NOMINATED BY ALISON LABE, SBDC
As Maine’s population continues to age, access to specialized healthcare services that preserve mobility, independence, and quality of life has never been more essential. Recognizing this growing need, Heather Fogg founded Fundamental Foot Care, PLLC in 2019 with a clear mission: to bring medically based foot care directly to the people who need it most.
What began as a mobile practice offering pop-up clinics throughout local communities quickly grew into a transformative healthcare business serving patients and improving—and in many cases saving—lives. Through these early clinics, Heather saw firsthand the profound impact proper foot care has on mobility, fall prevention, chronic disease management, and overall well-being—particularly for older adults and vulnerable populations.
Driven by both clinical outcomes and growing community demand, Heather strategically expanded the business with the support of the Maine Small Business Development Center. Through this partnership, she strengthened Fundamental Foot Care’s marketing strategy, business infrastructure, growth planning, staffing model, and long-term vision. With guidance from her SBDC advisor, Alison Lane, Heather successfully secured a microloan from Coastal Enterprises, Inc. in 2022, a pivotal milestone that helped fuel the company’s next phase of growth. In 2023, she opened a brick-and-mortar clinic in Hampden, Maine, significantly expanding access to care and creating multiple healthcare leadership positions, including a team of nurses, an office manager, and a director of operations.
Today, clients from Central, Coastal, and parts of Northern Maine travel to Fundamental Foot Care’s Hampden clinic for specialized care. In addition to its clinic-based services, the company’s mobile team provides foot care for patients in elder care facilities and private homes, while also serving patients at Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center. Under Heather’s leadership, the business has become a model for accessible, compassionate, and clinically focused foot care.
Heather’s commitment to service extends well beyond business growth. She has prioritized healthcare access for underserved populations by organizing no-cost clinics for unhoused individuals at The Brick Church in Bangor, Maine, and by leading an annual community sock drive benefiting those served by the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter. In addition, Fundamental Foot Care has hosted 17 low-cost clinics from Bangor and Dover-Foxcroft, to Windham, Maine, creating opportunities for affordable patient care while also serving as hands-on clinical training experiences and entrepreneurial coaching for nurses from Maine and across the country.
Heather’s leadership and commitment to service are reflected not only in her business, but throughout the broader healthcare and business communities. She serves on the Board of Directors for the American Nurses Association–Maine and is an active member of the American Foot Care Nurses Association, BNI Business Networking, Tuesday Forum, the Greater Bangor Chamber of Commerce, and East Orrington Congregational Church.
Through innovation, leadership, job creation, and an unwavering dedication to community health, Heather Fogg has built more than a business—she has built a mission-driven organization that is improving lives across Maine and beyond.
In recognition of her outstanding entrepreneurship, commitment to community service, and meaningful contribution to healthcare access, the U.S. Small Business Administration proudly recognizes Heather Fogg and Fundamental Foot Care, PLLC as the 2026 Maine Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year.
