New Ventures Maine recently announced winners of the Fall 2023 Marketing Mini-Grant competition. The Western Maine region winner is LiteracyTech app, ReMo, of Lewiston, founded by Michelle DeBlois (CEO), Peter Janett (CTO), and Kathryn Lariviere.

ReMo is a web-based application that empowers educators and students in grades 4-12 around reading. The application is currently available to individual educators and schools/districts in the US. ReMo also provides professional development and training services for educators and students.

ReMo’s vision is to create: a new definition of a reader that is a strength-based; and a data-based system for all readers to design their own path on their reading journey with support from their reading community.

The $1,000 grant will be used to implement a sales and marketing plan in HubSpot with the assistance of a HubSpot consultant.

Six winners, in six regions across Maine, will receive cash grants of $1,000 awarded through a competitive application process. Mini-grants support new or expanded business marketing and promotion. Contest criteria for small business applicants included: 1) Five or fewer full-time equivalent employees; 2) sales in the current calendar year; and 3) gross annual sales of no more than $150,000 from the previous calendar year.

The competition was sponsored in part by Norway Savings Bank.

New Ventures Maine is a statewide program of the University of Maine at Augusta, University of Maine System, providing free classes and individual coaching in the areas of career planning, entrepreneurship, and money management.