WATERVILLE — Dirigo Labs, Maine’s newest startup accelerator, announced Jeremy Barron would be the inaugural entrepreneur-in-residence as part of its mission to provide world-class advising to startup founders.
Barron was previously the cofounder and chief customer officer at 3Play Media, a Boston-based speech technology and video accessibility company he launched while attending MIT’s Sloan School of Management. At 3Play Media, Barron worked with development teams and cofounders to design a revolutionary AI-powered contractor applicant evaluation and training system and an AI-enabled digital marketplace for a global workforce of over 2000 contractors. He subsequently exited the business with a sale to a growth equity fund, delivering between 15 to 30 times returns to initial investors.
Before starting his company, Barron was a former senior analyst for Green Manning & Bunch, a Denver-based middle-market investment bank where he prepared valuation analyses, including debt, equity, mergers and acquisitions, and due diligence processes. Most recently, Barron was an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Colby College.
“We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Jeremy,” said Dirigo Labs Managing Director Susan Ruhlin. “It’s rare to find someone with vast experience in both the investment and entrepreneurial side of business. He was a highly regarded mentor and presenter for our first cohort, and we’re very excited to see the impact he will bring to the next group of startup founders.”
The entrepreneur-in-residence will be an integral component of the Dirigo Labs accelerator experience. Barron’s contributions will include regular coaching sessions to participating startup founders, advising Dirigo Labs staff on curriculum design, and expanding the accelerator’s venture capital network.
“As a Colby College class of 2000 graduate, Waterville and the surrounding communities were integral to my personal growth and development, as well as my eventual success as an entrepreneur,” stated Barron. “I am thrilled to see how much progress is being made to advance entrepreneurship and innovation in Central Maine. Dirigo Labs’ passionate team and broad vision for spurring economic development is evident in the work they do promoting growth-stage ventures.”
Dirigo Labs is located at the Hathaway Creative Center in downtown Waterville, where team members and founders collaborate. Applications for its next cohort are currently open. The next accelerator term will begin in late January 2023 and conclude with a pitch event in early May.
Dirigo Labs is a regional startup accelerator based in Waterville. With a mission to grow the greater Waterville area’s digital economy by supporting entrepreneurs building innovation-based companies, the Dirigo Labs ecosystem brings together people, resources, and organizations to ensure the successful launch of new startups. Dirigo Labs operates under Central Maine Growth Council and is supported by several organizations, academic institutions, and investment firms. To learn more about Dirigo Labs, please visit www.dirigolabs.org.
