Educational Programming
The Center is consistently aiming to help startups and entrepreneurs through a broad range of educational programming. Knowing that entrepreneurs are strapped for time and resources, these educational opportunities are free of charge and many have been pre-recorded to be viewed when is most convenient for you. Educational programming is dynamic and is subject to change based on feedback from our area startups and entrepreneurs. Please visit this page often and, if you have an idea for an educational program, or need assistance in a certain focus area, reach out to us.
Riverside Chats
Welcome to Riverside Chats! In this series, we host interviews with entrepreneurs from Downeast Maine in order to learn about their journeys from how their ideas turn into startup businesses.
In these interviews, we’ll cover topics such as where their ideas originate from and the early stages of their business growth, how they are able to turn early failures into learning moments, as well as how resources like the Union River Center for Innovation help them along the way. We feel that it is valuable for emerging entrepreneurs to hear these stories to understand that while taking a leap into the startup world may seem daunting, there are others close by who have done it (and continue to do it) and who have navigated through challenges, while also celebrating “wins” both big and small. Being able to learn how fellow Maine entrepreneurs deal with startup challenges and navigate through Maine’s entrepreneurial ecosystem are valuable resources for our entrepreneurial and small business community.
So please, sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and dive in with us!
Interview 2: Janna Richards, Director of the Union River Center for Innovation
Interview 1: John Fuhrman, Owner, Bub’n Mutha’s
We sat down with John Fuhrman, founder of Bub’n Mutha’s, a spice and dry-rub company originally based out of Winter Harbor, Maine. In this session, John discusses the story of his business, how URCI helps him focus his efforts, as well as providing a great deal of advice for new entrepreneurs. Check it out below!
DREAM Workshop Series
You are the expert in your business’s products and services, but you may need guidance with some elements of business growth and development. We’re here to help! We’ve partnered with local community experts to hold informative seminars regarding all facets of starting and maintaining a business, with topics ranging from accounting, to law, conflict resolution, marketing, and everything in between! The DREAM workshop series is a series of free and open to the public seminars that aim to help local business owners develop their business strategies and gain the information they need to run a successful business.
Held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, these seminars aim to cover topics that are important to you, no matter what stage of business growth you are in. Many of our presenters are also business coaches for our incubator tenants, so they understand the specific challenges Maine small businesses face. They are all expertly-equipped to share their valuable knowledge with you, and help you understand how these topics are relevant to your startup or small business.
Previous expert presenters include WardGreen Group, The Accounting Coach, Osborne Media, Pulse Marketing Agency, and Rudman Winchell Counselors at Law.
All seminars are free admission and open to the public. Seminars are typically held monthly on Thursdays. Please see our event calendar, or check out our Facebook or Eventbrite pages for specific dates, times, and topics. This series has been put on hold for the 2022-2023 season. We are launching a new venture in the Riverside Chat series to continue to provide a behind-the-scenes look into the entrepreneurial journey.
Josh Randlett of Rudman Winchell Counselors at Law teaches our audience employment law best practices for small businesses in Maine.
Ken Bustard, The Accounting Coach, teaches Ellsworth-area business owners the best practices for accounting and tax management.