Portland, ME — On June 18, 2025, FocusMaine, a private sector-led non-profit utilizing a targeted sector approach to statewide economic development, gathered over 75 stakeholders in person to celebrate the growth of Maine’s Food Economy, Life Sciences Economy, and Workforce Development, and release their 2018-2024 Impact Report. In attendance were members of their Board, donors, and representatives from their diverse but tight-knit community of partner organizations.

The Harold Alfond Foundation® has largely funded FocusMaine efforts since 2018. Greg Powell, President and CEO of the Foundation sent his regards to the event, “Congratulations to FocusMaine for its unwavering commitment to creating meaningful jobs and strengthening Maine’s workforce. By bringing together diverse organizations across Maine and supporting and aligning their efforts, FocusMaine has built a powerful model for economic development with profound and lasting statewide impact.”

Attendees heard from Maine business founders, Brendan Parsons of Blackstone Point Oyster Co. and Sarah Speare of Tootie’s Tempeh, about how FocusMaine-backed programs have impacted their business ventures.

“FocusMaine supported programs have helped my business at many stages of development—from strategic business planning with the Maine Aquaculture Association, instrumental grant funding from CEI Tastemakers, and invaluable mentorship from the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs through the Cultivator program,” said Brendon Parsons, Founder and Owner of Blackstone Point Oysters in Damariscotta.

“I’ve been able to successfully scale our farm, including adding our first land-based facility, and I’ve recently passed my final B Corp review which will allow our farm to be the first and only B Corp oyster farm on the East coast! I am so thankful for the support of these programs. FocusMaine’s commitment to strengthening Maine’s aquaculture sector has been a driving force behind our success and continued growth.”

FocusMaine President, Co-Chair, and Co-Founder, Andrea Cianchette Maker reported on the most recent impacts of the organization. From 2018-2024, FocusMaine has:

• Catalyzed nearly 1,450 Jobs
• Generated $309 Million in new revenue to companies in their programs
• Generated $86.6 in earnings
• Enrolled 3,200 interns in Maine Career Catalyst (MCC), with 72% in the 2024 cohort interested in pursuing a career in Maine 

Maker also recognized FocusMaine’s partner organizations for the roles they play in supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state and the resulting economic growth from the success of Maine-based businesses. Those partners include: BIOME, CEI, Educate Maine, Maine Aquaculture Association, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, Maine Grocers and Food Producers Association, New England Ocean Cluster, and Northeastern University’s Roux Institute. Other organizations recognized for their collaborations with FocusMaine were: Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Live and Work in Maine, Maine & Co., Maine Food Convergence, and members of FocusMaine’s Life Sciences Advisory Team.

At the outset of the event, FocusMaine co-founders and co-chairs Maker and Michael Dubyak, former President and CEO of WEX, described the impetus behind the initiative. Maker reminded the audience that ten years ago, the state had suffered the loss of over 42,000 manufacturing jobs since 1990, and Dubyak explained that the population of students in Maine’s K-12 education system had declined from around 250,000 in the 1980s to 180,000 in 2014.  FocusMaine was launched with the intention to change the trajectory of the state’s economic decline by developing models to rebuild Maine’s economic base and to reverse the trend in the population of Maine schools. FocusMaine’s impact report demonstrates that its efforts have helped accelerate the growth of the state’s food economy and life science economy and inspire a future workforce.

About FocusMaine:

FocusMaine is a dynamic, data-driven, private sector-led initiative collaborating with influential leaders to accelerate the growth of Maine’s high-potential industries, creating quality jobs, and shaping a future-ready economy. Over the past seven years, the growth of FocusMaine sectors, the Food Economy and Life Science Economy, outpaced Maine’s overall growth. FocusMaine has catalyzed over 1,450 jobs, including 676 jobs in companies participating in their programs which created an additional 772 indirect jobs, generating $309 million in sales revenue for companies and $86.6 million in earnings for working Maine people.

Between 2023-2024, job growth in food companies participating in FocusMaine programs was twice as high as job growth in Maine’s overall food sector, and six times as high as job growth in Maine’s overall economy.

Media Contact

Mari Smith
Manager of Strategic Communications and Outreach
FocusMaine
mari@focusmaine.org or 207-200-3236