Lean East and its partners believe in giving back – donating our time and expertise to help make our local communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly passionate about education – helping children and adults grow and continually improve themselves.
Here are some of the current ways Lean East is giving back:
Early Childhood Education
Lean East President Steve Musica believes a good foundation in life is critical to children’s brain development. Steve has been a longtime supporter of America’s Edge and Ready Nation and was a member of the Maine State Governor’s Business Roundtable in 2007 and 2008 to support the return-on-investment from investing in improved early education (ages 0-3) for Maine’s children.
Senior Consultant Bob Cameron recently visited the Brunswick Recreation Preschool as a volunteer. He taught a class on the basics of Lean Continuous Improvement to all of the preschool teachers. The teachers were happy to learn simple tools and methods for improving their classrooms.
Brunswick High School STEM
Brunswick High School (BHS) in Brunswick, Maine has recently added specific coursework and activities that can qualify its students for a STEM endorsement. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and STEM careers are in high demand in Maine, the USA, and the world. The Brain STEM committee consists of BHS math and science teachers committed to making Brunswick High School a great place for students to explore STEM topics and prepare for a STEM related college degree program.
Steve Musica became the lead parent supporter of the BHS STEM program in 2016, and has worked to support the Science Fair, the rapid prototyping lab, and the job shadowing program. Steve is currently providing industry guidance for the job shadowing program and will reach out to his network of talented STEM parents and community members to coordinate a volunteer network.
For more information about the Brunswick High School STEM initiative please visit the BHS STEM site.
If you would like to volunteer as a Brunswick parent please go to this volunteer sign-up form to share your interest in supporting the program.
Adult workforce development
The Lean East team is passionate about developing the Maine and national workforce. We are currently exploring ways to support the MaineSpark initiative.
In 2017 only 42% of Mainers held education and workforce credentials that positioned Maine and its families for success. MaineSpark’s goal is to increase that number up to 60% by 2025.
Innovation
Lean East President Steve Musica and the team will continue to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Maine and New England. Steve is a serial entrepreneur and available to help both “experienced” Maine business leaders and new entrepreneurs alike get from idea to reality using Lean Startup methods. Steve minored in Entrepreneurship in graduate school and has been involved in national accelerators and regional programs including the CleanTech Open, NH LaunchPad, and GreenLight Maine. Steve spoke at Maine Startup and Create Week about Customer Discovery: Mastering Your Market – a very important topic for all innovators! Contact Steve anytime to discuss your market opportunity and challenges.
Steve Musica is also a mentor for the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs Top Gun Program. Participants in the program are competitively selected, promising entrepreneurs paired with mentors to work on advancing their vision while also participating in high-impact weekly gatherings held in Portland, Bangor, Brunswick, and Lewiston. Steve was a 2022 judge in the state-wide finals of the Top Gun program.
