Our Story
Meet the brand
We are an immigrant-owned, small, Maine based brand focused on providing quality and vibrant product that represents the natural beauty of Maine. The allure of the Maine landscape can be found in all of our designs. Our goal as a brand is to provide our customers with items that allow them to take a little piece of Maine with them, anywhere they go. We believe that Maine is a place where everyone is welcomed to celebrate the good things in life, and we hope that our brand reflects that sentiment for all of our customers.
Meet the owner
Inspired by Maine’s natural beauty, Ebenezer Akakpo immigrated from Ghana to Maine in the late 1990s. Ebenezer not only found a home in Maine, but he found a vibrant, diverse community of people who wanted something similar: to celebrate the good things in life. Along with Maine Culture, Ebenezer is also the proud owner and artist behind Akakpo & Co., a jewelry company founded and based in Portland, Maine. He utilizes the skills he gained from studying jewelry design in Italy, along with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in metalsmithing and jewelry from the Maine College of Art, and a Master’s in Industry Design from Rochester Institute of Technology, to create designs inspired by his native country of Ghana, and Maine, the place he now considers home.
We are an immigrant-owned, small, Maine based brand focused on providing quality and vibrant product that represents the natural beauty of Maine. The allure of the Maine landscape can be found in all of our designs. Our goal as a brand is to provide our customers with items that allow them to take a little piece of Maine with them, anywhere they go. We believe that Maine is a place where everyone is welcomed to celebrate the good things in life, and we hope that our brand reflects that sentiment for all of our customers.
Meet the owner
Inspired by Maine’s natural beauty, Ebenezer Akakpo immigrated from Ghana to Maine in the late 1990s. Ebenezer not only found a home in Maine, but he found a vibrant, diverse community of people who wanted something similar: to celebrate the good things in life. Along with Maine Culture, Ebenezer is also the proud owner and artist behind Akakpo & Co., a jewelry company founded and based in Portland, Maine. He utilizes the skills he gained from studying jewelry design in Italy, along with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in metalsmithing and jewelry from the Maine College of Art, and a Master’s in Industry Design from Rochester Institute of Technology, to create designs inspired by his native country of Ghana, and Maine, the place he now considers home.
While on vacation in London, Ebenezer saw an advertisement for “fresh Maine lobster sold here.” and while he was amused that a little slice of home could be found so far away, he immediately thought, “well, Maine isn’t just about the lobster,” and that is when he asked himself, “how do I tell the story of Maine to the world?” The answer to that question is what inspired Maine Culture.
Ebenezer founded Maine Culture so that everyone and anyone could enjoy a little piece of Maine. Whether you are from away or down the road a bit, you can always have a little piece of Maine with you.