I studied psychology at the University of Maine at Machias. One of my electives was a certificate course in business and entrepreneurship, and I absolutely loved it.
In my 30s, with four kids, I was missing the improvisation and excitement of acting in plays, which I had done at Stage East in Eastport. A friend of mine suggested playing an online version of the game Dungeons and Dragons. I was new to online tabletop games, and I was hooked!

I loved the shared storytelling and the way people could come together to build something imaginative. However, the community I was playing in became unhealthy. The Dungeon Master (the person facilitating the game) would yell and curse at participants, and the environment was no longer supportive. Three other players and I decided we could create something better. Together, we founded Theater of Dice, an online tabletop role-playing community where everyone at the table contributes to the story.

We’ve been in business for two years this fall. To get started, we worked with a business advisor at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. That’s when I learned about New Ventures Maine. I took Venturing Forth, NVME’s business planning class, in 2024. We set up our LLC at that time and completed our business plan. I also took the NVME Build Your Business Online class, to create our website.

While taking Venturing Forth, I learned about the Top Gun Competition and was accepted into the program. We won second place and the People’s Choice award in regionals and went on to the state competition, where we received the Victoria Hilliard Donovan Award for Top Women in Technology. These accomplishments gave us a stronger direction, new connections, and a lot of momentum. I would not have had this opportunity without the connections I received through NVME.

Social media marketing has been our biggest challenge. Having an intern from Innovate for Maine this summer was a huge boost. They brought new ideas around community engagement and helped us set up systems that we are still using to grow our reach. We’re also marketing in person at local craft fairs and Comic-Con events across the state where we sell branded products, talk to people about Theater of Dice, and encourage them to follow us on social media channels.

We now have 9 active campaigns (continuous narratives with player-characters in particular settings) running with over 50 members participating in our community. We are solidifying our content production schedule and laying the groundwork for long-term growth.

For more information about Theater of Dice, visit our website or connect with us on facebook!