Smart EyeCare Center hires Tobyne at Augusta office

Smart EyeCare Center, which has offices in Augusta, Bangor and Farmingdale, recently hired Dr. Anne Tobyne as a new provider.

Tobyne grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota. She completed her undergraduate degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to a news release from the business. She received her doctorate in optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, where she became a member of the Gold Key International Honor Society.

Tobyne, who works at the Augusta office and started seeing patients this summer, has a passion for helping the underserved population with vision care and has helped to open a sustainable vision center in Rwanda, according to the release. She has been to Thailand and Morocco to give eye examinations and distribute glasses to people in need. She is also a member of the American Optometric Association and enjoys fitting specialty contact lenses for patients with keratoconus — a progressive thinning of the cornea — and corneal surface disease.

Top Gun Entrepreneurship Program, in 10th year, seeks 2019 applications

The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs in Portland is accepting applications for its Top Gun accelerator program. Together with its partners, the University of Maine, Maine Stream Finance, the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation, and the Lewiston/Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the entrepreneurship acceleration program is celebrating completion of its 10th year. Program information and applications are available at www.mced.biz, and applications are due Nov. 9. Top Gun begins runs from February through May 2019, according to a news release from the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs.

Top Gun supports the growth of Maine’s most promising early-stage, high-growth-potential companies through a combination of mentoring, learning sessions and networking. The program will accept eight to 10 companies in each of the five 2019 locations: Portland, Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn, Rockland, and Waterville. With support from the Harold Alfond Center for Innovation, the Central Maine Growth Council, Thomas College, the US Small Business Administration, and other sponsors, the Waterville location will offer a new Top Gun program specifically for companies in the food and beverage sector, including farmers, producers, processors, and businesses that provide support services.

In addition to completing a short online application, prospective companies are required to submit a pitch deck and present a live pitch to the interview committee in the location they wish to join. Optional PreFlight workshops will be offered prior to the November deadline to assist applicants in preparing pitch decks and polishing their live pitch.

Top Gun culminates with regional pitch-off events. The top two semi-finalists in each region will move on to the statewide Showcase to compete for a significant cash prize sponsored by the Maine Technology Institute.

In addition to our Top Gun partners, MCE is supported by the Maine Technology Institute, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Small Business Administration, FocusMaine, and generous corporate sponsors. Support from local businesses, partner organizations, program advisors, and mentors also contributes to the success of the program.

Compiled from contributed releases

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