Since The Roux Institute at Northeastern University opened its doors in 2020, it has been a hub for entrepreneurs and startups at all launch stages, offering support through programs such as accelerators, residencies, and workshops. So, when The Roux sought a new approach to further engage communities across Maine with accessible events where entrepreneurial-minded individuals of all experience levels could network and ideate, the concept of Start Summits emerged. 

The Roux’s Start Summits are immersive, one-and-a-half-day events similar to a hackathon, hosted in a variety of Maine towns and cities open to anyone interested in entrepreneurship. The summit sees teams randomly assigned, all of whom bring their unique skillset, background, and thought process to their team. After an evening of networking, each of the roughly ten teams will spend the next day developing a solution or concept to the challenge, taking part in a design-thinking and pitching workshop, and ultimately a pitch competition to a panel of judges. Throughout the day, they’ll have the opportunity to connect with mentors who have specific expertise and receive feedback on their ideas and pitches. 

“Our goal with the Start Summits is to reach as diverse an audience as possible, and to provide Maine people with access to a space that encourages them to dream big. To do this, we are engaging towns across the state, and working to make sure that local communities are at the heart of each event” says Anna Ackerman, Entrepreneurship Program Manager, noting that past participants have included students, grad students, retirees, people in the middle of their careers, and some who are already established in the startup ecosystem. 

Each Start Summit has a theme to provide focus. To date, the summits have focused on agtech, bluetech and coastal economies, and social innovation. Topics are most often created in collaboration with the hosting community’s leaders based on the challenges they see locally. 

For Emily Kelly, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Data Analytics at The Roux Institute, her interest in entrepreneurship began when she was in The Peace Corps, where she focused on food security in Nepal. She witnessed the effects of resources and technical capacity on the region’s small businesses. Now, she’s embedded in a hub of Maine entrepreneurism, attending pitch competitions, Techstar and Founders Residency presentations, and of course, a Start Summit event in Lewiston. 

“After witnessing so many pitches and ideas proposed by others, I wanted to see what I could do as part of a team in an intensive workshop,” says Kelly, whose team was challenged to develop an idea that would have a social impact locally. “As a full-time student who’s also working, I don’t have much time to fully develop a business idea, but it’s much more accessible to have this short-form summit. It can lead to interesting concepts and great connections.” 

Fred McNair, who owns Fred’s Fried Dough and also took part in the Lewiston Start Summit, has always been drawn to entrepreneurism. Like Kelly, McNair had attended some of the pitch competitions at The Roux Institute and jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Start Summit. 

“Honestly, I was a little nervous, for sure,” he said. “When I got there, I started meeting people. I made some connections with people who weren’t even on my team, and I worked with the team I had just met and had a great time. I’d sign up for another one in a heartbeat.” 

The judges evaluate the team’s ideas based on their innovation and pitch, and award the top two with cash prizes.

“This event is a kickstarter for people sitting on great ideas or those who need the extra push to go out and start something on their own,” says Ackerman. “Once they participate in a Start Summit, they are connected to The Roux Institute network, and it’s our job to help them figure out what the next steps are if they choose to go forward.”

“There are more steps obviously than one day of sitting down and planning, but the Start Summit reinforced the idea that anyone can take the next steps on building a business upon a wild solution that pops into one’s head, adds Kelly. “I can seriously consider how to build out my business concepts instead of immediately dismissing them because I’ve never founded a company. That impact is a powerful concept.”

Want to get involved? The next Start Summit “From Waste to Prototype” is March 23-24 at USM in Portland.  Register here!