WATERVILLE — Dirigo Labs, a program of the Central Maine Growth Council, has announced the winners of its first 2025 Dirigo Launch Incubator Demo Day, held Jan. 25.

Three standout entrepreneurs were selected based on their understanding of their market, clarity of value propositions, and potential impact on social, environmental and economic fronts, according to a council news release.

Juliana Tebbetts of Kili Organics, a company bringing nutrient-rich, organic Moringa and Baobab superfood powders sourced from Tanzania to health-conscious consumers in Maine and beyond, placed first.

Jeff Poulin of Creativity Codex, a platform designed to help creative professionals harness and expand their creative capabilities through learning, self-reflection and community collaboration, placed second.

Andrew Schundler of CHUH, a bottled matcha latte that offers a clean, natural caffeine source for health-conscious individuals, providing antioxidant-rich energy with sustained benefits, placed third.

The event was structured to give each entrepreneur a space to display their products or marketing materials while engaging with attendees in a dynamic networking environment. A hidden judge evaluated participants based on the quality of their conversations and the stories shared, focusing on key criteria such as assessing customer insights, market fit, value proposition clarity and the potential for social, environmental or economic impact.

Check out other upcoming area events!