Eight startups are Top Gun finalists, Q&A w/ Rapport Co-Founder Justin Jaffe , and more...
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By Whit Richardson ➣ May 26, 2017
Good afternoon. Ready of the long weekend? No new sustaining members to give a shout out this week. But that doesn't mean you can't look into in becoming a sustaining member.
Top Gun selects eight finalists to compete for $10K
Eight companies in the Top Gun startup accelerator have emerged as finalists and will compete June 7 for a $10,000 cash prize. The Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development's Top Gun accelerator had 32 startups this year, its largest ever.
Read more at Maine Startups Insider >>
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Maine jumps two spots in Clean Tech Leadership Index
Maine has improved its position in the 2017 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index, which ranks all 50 states based on 80 technology, capital, and policy indicators.
Maine placed 16th in the 2017 ranking, a two-spot improvement from its 18th place rank in 2016. More significant, though, is that Maine has surged 13 spots in the rankings since 2014, when it ranked 29th.
Maine companies such as Ocean Renewable Power Company, Pika Energy, Rapport, and Surge Hydro have helped Maine establish its position in the clean energy space, according to Jeff Marks, executive director of the Environmental & Energy Technology Council of Maine (E2Tech).
“Maine has tremendous assets in its renewable resources," Marks said. "States like Maine are making incremental cleantech progress through local development of energy resources and technologies, while also creating expertise and services that are exportable on a global scale.”
Founder Forum
Justin Jaffe of Rapport
Though he's a founder of a tech startup, Justin Jaffe describes his background as "non-traditional."
He studied English literature in college and later, while DJing house parties on the side, developed a career as a technology writer. At first glance, that might not be the typical path to launching a tech startup, but Jaffe's honed storytelling skills and writing ability have served him well in his current pursuit. He's co-founder of Rapport, a Portland-based software company that's developed a cloud-based platform to help companies and organizations track a variety of sustainability metrics.
In his Founder Forum interview, Jaffe discusses his early entrepreneurial pursuit of getting in on the ground floor of the online marketplace for vinyl, the challenge of being a first-mover in your chosen field, how winning the Rise of the Rest affected the company, and why entrepreneurs should have "a capacity for chaos."
Enjoy.
Read the Q&A with Justin Jaffe >>
Jobs
Seeking a full-stack engineer? A technical co-founder? A sales or biz dev superstar? Send me your job postings to make this a great resource!
+ CourseStorm is looking for a software engineer. Bangor-based is preferable, but the company is open to a remote worker if the right candidate was to come along.
+ Rapport is looking to hire a Ruby/SQL developer in Portland.
+ BetterLesson, a Cambridge-based edtech startup, is hiring for a few sales and marketing positions. The right person does not need to be based in Boston, according to BetterLesson's Chief Revenue Officer, Betsy Peters, who lives in Freeport. The company is hiring a Director of Sales, Director of Marketing, and an Inside Sales Account Executive.
+ Think Tank is hiring a full-time operations manager for its Portland co-working location.
+ Certify in Portland is hiring a full-stack developer and several sales and marketing positions.
+ NBT Solutions in Portland is hiring a geospatial developer, a technical SaaS sales lead, a GIS analyst and a marketing programs coordinator to support its VETRO FiberMap product expansion.
+ BlueTarp Financial in Portland is hiring an engineering manager.
+ Academic Merit, an educational software startup in Portland, is hiring a software engineer.
+ Environetix Technology Corp., a wireless sensor manufacturer in Orono, is hiring a RF engineer/RF technician.
+ Dream Local Digital in Rockland is hiring for a host of positions.
+ Vets First Choice still has job listings for several positions at its Portland office, from a UX/UI design to a director of e-commerce.
+ CashStar is hiring a UX designer and full-stack software engineer, among other positions.
Host a Startup
Venture Hall is looking for volunteers to host startup teams in their homes during its summer accelerator program.
"Similar to folks who host minor-league baseball players, our hosts will help provide the visiting teams a deeper connection to the city they are spending the summer in."
If interested, or just want to learn more, send an email to Jess and Mike.
Calendar
Send me your event or calendar item for possible inclusion.
Tues., June 6 — The LaunchPad startup pitch competition, sponsored by Gorham Savings Bank, takes place at the University of Southern Maine's Abromson Center. Watch five entrepreneurs compete for $50,000. More details and to RSVP.
Wed., June 7 — The Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development's Top Gun Showcase event takes place at the University of Southern Maine's Abromson Center. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register, email Susan Ruhlin.
Fri., June 9 — Freeport Metrics, a software development firm in Portland, hosts Freebie Fridays, a monthly meetup where entrepreneurs can talk with software and tech expertes about the needs, ideas or road blocks their startups are facing. More details.
Sat., June 10 — Code School offers an introductory Code 101 course for those interested in software development. The full-day class costs $93.83 and takes place at Thomas College in Waterville. More details and to register.
Sun., June 11 — Code School offers an introductory Code 101 course for those interested in software development. The full-day class costs $93.83 and takes place at Cloudport in Portland. More details and to register.
June 19-23 — Maine Startup and Create Week is back. A week full of panels, speakers, networking and other special events celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation in Maine. More details.
June 27-30 — Field Guide is back. The four-day immersive program, held at Gould Academy in Bethel, teaches the fundamentals of design thinking. Want more details?
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