Subscription-box startup finalist for national contest, a Q&A with Spring Point Solutions' Troy Locke, and more...

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Good afternoon.

Before I begin, I want to thank Maine Startups Insider's newest sustaining member—none other than my mother-in-law, Cindy Castleman. Thanks, Cindy!

Sustaining members help provide news and insight for Maine's innovation ecosystem. If you appreciate what I'm trying to do and have the wherewithal to help out, please consider becoming a sustaining member. 

On to the news...
 

Bangor subscription-box startup a finalist in national competition

The Willie Wags, a subscription-box startup based in Bangor, was named a finalist this week in the U.S. Small Business Administration' InnovateHER Business Challenge. The business sends boxes of items made by female entrepreneurs and small-business owners to subscribers around the country. Founder Jamie Clark, who started the business out of her kitchen in January 2016, will deliver her pitch in Washington, D.C., later this month for a chance to win a portion of the $70,000 in prizes.
Read more at Maine Startups Insider >>

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Briefly mentioned

+ Portland's startup scene garnered some national attention this week when Ozy published an article titled, "New England's Tiny City Raking Up Millions in Startup Dough." Companies that are mentioned include Putney, MedRhythms, SmartSharps, Certify, and Vets First Choice.

+ Steve Case and his Rise of the Rest tour will not be returning to Portland. Voting closed yesterday and the winning city was announced on the tour, which was in Indianapolis today. The city that rallied the most votes? Louisville. 

Founder Forum

Troy Locke of Spring Point Solutions

The startups that often garner the most attention are working on consumer technology or other trendy areas like blockchain, fintech, biotech, etc. But innovation is happening in less-visible industries, as well.

Spring Point Solutions is a perfect example.

The Portland-based software developer is operating in a niche occupied by motor-repair shops, of which there are roughly 2,000 in the North America. The company’s flagship product, MotorBase, is a software platform that motor-repair shops can use to streamline their entire operations, from managing customer relationships to payroll to equipment management to tracking the status of jobs. It has also launched other software products in the niche, and has eyes on expanding to other industrial sectors.

I asked Locke to share his thoughts on entrepreneurship, reflect on the mistakes the company has made, and where he sees it going in the future.

Read the Q&A with Troy Locke >>

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!

+ Forager, an early-stage tech startup that's developed an online platform to facilitate business between farmers and grocers and restaurants, is hiring an account manager.

+ Garmin, which acquired DeLorme a few years ago, is hiring for a number of tech positions in Yarmouth. Specifically, it's hiring a senior hardware engineer, a web developer, and a full-stack .NET developer.

+ Launch Security, a cybersecutiy firm in Portland, is hiring a front-end web developer and a UX designer.

+ Guideline Technologies, a venture-backed fintech startup that is headquartered in California but has a dev office in Portland (where CTO Mike Nelson is based), is hiring a senior ruby engineer, a customer success associate, and a product designer. All these positions are full-time, available in the Portland office, and come with the potential for equity in the company, which raised a $7 million Series A last summer.

+ Pika Energy in Westbrook is hiring a director of electrical engineering and a senior software engineer.

+ Big Room Studios, a software and web development firm in Portland, is hiring a project manager. 

+ NBT Solutions in Portland is hiring a geospatial developer to support its VETRO FiberMap product expansion.

+ 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 full-stack software engineer, among other positions.

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Calendar

NOTE: In an effort to make this calendar of events more accessible, I've created a shareable Google calendar that I hope to keep updated. You can find the calendar here. Feel free to share it. As always, send me your event or calendar item for possible inclusion. 

Blockchain Hack Night
Tues., Oct. 17 — 7-10 p.m. at Mechanics Hall in Portland
Hack Portland partners with the Portland Blockchain/Ethereum Developer Meetup group to host Blockchain Hack Night. Want to learn more about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology? This meetup is for you. The Portland Blockchain/Ethereum Developer Meetup group will also be launching its own digitized token at the event. More details.

Ecosystem training with MTI and Village Capital 
Tues., Oct. 17 — 12:30-3:30 p.m. at CEI's offices in Brunswick
Maine Technology Institute and Village Capital, a DC-based investment fund and venture training program, host a workshop on how startup community stakeholders and investors can better support local entrepreneurs. For more information and to register.

Solve for B - Entrepreneurial Meetup
Tues., Oct. 17 — 7:30-8:30 a.m. at CoVort in Bangor
A weekly meetup where entrepreneurially minded people in the Bangor region can go to find their tribe. This meetup focuses on shared problem solving, information exchange and networking. More information.

WordPress Meetup
Wed., Oct. 18 — 6-8 p.m. at Automattic's Westbrook office
Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, hosts a general WordPress Meetup at its Westbrook office for beginners and other interested WordPress users. More details.

Fusion: Bangor's Annual Extravaganza
Fri., Oct. 20 — 6-9 p.m. at the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce
Fusion: Bangor, a young professionals group in the greater Bangor area, hosts its annual celebration and awards ceremony. For more information and to purchase tickets.

Movie screening and discussion: She Started It
Thurs., Oct. 26 — 6-8 p.m. at Cloudport in Portland
Venture Hall hosts a screening of She Started It, a documentary that follows five female entrepreneurs over two years as they pitch VCs, build teams, bring products to market, fail and start all over again. The event will also include a discussion and introductions to women organizations and support structures in Maine. For more info and to purchase tickets.

Women Angels Investing With Confidence
Nov. 1 — 1-7 p.m. at 100 Club in Portsmouth, N.H.
This is a training event for women who qualify as accredited investors and are exploring whether early-stage investing is for them, and for seasoned female angel investors seeking to hone their skills and network with peers. Sandra Stone, chair emeritus of Maine Angels and co-founder of the Northern New England Women’s Investor Network, is one of the organizers. More information and to register.

Central Maine Converge & Create Weekend
Nov. 17-18 at Thomas College in Waterville
The Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College hosts this two-day event for innovators, creators, technologists and entrepreneurs interested in learning how to turn an idea into a business or venture. For more information and to register.
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