Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 18 T hey come to be judged without being pre-judged. at's the premise of the House of Genius, where 10 panelists from firemen to financiers share business advice based on a single question presented by each of two entrepreneurial companies. But there's a twist: through the initial company presentations and the feedback, not one knows who the panelists/judges are or anything about their profession. e idea is equality, the notion that a good idea or feedback can come from any quarter of society. And indeed, some of the advice has. Jess Knox, founder of Maine Startup and Create Week, who spearheaded the effort to bring the international House of Genius, or HOG, movement to Portland two years ago, tells of his first HOG event in Boulder, Colo., where he expected all of the panelists to be expe- rienced investors and founders. ere are 31 HOG locations worldwide, with Portland being the smallest. "is is where the magic of HOG resides," Knox tells Mainebiz. "ere was one particular person who gave incredible feedback and advice to the company that pitched that day … at the end of the event there was a big reveal of who was who and what they did. I expected that the person I thought was Lorraine Fagela, founder of Buko Chips, says good advice can come from people outside her food speciality. Fagela, who wants to expand throughout New England and the United States, was told to get more brand awareness in Maine first. P H O T O / L O R I VA L I G R A It's not always about the money House of Genius offers business advice with a twist: anonymity B y L o r i V a l i g r a New name for us… More options for you Norton Insurance • Financial is now HUB International At Norton Insurance • Financial we've always focused on your business needs. That means providing a broad palette of risk solutions, excellent coverage value and an eye for opportunities to better serve our clients. That's why we've become a HUB International company. Joining with HUB International New England brings together our marketplace expertise with HUB's highly regarded risk assessment professionals to create one of the strongest, most diversified insurance brokerages in North America. We're still the same people you've come to know and trust, providing the exceptional level of personal service you deserve. But we now have more options to offer you than ever before. So as far as our relationships are concerned, nothing has changed...except our name. And our ability to serve you better. Maine offices: Cumberland Foreside - Brunswick - Winthrop New Hampshire: Portsmouth 800-777-5244 • hubinternational.com

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