ABOUT

Entrepreneurship | Community and Economic Development | Civic Engagement and Volunteerism

Sam Shoge is an entrepreneur who believes in the power of small businesses, economic development, civic engagement, and compelling messaging to transform and uplift rural communities. Based on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Shoge’s professional and personal experiences have emphasized the importance of going back to a foundational idea of community, rooted in connection, commerce, and altruism.

A graduate of Elon University, Shoge returned after graduation to his hometown of Chestertown, Maryland, where he accepted a job in admissions at Washington College. As an admissions counselor and later, the assistant director of admissions, Shoge managed the Washington, DC metro area and partnered with DC area schools and nonprofits in college access and success programs and initiatives, consistently recruiting 10% of the enrollment for each year’s class. In this role, Shoge found that promoting Chestertown’s community strengths and sense of place was a critical asset in recruitment.

Later, as Economic Development Coordinator for Talbot County Government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Shoge gained experience in how those community strengths can be developed through strategic economic development investment. From the re-development of a multi-tenant business center to leading the conceptual development of an aquaculture farm, Shoge learned the importance of adaptation and reuse in community revitalization. Shoge also began his work with small businesses, working individually to help them expand or relocate within Talbot County.

That small-business know-how and hands-on approach was developed substantially in Shoge’s next position as the Executive Director of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce, where he assumed leadership of the organization during the onset of a global pandemic. Despite the challenges of the Covid era, he worked to increase value for Chamber members by scheduling conference calls that allowed business owners to get critical updates from local and state authorities during the early stages of the pandemic. Shoge also launched new initiatives, including an awards program recognizing local businesses and entrepreneurs for their success. 

During his tenure at the Kent County Chamber of Commerce, Shoge honed a strategy that would become an essential part of his toolkit for small towns—updated marketing and communications. While working in Economic Development in Talbot County, he had seen the positive impact of up-to-date messaging, including social media, in attracting new businesses and tourism to the Eastern Shore. At the Chamber, Shoge built upon that experience, creating a persuasive and inviting identity for the organization that included a modern and engaging website, consistent branding across all platforms, and an award-winning membership directory and resource guide.

Entrepreneurship has been a thread running throughout Shoge’s professional life. In addition to supporting the development of small businesses at Talbot County Economic Development and the Kent County Chamber of Commerce, Shoge founded his own business in 2017, Shore Studios, specializing in delivering consumer drone photography and videography applications to the region’s businesses. Through Shore Studios, Shoge would develop a portfolio of clients that included real estate, construction, higher education, and marine services. Before selling the business in 2022, he had increased revenues by 400% since the company’s inception, and developed extensive connections in numerous business sectors throughout the Eastern Shore.

Shoge is also deeply committed to civic engagement. In 2014 Shoge was elected as a member of the Chestertown Town Council, unseating a 24-year incumbent in Chestertown’s largest and most diverse ward by running a campaign based on new, progressive ideas and values. During his four-year term, Shoge implemented some of his trademark strategies. Messaging was addressed by overseeing the redesign of the municipal website, entrepreneurship was supported by getting council members to engage with local businesses by sponsoring business forums, and finally, the development of strategic infrastructure by coordinating with town zoning administrator and MD State Highway Administration to develop a strategic plan on infrastructure improvement along a major transportation artery.

Throughout each stage of his professional career, Shoge has also been actively involved as a volunteer in his community. Shoge has served as a firefighter with Chestertown’s volunteer fire company and has been a board member for numerous non-profits and commissions, including the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, Chesapeake College Foundation, the Rural Maryland Council, and the Chestertown Planning Commission to name a few.