COLLEGE EDITION
Targeting as many Maine colleges as wish to participate, Greenlight Maine College Edition highlights the best full or part-time college students who have a business idea in any stage of development, from a simple idea to a well-constructed business plan. The 13 semi-finalists square off in a non-televised pitch-off to determine the three best collegiate entrepreneurs. Those three finalists then pitch off against one another in the Greenlight Maine Collegiate Finale to compete for a cash prize.
Why We Created College Edition
In an effort to stop the flow of Maine college graduates out of the state, Greenlight Maine produced a College Edition pilot series in 2018 that included entries from Bates, Colby, Husson University, University of Maine Orono, University of Southern Maine and Central Maine Community College. This allowed Greenlight Maine to produce five shows, which generated a great deal of excitement in the college, business, and investment communities.
Our aim was to provide the students with a forum where they could demonstrate their business initiatives to an audience that was eager to find ways to encourage them to establish their businesses in Maine and to expose them to all of the opportunities and services available. In addition to the media exposure, the winner won a $25,000 cash prize. The winner of the pilot series, Kinotek, experienced a tremendous surge in interest in the company from its win.
In 2019, the Greenlight Maine College Edition grew to eight episodes with the addition of contestants from St Joseph’s College, University of New England and Thomas College.
The 2020 series reached Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, College of the Atlantic, Husson University, Maine College of Art, Maine Maritime Academy, Maine Community College System, The Maine University System, Thomas College, Unity College, St. Joseph’s College and the University of New England.
In future years, we hope to grow the prize purse to include second and third place cash prizes for the college contestants. The feedback from students, college administrators and businesspeople has been overwhelmingly positive. The series is a win-win for all involved – and for the future of our great state of Maine!
Schedule of College Edition
Green Light Maine College Edition Begins in March 2023
Greenlight Maine airs on Maine Public Thursday evenings at 8:30, Friday afternoons at 2:30pm, and Sunday afternoons at 5:30pm.
SEASON 6
Season 6 | Episode 1
Premiered Jan. 19, 2021
Steven Doman and John Peters
Business: TrustedRentr
School: University of Maine
vs.
George DeLana and Rachael Rosow
Business: Nook Storage
School: Bates
Winner: Nook Storage
Season 6 | Episode 2
Premiered Jan. 26, 2021
Dylan Veilleux
Business: TreeFreeHeat
School: Thomas College
vs.
Jillian Robillard
Business: Southern Maine Crabs / Green Bait
School: University of New England
Winner: Southern Maine Crabs / Green Bait
Season 6 | Episode 3
Premiered Feb. 2, 2021
Sam Dorval and Max Burtis
Business: Ferda Farms LLC
School: University of Maine Orono
vs.
Rebecca Barulli
Business: Grow Your Own Way
School: Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Winner: Ferda Farms
Season 6 | Episode 4
Premiered Feb. 9, 2021
Derek Foy
Business: GEIONS Retail
School: Husson University
vs.
Joshua Kim
Business: Sklaza
School: Colby College
Winner: Sklaza
Season 6 | Episode 5
Premiered Feb. 16, 2021
Hannah Marr
Company: BridalVision
School: Husson University
vs.
Torsten Brinkema
Business: Weart, LLC
School: Colby College
Winner: Bridal Vision
Season 6 | Episode 6
Premiered Feb. 23, 2021
Keith Reilly and Raja Muthyam
Business: Gait Project X (GPX)
School: University of New England
vs.
Alexander Karris
Business: Family Time Memory Software
School: University of Maine
Winner: Gait Project X
Season 6 | Episode 7
Premiered March 1, 2021
Katharine Dougherty and Christian Krohg
Company: Easy Eats
School: Colby College
vs.
Evan Horenstein
Business: Find my college roommate
School: University of Maine at Orono
Winner: Easy Eats
Season 6 | Episode 8
Premiered March 8, 2021
Suzie Milkowich, Lori Sitzabee, and Kelsey Allen
Business: LetsGoBagz
School: University of Maine Orono
vs.
Steven Ferrarese
Company: Easy Unlocker
School: University of Maine
Winner: LetsGoBagz
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