Cultivator

Maine’s leading food, beverage & seafood accelerator for scaling brands.

  • Maine Entrepreneurs Summit 2026 USM Abromson Center
  • Maine Entrepreneurs Summit 2026 USM Abromson Center
  • Maine Entrepreneurs Summit 2026 USM Abromson Center
  • Maine Entrepreneurs Summit 2026 USM Abromson Center

Cultivator, originally developed by Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE) and now part of the Maine Center, is a 12-month, is a year-long, hands-on accelerator designed to help established food and beverage companies scale to the next level. Each business is paired with a dedicated team of industry experts who work alongside them to assess strengths, identify gaps, and create a prioritized, trackable strategic plan. Throughout the year, participants benefit from targeted coaching and mentoring, skill-building workshops, interactive webinars, and technical trade support—equipping them with the tools, insights, and connections to grow with confidence.

Key Program Elements

Receive an in-depth evaluation of your company with a tailored action plan to guide your growth. Assessment and strategic growth areas include sales & marketing, finance, operations, and building out your team. Each company is paired with a dedicated project manager to guide the process and create a customized plan that addresses specific challenges and goals.

Each company is supported by an advisory team of industry experts who conduct an in-depth company review and provide on-going support throughout the year.

MCE’s food industry expertise spans multiple channels, including foodservice, grocery, retail, and eCommerce. Our consultants and industry leaders bring years of experience in operational efficiencies; financial acumen regarding COGs, logistics, and distribution; and strategies for successful market expansion and growth. Funding is available for additional technical assistance projects.

Sharpen your skills through targeted workshops, webinars and food trend reports. Join a supportive community of Maine entrepreneurs—collaborating,
sharing insights and best practices, and growing value-added brands together

Is Cultivator Right for You?

Yes – if you:

  • Have built a strong value-added food brand
  • Operate with a scalable business model
  • Are ready to accelerate your growth and expand into new markets

What Our Clients Are Saying

Engaging the advisory team is simply the best thing that I have ever done for my company. The process pointed out issues with our business (both known and unknown), provided us with possible solutions, and brought our work team closer together.  We are already implementing suggestions we received.

If you are thinking of partnering, DO IT!  It is the best thing that ever happened to Spartan LLC.”

– Ken Curtis Sparta, Spartan Sea Farms

The Cultivator program helped build our sales and we’re seeing significant growth in the NYC area. They helped with sales strategy, operations, capacity planning, and KPIs. It’s great to know someone has our backs.”

– Sarah Speare, Tootie’s Tempeh, Inc.

We are miles ahead of where we were, thanks to the Cultivator Program. We were able to get a different perspective of our business that really opened our eyes. They were also instrumental in helping us get the funding needed to execute on our plan.”

– Christopher Campbell, Maine Cap N’ Stem

Questions?

For questions about the Cultivator program or application process, please contact mainecenter@maine.edu.

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