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FARMINGTON – Entrepreneurial-minded students, supporters and even TV’s Main Cabin Master were all recognized at the Entrepreneurship Research Center’s awards ceremony on Monday, January 22nd.
On Monday, Jan. 22, participants will spend the first hour wandering among tables scattered in the North Dining Hall at the University of Maine at Farmington, where an hors d’oeuvre buffet, cash bar and Volunteer of the Year award will be provided. I wandered between the dessert tables. The recipient is Tara Bryant. While the presenters took turns getting ready and mingling, guests could browse and purchase items from entrepreneurial pop-up shops lined up in one corner of the room, or move to the opposite wall of the room to participate in a silent auction. I was able to do something.
The pop-up shop will feature jewelry and other items made from recycled materials by Sophie Haley Vig, macrame jewelry by Jade Taylor, decorative bismuth trinkets by Tyler Beach, a variety of jewelry by Leila DeCastro, and gnomes and paint by Lindy Woodsam It included a seashell magnet, and a turkey. I got a call from an entrepreneur who couldn’t attend, but Haley Vieg was at the table in her place.
Thirteen-year-old Woodsam explained how her gnome came to be. [my mom] I was like, “Why don’t you try being a gnome?” And I thought, “Yes!”
“It took a lot of trial and error to figure it out,” Woodsam added. She says her final product is made from a combination of patterned socks and fuzzy socks on the outside of the gnome, and the inside is stuffed with both rice and polyfill to give it some weight to stand on. It is said that it is given. The pom-pom at the tip of her hat is made of fur material.
“We make them for every holiday,” Ussam said proudly, showing off a display that is currently mostly Valentine’s Day related.
DeCastro, also 13, created a variety of jewelry pieces, ranging from pieces made from polymer clay to wooden pieces cut with a laser cutter in the Makerspace at CES. She said some of the parts of her jewelry are ready-made, but the majority is made by her.
DeCastro was also selling rubber duck earrings, specifically to benefit the CES Makerspace. DeCastro and another entrepreneur friend came up with the idea. When asked why it’s a duck, he said, “I don’t know. I think we just liked it and agreed so the money would go to the makerspace.”
Once the awards began, presentations were made to sponsors and students alike.
Awards awarded include:
Supporter of the Year — Flint Christie, President, Kies Insurance
Volunteer of the Year – Tara Bryant
Outstanding Youth Award – Alicia Phillips-CES Store Employee of the Year
Outstanding Young People Award – Sophie Hayley-Vig, Entrepreneur of the Year
Finally, many watched as Main Cabin Masters stars “Jedi” Jared Baker and Jason Thornton personally accepted the 2023 Changemaker of the Year award on behalf of Kennebec Cabin Company and Main Cabin Masters. I was shocked.
(Photo provided by: Center for Entrepreneurship Studies)
The night was also a fundraiser, with highlights including a $7,500 cash prize from KeyBank and a successful silent auction, said CES Director Kathy Melonek Beecham.
The Entrepreneurship Research Center was founded in 2018 by Bonita Tompkins with a mission to “help 10-24 year olds succeed and lead,” according to its website. They are her 501(c) non-profit company and rely on donations as well as sales at their downtown Farmington store to fund this mission.
Find out how you can help with the handouts included in Monday’s event. Visit us at our store at 156 Main Street in Farmington or visit www.cesmaine.org.
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