Build a Better Business Workshops

Ready to take your business to the next level? Build a Better Business is a set of hands-on workshops designed for business owners who want practical tools, fresh insights, and real results. Choose from a half-day or full-day experience (with locally catered lunch and snacks!), and dive into topics of: financial modeling; business strategy mapping; resilience planning; and developing a growth mindset. You’ll leave the day with actionable next steps, new connections, and a clearer path forward for your business.

2025 Sessions

Choose a session for more information:

This program is a partnership between
University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Business School

Facilitator Biographies

Jason S. Entsminger, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and State Extension Specialist for Small Business at the University of Maine. His research explores how businesses leverage networks, institutional environments, and collective strategies for success. Dr. Entsminger teaches courses on new venture creation, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and business strategy, emphasizing practical applications for rural entrepreneurs. He has received national recognition for his integrated research and outreach education programming related to agritourism, outdoor recreation economies, and community and economic development planning facilitation. Holding a joint appointment between the Maine Business School and Maine Cooperative Extension, Dr. Entsminger bridges research and practice to help communities and firms build rural entrepreneurial support systems and develop sustainable rural ventures.

Jens Kaus, Ph.D., is Postdoctoral Fellow within the Maine Business School at the University of Maine. His work focuses on how firms build sustainable business models, integrate place-based strategies, and how to create business-friendly community environments. Dr. Kaus has previously supported entrepreneurs in Munich and San Francisco scale their ventures and build innovative approaches.

Jason Harkins, Ph.D., is an experienced entrepreneurship educator and ecosystem
builder, currently serving as Executive Dean of the Maine Business School and Dean of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Maine. He designs and delivers programming that equips entrepreneurs with critical competencies for success, including business model development, strategic growth planning, and cultivating a resilient, opportunity-focused mindset. As Managing Director of the Scratchpad Accelerator, Dr. Harkins has supported dozens of early-stage companies through technical assistance, mentoring, and applied research. His work emphasizes practical, action-oriented approaches that empower entrepreneurs to launch, adapt, and scale ventures in complex environments. A published scholar in entrepreneurship and strategy, Dr. Harkins is also an active advisor to economic development organizations and entrepreneurial ventures throughout the Northeast.

Lisa Liberatore is a serial entrepreneur and community leader with extensive experience building real-world ventures and supporting small business growth. At the Maine Business School, she has helped develop micro-credentials and served as an adjunct instructor, bringing a practitioner’s lens to business education. With lived experience as a founder and mentor, Lisa brings practical insight and a passion for empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.

If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact Jason Entsminger at jason.entsminger@maine.edu or 207.581.1999. Requests received less than 10 days prior to the event may not allow sufficient time to make necessary arrangements.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).