by Betsy Peters, MTI Entrepreneur in Residence
There is nothing like the energy that comes from getting a group of innovators and entrepreneurs together. The creativity and optimism that are a byproduct of these collisions can often give you a glimpse into the limitless nature of human potential.
Maine Startup and Create Week begins Monday 6/22 and promises to be filled with the kind of collisions that promote connections, learning, and celebrations all of the good things that are going on in the Maine Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. So with your expectations set accordingly, here are some of this week’s not-to-miss events – as picked by the team at MTI:
Brian Whitney’s Pick:
MTI’s Tech Walk | Monday 6/22 from 4-7p
MTIs annual showcase of portfolio companies is such a great event. You can see everything from our newest startups to the companies who raised $17.8 million in venture capital in 2015 alone! Stop by and tell us what you are up to, we’d love to see you! Location: Holiday Inn by The Bay
Emily Cordray’s Pick:
Jules Pieri | Tuesday 6/23 from 4-5p
I’m very excited about hearing from Jules Pieri, the co-founder and CEO of The Grommet. Long before I joined the MTI team, I found The Grommet as the result of chasing a hilarious picture I found online of the nap sack, and I was drawn in by the human interest aspect of each offering. I’m looking forward to hearing about her path to The Grommet! Location: Portland Public Library
Martha Bentley’s Pick:
BattleDecks | Wednesday 6/24 from 6-8p
I am going to pick the BattleDecks social event – the social and relational events are critical to building community. I am always interested in figuring out ways to support risk taking in a fun environment and building supportive networks. And with all of these great folks in town, the networks are bound to be diverse and geographically dispersed. Location: Ocean Gateway
Betsy Peters’ Pick:
Steven Kotler | Thursday 6/25 from 4-5p
This guy will make you think. He specializes in reporting from the frontiers of science, technology, sport, and neuropsychology in publications like Forbes and Psychology Today. He is a master translator of the research and data around exponential technologies and human performance. He’s a prolific writer who has been on both the WSJ and NYT bestsellers lists over the past few months for his book BOLD.
But, why should you care? Because his body of research (and the extensive results from his Flow Genome Project) indicates that for the last 50 years we’ve spent almost all of our energy trying to train and develop high performance the wrong way.
Come learn about how you and your organization can harness the mind/body state that McKinsey Quarterly says can make you five times more productive (and that’s aside what it can do for your creativity) Location: Maine College of Art
Joe Migliaccio’s Pick:
Should I Stay or Should I Go | Friday 6/26 (2-3:30p)
This one should be great. Two awesome CEOs who have had success launching, scaling and exiting in Maine. Two Mainers who moved away to seek fame and fortune – one in Boston and one in San Francisco. One representative from an Andreessen Horowitz backed startup who will teleport in from London to help us understand what global “startup people” are searching for in an optimal location. I expect lots of good conversation about the benefits and tradeoffs of locating your startup in Maine. Location: Merrill Rehearsal Hall
Quick note from Brian Whitney, MTI President:
MSCW has just announced that tickets are available on a session by session basis for only $35 ($40 for keynote speakers).
However, we don’t want cost to get in the way of the connections and information that could help you grow your business. MTI has scholarships available for portfolio companies. If you drop an email to info (at) mainetechnology.org noting the session/s you’d like to attend, I’ll be sure to make that happen for you.