Municipal Innovation Day, hosted by the Roux Institute at Northeastern University, in collaboration with regional Councils of Governments, including AVCOG, GPCOG, and MCOG is a dynamic, day-long gathering designed to inspire municipal leaders across Maine, surface shared challenges, explore emerging technologies and their governance implications, and support the development of practical, regionally aligned solutions.

This energizing experience combines insightful panels, lightening talks, an innovation sprint, and networking, giving municipal teams the space and support they need to think creatively, explore proven approaches, and build stronger regional connections that unlock collective impact.

Event Schedule:

9:00 – 9:30 AM: Coffee, Tea, & Networking (Side By Side Coffee)

9:30 – 10:00 AM: Welcome & The State of Municipal Innovation in Maine

Keynote Speaker: Samantha Horn, Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs

10:00 – 11:00 AM: Kickoff Panel: Bold Ideas from Municipal Leaders

Moderator: Kristina Egan, Executive Director, GPCOG

Panelists:

Scott LaFlamme, Town Manager, Yarmouth

Kyle Hadyniak, Director of Communications and IT, Gray

Sarah Craighead Dedmon, Town Manager, Machias

DeCarlo Brown, Director of Economic Development, South Berwick

11:00 – 11:20 AM: Coffee Break (Side By Side Coffee)

11:20 AM – 12:00 PM: Innovation Lightning Talks: What Works in Small Municipalities

Forerunner - Cloud Bogart

Apriqot - Ken Shapiro

STR - Paul Johnson

Gatherwise - Erin Knight

Maine Zoning Atlas - James Rather & Abe Dailey

12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch & Networking (Catered by Maggie Mae's)

1:00 – 2:00 PM Regional Solutions Panel

Moderator: Andrew Butcher, Maine Connectivity Authority

Panelists:

Ethan Vinson, AVCOG

Kaya Williams, SMPDC

Tony Plante, GPCOG

Max Johnstone, MCOG

2:00 – 4:00 PM: IdeaJAM - The Roux Institute’s signature ideation event, designed to help stakeholders validate problems, shape early-stage concepts, and gain real-time insights from peers and the broader entrepreneurial community. This facilitated, high-energy session invites teams to choose one of three pressing challenges and collaboratively explore and develop potential solutions.

Municipal Innovation Day is part of the Breakthrough Maine Event Series, presented by Northeastern University’s Roux Institute and Maine Technology Institute. The series brings together students, partners, innovators, entrepreneurs, faculty and researchers, and community leaders to showcase Maine’s innovation ecosystem and foster collaboration across the region.

Contact the host of Municipal Innovation Day