 Thank you all for coming. Welcome sponsors, entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs, board of directors, family and guests. Thank you for joining us for the first annual Build Abiz Award ceremony. Maine's economic future stands before us with these young entrepreneurs. So our support for our sponsors, young entrepreneurs, parents, board of directors and helpers. But first I have to talk a little bit about in 2010, more nervous than I have ever been, Dick McGoldrick introduced me to yellow light green of Bangor Savings Bank. I speedily went through my elevator pitch, so I know what your kids are going through, to yellow and Stacy on acquiring a nationally licensed program, Lemonade Day. I was looking for their financial support. I saw a way to bring entrepreneurship to kids in Maine. All went well until yellow asked, can we skip over here? Panic ensued, my mouth went dry and I said, sure. Four years later, we continue to make a difference for both our youth and Maine's economy. We would not be here today if it wasn't for Bangor Savings Bank and their 56 branches. Throughout Maine, who employees tirelessly talk to their customers about this opportunity for their children and ours and the positive impact it's going to have on Maine's future. Please join me in a round of applause for Bangor Savings Bank as they have been helping small businesses and entrepreneurs in Maine for 157 years. And thank you for all the sponsors for your support. You have all made the difference. You know who you are. Dick McGoldrick's entrepreneurial foresight. He is an amazing marketing and design team. Flight's web work, ProSearch for including us in their commercial every year about youth entrepreneurship. GWY who offers scholarships to these kids. You see I'm nervous too, you guys. Maine and Company showing kids how important it is to be heard with their story and Baldachi Business to Business for hosting the first annual in the beginning of Elevator Pitch. Wright Ryan who continually supports us every year and supports youth entrepreneurship and to all our partners who work tirelessly to get the word out about youth entrepreneurship. Thank you sponsors. So we are an entrepreneurial startup. We, like many others, we started with my passion. When I joined my husband's acapella music business, I started a high school acapella competition to compliment his college competition. I saw the passion and power these kids had when setting goals for themselves and reaching them. When we moved back to Portland in 2010, we both searched how we could support entrepreneurship. I became passionate about the possibilities that Lemonade offered for the kids. And I have never turned back since then. So like many other entrepreneurs and startups, we have a vision that is bigger than our current resources. And like many other entrepreneurial startups, we were very optimistic. How fast everything would get done. How many thousands of kids we would be here in year one. So while the inevitable delays led to a very short marketing period, which led to smaller numbers that I had hoped, we are very proud that more than 20% of those who registered completed the program, which is five times better than what we saw with Lemonade Day the last two years. Kids are coming up with amazing ideas and they're following through. We accomplished a lot in year one. We built a brand new program from scratch with the help of Debra Cantor and Humane Cooperative Extension Partnership. We created the first four online video modules with USM and ACTUS students. And we received great feedback from the parents and kids on this program to date. Our sponsor, the V agency, created amazing marketing materials. You look at our logos, our posters and tag lines again. Because I say again because they went through this whole process with us last year to create Lemonade Day, which we are going to bring it back. Thanks to all your efforts. And then our sponsor, Flight New Media, created the website, which I hope all of you have gone to buildabiz.me to view. We sustained over relationships like the Boys and Girls Club, which are in the back. And they created their Bliss Brownie Company during our pilot program in February. And I'm sure everybody looks like their brownies are gone. So you guys did a great job again. And we showed with the Baldachi on Business Show that when you empower kids, amazing things happen and have. So next year and beyond, we remain convinced that asking kids about their ideas is the right way to go, as opposed to dictating the way we did with Lemonade Day to give them a product and then to create it. We think the current younger kids division of the five to eight year olds will continue to serve us better and the way it's been going. But we learned that 17 year olds participated and got a lot out of this 19 to 15 year old program this year. So we're going to open it up to the nine to 18 year olds as we are building a program for the high school, but not quite this year. And then we're working on a teacher's mentor guide. You started it now and we're hoping to finish it by January. So our future includes many things, but mostly the mentor network for kids across the state because we've seen what a different has made either coaches or parents working with the children. Kristen, you can attest for this. We had coaches come in to help the kids and they just did an amazing job with the Boys and Girls Club. I'm working with Jim Wolf on from Fry Burger Academy right now, who is doing an entrepreneurial education program for the high school level. And it has been so successful that he wants to get help get the word out and he thinks working with us is going to be key in getting the word across the state. And then steadily add on online resources to provide more direction for main youth through resources and guiding. So what do we need to get there ongoing financial support? I need to build a team that includes a volunteer coordinator administrative assistance in house technical support and train the trainer person for parents and mentors. And we're looking for a vehicle that would work well around the state since we have kids all around the state and we're very well represented here today. So very excited about and then for the kids and parents, we will listen. We're asking for their feedback via survey and we are going to make the changes to enhance and develop the program. So more young entrepreneurs will be interested and want to get involved with us. So we are going to listen to all of what you have to say. For our other helpers, Trish, where is she? Our financial administrator, you have been a great sounding board for me also. Rob Baldacci, Jennifer Sherwood, where is she? Her counselors were our judges. Well, Lisa Panette Michelle, the lawyer worked really hard with the volunteers. Thank you very much. Stacey Haskell, she's not here. She was a big role for me. She works for Bangor Savings Bank. The yellow green is the right hand person. She has been part of my right hand person on my board as directors. And then all the volunteers, we can't even thank you enough. And we also have to thank all the parents and grandparents who are here. You have been a great, stable force for these kids as you can see their excitement. And so Southern Maine Community, Michelle, I'm going to introduce you. She's hosted the event for us our first annual and hopefully going forward from here. She's on my board of directors. She's an instructor here at SNCC and entrepreneurial studies. She's also a motivational speaker. She motivates me. And then what I really like about this is our future entrepreneurs have options for the education. And thanks to SMCC here are one of the options. So I'd like to welcome you and thank you. I just want to say welcome to all of you and a special welcome to all of the kids. I had my first business when I was eight. I wanted to be an author. So I wrote 43 books. They were really short stories, but they had my coloring on them and they had photos that I had taken out of my mom's closet. And then I autographed them. Have you guys ever practiced your autograph? Any of you kids in the room? If not, it's okay to go home and do it. All right. So I had all these books and I was like, Oh, how am I going to sell them? And so I tried to bring them to the library. They wouldn't take them. I can't understand why. And then I tried to sell them. I lived in the inner city. And I tried to sell them on the corner like a lemonade stand. Although the neighbor kids said I was really weird. And so what I ended up doing is sold them all to my mom's daycare kids and they use monopoly money. But I remember sitting there at eight, having this stack of monopoly money. It was an entrepreneur. Fast forward. Now I was eight. How many of you are around eight? I think there are a few eight, nine, 10. Okay, awesome. So when if you can think about when you're old, like when you're 25. So when you're 25, I then wrote my first book. And I had an old fashioned. This is I was a big person. I was an older lady. And I had a lemonade stand and I sold my real books. And so I just want to encourage you those dreams that you have today, those ideas that you have, they can actually be something that happens. And at SMCC, we're really passionate and we really care about helping our students, not forcing them to make entrepreneurship an option, but giving them the option that it's one of the options. You know, we have the culinary arts program here, we have horticulture, people work with flowers, we have people who build houses, and many of them end up having their own business. I have two students in Tiffany and Jessica, who both are in business for themselves and have taken classes here. And so I encourage you as you think about being older, which you know, sometimes it seems like forever till it will come that SMCC is a place both for parents for students. You can ask these guys afterwards and put me on the spot. But it's a really great place to to learn and explore. And the reason I'm here is I'm passionate. I love teaching business. And I started at a community college. And that was where I got my first education many a year ago at a community college in Minnesota. So we do offer classes on entrepreneurship here. You don't have to be a student to take those classes. So if even the parents in the room, you think I want to I want to try a course, you know, it's a pretty low expensive option. We also have a business incubator that's free to our students. And so you can come and get business coaching and there's resources. And our goal really is to work with our students and our alumni to help them to build and grow the businesses that they're working in. So it's a pleasure to have you all here. We know we don't think we know we have the most beautiful campus in Maine, and I believe in the country. So I will be around afterwards. Feel free to ask any questions or email me. If you go to the SMCC website, there's an entrepreneurial center page. I'm more than glad to answer questions for the kids, for the parents. If you have people that are interested outside, please don't hesitate to contact me. And I just want to say working with this lady is a pleasure. I need to give you a round of applause because her energy just inspired me. So much less nervous than me. Thank you very much. So this year, we had small numbers to start. We had big numbers to finish. So I want to give a round of applause. First, all the kids who participated went through the whole program, completed it with their passion and are here today as all winners. We did start small and accomplished big, didn't you? So Olivia Dan Boyce, 12-year-old competing track runner from Old Town, created a product which she pitched on Channel 5 on May 7th, winning her in the first place, which is a $1,000 scholarship from DWI. I would like Olivia and Trevor from DWI to come up here to a step. I'd like to share with us a little bit about your success or how you felt it went. I think building this was really good. It helps me with every step and it just like guided me right through the whole process and I think I'd be ready to start a business right now. With us, she actually had gone, you know, once school starts and, you know, the kids take off. So she's in Virginia. So her one of her prizes is my husband, Dawn Gooding, is going to talk a little bit about it because it is the TEDx. She won two tickets to TEDx, which I'm going to tell you a little bit about this and tell a little bit about it now. Sure. So have any of you heard of TED Talks? Yeah, some of you have. So TED Talks have been going on for a long time all around the world and here in Maine we have this event called TEDx Dirigo and it has all sorts of people sharing interesting ideas and so it's appropriate for a young entrepreneur to get to go to hear a whole bunch of people sharing their ideas because that's what you've been doing in Build-A-Biz. You've been sharing your business idea. I was honored. I actually got to go and share one of my big ideas on TEDx Dirigo last year and so I've got it out there and a bunch of people have looked at it. So I think when you go, when Raya goes, she'll get a chance to see how many people in Maine have really interesting ideas. It's very exciting. So congratulations, Raya. Raya actually has been involved with the Youth Entrepreneurial Program for three years. She started with a little lemonade stand. She grew it to include other things last year and this year she actually included plants that won. She's supporting three different causes, breast cancer. So she did plantings of pink plantings and then pink rata cancer which she did purple plantings and then autism. So she did colorful plantings. So she is supporting three that are actually close to her heart so we're sorry that she couldn't be with us today. And then third place, Lexie, would you like to come up here? Lexie Costopoulos who did this amazing job with her lemonade stand and where is Jim Gargesson? And so would you like to share with everybody a little bit about what you did on your day or some ideas? You did such a great job. You didn't even realize you were nervous. Delicious lemonade up there if you haven't tried it. Thank you. Good job. So next we are going to I'm going to ask Kisha, Kiana, and Kira Bennett to come up. So Kisha actually wrote this amazing story which we will have and where is Peter? Peter, so do you want to share a little bit? Well, Build-A-Vids really helped us like bond as family and it also like taught us like there's another way of getting money without like making money. Congratulations guys. You did a really great job. You did an awesome job. Nate Rock, Whoopie Pies and their survival bracelets and the potato bags so please if you haven't had a chance to see them please take a peek. They did a wonderful job and and we also have their two page Kisha's two page story out there so thank you. And second place, Raya and again she couldn't be with us. She did so here is her stand from last year. The other one was from this year. She's grown about a foot I think. And then Renee Rossi's retail shop. So Renee, you want to come up here? So Renee goes around to different little shops and tag sales and collects the batches. You're a meticulous in her story. She collects the best items and so she's reselling of them and so she's going to be the place to go to if you really want good quality clothes. So congratulations. I heard that you were both patient and thorough in your work so. Tell us a little bit about your experience. Confidence but I can do anything with it. I mean we just had so many stories and we could only pick out a few at a time. So Michael Norton, from Hannaford. Would you come up here and he is trying to get you. You're hiding on me. So Molly and Emma, story. They have been involved for a couple years doing an entrepreneurial program. You want to talk a little bit about? Well we started about a few years and the first year our grandfather had to make our little business. There's a lot of different stuff than the first year. What about those awesome magnets? You want to tell me? Where'd you get the bottle caps? Where'd you get them? I bought them. They're beautiful you know caps with magnets on the back and all different kinds that he had made little things on the inside so and so we have another little gift here from Hannaford. Michael Norton's here presented so they helped keep your business running this summer. So thank you. So Audrey couldn't make it. So she's uh she is going out of town right? So we have so Audrey and you want to talk a little bit about they have created together a warm farm. Most unique business here. So would you like to talk a little bit about it? Um take it apart kids is really from taking extra food that they'll ever eat and changing it to um stuff that is very good for the environment. Great job. Lexi we really should have mom come up too because this was a mom's story. Tell a little bit about your stand again a little bit more. All right so everybody's gonna have to go try your ground. So we have a little bit of a present here to help you keep your business going because we heard you're going to be running it all summer. Congratulations we're going to look forward to it. So we have a couple more announcements first. Where is Tiffany? Carbox. Oh there you are hiding right here. So Tiffany is an entrepreneurial student here at Southern Main Community College and she was one of the panelists for the Elevator Pitch of Baldachi. She did a really great job for us and I have a little gift here for you to thank you but I also wanted to say that we just found out today that she was awarded the entrepreneurial student of the year here at Southern Main Community. So her business she has. I actually have a food truck right on group one in Sokko right up from Funtown. I sell all natural beef and poultry products, high quality food. It's best without the afterglow. The best sweet potato fries you'll ever eat. All right so everybody get that whenever they're going to Funtown. You're going to have to go there. Well Alexa you got some tickets coming to Funtown so you're going to be able to stop right over at her truck. Thank you. Cassie and Sam you come up here. So Cassie and Sam with the Boys and Girls Club they will work with me at the pilot program and they created the Bliss Brownie companies which and they which they went through the five-week program and they sold their brownies at USM during entrepreneurial week. They've worked with me for three years part of it and they have done a great job and Sam is as nervous as me so she's not going to. That's okay. We want to thank you very much for all your hard work. You did a great job and we look forward to working with you again next year. Add that our dreams for Maine's future is here in our room right now. We have the chance to show them our support through supporting Build-A-Biz in many ways. If you're getting the word out to other kids that you know that have that potential they don't all have a guiding hand and we're going to be trying to provide that throughout the state so I hope that you are going to help me to be able to get that word out for next year. So this is just the beginning and with all of you here we can actually show the kids that even though they start small we can accomplish big. We have Tiffany Tarbox who actually started as a little young entrepreneur. She now has a truck. We have where are the mainly burgers. Okay we have two young men here. One goes to Tufts, Ben, Jack Barber goes to Batson and they decided they needed to have a summer job so they have created mainly burgers so you're also going to see this food truck around. So you and then listening to Michelle talking to about the potential that all of you can build on your dreams I think that raise some hands here. Are we going to continue our businesses? So we are going to start small and we are going to accomplish big. Thank you again so much for coming and supporting all these young entrepreneurs and build it is. I really appreciate it. Thank you very much.