‘Making it in Maine’ Black Bear Business Conference April 24

The University of Maine Alumni Association will host the second annual Black Bear Business Conference on Friday, April 24 at the Buchanan Alumni House on the UMaine campus.

“Making it in Maine,” aims to connect would-be entrepreneurs from across the state with a range of available resources to help them succeed. The half-day conference, which runs from 1–5 p.m., will include presentations, exhibits and panel discussions on topics such as marketing, financing, technology and legal issues involved in launching a business.

Corson “Corky” Ellis of Kepware Technologies, a proponent of entrepreneurship in Maine and vice chair of the Maine Small Enterprise Growth Fund, a state-funded venture capital organization, is the keynote speaker.

An entrepreneurs panel including Kate McAleer, founder of Bixby & Co. craft chocolate, will speak about resources they tapped and challenges they overcame to launch successful businesses.

Tom Chappell, a Maine-based entrepreneur, author and environmentalist best known for co-founding Tom’s of Maine, will close the conference.

Participants will have the opportunity to network at a reception from 5–7 p.m.

Registration for the conference and reception is $25 for Maine residents and is available online. More information about the event, including a program and speaker biographies, is available on the UMaine Alumni Association website.

For more information or to request a disability accommodation, contact  Susan Mullaney at 581.1147, susan.mullaney@umit.maine.edu.