The people behind the work.
BOM is led by a small, dedicated team working every day to connect, support, and elevate Maine's entrepreneur ecosystem.
Three people, one statewide mission.
Founding CEO
Rose Barboza
Rose has spent six years working on economic and food justice initiatives across Maine. She is passionate about co-creating a world in which everyone has equitable access to opportunities without having to give away their culture or traditions to get there. Outside of BOM, she is the Director of Grants and Business Operations at SageFox Consulting Group, runs a small consulting firm, and serves as a board member of Fork Food Lab.
Chief of Innovation & Strategy
Abedom
As Chief of Innovation & Strategy, Abedom leads strategic planning, program coordination, and systems improvement efforts supporting more than 450 entrepreneurs across Maine. His work focuses on expanding access to funding, technical assistance, business education, visibility, and community-centered resources for Black-owned businesses.
Chief of Business Operations
Etinosa Daniel
As Chief of Business Operations, Etinosa keeps the organization running smoothly, overseeing financial management, grant reporting, payroll, and day-to-day administrative operations. His work ensures BOM's resources are managed with care and accountability so the team can focus on serving entrepreneurs across Maine.
This team did not start with a directory. It started with a gap.
In 2020, Black entrepreneurs in Maine were close to invisible in the data and largely locked out of the capital and networks that make a business survive. That is the problem this team organized itself around.
<0.25%
of Maine businesses were Black-owned when BOM began in 2020.
$9,150
average Black self-employment income, against $26,210 for white entrepreneurs.
Capital
loans, investment, and startup funding stayed out of reach for most.
Networks
mentorship and business connections were thin to nonexistent.
Five years later, the same three people can point to this.
Read the full impact report →450
businesses in the network, up from 68 in year one.
$1.2M
in funding facilitated for entrepreneurs.
700
entrepreneurs advised on strategy and growth.
$534K
distributed as direct financial support.
Everything routes through three pillars.
A team this size stays effective by being deliberate about where the hours go. Every program, partnership, and conversation ladders up to one of these.
Visibility & Storytelling
Stories have power. Digital media, entrepreneur spotlights, video storytelling, and a statewide directory elevate the people and cultures shaping Maine's future.
See the programs →02Innovation & Access
Entrepreneurs cannot join the future economy without access to tools and technology. Cohorts, workshops, and technical assistance bridge that gap.
See the programs →03Capital & Sustainability
Sustainable businesses need sustainable resources. The team expands access to funding, financial readiness, and long-term growth strategy.
See the programs →Five values, applied daily.
Rooted in Portland, working statewide.
The network reaches from Cumberland County to Penobscot and beyond, across artists and musicians, nonprofits, beauty and wellness, grocers, and dozens of other trades.