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On May 26, 2020, the Island Institute formally welcomed the fourth cohort of the Mentoring, Access, and Persistence (MAP) Program and celebrated the achievements and next steps of the MAP20 graduates. This annual event, usually held in person on a college campus as a kick-off to the MAP Summer Leadership Intensive, took place virtually on Zoom, and despite being online, still created a wonderful opportunity to connect and celebrate.

As we grapple with the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic on our businesses, there can be comfort in finding that we are not alone. That what we are seeing along Maine’s coast mirrors what is happening nationally, even internationally. The Small Business Roundtable, with Facebook, recently released their first State of Small Business Report, surveying 86,000 business owners to understand what is working for them, and where they are struggling.

During a time when seafood markets have plummeted and businesses are searching for innovative ways to stay afloat, cost-saving innovations may be critical, and climate adaptation and mitigation can be good for business. As the Maine Climate Council works to propose strategies to meet Governor Mills’ ambitious mitigation and adaptation goals, they are assessing the impacts of ocean climate change on ecosystems and businesses in our state and looking to marine businesses like Mook Sea Farms as a model for adopting innovative resiliency strategies to address the challenges posed by climate change.

Equity. It’s a concept that many value but can struggle to put into practice. When it comes to the state of Maine’s efforts to develop strategies to aggressively respond to climate change, what does it look like to design with a commitment to equity and to meeting the needs of all Mainers at the center? While much of the world came to a screeching halt this spring, members of the Maine Climate Council’s working groups doubled down on their efforts to develop recommendations on how to reach the state’s climate goals.

In Maine’s seasonal economy, many rely on what we like to think of as the three-legged stool of seasonal work: a mixture of summer, winter, and year-round employment—or small businesses that contract and expand as the season allows. A downturn in one means that we try to increase sales in another. One leg gets a little wobbly, and we strengthen the others. We never planned for all three legs to be swept out from under us. Now, resilience has taken on a whole new meaning. It’s now about adaptation for survival.

The coronavirus, the pandemic, the lock-downs, the general disruption to our lives and those of our neighbors, the severe impact on businesses (especially the small and extremely small): all of these developments are entwined and are wreaking havoc on our communities and our ability to plan for the future. Unlike other economic downturns, the economic fallout from the coronavirus was sudden and steep. Like other economic downturns, the amount of time it will last—and which is the right path out—is unknown.

I am one of the lucky ones. I am one of the people in this vast world who has had the true privilege to be greeted by Ashley Bryan at his front door and invited into his home. Ten years ago this spring, Peter Ralston and I traveled by mail boat from Northeast Harbor to Islesford to see Ashley is his studio, hear his stories, and tour around the island. It was my dream to put together a show of his work for the Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery, and we were blessed to be able to do a studio visit. Teri, Peter’s wife, joined us as well as Leo, my seven-month-old son.

Most donors give from the heart. They support organizations they care about deeply and whose missions make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. Very few donors are looking to have their names on a building or for a return on investment beyond the wonderful feeling that comes from helping others. Tax law changes in 2017 took away another motivation to give—a tax deduction for your charitable contributions. The good news: the tax incentives for giving are back (for most us)!

Maine’s creative economy is an important driver in many coastal communities which, according to the "Waypoints: Livelihoods" publication, have an average self-employed rate of 23%. Therefore, since the shutdown in late March, we have been doing several things earnestly: listening to artists, providing resources to support the self-employed, and sharing stories. Sharing stories is a powerful means of sharing solutions and strengthening connections. This has been at the core of Archipelago’s mentoring program for the last seven years as artists have shared their inspirations, failures, solutions, business models, and networks.

If you are a small business owner in Maine you’ve probably seen all of the emails whizzing by about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program funds being replenished. We just wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with information and links, both new and updated, to help you navigate this new funding landscape. Details of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) listed below: