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As a longtime high school business teacher and current small business advisor, I’ve spent my career helping others chase their dreams, build meaningful careers, and discover the confidence that comes from learning real-world skills. But at some point, I realized I wanted to do more than just teach entrepreneurship—I wanted to live it, and most importantly, to do it for my own kids.
The Sweet Life Kettle Corn Company is my way of building something lasting—not just a business, but a legacy of opportunity. I started this company to show my children what’s possible when you combine passion with purpose. I want them to see that hard work, creativity, and a commitment to community can lead to something truly sweet.
More than that, I wanted to create a space where all kids—not just my own—can grow. Sweet Life provides flexible jobs for local teens, especially those balancing academics, sports, and extracurriculars, giving them the chance to develop work ethic, confidence, and business skills they can carry for life.
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I’m Jordene Trueh, founder of Backriver Blends, based in Topsham, Maine. My journey into food entrepreneurship was inspired by my Jamaican heritage and a personal mission to create safe, flavorful meals for my family—especially after my daughter developed severe food allergies.
With nearly 30 years of experience in both the nonprofit and business sectors, I bring a strong background in leadership, operations, and community engagement. While I don’t have formal culinary training, I’ve been mentored by experienced food entrepreneurs and supported by local programs like the CEI Women’s Business Center and Dirigo Labs. These experiences have helped me build a business grounded in authenticity, inclusion, and sustainability.
Living and working in Maine has connected me to a community that values quality, innovation, and local roots—and that’s exactly what I aim to reflect through Backriver Blends.
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We are a small family-run business based in central Maine, creating natural tallow skincare made with simple, high-quality ingredients. We render our own tallow in-house to ensure the purest product possible, and everything we make is crafted in small batches with care.
This started from our own family’s need—living with multiple food allergies and sensitivities made it difficult to find skincare we could trust. Because of that, we made our products free from the top 8 allergens as well as sunflower, so they can be safe and gentle for other families like ours.
What began at local farmers markets has grown to nation wide thanks to your support, and we’re truly grateful to share this journey with you.
Grounded Confections is dedicated to providing chocolate that is not only beautifully hand-crafted, but also compassionate of the world we live in. By partnering with like-minded suppliers and prioritizing sustainable practices, we strive to create a delicious chocolate bar without compromising our impact on the environment. We focus on partnering with suppliers who share the same values such as preserving the habitat of the orangutans and are conscientious of the communities our ingredients are grown in. Grounded Confections is committed to this vision for a better world. Our name reflects our focus on creating chocolate that is not only delicious but also grounded in mindfulness and compassion.
At the heart of our business lies our pride of being a woman-owned and operated small business, crafting artisanal, high-quality chocolate with care and precision. Each bar we produce is a testament to the passion and dedication of the women who pour their hearts into every step of the process. This love and creative energy is imbued in every bar.
By choosing to support small businesses like Grounded Confections, you are supporting a network that uplifts other small businesses. We collaborate with other small businesses and entrepreneurs as much as possible, fostering a community where everyone can thrive. Your support helps us to invest in these partnerships, creating a ripple effect of positive impact. We thank you for your support and invite you to enjoy one of the many chocolate bars we offer.
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I make handcrafted, small tabletop baskets and hanging baskets. Each basket is crocheted using macramé cord, which is made in the USA and finished with leather handles and leather patches with various designs. By using macramé cord, these baskets have a firm, but flexible design. All of the leather is hand-selected from a local leather shop and cut to size for each baskets handles and patches. The basket designs are inspired by all of the beauty that Maine has to offer, from the Maine woods, lakes and ponds, to the beautiful Maine coast. The Woodlands Collection includes earth tones and a Northern Maine feel, whereas the Coastal Collection includes a combination of beach and nautical vibes. I also make seasonal/holiday, custom and one-off designs, as I am often inspired to try something new!
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My designs are drawn from visual memories of my experiences growing up on an old farm in rural Maine combined with my life long interest in architecture and craft and contemporary design. My craft resume includes work in architectural design, house carpentry, historic preservation architectural millwork, cabinet work and furniture making.
The shop is not a manufactory. I build the furniture one piece at a time so I have the flexibility to add custom pieces to my schedule and I welcome those opportunities. I’m doing work that I enjoy and I hope that my furniture will bring enjoyment to you as well.
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I have always enjoyed animals, nature, and wildlife, taking every opportunity I could to spend time outdoors. My “first career” was as a veterinarian and wildlife rehabiltator, spending my days indoors with the animals I loved. With time, however, the pull towards the outdoors increased. Having 2 brothers that were professional photographers, the bridge into wildlife photography was easy. I originally started with an old film camera, eventually worked my way up to a digital camera, and was ultimately convinced by a friend that it was time to step up and purchase a professional quality camera body. From that point forward, I’ve never looked back — spending every spare moment capturing the fascination I see in the wild world. Again, a well meaning friend indicated I should really start to sell my images — and although I was originally reluctant, I started to make my photos available, and very quickly was chosen for a magazine cover image. From there, I haven’t turned back – and am looking to both further my photography skills and my business!
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Made in Maine from 85% repurposed materials with our very own hands.
We search the state for antique coffee pots, tea pots, tins, canisters, kerosene lanterns and even camping cook kits to make each feeder its very own. Perfect for any style home, camps and cottages. There is only ONE of each feeder on our site, so if you like it, buy it – because it may not be there tomorrow!
The feeders are designed for black oil sunflower seeds. The tea and coffee pots have a hole in the spout and is sealed in the inside to keep water from entering the feeder. The tray, often made out of a pie pan or pot lid have holes in them so that water does not collect.
Two things you need to remember about the feeders, squirrels can get on them and they do not hold up to bears. We have had both at the camp and a bear completely destroyed a feeder and it could not be repaired. The feeders do, at least in Maine, attract Cardinals, Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Chickadees ( Maine’s state bird), Goldfinch, Titmouse Birds and Rose Breasted Grosbeaks among others.
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Jessie Muhlin (Founder/Chief Operating Officer of Buba OG) is a Professor of Marine Biology at Maine Maritime Academy who specializes in seaweeds. She loves nothing more than making and sharing baked goods for students, friends, and family. In 2024, Jessie took the plunge in not just thinking about Buba OG as a dream, but putting the pieces in place to make it happen. She has really enjoyed connecting with so many different communities in Maine on her journey into the business realm and looks forward to continuing to learn and explore through her company.
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I’m a retired shop teacher; Waldo County Technical Center. Taught kids and adults for 25 years. Through the years have built boats, and the home I live in Montville Maine. My journey into art began as the youngest artist to be represented by a prestigious gallery in NY. Took a few art classes in college. Won a few awards, Harlow Gallery, Hallowell and showed in Portland and Damariscotta., River Arts. I spent several years doing wildlife carvings some of which can be viewed on my website, mainelymirrors.com and my facebook page, Hawk Hollow Woodworks. My recent work draws inspiration from the natural beauty of aging and imperfection, a concept deeply rooted in the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. This aesthetic, which values simplicity, and the passage of time, has emerged organically in my creations. The mirror frames I craft from various woods often highlight the marks of distress, weathering, and age – features that tell a story of resilience and transformation. As I reflect on my more recent pieces, it has become clear that this philosophy, though unintentional at first now deeply informs my approach. Each frame embodies the idea that beauty can be found in the imperfect and transient.
