Entrepreneurs and innovators will take center stage at the Maine Community Foundation’s annual Invest in Maine Summit in Bangor next week.

“Maine is an incredibly entrepreneurial and innovative place,” Maine Community Foundation President and CEO Steve Rowe said in a news release. “This summit is an opportunity not only to celebrate the visionaries creating opportunity here, but to really understand how each of us can contribute to their success and help remove barriers that they face.”

The Nov. 13 summit, from 3-7:30 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, will include a panel of Maine entrepreneurs and breakout sessions on equity and inclusive entrepreneurship, rebuilding rural America through innovation, and Maine’s strategy to drive innovation and entrepreneurship.

Summit presenters include:
• Tae Chong, manager, social enterprise and workforce development, Catholic Charities Maine;
• Matt Dunne, founder & executive director, Center on Rural Innovation;
• Sarah Guerette, director, Women’s Business Center, CEI;
• Justin Hafner, CEO, KinoTek;
• Heather Johnson, commissioner, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development;
• Hannah Pingree, director, Maine Office of Innovation and the Future;
• Sandra Stone, chairwoman, Maine Angels.

Other summit highlights include a new video highlighting Maine entrepreneurs; announcement of a new Maine Community Foundation grant opportunity coming in 2020-21; and a pitch event hosted by Blitz, the Bangor Area Entrepreneurship Conference. Pitch participants include KinoTek, True North Beauty, and Gert & Lil’s.

Registration is available at mainecf.org/summit.

Headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft and Mars Hill, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to provide strong investments, personalized service, local expertise and strategic giving to improve the quality of life for all Mainers. To learn more about the foundation, visit mainecf.org.