Join us every Thursday for the Local Goods Market @ Fork Food Lab, your weekly celebration of local flavor, community vibes, and culinary creativity! This market features a rotating lineup of Fork Food Lab members and other Maine makers offering delicious bites, sips, and one-of-a-kind products.

It’s the perfect after-work destination: grab a bite, connect with friends, and explore what Maine’s vibrant food scene has to offer. Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or just looking to support small businesses in a laid-back setting, the Local Goods Market is the place to be!

Fork Food Lab is Maine’s only non-profit food business incubator and shared manufacturing and processing facility. They have around 80 small businesses working out of their shared commercial kitchen. Their mission is to support a just, diverse, and sustainable food economy in Maine, where food entrepreneurs are supported in their quest to produce high quality and sustainable products utilizing locally sourced ingredients.

Follow @forkfoodlab on Instagram for weekly vendor updates

If you're an active senior looking for local activities, a caregiver searching for a service provider information, or living options, or a Baby Boomer wanting resources for healthy living or estate planning in Maine, you don't want to miss the Successful Aging Expos.

Fraud & Scams Are on the Rise: Is Your Business Protected?

Picture this: It’s a busy morning and you get a call demanding payment—or else your utilities will be shut off. It’s a scam, and it’s happening to small businesses across Maine every day.

Today’s scams are more sophisticated than ever. From fake invoices to spoofed websites and urgent calls from “official” agencies, small business owners are being targeted in new ways, and the financial fallout can be devastating.

Join Maine SBDC Advisor Dan Umphrey and Brandon McDonald from Northern Maine Development Commission for a practical session that breaks down how to spot scams before they cause harm. This webinar will give you the tools to strengthen your defenses and feel more confident navigating common threats.

You’ll learn how to:

- Spot the top 5 scams currently targeting Maine’s businesses

- Verify suspicious emails, callers, and websites

- Check if your business info has already been compromised

- Understand your legal options and how to report fraud

- Decide if your team needs cybersecurity training

Whether you’ve been scammed before or want to tighten your defenses, this webinar offers a clear starting point.

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact mainesbdc@maine.edu

Parking onsite is available. The Thompson’s Point campus is pay to park. Parking is $2 per an hour and can be paid via kiosk or the passport app by selecting zone 1213.
Join the Institute for Family-Owned Business (IFOB) for the 2025 Maine Family Business Awards (MFBA) (hybrid in-person and remote option). It’s our largest fundraiser of the year and we’ll have a new trade show to showcase your products, amazing networking, heavy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and the awards show.

Now in its 25th year of recognizing family businesses with the awards, we present them in partnership with MEMIC. Since its inception, more than 100 businesses have been recognized for various categories of excellence. Businesses are nominated by members of the public, submit an in depth application and judges score them to see if they make it from, semi-finalists, to finalists to possible winners! The winners will be announced LIVE – like the Oscars – at the awards!

One comment, may best capture the essence of the awards, and in many ways describes the Institute: “While applying for the awards, we discovered a lot about ourselves…and that alone made the effort worthwhile.”

The gala attracts family businesses large and small with an audience of over 500 (hybrid). The Maine Family Business Awards is a celebration that pays more than just recognition; it serves as a vehicle for networking and opening up all shades of possibilities for families seeking to grow their business.

Exciting sponsorship opportunities available including tables with a “showcase” space during networking..

Join us every Thursday for the Local Goods Market @ Fork Food Lab, your weekly celebration of local flavor, community vibes, and culinary creativity! This market features a rotating lineup of Fork Food Lab members and other Maine makers offering delicious bites, sips, and one-of-a-kind products.

It’s the perfect after-work destination: grab a bite, connect with friends, and explore what Maine’s vibrant food scene has to offer. Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or just looking to support small businesses in a laid-back setting, the Local Goods Market is the place to be!

Fork Food Lab is Maine’s only non-profit food business incubator and shared manufacturing and processing facility. They have around 80 small businesses working out of their shared commercial kitchen. Their mission is to support a just, diverse, and sustainable food economy in Maine, where food entrepreneurs are supported in their quest to produce high quality and sustainable products utilizing locally sourced ingredients.

Follow @forkfoodlab on Instagram for weekly vendor updates

🌟 MFBA Speaker Luncheon
🎤 Building a Legacy: Succession & Family Business Success
🗓 Thursday, October 9, 2025
🕚 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
📍 BerryDunn + Zoom (Hybrid Event!)

🔍 Program Description:
Join us for an inspiring and insightful luncheon as we dive into one of the most critical—and personal—challenges facing family-owned businesses: succession planning. Building a Legacy brings together top-tier family business leaders and advisors to explore how strategy, governance, and generational transition intersect within the 3-Circle Model of Family Business.

Through real-life stories and expert insights, this session will reveal what it takes to align family values with business goals, ensure leadership continuity, and build a shared vision for the future. Whether you’re facing a generational shift or mapping out your next chapter, you’ll leave with tools and takeaways to strengthen both family ties and business performance.

We’ll have a front row seat for an intimate discussion with our Maine Family Business Awards Guest Speaker, Matt Nielson, on his family’s use of this model and what it means to their family’s legacy and success

🎙 Featuring a dynamic conversation with:
✨ Tammy Buss, Founder & Family Business Advisor at BlueRoots
✨ Matt Nielson, VP of Strategic Initiatives at Nielson-Massey Vanillas (and MFBA guest speaker)

💡 Don’t miss this opportunity to gain fresh perspective, connect with fellow leaders 🤝, and learn how to future-proof your family business while honoring the legacy that built it.

Sponsored by: Blue Roots family business exit strategists, BerryDunn, M&T Bank / Wilmington Trust and Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc.

Construction and demolition waste account for 52% of Maine’s landfills and make up the largest waste stream in the United States and the world. Of this, a staggering 90% comes from demolition. New efforts are underway to address the issue including an approach called “deconstruction,” or the systematic disassembly of buildings to maximize reuse and recycling. Join us as we hear from the head of the newly formed Maine Deconstruction Network and the owner of Second Story Builders, a mission-driven business dedicated to advancing circular construction practices in Midcoast Maine.

+ Megan Mansfield-Pryor, Waste Management Climate Policy Advisor, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
+ Daniel Salomon, Owner, Second Story Builders

Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5217563917544/WN_CsQ7aGoOR2-B92XId2QVkA

A Silver Tsunami resulting from a wave of aging Baby Boomer business owners threatens businesses, jobs, and growth over the coming years. Business owners considering transition often don't know where to turn for help.

In this webinar, Maine SBDC Business Advisor Chris Dodge will discuss exit plan options and introduce employee ownership options, including cooperatives and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPS).

There will also be time at the end for Q&A.

We’ll cover:

-Exit plan options, including open market, family transition, and employee ownership
-When and why a business might consider employee ownership
The fundamentals, benefits, and challenges of worker-owned cooperatives
-The difference between worker-owned cooperatives and ESOPs
-Actionable steps and resources to explore

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact mainesbdc@maine.edu

Join us every Thursday for the Local Goods Market @ Fork Food Lab, your weekly celebration of local flavor, community vibes, and culinary creativity! This market features a rotating lineup of Fork Food Lab members and other Maine makers offering delicious bites, sips, and one-of-a-kind products.

It’s the perfect after-work destination: grab a bite, connect with friends, and explore what Maine’s vibrant food scene has to offer. Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or just looking to support small businesses in a laid-back setting, the Local Goods Market is the place to be!

Fork Food Lab is Maine’s only non-profit food business incubator and shared manufacturing and processing facility. They have around 80 small businesses working out of their shared commercial kitchen. Their mission is to support a just, diverse, and sustainable food economy in Maine, where food entrepreneurs are supported in their quest to produce high quality and sustainable products utilizing locally sourced ingredients.

Follow @forkfoodlab on Instagram for weekly vendor updates

Run, walk, or roll for autism acceptance!
Together with our Pine Tree Camp, all contributions will benefit Pine Tree Camp and make a difference in the Maine Autism Community!
Over its history, the Flutie Foundation has distributed over $20 million to schools and organizations who provide essential services, programs, support and more for people and families with autism.

Planning your business is more than just writing a plan. It’s about building a roadmap you can actually use.

In this second installment of our Startup Series, Maine SBDC Business Advisor Vien Dobui will introduce practical tools to help you turn your business idea into a working strategy. Whether you’re still developing your concept or looking to get organized before launch, this session will help you move from idea to execution.

Topics may include:

- Visual planning tools like the Business Model Canvas
- Setting business goals and building action steps
- Using checklists, templates, and planning apps to stay on track
- Tips for prioritizing when everything feels urgent

This session is ideal for entrepreneurs who have done some initial thinking and want to go beyond the basics. You’ll leave with tangible tools and frameworks to help clarify your direction and take the next step with confidence.

This is Part 2 of our Startup Series, following our Startup Checklist webinar. Future sessions will cover Financial Forecasting and Marketing Essentials.

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact mainesbdc@maine.edu

The Tax Practitioner Institute (TPI) is a one-day program designed to help tax professionals apply the latest federal and Maine tax updates directly to their work. This year’s agenda includes key topics such as 2025 tax law changes and the tax treatment of digital assets, with practical guidance for both new and seasoned professionals.

Attendees will have the option to receive the latest University of Illinois Federal Tax Workbook, a valuable reference filled with examples and applied scenarios, bringing practical insights, relevant examples, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by tax professionals today.


Who Should Attend?

This program is ideal for tax professionals who need to stay current on federal and Maine tax law while earning continuing education credits, including those working as tax preparers, Enrolled Agents, CPAs, and tax attorneys.

Tax Practitioner Institute – TPI is expected to provide 8 IRS CE (Continuing Education) credits (or 7 if you attend the Maine Tax Update breakout session), 7.5 CLE ( Continuing Legal Education) credits, and 8 CPE (Continuing Professional Education for CPAs) credits, and your certificate will be sent to you via email two weeks after the completion of the Tax Practitioner Institute.

The MEREDA Fall Conference 2025 will take a hard look at the housing sector. Experienced leaders in the Maine real estate economy will discuss the challenges and opportunities in creating housing, including the barriers developers face, as well as state and local trends shaping the housing market. Speakers will look at the economic impact of the housing crisis at both the national and local level while two panels will discuss ways in which Maine can address local housing needs in a sustainable and impactful way. The conference will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss solutions and innovative approaches to the evolving housing landscape.

Keynote Speakers include: Dr. Christopher Herbert, Managing Director of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and Ken Entenmann, CFA, Chief Investment Officer & Chief economist at NBT Bank/NBT Wealth Management.

Our full lineup of panelists will be announced soon. In the meantime, mark your calendar and watch for additional details here! https://mereda.org/events/meredas-2025-fall-conference/

Join us every Thursday for the Local Goods Market @ Fork Food Lab, your weekly celebration of local flavor, community vibes, and culinary creativity! This market features a rotating lineup of Fork Food Lab members and other Maine makers offering delicious bites, sips, and one-of-a-kind products.

It’s the perfect after-work destination: grab a bite, connect with friends, and explore what Maine’s vibrant food scene has to offer. Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or just looking to support small businesses in a laid-back setting, the Local Goods Market is the place to be!

Fork Food Lab is Maine’s only non-profit food business incubator and shared manufacturing and processing facility. They have around 80 small businesses working out of their shared commercial kitchen. Their mission is to support a just, diverse, and sustainable food economy in Maine, where food entrepreneurs are supported in their quest to produce high quality and sustainable products utilizing locally sourced ingredients.

Follow @forkfoodlab on Instagram for weekly vendor updates

A regional conference designed for senior HR leaders located throughout New England.

While attending, you will have the opportunity to meet and network with 200+ peers from across New England who are focused on the same challenges as your organization, absorb content from a selection of over 20 sessions, trainings, and keynotes, as well as meet with potential business partner resources that could have a positive impact on your company.