Those who attend will hear inspiring stories from female business owners, learn a business framework to turn a passion into a viable business, put pen to paper in writing their business plan, and walk away with a network of business owners.
Details
Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024
Time: 5:15 - 9:30 pm, please arrive by 5:15 pm
Location: The Roux Institute at Northeastern University, 100 Fore St, Portland, ME. Public Parking is available off Freedom Way.
Fee: $50* per person for drinks, dinner, and an educational entrepreneurship boot camp. Thank you to Otto Pizza for their donation.
*As we develop different types of events, we are working on prices to make these events sustainable. If cost is a factor, we want to help. For each event, we set aside tickets for this purpose. Please email us at hello@heldportland.com
Cancellation policy: All sales are final and non-refundable. However, your tickets are transferable to an individual. If transferred to someone, please email us their name and email address at hello@heldportland.com.
What to expect
The topic and goals - Human connection is at the heart of each held gathering. Our goals are always twofold: to spark meaningful connections that ultimately foster a deeply rooted community and to inspire women with a specific topic. For our June event, we’re calling all women who have thought about becoming an entrepreneur and/or are curious about what it takes to start a business. Surrounded by female founders and business owners, attendees will hear stories about how these entrepreneurs took an idea or passion, overcame their fears and perceived obstacles, and turned it into a business plan. Those attending will also work together to solve a local female-owned business problem, learn a business plan framework, and put pen to paper in writing their own business plan. This event is for anyone curious about what it takes to be an entrepreneur who wants to experience solving a real-life business problem and/or who is eager to learn about the first steps to starting a business. If you are interested in entrepreneurship or nervous about taking the entrepreneurial leap, we promise you’ll leave inspired and more knowledgeable. The theme of the bootcamp is “just do it!”
Opening remarks and event kick-off - Mary Beth and Tenaya will welcome everyone, share the event’s concept, and give an overview of The Roux Institute x held entrepreneurship boot camp. They’ll introduce Terra Dunham, The Roux Institute entrepreneurship programming lead, who will provide a brief introduction to her background and experience in both working a full-time job and running a business remotely.
The ice breaker - Going around the room in rapid-fire succession, we’ll ask everyone to respond in one word: “What comes to mind when you think of an entrepreneur?”
A panel of female business owners - Tenaya will facilitate a panel of female founders and business owners. From the stories shared, attendees will learn more about the founders' backgrounds, their diverse business ideas, their first steps to “just doing it!” and how they ultimately turned an idea or passion into a viable business. Attendees will also receive imparting advice on how to have an “entrepreneurial mindset.”
Learning an entrepreneurship framework - Terra will engage the room in a discussion about what it means to be an entrepreneur. She will then walk the audience through an entrepreneurship framework that can be applied to any business idea or problem.
Solving a real business problem - Tenaya and Mary Beth will introduce Kathy Palmer, Founder and owner of The Fish & Bone, a local pet supply and food store. Kathy will share her story and passion behind starting her business and introduce a current business problem that needs help solving. Referencing the entrepreneurship framework, attendees will break into groups and spend time brainstorming solutions for The Fish & Bone. Time will be set aside to present each group’s business solution to Kathy.
You as an entrepreneur—putting pen to paper - Attendees can work by themselves in writing their business plan or be paired with another attendee or business owner to ideate further on a business idea. Wrapping up the session, participants will be invited to share their business ideas in ten words or less. They say writing something down and saying it aloud makes you more likely to “just do it!”
Closing remarks and networking - Tenaya and Mary Beth will provide the closing remarks and takeaways with printed resources including mentorship opportunities that are free to small business owners and those wanting to launch a business. Attendees are welcome to stay and mingle with one another, the event panelists, and instructors.
The bios
Jenny Bravo
Terra Dunham
Lisa Jones
Kathy Palmer
Cherie Scott
Sponsors
A big thank you to Gorham Savings Bank and to HM Payson for helping to make this event possible.