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V O L . X X I V N O. V I M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 8 a weird line between taking an optimis- tic view of what people are capable of, and giving them lots of rope, and being hyper-aware of how it's going," he says. Veteran hires Tilson is often held up as an example for its large veteran workforce. In the early days, it hired veterans through personal connections. Now with greater hiring needs in a challeng- ing environment, that's become more systematic, and with outside help from organizations like WarriorsWireless, a national nonprofi t that recruits, trains and places veterans in well-paying jobs in the wireless industry. Broder says the fi rm's team culture is compelling to veterans. " is is a place where veterans can transition back to the civilian workforce, in a place where teamwork and cama- raderie and the sense of interpersonal responsibility for each other is familiar," he says. at sense of responsibility and looking after employees includes self-insuring on health care, not only for fi nancial reasons but also out of an ethical and moral responsibility. " is sense of taking care of each other is really serious," he adds. Focused growth Tilson has about openings to fi ll and as of last year has a fi ve-person recruiting team that fi nds jobs for people at Tilson and for clients. Broder underscores that the company will only hire as fast as it fi nds the right people, even if it means being stretched in some areas of real need. He says one reason for staying in Portland, and investing in an attractive workspace, was to lure and keep talent. e new space is close to the eastern waterfront, a hot area of development close to WEX Inc.'s future headquarters. at's just fi ne with city offi cials like economic development director Greg Mitchell, who says that Broder is "a great ambassador for Portland, and his commitment to his new headquarters is nothing short of phenomenal." Broder has relied on a mix of bank loans and venture capital fi nancing to help expand the business, from inves- tors including Rand Capital Corp., of Buff alo, and CEI Ventures Inc., of Brunswick. Both have participated in several fi nancing rounds, including million last December. Rand executive vice president Daniel P. Penberthy says that out of port- folio companies the fi rm has invested in since , Tilson is the only one to achieve the top-line revenue target its CEO promised. "Josh truly has gone above and beyond in achieving the milestones and managing the expecta- tions of investors," says Penberthy. And CEI Ventures managing direc- tor Nathaniel Henshaw likes Broder's focus on employee safety and veteran hiring, saying: "We're particularly pleased with the number of jobs, and the hiring of veterans has been wonderful in terms of our social mission." When he's not working, Broder spends quality time with his wife and kids, ages three and fi ve. Recently when having lunch with his daughter at a Chinese restaurant she opened a fortune cookie that could have been custom- written for her dad. It read: "All things digital are made of analog parts." "I thought that was a really inter- esting fortune to get," Broder says. R C , 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 @ . a n d @ When I think about our workforce of young millennial employees, I remember those 19-year- old soldiers who could accomplish anything if they had a clear mission and they were empowered to act and they had the tools they needed. — Joshua Broder 20 » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E M E M B E R F D I C 2 0 1 7 L A U N C H PA D W I N N E R , J E N N I F E R S C I S M , C O - F O U N D E R , H E A D C H E F, G O O D TO - G O P h o t o b y Ta y l e r A u b i n YOUR JOURNEY TO $50,000 Starts here. ENTER MAINE'S PREMIER SMALL BUSINESS COMPETITION TODAY. Applications are now open for Gorham Savings Bank's LaunchPad, your chance to win a $50,000 grant. For complete rules and to enter visit GorhamSavings.Bank/LaunchPad by 5pm on April 15th, 2018. Joshua Broder Age: 39 Leadership icon: Martin Luther King Jr. Maine's biggest challenge: Workforce Maine's biggest opportunity: Distance matters less in information economy. Best business advice: Hire the best people, grind harder, have cash. 5 QUESTIONS

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