she/her
Alison Lane
Associate Center Director & Certified Business Advisor, Small Business Development Center at CEI
About Alison
Ali Laneis a Certified Business Advisor and the Associate Center Director of the Small Business Development Center at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a Maine-based community development financial institution with a mission to build just, vibrant and climate-resilient futures for people and communities in Maine and rural regions by integrating finance, business expertise and policy solutions in ways that make the economy work more equitably.
As part of the Business Advising team at CEI, Ali works closely with existing and aspiring small business owners to help move their idea forward with no-cost and confidential advising. She regularly discusses business plans, marketing acquiring capital, human resources, and a myriad of other issues small businesses face in start-up, management, and exit.
Prior to joining CEI in 2019, Ali started, managed, and sold a café & bakery in her hometown. She also has prior experience managing a small business, systematizing customer relations management, marketing efforts, and collections activities. When she is not working with entrepreneurs or collaborating with colleagues, she can be found relaxing with her lazy black lab or empowering herself training as a recreational powerlifter.
Education:
- University of Maine, M.B.A.
- University of Maine, B.S Business Administration with a Concentration in Entrepreneurship
- 2021 Graduate of Bangor Region Leadership Institute (“BRLI”)
Get To Know Alison
What is unique about the town you grew up in?
I was a Brewer (ME) Witch! The only other school in the country to share the mascot is (appropriately) Salem, MA.
What book, film, tv show or album do you return to again and again?
The Greatest Showman (mostly the soundtrack, but the movie is a comfort watch too)
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation--to make travel more efficient
