CEI

A roundup of new hires, promotions and achievements in the Maine business community.

Investors in CEI Ventures' Good Jobs Fund include a mix of individuals, foundations, community economic development organizations and banks.

Based in Portland, the new CEI Women's Business Center South will serve residents of York and Cumberland counties.

The program, launched in the early days of the pandemic, aims to address the shortage of child care providers in rural Maine.

HighByte plans to use the funds to staff up across research and development, sales, marketing and other areas, with plans to more than double employee count over the next year.

CEI deployed $35.8 million to 95 businesses, mostly in Maine, and the funding led to the creation or preservation of at least 427 jobs.

The field is vulnerable to economic ups and downs, and has been hit hard by the pandemic. Nevertheless, startup momentum in Maine’s child care sector remains strong, one microenterprise or nonprofit at a time.

Nearly a dozen organizations and government entities administered a variety of surveys that looked at the impact of the pandemic on the farming industry and what will be needed for recovery, and the findings will be discussed by a panel representing the groups.

The investment in Coastal Ventures V LP will provide capital to help business owners in underserved communities deal with workforce challenges.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced grant funding and the launch of 20 new Women’s Business Centers across the country, including the one in Maine, to be overseen by Coastal Enterprises Inc.