On the Record: New SCORE chair brings A-lister experience to Portland startup community

Photo / Jim Neuger Jonathan Trumper succeeded Nancy Strojny as SCORE Portland chapter chair in October.

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Jonathan Trumper, who became SCORE Portland chapter chair last October, has a background in consulting, content strategy and development for artists, public figures and organizations including the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Mainebiz caught up with the Kenyon College alumnus to get his take on Portland as a place to start a business and his plans for helping more immigrant entrepreneurs.

Mainebiz: How did you go from college drama major to entertainment consultant?

Jonathan Trumper: I think I was too analytical to be an artist and, at the time, too much of an artist for traditional business, so the role of intermediary seemed to fit well.

MB: At the William Morris Agency in New York, you worked with major brands and websites for celebrities. Which were the most fun to work on and why?

JT: A fun example was working with [magicians and performers] Penn & Teller, who dreamed up a video game called Desert Bus, perversely designed to be painfully dull. To their delight it has been labeled the “worst video game ever created,” but it has also gained legendary status. Decades later, it is still in distribution.

MB: Any lessons from those days you’re applying in your current job?

JT: Artists and entrepreneurs both must have a vision, creativity, and the determination to execute on that. It’s the ability to make something out of nothing. They both face challenging odds of success but proceed anyway. Like agents, SCORE mentors are encouraging, we support and foster the vision, and bring to bear practical experience and subject matter expertise to help avoid the pitfalls and ensure success.

MB: What brought you to Maine, and how did you connect with SCORE?

JT: I came here from California to be with family and friends, then started to look for more altruistic pursuits, mostly related to economic development. Throughout my travels in the state, SCORE kept showing up where good things were happening. Ultimately, it was an easy decision to join.

MB: As a place to start a business, how does Portland compare to New York?

JT: Maine is a more inviting, welcoming place where every small business is a big deal. There are so many sources of help with business and subject matter expertise. In Maine, even competitors will help you. It’s great.

MB: At SCORE, how do you aim to help more immigrants launch businesses?

JT: We receive many requests from New Mainers, and we are thrilled to help. On occasion, language or culture can be a barrier. To make our workshops more accessible, we worked last year with the Portland Office of Economic Opportunity to present a course for New Mainers called “What Does it Mean to be a Nonprofit in the U.S.” This year we’re partnering with them again and with others to adapt our “Starting Your Own Business” series. We’ll add presenters from the community, make the learning process more interactive, offer more meaningful supporting materials and enhance the workshops as we learn more.

MB: And what about increasing diversity among SCORE mentors?

JT: We are reaching out via referrals and social media and encouraging more women, and folks from a younger demographic to join as mentors. I think that if we serve the New Mainer community well, help in every way we can, we will earn trust and gain enough of a profile there to attract new mentors as well.

MB: To what extent have you seen new businesses sprout up during the pandemic?

JT: Although our year-end stats have not come in yet, mentoring requests definitely increased in 2020, and anecdotal evidence suggests that there are many more folks at least in the idea stages of starting a business. It may be that with no commute, or with unemployment, folks have the time or need to think about setting up their own business.