Business is booming in Maine. Today we speak with two individuals who are leading the way in this field. Melissa Smith is the president and CEO of WEX, which is one of three companies in our state to have revenues of more than a billion dollars. William J. Ryan, Jr., is the principal owner and chairman of the Maine Red Claws, Portland’s NBA development team.

Building Maine Businesses #294 Transcription

Maine is home to many who enjoy transforming things in unexpected ways. Today we speak with Dr. George Smith, an education innovator who founded the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, headquartered in Portland, Maine, in 2006. We also discuss the recently opened Rockland boutique hotel, 250 Main, with its co-creator, Cabot Lyman, owner of Lyman-Morse and with manager, Ruth Woodbury Starr.

Designing Anew #293 Transcription

Artist Ashley Bryan has been creating unique works since his earliest years growing up in the Bronx. Known for his award-winning children’s books like Beautiful Blackbird and Freedom Over Me, Ashley Bryan has connected with audiences of all ages. For this show, we traveled to Little Cranberry Island, off the coast of Mount Desert Island, to interview this 93-year-old artist in his home.

L/A Arts is paying tribute to Ashley Bryan during the months of April and May with its Ashley Bryan Days in LA events. On April 29 the Emerge Film Festival will screen a feature documentary by filmmaker Richard Kane about Bryan’s life and work. For more information go to: http://bit.ly/2oRUX8I

The Art of Ashley Bryan #292 Transcription

We all have within us what we need to be healthy. Today we speak with two people who are helping others create and reinforce optimal patterns for wellness within the brain and body. Pamela Blodgett is a counselor and educator who practices neurofeedback and biofeedback. Ken Ryan is the founder of Maine Coast Taijiquan, where he instructs students in t’ai chi and qigong.

Brain Training & T’ai Chi #291 Transcription

Is it possible to take a good thing and make it even better? Today we speak with three entrepreneurs who are taking a unique approach to helping people have happier homes. Joe Walsh is the founder and CEO of Green Clean Maine, an innovative, environmentally friendly home cleaning company; Amy and Allie Smith offer an “earn-a-bed” program through their nonprofit, Healthy Homeworks.

Cleaner Homes & Beds for All #290 Transcription

Maine is home to numerous venues for outdoor enjoyment. Our forests, woods, and waters provide opportunities for not only connecting with nature but also for social, physical, and sometimes competitive pursuits. Today we speak with leaders of two organizations that make these pursuits available to Mainers of all levels of physical capability. Barbara Schneider is the executive director at Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation, and Mark Stevens is a board member. Nanci Boutet is the executive director at Special Surfers in Kennebunk.

Maine Adaptive & Special Surfers #289 Transcription

Within our community we are fortunate to have people who are particularly good at making and maintaining connections with others. Today we speak with Mark Curdo, who has hosted a yearly Markathon to benefit the Center for Grieving Children since 2008, musician Isaiah Taylor and David Thete, founder of Kesho Wazo.

Community Connectors #288 Transcription

For more than half a century, Unity College has provided a high quality, innovative yet practical education to students in the field of environmental sustainability. Today we speak with Unity College President, Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, and with Professor Mick Womersley, faculty advisor to the Unity College Search and Rescue Team.

Unity: Education, Search & Rescue #287 Transcription

Twice a year, we at Love Maine Radio are fortunate to take part in a daylong gathering of creative Mainers of every description called “Maine Live.” Today we speak with two of our upcoming Maine Live speakers: Maine’s current poet laureate, Stuart Kestenbaum, is the interim president of the Maine College of Art; Donna McNeil is the former director of the Maine Arts Commission.

Poetry & Public Art #286 Transcription

We humans have been plagued by disease—both infectious and environmental–since we began life on this planet. Today we discuss two very different diseases with individuals who are working to mitigate them. Scientists Dr. Elissa Chesler and Dr. Vivek Kumar are studying addiction at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. Ann Lee Hussey, herself a polio survivor, has travelled the world immunizing people against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Investigating Addiction & Preventing Polio #285 Transcription