2025 Maine Summer Accelerator

The 2025 Maine Summer Accelerator Program is dedicated to empowering student entrepreneurs connected to Maine. Open to Maine based college students and students from Maine studying out-of-state. Students will have the opportunity to attend this free program and live in one of two apartment complexes in downtown Portland with their cohort.

Program Overview

Participants will work on-site from June 16 – August 15 in Portland’s up and coming entrepreneurial community at The Roux Institute providing the perfect environment for hands-on learning and innovation. The Maine Summer Accelerator will help students take their startups to the next level while enjoying one of the most scenic and dynamic cities in the U.S.

Program Details

Location: The Roux Institute, Portland, ME

Focus Areas: Tech Innovation, Business Development, Market Strategy, and Team Building

Participants: Entrepreneurs, Founders, and Startup Teams ready to accelerate their growth

Applications Open: November 18, 2024

Application Deadline: January 15, 2025

Screening (in-person or virtual): January 24 + 27, 2025

Selection Announced: January 31, 2025

2025 Maine Summer Accelerator Dates: June 16 – August 15, 2025

Mentors and Speakers Include

Eric Paley

Partner at Founder Collective

Eric is a Partner at Founder Collective, a seed-stage venture capital fund based in Cambridge, MA and Soho, NY. Eric led Founder Collective’s investments into numerous companies including Uber, Cruise, Airtable, Whoop, and The TradeDesk (Nasdaq: TTD).

Previously, Eric founded Brontes Technologies, a 3D imaging company, spun out of MIT and acquired by 3M. Eric has been named to the Forbes Midas List of top venture capitalists five times.

Nancy Brown, MBA

General Partner at Oak HC/FT

A unique set of healthcare experiences from healthcare delivery at a Staff Model HMO to a three-time entrepreneur focused on tech-enabled services and now working in venture capital. Nancy Brown’s work in venture capital is focused on tech-enabled services that substantially move the cost and quality needle or support the needs of employers to better engage their employees to drive improvement in the achievement of corporate goals.

Rich Miner

Co-Founder of Android

Rich has been an innovation leader and investor for over 35 years. He co-founded and helped grow Android into the world’s most popular operating system with more than 3.6 billion users in 190 countries. This groundbreaking work revolutionized the way people interact with technology, expanding the reach of the internet, information, and apps to billions. After launching Android, Rich co-founded and helped build GV (Google Ventures) into the leading corporate venture capital fund.

Key Program Features

Expert Mentorship: Be paired with a mentor for 1:1 advice and guidance throughout the eight weeks.

Workshops: Participate in carefully curated sessions on topics like scaling strategies, product development, and go-to-market execution.

Office Hours: Meet 1:1 with workshop facilitators and speakers to learn from their experiences.

Maine Outings: Every other week, immerse yourself in the beauty of Maine, with experiences like hiking Pleasant Mountain, swimming at Willard Beach, and discovering the charm of Kennebunkport.

Key Participant Benefits

Cohort-Based Learning: Be part of a dynamic community of driven founders, sharing knowledge and experiences.

Customized Mentorship: Gain strategic insights from mentors with a diverse range of industry expertise.

Access to Roux Institute’s Network: Leverage our extensive resources, world-class facilities, and the thriving Maine entrepreneurial community in our collaborative workspaces.

Accommodations: Live within walking distance to your cohort and downtown Portland.