U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Helping to support and promote innovation in Maine is undoubtedly work worth doing, and the Maine Technology Institute is pleased to welcome two new hard-working members to the team. Abigail Osei and Emily Braley, both recent Master of Economics graduates, have already hit the ground running.
You read a little bit about Emily in last month’s newsletter. Emily joined our team as the inaugural Coordinator of the Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps (MERC). As I have mentioned previously, MERC is a database of vetted consultants within 20+ specific functional areas. The consultants will be enlisted to provide short-term consulting services to Maine startups to help address critical project-specific skill deficiencies on their teams. To learn more about this exciting new program, please visit MTI’s website.
Emily Braley is a Maine native and holds a BA in Religion and a BA/MA in Economics (focusing extensively on economic analysis) from the University of Florida. Her desire to study economics stems from her passion for economic development in Maine as well as internationally. She has volunteered in community development projects around the globe, including in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Nepal. Currently she is an ambassador to an economic development focused non-governmental organization, PISC-Nepal, located in Kathmandu, Nepal. She has been busy making presentations about MERC to groups throughout Maine and is working diligently to enroll consultants and businesses into the program.
This month’s newsletter has a spotlight on Abigail Osei, MTI’s newest Investment Officer. Abby recently earned her MS in Economics from the University of Maine and also holds a BA in Economics from the University of Ghana. She brings directly relevant experience from an MTI-like organization in Ghana that funds promising business ideas and provides training to entrepreneurs. She has experience reviewing business plans for viability, profitability, and scalability, has made funding recommendations, and collaborated and networked with other entrepreneurship hubs, business consultants, and mentor networks. Read more about Abby’s background and interests in this month’s newsletter.
Again, MTI is thrilled to welcome Abby and Emily to the MTI team and, with their assistance, we look forward to continuing to provide unparalleled service and support to Maine’s entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
Best,
Brian