About Dirigo Labs - Dirigo Labs

Our Board

Central Maine Growth Council’s Board of Directors is made up of 17 local business and municipal leaders: 14 board members and 3 ex-officio board members, all highly involved in their communities and the central Maine region.

Board Members 2025-2026

Donald Plourde, Chair – Coldwell Banker Plourde Real Estate

Dave Roy, Vice Chair – Kennebec Savings Bank

Jamie Boulette, Treasurer – One River CPAs

Mike Runser, Secretary – Valley Beverage

Chris Gaunce, Past Chair – Central Maine Motors Auto Group

Michelle Flewelling – Town of Fairfield

Kelly Pinney-Michaud – Town of Oakland

Nicholas Cloutier – City of Waterville

Marc Amaral – Town of Winslow

Paul Ureneck – Colby College

Jennifer Seekins – Bar Harbor Bank and Trust

Jeannine Uzzi – Thomas College

Liz Menard – Bill and Joan Alfond Family Foundation

Elizabeth Fortin – Kennebec Valley Community College

Cathy Bourque – MaineGeneral Health

Noah Perry – Huhtamaki

Kristine Logan – First Park

Ex-Officio Board Members:

Joel Greenwood – Kennebec Valley Council of Governments

Christian Savage – Somerset Economic Development Corp.

Our Team

Jeff Frank

Program Manager

Jeff Frank is the Program Manager for Dirigo Labs, where he oversees the Dirigo Launch incubator, Dirigo Raise accelerator, and Dirigo Model financial-readiness course while working directly with entrepreneurs to coordinate curriculum, guide mentor engagement, and strengthen Maine’s innovation network. With experience spanning private-sector innovation, public policy, and community development, Jeff has co-founded hearforward (acquired 2012) and held roles at Hoana Medical, Smart Yields, Oceanit Labs, and Elemental Excelerator, in addition to serving in senior staff positions for two U.S. Senators, conducting research at the Brookings Institution, and spending two years in the U.S. Peace Corps supporting small-business development. He is committed to helping Maine founders compete nationally and advancing CMGC’s mission to grow the region’s innovation-driven economy.

Mufaddal Ali

Project Management Specialist

Mufaddal is the Project Management Specialist for Dirigo Labs. Mufaddal is responsible for tracking outcome and impact metrics for Dirigo Labs cohort companies, monitoring and assessing the impact of entrepreneurial activities, and employing effective strategies to track and measure key outcome metrics. Identifying growth opportunities and challenges for the accelerator program, Mufaddal provides valuable input to steer startups towards success while facilitating optimal mentor-entrepreneur pairings for mutually beneficial outcomes. A 2021 graduate of Colby College, Mufaddal serves as a liaison with Colby College and the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship, fostering collaborative programming and projects. This partnership strengthens our ties with educational institutions and enriches the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Garvan Donegan

President & CEO

Garvan Donegan is the President & CEO of the Central Maine Growth Council. Garvan provides consultations to entrepreneurs on business planning, site selection, and funding, and recruits tech-based firms to the region. Along with advising entrepreneurs, Garvan administers the growth and development of the City of Waterville’s federal U.S. Foreign Trade Zone program (FTZ 186), a regional effort to cultivate global trade and outreach in the State of Maine.

Kaitlyn Philbrick

Innovation & Development Coordinator

Kaitlyn supports CMGC’s efforts to grow Central Maine’s innovation economy through programs like Dirigo Labs and federal funding initiatives. She brings extensive experience in municipal finance, operations, and strategic planning, with a strong track record of fostering community partnerships and economic development. At CMGC, she works closely with entrepreneurs, stakeholders, and regional leaders to create opportunities for business growth and investment. Kaitlyn is passionate about strengthening Maine’s economy by connecting people, ideas, and resources.

Joshua Devou

Economic Development Specialist

Joshua is the Economic Development Specialist for The Central Maine Growth Council. Joshua is responsible for expanding opportunities for Mid-Maine businesses, municipalities & entrepreneurs. Joshua has extensive experience in marketing, facilitating strategic partnerships, and program administration. Joshua holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management as well as a Master of Business Administration from Thomas College.

Jonathan Godbout

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Jonathan is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Dirigo Labs. He is the CTO and COO of Prospector, a company Jonathan cofounded in 2020, that utilizes human-centered artificial intelligence data analytics to allow investors to better understand the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact of the mining industry. Prior to Prospector, Jonathan was involved in IBM’s Global Business Services consulting division where he served customers in both the private and public sectors. In 2015, Jonathan co-founded iBUILD, a startup focused on building technology solutions for the construction industry. Under his leadership, iBUILD attracted high-profile clients and investors, such as Habitat for Humanity.

Our Advisory Committee

The Dirigo Labs Advisory Committee (DLAC) counsels the Dirigo Labs (DL) team on operations, production, and programs of the DL Accelerator. Meeting quarterly, DLAC provides leadership and assistance related to performance, mentor network building, ecosystem growth, venture funding, accelerator science and technology development, and plans for future DL initiatives.

Supported by DL’s professional staff, DLAC is composed of the following members:

Chris Gaunce – CMGC past board chair; Owner, Central Maine Motor Auto Group
RJ Anzelc – Founder & Co-owner of Bricks Coworking & Innovation Space
Jeremy Barron – Director, Halloran Labs, Colby College
Jonathan Godbout – Dirigo Labs Entrepreneur in Residence; Co-Founder, Prospector
Shane Beckim – Senior Investment Officer, Maine Technology Institute
Andrew Fortin-Trimble – SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Skowhegan Savings Bank
Andy Couture – Owner, Sparetime Recreation
Mike Duguay – Executive Director of the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation (HAIBI) at Thomas College
Rob Hover – Attorney, Verrill
Leo Waterston – Program Director, FocusMaine
Liz Menard – Bill and Joan Alfond Family Foundation
Kimberly Lindlof – President/CEO, Mid-Maine Chamber Of Commerce