CEI (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.)

"Technology transfer" is the practice of sharing knowledge, tools and practices from its place of origin (be it a country, research lab or university) to others in the field. This type of collaboration accelerates innovation and adoption of best practices - strengthening entire industries. 💪  CEI's fisheries and aquaculture team have long been committed to bringing the top methods and tools in farming sea scallops and kelp from around the globe to Maine - helping to diversify and bring resilience to our working waterfront. 🐟 Our Senior Program Director, Hugh Cowperthwaite, led an impactful trip Hokkaido, Japan to learn about the sea kelp industry. Right now, he's in the middle of another tech trip through Atlantic Canada to connect with aquatic farmers to learn and educate about the scallop industry. 🌊 Learn more about tech transfer and how this change is crucial for Maine's fisheries and aquaculture sector here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/ea6N_uXY Thank you, BDN, for covering this important topic! 📷: Duncan Bates, farmer/owner of Bay Tender Shellfish in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.

Meet Anik Derphilibossian, owner of Dreamer Food, an INCREDIBLE food truck serving Armenian and Lebanese food on the Bangor Waterfront! 👉From Anik: "I moved to the US three years ago through nursing. Coming to the United States was always a dream of mine. Since a young age I have been a dreamer, and I think a big part of starting this business was coming up with new ideas, aiming big, and pushing myself to achieve more. 😋🥘I love food. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved food and I’ve loved business. When I moved three years ago to Bangor from Lebanon, I constantly missed the food from home. I knew that I could make it myself, and my friend Kira pushed me to go into this business. Little did we know, it would become an insane success! Even though I was not a refugee myself, I was an immigrant, and I want to show people that even if you are not an American, you can achieve an American Dream." ⭐Are you a dreamer, too? Reach out to CEI today to get free business advice, accessible loans for your small business, and more!

💼 What makes a job a Good Job?✨ This is one question we tackled when Joyce Klein and Lauren Starks of the The Aspen Institute, along with EA/FAI consultant Barbara Magnoni, visited our headquarters in Brunswick, ME to meet with CEI leadership and some of our portfolio business owners and their employees. We shared more about CEI's Good Jobs program, discussed our diverse cohort of business owners across Maine, and learned from employees about work experiences that contribute to quality jobs.* ✨ CEI's definition of a Good Job? Positions that provide economic stability, a respectful workplace, and opportunities for career advancement and wealth-building. (Learn more about Good Jobs here: https://lnkd.in/eMHHJRnm) CEI collaborates with the Aspen Institute, a nationwide research initiative, to provide guidance on improving job quality in the businesses we support. 🎉 Thank you to The Aspen Institute for a wonderful meeting! Here's to many more Good Jobs throughout Maine and beyond. *All participants voluntarily and confidentially contributed to this study, which will help both Aspen and CEI understand how our services are benefiting small businesses and identify areas for improvement.

Join us next week to learn how solar can work for your small business! #solar #smallbiz #maine

Congrats to our very own Grace Mo Phillips on being named one of Mainebiz's Women to Watch 2024! Your commitment to supporting fellow female entrepreneurs of color is unmatched, making this a very well-deserved honor! https://lnkd.in/gg_ZKA2j

🎉 The Maine Women's Business List is LIVE! 🎉 ✨ This is a first-of-its-kind, free, and publicly searchable database of woman-owned businesses in Maine, designed to raise visibility for the incredible woman*-owned businesses powering Maine's economy. 💡Did you know that 40.5% of all businesses in Maine are woman-owned?! 👩🏾🔧 By spotlighting these businesses, the Maine Women’s Business List hopes to promote a more inclusive and supportive economic environment, making it easier for the community to connect with and support woman-led businesses. 👉 Maine-based businesses with at least 50% female-identifying ownership can register in the directory for free! Please search, share, register, and spread the word! https://lnkd.in/e-kGtyB3 *The Maine Women’s Business List aligns with the definition of women and female that explicitly includes not only cis women, but also trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer and non-binary individuals.

🌟 CEI was honored by a visit to our Brunswick office today by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, to mark the recent $100,000 REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) Technical Assistance grant that CEI received from USDA to help businesses access technical assistance and install solar power. Governor Janet Mills, U.S. Senator Angus King, U.S. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal, and several USDA program beneficiaries also showed their support in attending. Following the meeting, Secretary Vilsack, Betsy Biemann, Janet Mills, and others spoke at a press conference at the Brunswick Farmers Market. The USDA has been a crucial partner with CEI for many years. REAP grants have proven to be critical to the rural small businesses that we’re helping add solar arrays. We’re thrilled to showcase how federal resources are being put to good use in communities across Maine! 🌱☀️ #CEIMaine #USDA #REAP #SolarEnergy #CommunityImpact #RuralDevelopment #BrunswickME #TeamEffort

Congratulations, Cynthia Murphy! You're right up there with L.L.Bean in protecting the health and safety of Maine's workforce 💪 "The MEMIC Award for Workforce Partnership went to Cynthia Murphy, CEI’s senior program manager. She was recognized for her work with the Child Care Business Lab and the Child Care Investment Fund. Under Murphy's leadership, 32 graduates from the Child Care Business Lab launched new businesses, creating jobs and childcare spaces for parents." Way to go! 🎉

🍃 🏙 Helllooo, Windy City! Emily Wood, our Program Developer, Climate Justice and Environmental Resilience, hit the main stage at the Opportunity Finance Network's Small Business Finance Forum this week. #SBFF

✨Going strong for #neighborworksweek with our annual Day of Service! ✨ Yesterday, CEI staff lent a hand with Family Focus, Midcoast Humane, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust, and The Welcome Center for New Mainers. Thank you to the organizations above for having us, and thank you to NeighborWorks America for supporting us in supporting our communities! 💪