Our Mission
Helping Young People Discover What’s Possible.
“We can see the lasting impact of what we do at Apex each time a former student comes back to just be here, chat with us, and feel that sense of belonging.”
Mentorship that Matters
Young people thrive when they know someone believes in them. Apex creates opportunities for meaningful relationships with caring adults who encourage, support, and celebrate their growth while teaching them valuable practical and social skills.
Experiential Learning
The best lessons don't always happen in a classroom. From repairing bikes to exploring the outdoors, our programs help youth develop confidence and cultivate independence through real experiences.
Rooted in Community
Growth happens through connection. Apex brings together local families, schools, volunteers, businesses, and community partners to create opportunities that no one could provide alone.
Connection that Lasts
Building a bike and learning to maintain it is just the beginning. We help young people learn to build relationships that stay with
them long after the program ends.
About Us
Every Connection Starts Somewhere
Apex Youth Connection started with the belief that every young person deserves opportunities to explore, learn, belong, and thrive.
It all started with one caring adult, a few bicycles, and a belief that meaningful relationships can change a young person's life.
From CBC to Apex
In 2001, founder Andy Greif started an Earn-a-Bike program in his garage to connect with local youth through hands-on learning and mentorship. What began with a handful of participants quickly grew as more young people, volunteers, and community partners became part of the vision.
As the organization expanded, so did its programs, and the Community Bicycle Center was born.
In 2019, we became Apex Youth Connection, a name chosen with help from Biddeford students that reflects who we are today. While our name has changed, our mission remains the same: creating opportunities that help every young person build confidence, find belonging, and discover what's possible.
We partner with schools, volunteers, businesses, and community organizations to create opportunities that help young people build brighter futures.
Today, we offer much more than bike programs.
At Apex, Kids can:
Explore the outdoors with Nature Explorers, mountain bike rides, and Maine Huts & Trails trips.
Build community with Bike Bus, outreach events, and Trek Across Maine.
Discover new interests like 3-D printing or LEGO robotics.
Build practical skills from bike maintenance and road safety with our Earn-a-Bike program.
Paid job training with bike mechanic pre-apprenticeships, Youth Conservation Corps, and Camp CIT opportunities.
Cultivate leadership skills and form lasting connections with peers and adults in our community through our Youth Council.
Gain confidence through experiences that support them in the real world.
Our Team
Michael Chapman,
Executive Director
Michael brings a wealth of experience to Apex Youth Connection. He brings experience in education, business relations, operations management, and executive roles in a wide variety of settings. Michael holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Vermont. He enjoys outdoor sports including mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. He is also a Maine junior high school and high school basketball official.
"It is clear the value that an organization such as Apex offers the community's youth. I am honored to help lead Apex as a valued pillar in the community as we continue to provide positive experiences, relationships and foundational skills to our youth."
Sarah Hoover,
Program Director
Sarah started volunteering with Apex since 2017, forming a deep passion for working with kids, bikes, and the local community. Sarah has had many adventures with Apex and the CBC though the years, including mentoring and riding in two Trek Across Maine rides, white water rafting, museum trips, mountain bike rides, and countless games of four square.
Before joining Apex, Sarah worked as an Undergraduate Admissions Counselor for UNE, taught English in Madrid, and led program and volunteer management and community outreach at United Way of York County. Sarah is originally from Delaware but has called Biddeford home for the last 13 years.
Ally Demeule.
Administrative Coordinator
Ally Demeule is an enthusiastic and motivated lifelong Biddeford resident with over 8 years experience working in youth programming. Ally specializes in after school and summer program planning as well as activity preparation and procedure. She greatly enjoys hands-on work within her community and she is looking forward to collaborating alongside our passionate team at Apex. Ally loves to spend her free time foraging in the woods, ghost hunting at local spooky hot spots or baking vintage recipes she found in old thrift store books.
Kris Hovasse,
Youth Engagement
Program Manager
Kris has been a part of the Biddeford community since 2007. She brings years of experience in youth programming and community building. You can find Kris at many community events here in Biddeford running a registration table for Apex.
Her favorite pastime is spending time with friends and family and sitting around a bonfire. She loves crafting and painting, and brings that creativity to craft programs at Apex.
Noah Pinkham,
Bicycle Program Manager
Noah first joined the Apex team in 2024, and now she has come on full-time as Apex’s lead bicycle mechanic and bicycle program mentor. However, that is not her first time interacting with Apex. Noah would come in occasionally as a child for small repairs, but would often end up getting pulled into the shop as a teen by her best friend and former Apex employee, Fabian. It was through her adolescent time at Apex that Noah learned foundational bicycle skills that would allow her to land her first mechanic job at Coastal Maine Kayak and Bike in Kennebunkport. Since then, Noah has used those professionally bolstered skills in order to connect with and support local youth through compassion and bicycle mechanics.
Steven Thurlow,
Bike Mechanic
Steven is an aircraft mechanic with the Army National Guard and a valued team member at General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. From ages 12 to 18, he was deeply involved with Apex Youth Connection, completing our Job Readiness Program, an experience that laid the foundation for his passion for hands-on work and mentoring others.
After a few years away, he returned to Apex as a staff member, giving back to the same community that helped shape him.
Eric Hovasse, AfterCare Program Operator (Saco)
Eric has been an active community member of Biddeford since 2020. He has an interest in the welfare of the future generation and believes in working to build a brighter tomorrow. As a former Apex AfterCare participant, he wants to make sure every young person has a positive experience like he did. Eric loves learning about each student and building relationships. Both in and out of Apex, Eric loves playing card games and boards games, and taking walks around town.
Raine Chase, AfterCare Program (Biddeford)
Raine assists at the Biddeford Middle School Apex Aftercare program. She is a dedicated member of the community who is passionate about making sure every child has a safe person to talk to and a place where they can truly be themselves. Having attended a similar program throughout her teenage years, Raine understands the importance of those spaces and is excited to bring that same positive experience to the next generation.
Our Board
Adam Warfel, Board Chair and Treasurer
Adam moved to Maine over 20 years ago and can’t imagine living anywhere else. After 6 years working as a carpenter, he went back to school at the University of Southern Maine to study Accounting. Since graduating from USM, he’s worked at Macpage (Wipfli), Synergent, and is now President at PeoplesChoice Credit Union where he loves what credit unions are all about, which includes trying to make a positive impact in their communities. Adam is also a huge fan of mountain biking and anything that involves tinkering around to build or make something work.
He loves that Apex’s programs provide a safe space for kids in the community to learn and build confidence while working with their hands and also getting an opportunity to get outside! He’s thrilled both to volunteer within the Apex programs and serve on the Board. Adam lives in Falmouth with his wife and two kids.
Carolyn Brodsky, Vice Chair
Carolyn has 40 years of experience working in marketing, sales, manufacturing, operations, and executive management. She is an entrepreneur who started and ran two highly successful companies, specifically she is the Founder and CEO of Sterling Rope Company, Inc in Biddeford and Marketing Basics Applied in Marblehead, MA. In both companies, she focused on creating jobs, developing new products, promoting and growing people. Carolyn is a community supporter who worked to enhance economic development, engage our youth and schools in workforce development, and promote outdoor recreation for all. She is also a small business champion, helping to educate our community, schools and policy makers on the trials, issues and successes of Maine’s small businesses, especially manufacturers, and the importance of their existence to help Maine thrive. Carolyn is a board member of multiple organizations from church, to community to trade.
John Perry, Board Secretary
John is an employee benefits consultant with Alliant Insurance Services in Portland. He is new to the Apex board and looks forward to carrying on the legacy of his long-time friend, Truc Huynh, and giving back to his childhood community.
John grew up in Biddeford and now lives in Saco with his wife, Lindsay, and daughters, Lucy and Annie. His hobbies include golf, traveling, and watching his daughters compete in swimming and soccer.
Berkeley Elias, Board Director
Berkeley is a product engineer at IDEXX Laboratories in Westbrook, leading critical initiatives involving chemistry analyzers used in veterinary clinics. Berkeley is driven by his passion for animals, developing solutions that improve animal health diagnostics and strengthen the bond between families and their pets.
Prior to IDEXX, Berkeley studied at the University of Southern Maine, where he developed and applied artificial intelligence algorithms to quantify biological features in a range of plant species, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with minors in Electrical Engineering and Industrial Management.
Beyond his professional work, Berkeley is a passionate cyclist and active volunteer at Apex, supporting bicycle programming and mentoring youth participants.
John Lewis, Board Director
Ben Gosselin has over 20 years of experience working in the finance and accounting fields. Ben is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Saco Valley Credit Union. In this role, he oversees the accounting and compliance functions of the Credit Union and is responsible for all Federal and State quarterly and annual financial reporting. Prior to joining Saco Valley Credit Union in 2018, Ben had spent most of his career working in public accounting performing audits and reviews for Credit Unions, manufacturing companies and not-for-profit organizations. Ben has a Master of Science in Accounting degree from the University of Southern Maine and holds certifications as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Prior to joining the Board of Apex, Ben served on the Board of Directors for Biddeford Little League as the Treasurer, a position he held for four years. Ben is a lifelong Biddeford resident who resides here with his wife and three children.
Jen Burke, Board Director
Jen Burke serves as the Vice President of Outreach and Strategic Initiatives for the Maine Credit Union League. In this role, Jen oversees communications, statewide initiatives and community outreach, and serves as the organization’s spokesperson. Before joining the League in 2018, Jen managed her own government and public relations consulting firm—a position she held for over a decade. She has worked in both Augusta and Washington, DC, and brings a wide array of public affairs experience to her role. In addition to her responsibilities at the League, Jen serves on the Board of the
Biddeford Education Foundation. She also was appointed by Governor Janet T. Mills to serve a three-year term on the Maine Commission for Community Service. Jen is a proud graduate of the University of Southern Maine. She earned her degree in Political Science, graduating magna cum laude in 1999. She resides in Biddeford with her husband, Brian, and their daughter, Hailey.
Andy Greif, Board Emeritus & Founder
Andy has 37 years of professional experience, nurturing resilience and emotional development of children and youth in educational and community-based settings. Working in southern Maine, his early positions were: experiential education coordinator and counselor in alternative and special education schools; partner in a business facilitating adults and children in team-building experiences through adventure-based activities; and a branch manager of a YMCA. In 2000, he began to develop the concept of engaging children in youth development skill building through the repair bicycles and cycling with mentors.
In 2005, Andy founded and served as the Executive Director of the Community Bicycle Center in Biddeford, Maine (aka Apex Youth Connection), an after and out-of-school youth development program. Moving to Taos, New Mexico in 2016, Andy has continued to support children through working with children that have experienced trauma through the Nurturing Center, teaches students life skills through repairing bikes at the Taos Day School through the Field Institute of Taos, and has volunteered working with children through Twirl, Youth Heartline and the Taos Milagro Rotary Club. Andy sums up his decades of work with children and youth by expressing his motivation to nurture things that bring meaning into their lives - engaging them in experiences that bring them joy, a sense of belonging, and feelings of freedom and fun. Using the principals of Narrative Therapy, and following their interests, Andy strives to invites children into experiences that help them create positive stories about themselves while developing life skills. Andy and his wife moved to Taos in to join the co-housing community Valverde Commons. He spends his time turning wooden bowls, hiking around Taos County, managing a pickleball community, repairing things for others in need, and bicycling.