9:30 am – 4:30 pm

The Maine Community Foundation and Maine Downtown Center have invited the National Main Street Center to present this workshop. Participants will leave the day with: an understanding of the process to develop entrepreneurial ecosystems, having identified assets and partners, and will look at their role in entrepreneurship as it relates to overall downtown and community economic development and transformation. There is no charge for this workshop and it is open to any community or downtown.

In 2020, 2-3 Maine Downtown Center communities (Main Street and Affiliates) will be selected through a competitive process for pilot projects. The pilot projects will include technical assistance from the National Main Street Center, feasibility analysis and planning support as well as access to implementation grants in 2020-2021. MDC Communities interested in applying must attend this initial training on December 11, 2019.

Communities attending this training should recruit a small team to attend together.  Suggested members of the team include: Main Street or Affiliate board or committee members, local property owners, entrepreneurs, economic development or community development directors, chamber of commerce, etc.

Handouts from this event:

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Training Slides and Audit Tool

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Organizational Roles Chart

Maine Community Foundation Entrepreneurs and Innovators

A Guide to Resources for Maine Entrepreneurs, 5th Edition, November 2019

The Future of Retail Creative Approaches to Place-Based Entrepreneurship, National Main Street Center

A Guide to Starting a Business in Maine, America’s SBDC

Main Street Pilot Project Timeline and Training Resource Sheet

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and the Role of Commercial Districts, National Main Street Center