Four Maine startups are participating in the newest edition of Scratchpad Accelerator, a Bangor-based program that’s aiming to help the businesses get to the next level of growth.
The 13-week virtual program, sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, started last week and will run through April.
Named to the cohort are Blue Barren Distillery, of Camden and Hope; Brewer-based Coffee Hound; Heiwa Tofu, of Rockport; and OnAscent, a Bangor coaching and consulting agency.
“What stands out with the newest group is their growth mindset and their dedication to building a legacy while improving Maine’s economy,” Lisa Liberatore, Scratchpad’s program manager, told Mainebiz. “They truly care about their employees and their communities.”
This is the fourth cohort to go through the program, whose alumni include CourseStorm, Kinotek, Marin Skincare and Herbal Revolution.
Unlike many accelerator programs, Scratchpad does not include a business-pitch contest. But two networking events are planned for current cohort members. The events are scheduled for Feb. 27 in Bangor and April 17 in Portland, at venues still to be decided.
Over the next 13 weeks, participating founders “will develop a roadmap to success and formulate questions to be addressed by a robust pool of mentors,” Liberatore said. “Examples of key focal areas of the roadmap include: identifying and planning for exit, raising capital, building your team, developing and executing a marketing strategy.”
Liberatore, who was honored on the Mainebiz Next List in 2019, is the owner of Lisa’s Legit Burritos in Gardiner. The business recently celebrated its 13th anniversary.
She is also a real estate investor and associate broker who formerly owned CoVort, a Bangor coworking space that has doubled its size under new ownership, according to Liberatore.