NHEX Member Gunner Found
When Gunner Found bought his first drone in 2020, the Maine chemist did not expect a creative outlet to lead to running two businesses. “I don’t have any formal business background,” he said. “I’m learning as I go.”
Today, the Wolfeboro resident runs Cinetrek Media, his drone and videography business, and Beyond the Box, which provides shipping, packing, mailbox, and office services. As a founding member of the New Hampshire Entrepreneurship Exchange (NHEX), he has found that learning comes easier with different perspectives around the table.
“Sometimes the answer’s sitting right in front of you,” he said.
NHEX brings together young professionals from different industries to share knowledge, solve business problems, and build careers in the Lakes Region. Members meet twice monthly, with one seat per industry creating space for candid conversations among people whose businesses do not compete.
Those conversations also reveal how much members have in common. Whether someone works in insurance, runs a marina, or produces video, attracting customers and keeping them often requires similar thinking. “What you find is that people have very similar issues across different industries, and you start to identify patterns,” he said.
Found contributes a creative perspective to those discussions, helping members think through how to communicate a new service or turn an idea into something customers can see and understand. In return, he gains insight into the business decisions that support his creative work.
The exchange continues through shared goals and accountability. “You got people kind of paying attention to you and making sure you’re holding up what you say you’re gonna do,” he said.
That support matters in a region where seasonal changes can affect demand. Gunner sees winter slowdowns in both businesses, making it important to consider new customers, services, and ways to manage expenses throughout the year.
Building businesses that can absorb those shifts connects his experience to NHEX’s broader purpose of keeping talent home and creating more opportunity for young professionals. “It turned into, 'How do we get people like us to stay in the area?’” he said.
For Found, NHEX’s value comes from knowing the people around the table well enough to share challenges, learn from their experiences, and encourage one another to follow through. “You can learn so much faster, learn from everyone else’s mistakes, share your wins,” he added. “It’s just overall more encouraging.”
For co-founder Ethan Keslar, the impact of that support extends beyond the businesses represented in the group. “NHEX contributes to the local economy by ensuring that young, talented people like Gunner stay here for the long haul,” he said.
NHEX invites interested professionals to attend a session to experience the collaborative environment firsthand. For more information, contact Ethan Keslar at ethan@keslarinsurance.com.
