‘Every small business is a big deal’: Notable quotables from 2021 ‘On the Record’ interviews
Photos / Abdullahi Ali, COURTESY of GATEWAY COMMUNITY SERVICES; all others, JIM NEUGER
Clockwise from top left: Jonathan Trumper; John Konsin; Abdullahi Ali; Elizabeth Moss; Sue Roche
Photos / JIM NEUGER
Clockwise from top left: Margaret Brownlee; Kerem Durdag; Janene Oleaga; Unnar Helgi Danielsson; Sarah Belliveau
Throughout 2021, business and nonprofit leaders interviewed by Mainebiz touched on a number of thought-provoking themes, from remote work to diversity to entrepreneurial energy. Here are some highlights from this year’s “On the Record” interviews published in question-and-answer format.
Jonathan Trumper, SCORE Portland chapter chair, on how Maine compares to New York as a place to start a business: “Maine is a more inviting, welcoming place, where every small business is a big deal.” (Jan. 25)
Sue Roche, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project executive director, on how Maine organizations can diversify their boards: “Building diversity of leadership requires an organization-wide commitment, active listening and relationship building with underrepresented communities and a willingness to change internal processes and practices. (Feb. 8)
John Konsin, CEO and co-founder of pediatric biotechnology startup Prapela, on lessons from his entrepreneurial journey: “First, I’ve learned so much about grant opportunities that support small business innovation. Second, I’ve learned more about the hard, detailed work needed from every area in a company to make a safe medicinal product.” (May 17)
Elizabeth Moss, art gallery owner, on her expectations of corporate clients: “They will be more keen than ever to create workspaces that align with some of the advantages of remote work. Corporations will need to up their game so to speak, and original artworks go a long way in spaces that breathe with life and humanity.” (July 26)
Abdullahi Ali, founder and CEO of Gateway Community Services, on barriers for immigrants getting mental health services, and how the nonprofit seeks to help: “One huge barrier is a lack of funding for mental health support. Another barrier is that so many clients come from countries where mental health was heavily stigmatized. We work to ease people into the idea of mental health by talking about it in terms of the stress of everyday life and using universal terms for feelings, like ‘being worried’ instead of ‘having anxiety,’ or ‘feeling sad’ instead of’ having depression.” (Aug. 9)
Margaret Brownlee, who recently left the Maine College of Art & Design to become DEI director at the Maine Department of Education, on defining diversity, equity and inclusion: “I tend to use only three words: People, power and perspectives. However, when I’m doing a DEI training, I go in-depth with the definitions and talk about the diversity of people, thoughts and perspectives. I explain equity in terms of policy and power dynamics and then inclusion of voice and organizational culture.” (Sept. 6)
Sarah Belliveau, BerryDunn CEO, on what it means to be the first female leader of Maine’s largest accounting firm: “It is an affirmation of what I have always known about this firm. Its history of sustained thoughtful growth, focus on culture and investment in people provided me opportunities to develop throughout my career. I have rarely been bored, never been told I couldn’t pursue a new idea or initiative, and I look forward to continuing that for the next generation.” (Sept. 20)
Kerem Durdag, founder and managing partner of the Indus Fund for immigrant business owners in Maine, on helping more immigrants access loans: “The goal is to have lending practices that don’t have hurdles based on fear, but an outreach that is fundamentally anchored in society being equal. You can’t be an equitable society if the social contract is dysfunctional.” (Oct. 18)
Janene Oleaga, founder of Oleaga Law LLC, on what she finds rewarding about her niche practice focused on assisted reproduction, third-party reproduction and family formation: “I get to play a small role in helping people become parents — watching children who are deeply wanted brought into loving homes. The magnitude of that is not lost on me.” (Nov. 1)
Unnar Helgi Danielsson, Icelandic food entrepreneur new to Portland, on why he started the Thor’s Skyr brand: “I guess I wanted to bring something to the U.S. that everyone could have in their homes; it’s a staple of life in Iceland, and I would be proud to see Thor’s Skyr in every refrigerator in America.” (Nov. 15)
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