Thomas College’s Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation, working with the Central Maine Growth Council, is sponsoring a new effort to showcase budding entrepreneurs in the region during the Business Breakfast Series.

The Entrepreneur Spotlight will begin this month at 7:15 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at Thomas College, 180 West River Road, Waterville.

The series, “Surviving in Today’s Online Retail Environment,” will feature Brent Burger of Campbell’s True Value, Bull Moose’s Brett Wickard and Kathy Corey, vice president of merchandising and personnel at Day’s Jewelers. Panelists will discuss what a small business can do to remain competitive against global competition. The business breakfast series is a monthly speaker series partnership between the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce and Thomas College.

Entrepreneur Spotlighters will receive a complimentary table at the networking area in the business breakfast room, the Summit Room in Spann Commons.

Fifteen minutes prior to the start of the breakfast speakers, the featured Entrepreneurial Spotlight speaker will be asked to highlight her/his product or service. When applicable each audience attendee will be given a complimentary sample of the featured entrepreneur’s product. The goal is to celebrate the exceptional entrepreneurs and sense of creativity in the mid-Maine region. The first featured entrepreneurial startup will be Christopher Hastings Confections of Waterville.

For more information on how a business can become more involved in this effort, contact Kim Lindlof at the Central Maine Growth Council at 680-7300.

For more information, visit www.thomas.edu.