WRITTEN BY JOANNA O’LEARY
Seeking to give back in a meaningful way to the women and men who have served our country? It can be as simple as supporting a veteran-owned business. And here in Maine, there is no shortage of entrepreneurial spirit among veterans, which means you have a veritable cornucopia of companies from which to choose. Here’s a short list of some ventures led by Maine veterans, who aptly demonstrate that their service has never stopped.lives up to its name: Our Heroes.”
Floating Nomad Houseboat Rentals
Rheanna Sinnett may not walk on water, but she certainly can help you sleep on it. The Navy veteran started Floating Nomad, a set of houseboats available for nightly rental on Lake Pemaquid, from roughly Memorial Day through October.
For such an endeavor, Sinnett applied her nautical operations and maintenance expertise.
“We execute quick-turns almost all summer — same-day check-outs and check-ins — so our time to fix anything, in addition to cleaning the boats, is minimal,” Sinnett said. “That means good routine maintenance and systems checks! It’s imperative that I keep on top of any issues; little problems become big problems very quickly on boats. Add in weather variables, boat systems, water behavior, meeting and exceeding guest expectations in a wholly unique environment… there’s a lot to manage and react to all the time when you’re hosting on houseboats. So I’m glad the Navy trained some of that nervousness out of me years ago, and taught me to assess the situation, quickly figure out the best course of action, and execute.”
Although today the Floating Nomad regularly fully books all of its boats, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Sinnett. In the first two years of her journey, low occupancy rates, meager profits, and a forced departure from the business’s original location in Rangeley Lake threatened, well, to sink her ships. However, by seeking counsel from other business leaders and engaging in continuing education at Maine’s Small Business Development Centers, Sinnett found smoother waters, eventually partnering with Otyokwa Cabins of Bremen to expand her accommodation services.
In 2025, the Small Business Association officially recognized this capable captain, and named The Floating Nomad as the Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year for Maine.
Black Ink Coffee
Sometimes asking questions of others leads to answers about your own life. Black Ink founder and owner Parker Russell was deployed in Africa when he learned the local language in order to better communicate with residents. One of his favorite queries — “What dreams do you have in life?” — got him started thinking about his own raison d’etre.
Upon returning stateside, Russell decided he wanted to optimize some nascent opportunities to start his own coffee company. But Russell’s goal wasn’t just to sell “damn good coffee” made from high-quality, responsibly sourced beans and premium equipment.
“I joined the military because it felt like the only ticket out,” Russell wrote on Blank Ink’s blog. “I served, I adapted, I endured. But when I came home, I wasn’t looking to ‘settle down.’ I wanted to build something that stood for more than just coffee. I wanted to create something for people like me — rebels, dreamers, the ones everyone doubted.”
To that end, Russell seeks to inspire others by acting as a real-life, real-time case study on how to start a successful business from scratch with limited resources. He also is dedicated to advocating for other small businesses, helping to organize fundraisers, and promoting the stories of his fellow entrepreneurs.
Shore Shop Gifts
Although they say, “It’s about the journey, not the destination,” let’s make an exception for Shore Shop Gifts on Isle Au Haut. Neither planes nor trains nor automobiles will get you to its remote island location (accessible only by ferry), but the effort is well worth it for this whimsical artisan shop run by veteran businesswoman Kendra Chubbuck.
Pottery, jewelry, cards, clothing, games, and soaps are among the hundreds of different products as made by Mainers, rendering it the perfect place to procure that one-of-a-kind souvenir for visitors or a local pride piece for residents. Of particular note is the spectacular woodworking done by the shop’s co-owner, John DeWitt, who creates elegant household items (sometimes from salvaged firewood) finished in wax and Danish oil, as well as more intricate custom-design pieces. In addition to stewarding the shop, Chubbuck also lends her time and skills to helping other area businesses. In 2024, Shore Shop was recognized as the Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year.
Aegir’s Den Meadery
Never underestimate two former military engineers who have their heart set on making a 30,000-year-old spirit mainstream again. Carrie (Air National Guard) and Mark Mancini (Army National Guard), the latter of whose family has a long vintner tradition, began their mead-making journey among friends — and by accident. By substituting honey instead of sugar in an attempt to render a homemade recipe more keto-friendly, they unconsciously produced not wine, but mead.
Seeing not a mistake but an opportunity, the Mancinis resumed their experimentation and later expanded their production to launch one of the state’s only meaderies. Today, they create and serve a variety of meads (all concocted from local ingredients and raw honey), inflected by different spices, fruits, and even maple syrup. Customers are encouraged to relax and enjoy snacks and even board games at the Meadery in Palermo, which also hosts special tasting dinners and is available for special events.
Hero’s On Wheels
As its name might suggest, Hero’s On Wheels is a veteran-owned-and-operated food truck, whose mission is to bring delicious meals to the masses. Owners Derek and Aaron DeFelice originally ran the business as a brick-and-mortar pizzeria, of which the mobile trailer component was a literal side car for the occasional catering gig.
But when the restaurant’s business severely declined during the pandemic due to social distancing mandates and labor shortages, their food truck flourished — leading the DeFelices to shutter the former and go on full speed with the latter. Having successfully pivoted to mobile cuisine, Hero’s now happily travels far and wide all over the state (“no event too big or small”). Customers queue up in droves for Hero’s On Wheels repertoire of tasty dishes.
“Adults love the steak bomb sandwich, and kids always go for the hand-breaded chicken fingers,” said Derek DeFelice. “We make everything to order so the customer can customize what they order for toppings.”
Other standout options include Italian-style subs, red hot dogs with all the fixings, chicken Caesar salads, and decadent fried dough.
