Main Street’s newest resident is Global Tides Consulting, LLC, a boutique consulting firm that specializes in community integration services for new Mainers. The firm, which moved into its Northeast Harbor office at 149 Main Street last January, is led by Mount Desert resident Alyne Cistone. Among numerous volunteer roles on Mount Desert Island and beyond, Alyne is currently a long serving member of the Board of Trustees at College of the Atlantic and on the board of Open Table MDI. She has twenty years of experience working in law, government, and the nonprofit sector.

Global Tides Consulting’s work includes advocacy, trusted referrals, and networking opportunities for new employees. Alyne’s signature service is community onboarding, which includes personalized assistance for accessing essential services such as housing, childcare, and transportation.

During the pandemic, social distancing measures have made it difficult for new Mainers to become integrated in community life. Community onboarding helps new arrivals learn about the resources available to them and to become involved as valued members of the community. Through their services, Global Tides Consulting improves retention for local employers, such as the Jackson Laboratory, and the year-round community.

In addition to working with individuals, the firm also offers assistance for organizations developing programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). For MaineBiz, Alyne recently offered advice for incorporating DEI into professional settings. “Diversity work should be at the foundation of everything we do,” she says. “It’s a combination of how we interact with each other as neighbors and our ability to embrace differences as assets and added value.”

Community onboarding is one way that supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion can benefit the entire community. However, Alyne says, we also need to create the infrastructure that will provide more equitable opportunities. She’s especially concerned for workers in the island’s service and hospitality industry, many of whom arrive in Maine on temporary visas. “If we lose our essential workers,” she says, “we risk losing the foundation and backbone of our livelihood.”

The shortage of affordable year-round housing and transportation continue to hinder many new arrivals seeking to put down roots here. In a recent editorial for the Mount Desert Islander, Alyne shared her support for the Jackson Laboratory’s proactive approach to employee housing and childcare needs, sharing that “when organizations take such leadership, it benefits the common good.”

Alyne is particularly excited about her new partnership with Greenlight Maine, a Maine-based television production company. Through her role as co-host for Elevating Voices, set to air on MPBN at the end of April, Alyne is continuing to amplify the work of small businesses in Maine. As Global Tides, she offers her support as a business coach and mentor for businesses that are featured on the show. While on-air with Julene Gervais, she can provide businesses with increased visibility to gain recognition and support. Their upcoming series, Elevating Voices, celebrates diversity in Maine businesses.

You can tune into Elevating Voices with Alyne and Julene through the spring and summer of 2021. Greenlight Maine airs on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network on Thursdays at 8:00pm, with a re-broadcasting on Sundays at 5:30pm.