Internship Story: Nolan Dries at Orange Bike Brewing Co.

From brewing beer to building a business model, Nolan Dries is getting hands-on with innovation. This junior from Windham, ME, landed an internship with Orange Bike Brewing Co. through the Innovate for Maine Fellows program. He’s not just learning about the booming non-alcoholic beer industry; he’s helping shape it. With a passion for purpose-driven work and a willingness to dive in and figure things out, Nolan is proving that small companies can offer big opportunities.

What are your tasks as a Market Research and Process Development intern?

I’m piloting a project with Orange Bike to develop and refine their approach to producing and distributing non-alcoholic beer. Non-alcoholic beer is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the malt beverage industry, and we see a lot of potential in it. 

I’m also researching production methods, market trends, and the feasibility of launching our product. On the side, I’ve been taking photos for marketing, helping brew beer, and planning events! 

What do you like most about your internship? 

It’s extremely unique. Orange Bike Brewing Co. is a mission-driven company that aligns with my personal values. We’re a small, tight-knit team. Every day, I get to work with our brewers, bartenders, and management. It’s fun, there’s always something to do, and we’re building something special and different that I can say I have a hand in. 

What are the biggest challenges you face as an intern? 

Figuring out how to approach this project with not a ton of experience in the food and beverage industry has been difficult. It required me to take a step back, ask a lot of questions, and learn as I go. Organizing and planning are also challenging. Being adaptive and learning how to best set myself up to handle anything thrown my way has been beneficial. 

What are you learning during your internship that you can’t learn in the classroom? 

Orange Bike Brewing has a very unique business model that I think businesses generally stay away from. I think the best way to put it is that we go by the phrase ‘no BS’, which means: if there is something we can change about how we operate, then we change it. Our platform, or triple bottom line, is being socially and environmentally responsible, which we hold above profit. The impacts and return (socially and in our community) we see from structuring our business this way are immeasurable and something you can’t really see without physically being a part of it. 

How will this experience help you as you move forward in your career? 

It’s allowed me to see what goes into running an innovative and contemporary business. There are a lot of very unique, very successful businesses in Maine that help shape our economy, and there’s a lot of need for them to be able to adapt and grow as values change. Being able to be part of one has shown me how these businesses can thrive and embrace the changing Maine economy, which is something I want to be a part of. 

Any advice to share with other students considering an internship? 

Don’t be afraid to start at a smaller business. I was surprised that although Orange Bike is a brewery, we leverage the same tools larger corporations use. Working here, I’ve actually had the opportunity to experiment with these tools more than I think I would’ve interning somewhere else. 

Hometown: Windham, Maine 
Class: Junior 
Major: Business Information Systems and Security Management & Honors College 
Internship Title: Market Research and Process Development Intern