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PHOTO: Jake Warn, of Winslow, won first place in Greenlight Maine for his SledTRX website. (Submitted photo)
WATERVILLE — Thomas College students Jake Warn, of Winslow, and Dylan Veilleux, of Waterville, won first and second place in the finals of Greenlight Maine College Edition recently.
Prize for first place winner is $10,000 and $7,500 for second place.
Greenlight Maine is a statewide collaboration of entrepreneurs and corporate leaders, designed to promote and mentor the development and growth of business in our great state.
Warn is a small business major who recently started a company, SledTrx.com, a website for snowmobile riders to find trails, accomodations and other resources.
“I’m really excited about winning for a couple of different reasons,” he said. “One, being a part of the Greenlight Maine program was amazing and to win was a cool experience. I think it will help my business with exposure as well.”
He said he plans to use the prize money to hire more technical software staff for his product, to increase the benefit for the riders and of the product.
“The biggest thing that Thomas College does well is connecting people to each other. The resources Thomas College has have really helped me get where I am now,” he said.
Veilleux is a graduate student in the accelerated MBA program.He started TreeFreeHeat, a company that recycles hemp waste into fast-lighting, long-lasting fire starters, while in school and has been scaling his business since becoming a graduate student.
He said the prize money will go toward scaling his production center to meet increasing demand and help get larger wholesale partners.
“Throughout my time at Thomas College, I have been slowly leveling up my business with the help of the folks at Thomas College’s Harold Alfond Institute of Business Innovation,” Veilleux said.
“We could not be more excited for both Jake Warn and Dylan Veilleux on the success of their business startups,” said Mike Dughuay, of Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College. “The fact that both individuals have obtained so much success in such a short period of time is an absolute testament to each individuals commitment and dedication to solving a problem they see in the marketplace. It is also a reflection of the quality of instruction and support that is provided from Thomas College and the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College.”
