Entreverge: Celebrating entrepreneurship in Portland, Maine

Last night after work, I attended the first-annual Entreverge Awards at the Port City Music Hall and left the event more excited than ever to be part of a Portland, Maine’s vibrant community of small business owners.  

Entreverge is a new organization dedicated to “connecting entrepreneurs and business innovators with the resources they need to create a prosperous Maine,” according to their Web site.  Entreverge is led by young business people and sponsored by Portland’s chamber of commerce and several local corporations.  

Five businesses were recognized for their innovative spirit during a short awards ceremony.  But the heart of this event was cocktail-networking near the fashionable bar in the cavernous music hall. 

Brock Foreman, left, and Jason Spooner at Entreverge.

I enjoyed mingling with my fellow start-up business owners.  Some folks I’d met before.  Many I hadn’t.  A state legislator gave me some useful advice on a project I’m working on.  And I met  Justin Ellis, one of my favorite columnists from the Portland Press Herald.  And–OMG!–hometown rock hero, Jason Spooner, was on hand to provide the evening’s soundtrack.

If you run a small or new business in Portland, don’t miss future Entreverge events.