Nexus Maine - Spring is Here!
Introducing the Nexus Member Directory, a ton of jobs, and more!
Well it is officially Spring and the green shoots of events, new jobs postings, and activity are sprouting up all around us.
This week we are excited to unveil the new Nexus Maine Member Directory. Our goal is to help members discover and connect with one another - so whether you're looking for a collaborator, a mentor, or just someone who shares your interests - this is the place to start. More details below.
In other news… we’ve had an influx of new job openings posted by Nexus members, we continue to work on additional member/website updates, and please mark your calendars for Startup Maine Week beginning on May 19. Several events will be hosted by Nexus and Nexus members. Stay tuned for more.
Lastly, as always if you know anyone great for this group, please make sure to send them this invite link.
Baxter the Moose is the lovable mascot of the professional networking group Nexus Maine. He is excited to form even more connections with his friends because they have just launched a new member directory. Make it style of studio Ghibli.
What’s in this newsletter
Announcement: Nexus Member Directory
Nexus Swag
Event Highlights
Jobs & Talent
Member Spotlight: Chris Hawker
Announcement: Nexus Member Directory
We are excited to share that we have launched a new Nexus Member Directory! Our goal is for Nexus members to more easily connect with each other by highlighting similar industries, jobs, and interests in a simple interface.
Participation is optional, but we welcome anyone who wants to get more connected with other members to build a profile. You can expect us to continue to iterate and improve this directory over time.
P.S. MASSIVE kudos to Max Joles who generously donated his time to building this. We can personally attest to his superhuman Airtable skills.
Nexus Swag
Don’t forget about our recently launched Nexus Maine swag store. Our vision is to introduce physical elements into the world that spark conversation and jumpstart human to human interaction.
Event Highlights
April 3: Nexus Maine Midcoast Coffee Meetup
9:00am - Maine Street Market in Rockland
April 8: Maine JS Meetup
April 10: 2025 Kickoff: Future of Healthcare Founder Residency
May 16: Maine Entrepreneur Summit
May 19: The Founder Residency Venture Showcase
May 19-22: Startup Maine Week!
Stay tuned for the Nexus Coffee meetup and Nexus speakers/presenters throughout the week as well.
Check out our Events Calendar Link in Notion for more. Are you an event owner? Submit your event here to be added to the calendar!
Nexus Jobs & Talent
Hiring:
Retego is looking for a Chief of Staff.
Nexus Contact: Jason Cianchette
Maine Venture Fund has launched a job board for their portfolio companies
ATX Advisory Services is looking for a software implementation lead and technical developer.
Nexus Contact: Mike Montenegro
Wayneflete is hiring an Associate Dean of Admission and Affordability.
Nexus Contact: Fiona Haslett
Steve Smith Trial Laywers is looking for an an Accountant
Nexus Contact: Andrew Wood
College of Business at UNE (Biddeford Campus) is hiring for a content growth specialist and an office coordinator.
Nexus Contact: Norm O’Reilly
Live and Work In Maine is looking for a marketing intern.
Nexus Contact: Katie Shorey
Tyler Technologies is looking for a cloud site reliability engineer.
Nexus Contact: Michael Pistrang
FYI - There are more postings in the #Nexus-Jobs channel in slack. If you are looking for great talent or considering your next move please reach out to Jimmy and George and we’ll help connect you!
Member Spotlight: Chris Hawker
Career/Bio Overview
I’m a serial entrepreneur passionate about innovation and people. I run two companies - Small Software (an employee engagement platform for 400+ McDonald’s locations) and CultureFire (leadership and wellness training). I’m a trainer myself and lead immersive emotional intelligence workshops, in person or on Zoom. I’m also a professional inventor with 40+ patents and 100+ products on the market (Google Onion Goggles or PowerSquid).
Why Maine?
I moved to Portland sight unseen from Columbus, Ohio on January 1st to be closer to my son, Nico, who goes to Hyde Boarding School in Bath. I have loved it here so far! Portland’s authentic vibe, awesome coffee, and welcoming people (especially at Nexus!) has made me feel at home. I’m going to stay.
Away from Keyboard
I love skiing (especially with Nico), exploring the outdoors, and yoga and Pilates (shoutout to Portland Yoga Collective). I’m into sci-fi books, personal development content, and I travel a ton, though Maine is already home.
Let’s Talk
I’m super new here and looking to build both a network and community. I’m grateful for Nexus (thanks, Lauren Schulman!). I’m always up for connecting, learning about what you do, and finding ways to collaborate. In particular, I'm looking for an AI expert! Let’s grab coffee or jump on Zoom.
How to Get in Touch
Email: chris@chrishawker.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chrishawker/
P.S. The Nexus Trilogy by Ramez Naam (a Google Technologist), is fantastic, near future, pulse-pounding sci-fi that is super relevant (AI, robotics, nanotech, NeuralLink) to the world we live in today. Check it out.
Thank you for making this community special, everyone! See you on Slack.
George & Jimmy
Thank you to our sponsor Maine Technology Institute for supporting Nexus Maine.
