talked to 2 Degrees Portland, which connects people who want to live and work in Portland with those who already do. "I see a lot of energy in Portland and Biddeford and want to help bring that to Brunswick and Bath," he said. "We are still a Maryland company, but our goal is to become a Maine company within a year." — L O R I V A L I G R A P H O T O / L O R I VA L I G R A Rob Mueller, co-founder of Mpower Sports and Recreation, is moving his Maryland- based adaptive sports media company to Brunswick. To make local connections, he volunteered at the recent Maine Startup & Create Week. S T A T E W I D E

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