CEI (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.)

Last week, our CEO Betsy Biemann and other OFN Board Members met with Biden-Harris Administration officials from the Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, Office of Public Engagement, and U.S. Department of the Treasury to discuss how to increase access to financial support for underserved communities.   We are so proud to have been invited to this meeting, and excited for the conversations happening around recognizing the value of Community Development Financial Institutions in making the economy work more equitably. #CDFI #CDFIs #WhiteHouse #TheHill #DC

Today, Governor Janet Mills announced the launch of the Maine Funding Network, which helps Maine businesses explore and secure financing. We’re proud to be a partner in this venture, helping more Maine businesses succeed. 📍To see if we’re a funding match for your business, visit MaineFundingNetwork.com

Tonight's the U.S. Small Business Administration SBA Awards! Congratulations again to the incredible CEI clients, staff, and friends who will be celebrated tonight. 🌟Kirantee Sangsap of Studio Choo11 for Maine Home Based Business of the Year 🌟Grace Mo Phillips (CEI Staff) of Belle Cove, LLC for Small Business Exporter of the Year 🌟 niky watler amaris dwin and Martha Leonard of Maiz for Maine and New England Minority Owned Small Business of the Year 🌟Kendra P. Chubbuck (client and former CEI staff!) of Shore Shop Gifts for Maine Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year 🌟Heather Kerner of The Good Crust for Maine Small Business Manufacturer of the Year 🌟Sarah Morneault and Lindsey Levesque of Tiller & Rye for Woman Owned Small Business of the Year And lastly, a big congrats to Matthew Polstein, Small Business Person of the Year, who served many years on one of our subsidiary boards! 👏 👏 👏

CEI President Keith Bisson recently shared his thoughts on how Community Development Finance can use collaboration to make the most of the historic Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund opportunity to help communities with low incomes make the transition to a just, vibrant, and climate-resilient future. #CDFI #CommunityDevelopmentFinance #GGRF #ClimateAction #JustTransition 

CEI Tastemakers recipient last year Diggables is making a splash! FocusMaine

The COVID-19 pandemic showed the US the fragility of our national food supply chain, with shocks to the system from farm production to food processing to transportation to store shelves. There is another major disruption underway: the changing climate. Unlike COVID, whose effect was severe in scope, but limited in time frame, the impacts of climate change are ongoing and accelerating. The resilience of our food system requires diversification, which means an increased emphasis on localized processing, distribution, and retail. Learn more about how we're investing in a resilient local food system in #Maine in our article for GreenMoney Journal featuring CEI clients Short Creek Farm and Tiller & Rye https://lnkd.in/gSkDMsTz #EatLocal #LocalFood #MaineFood #CDFI #ClimateAction #ClimateResilience Bradley Russell Keith Bisson Betsy Biemann Gabrielle Grunkemeyer

Mark your calendars for May 16 and the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs Summit - featuring CEI (Coastal Enterprises, Inc.)'s Grace Mo Phillips on helping immigrants and refugees in Maine achieve entrepreneurial success.

For 47 years, CEI has empowered underserved communities, especially in rural areas, to access capital and build a sustainable future. As we celebrate the 54th anniversary of #EarthDay, we honor the intentions of its founder, the late Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, to forge a sustainable society, an “environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all human beings, and all other living creatures” through our continuing investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable food systems, all while advocating for national funding to support these initiatives. Our work bridges the gap: While new technologies often favor urban areas and the well-off, as a Community Development Financial Institution, CEI helps rural and other overlooked communities adopt solutions like solar power and aquaculture, which supports resilient coastal economies, and fostering economic and environmental resilience. We lead by example: We've mobilized over $70 million in solar projects, developed training programs for sustainable businesses, boosted environmentally sustainable lending know-how among our peers and influenced national funding allocation towards climate action. We’re just getting started: The Environmental Protection Agency's recent grant awards under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) recognize the power of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) in driving climate solutions and getting financing to the communities that need it most. CEI is proud to be part of this movement, and over the coming months we will be competing for GGRF resources to empower rural communities on the path to a sustainable future. #GGRF #CDFI #ClimateAction #Solar #ClimateInvestment #ClimateResilience

Say "Bon voyage et bonne chance !" to the Maine delegation, including CEI's Hugh Cowperthwaite as they head to France to explore techniques for handling and preparing scallops in support of the scallop farming and commercial fishing sectors in Maine. "Quelle délicieux!" https://lnkd.in/gQEkVYzZ

📣 Call for Action: Tell your representative to support LD 2212 - An Act to Strengthen Maine's Ag, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment 📣 LD 2212, which was reported out of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry with a unanimous vote, is now on the Appropriations table. The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is meeting to finalize the budget and decide which bills to fund.   LD 2212 is the culmination of stakeholder and legislative work over the past 3 legislatures. This bill will fund the Maine Ag, Food, and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment Fund, to make meaningful and strategic investments to expand Maine food and farm related businesses’ capacity to produce and process food.   Please reach out to your legislators and to members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee (AFA) and ask them to fund LD 2212. Check out our overview for talking points and how to find and communicate with your legislator and appropriators:   •      Find your state legislators: State Senator (https://lnkd.in/e8fNEJFR) or State House Representative (https://lnkd.in/eexRim5e) •      Contact the Appropriations Committee: https://lnkd.in/eHggFYXH •      Contact the committee clerk here: AFA@legislature.maine.gov •      Call or email legislators at home, on their mobile phone or at the State House: Tell them (or their aide) that you are calling about LD 2212 and briefly why you care about this issue. •      Legislators can also be reached at the following toll-free State House phone numbers: Representatives: 1-800-423-2900 or Senators: 1-800-423-6900 Amy R. Winston Bradley Russell