Maine small businesses honored by SBA for going the extra mile

File Photo / Tim Greenway North Spore Mushroom Co. in Portland, led by co-founder and CEO Eliah Thanhauser, was named Maine Small Business Manufacturer of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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By Renee Cordes

From urban agriculture to rural child care services, the winners of this year’s U.S. Small Business Administration Maine District Office annual awards represent a broad range of industries and geographic regions.

This year’s honorees include Carrie Gervais and Jennifer Cousins, owners of Stepping Stones Montessori School in the Kennebec County town of Chelsea. They have been selected to receive the SBA’s 2025 Small Business Persons of the Year Award for Maine.

Stepping Stones, founded in 2001, opened with eight students from kindergarten through third grade, expanding to K-8 programming by 2010. During the pandemic, the school used funding from SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan and the federal Paycheck Protection Program to continue operating safely.

With further assistance from SBA loan programs and a grant from the state of Maine, Stepping Stones has added Pre-K programming for local families.

"Every year, recognizing our Small Business Award winners is a highlight for us at the Small Business Administration,” Diane Sturgeon, the SBA’s Maine district director, said in Friday’s announcement. “Hearing the stories of these winners and their businesses brings into focus the incredible impact small businesses have on our state.”

Full list of winners

Small Business Persons of the Year: Carrie Gervais and Jennifer Cousins, Stepping Stones Montessori School, Chelsea

Maine and New England Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Isaac M. Young II, IMY Landscaping LLC, Warren

Maine Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year: Rheanna Sinnett, Floating Nomad Houseboat Rentals, Bremen

Maine Home-Based Business of the Year: Theresa Dube, Theresa Dube’s Daycare, Caribou

Maine Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year: Jill Partridge, Reform Physical Therapy, Brunswick

Maine Small Business Exporter of the Year: Alli Harper, OurShelves, Cumberland

Maine Micro-Enterprise of the Year: Andrea Nash, the Kids Next Door LLC, Durham

Maine Small Business Manufacturer of the Year: Eliah Thanhauser, North Spore LLC, Portland

Maine Financial Services Champion of the Year: Alina Dubois, KeyBank