URCI 2025 Year in Review + A Look Ahead to 2026
I feel like I blinked twice since previewing 2025 at the Union River Center for Innovation, and suddenly it’s time to recap the year and share what’s coming in 2026. It’s been a busy and exciting period as we continue re-imagining the Center for its second decade of service to Ellsworth and the broader Downeast region.
Over the past ten years, several promising businesses have gotten their start at URCI. While many have since relocated and grown elsewhere, the Center has organically evolved into a vibrant coworking hub and entrepreneurial resource center with a bright future in that role—and with new opportunities emerging through our expanding food system work.
2025: A Year Focused on Food
In alignment with the City of Ellsworth 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update and Business Attraction Plan, 2025 brought a strong emphasis on how URCI can support the local food economy and strengthen our regional food system.
Thanks to the dedication of local business owners, educators, farmers, and food security champions, we launched the Ellsworth Food Advisory Committee and met monthly to help shape a shared vision for Ellsworth’s role in the broader food ecosystem. Highlights from the Committee’s work this year include:
- Market on Main & Food Fest: A showcase of area food businesses, farmers, educators, and organizations focused on food security and sustainability.
- Ellsworth Farmers’ Market Relocation: The market officially moved to URCI and wrapped up a successful October–November season. It will return in May 2026.
- Launch of the Food Forum Newsletter: A periodic update for anyone interested in food-centric initiatives at the Center and opportunities to provide input.
- Downeast Food System Partnership Participation: Through a regional grant initiative led by GrowSmart Maine, Healthy Acadia, and the Sunrise County Economic Council, we joined partners in exploring strategies to stabilize and strengthen the food system across Hancock and Washington Counties. URCI and the City are active participants, aligning Ellsworth’s local outcomes with larger regional efforts.
Food Initiatives Coming in 2026
Building on 2025’s momentum, we’re planning additional food-focused programs for the year ahead:
- Rooted: Ellsworth’s Place in the Food System: A half-day session exploring the components of a local food system and how URCI and the City can best support it. Participants will walk through SWOT analyses of each sector as it relates to the greater Ellsworth region.
- Food Hub 101: Using insights from the “Rooted” session — and in collaboration with the Downeast Food System Partnership — we’ll examine different food hub models and identify which approach would offer the greatest impact for Ellsworth and the broader Downeast region.
As these programs take shape, our Food Forum Newsletter is the best way to stay informed about dates, details, and opportunities to participate.
Coworking & Private Office Space
URCI continues to grow as a welcoming and flexible workspace. We currently have three coworking desks one private office, and one 2-room office suite available for rent. During the spring, summer, and fall, we expanded capacity with four additional seasonal workspace — perfect for visitors and vacationers — and the energy in the building was fantastic.
To streamline reservations and payments for both short- and long-term members, we launched Coworks , a cloud-based booking system that allows for secure online payment and easy self-service for new users and current members.
2025 Tenant News
Farewells:
- GenoTyping Center of America, one of URCI’s earliest incubator success stories, consolidated its operations after maintaining a satellite office here for several years.
- Benjamin Pyles of Aper Funis Research, URCI’s final bioscience incubator client, relocated his lab operations to his homestead.
Welcomes:
- Matt Haviland, Wilderness Mind Counseling
Matt is a cognitive-behavioral therapist, with extensive training and experience in using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and motivational interviewing. His therapy practice is grounded in a person-centered, strength based and skill building approach. - Waldo Community Action Partners, Mid-Coast Transportation Services
In response to the loss in service from the closure of Downeast Community partners, Waldo CAP has opened a satellite office in Ellsworth at the Union River Center. The immediate focus is to assist passengers recently left without public transportation from the closure of Downeast Community Partners, and then to look further at expanding into more public transportation opportunities. - City of Ellsworth Human Resources Department
The City of Ellsworth, to meet its need for adequate office space for staff, decided that URCI was a perfect place to locate its Human Resources team.
We’re pleased to have these new tenants join the URCI community.
Recapping 2025 Workshops
Entrepreneurial Exploration Workshop Series
This four-part program—offered in the spring—guided participants through the early stages of business development:
- So, you have an idea for a new business…
- Starting a business: Do you have what it takes?
- What’s the plan?
- Let’s demystify the financials!
We welcomed 18 registrants with an average of 12 attending each session.
Bring Your Device to Lunch
A popular one-on-one drop-in opportunity where community members receive help from trained “tech coaches” with their phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices in a relaxed and friendly setting.
Workshops & Networking in Development for 2026
- The Business of Food – Launching in early–mid February, this program is designed for folks interested in launching a food-related business and will explore different opportunities—from brick-and-mortar to home production to food trucks—and cover licensing, startup steps, marketing, and management.
- Growing the Business of Sustainable Farming – This workshop series is in the planning phase but will be offered before the farmers need to be in their fields. The topics we’re developing include:
- Managing Money and Making a Living: Financial Management. Budgeting, Enterprise Budgeting and Pricing and Getting a Boost through Grants and Technical Assistance
- Institutional Sales & Aggregation
- Cooperative Opportunities: Sharing equipment, sharing purchasing power, shared co-packing and distribution.
- Managing Climate Change for Resilience
- Bring Your Device to Lunch – Returning both at URCI and at additional community locations.
- Let’s Talk Food – A proposed networking group for local food and beverage professionals. Given the demanding schedules in this industry, we’re working to identify a time and structure that supports participation.
Lab Update
As part of a statewide review of shared community lab spaces, URCI’s lab was assessed against other facilities offering larger spaces, modern equipment, and higher bio-safety ratings. With that information—and in keeping with Ellsworth’s food-system and economic development priorities — the decision was made to decommission the lab and begin re-imagining the space in ways that will better support food-focused innovation and regional economic growth.
Looking Ahead
2025 brought meaningful momentum to URCI, particularly in strengthening Ellsworth’s role in the regional food system and enhancing the Center’s position as a resource for entrepreneurs, remote workers, and emerging businesses. As we move into 2026, we’re excited to build on this progress with new programs, new partnerships, and a renewed focus on community impact.
If you want to be in the loop beyond the occasional Food Forum update, subscribe to our monthly newsletter. If you’re interested in participating in the Food Advisory Committee or you’d like to share entrepreneurial experience by co-hosting or presenting a workshop, or at networking events, please send me a note.
Tracy Scheckel is the founder of TS2 Consulting and has been contracted by the City of Ellsworth to help with the management of The Union River Center and to facilitate the re-imagining of the Center as it enters its second decade.