Lisa Liberatore

Members of the inaugural cohort include a handcrafted screen door maker in Waldoboro and a Portland-based fast-casual breakfast-food concept with long-term plans to expand nationally.

Graduates of the program will be better prepared to audition for the "Greenlight Maine" business-pitch series the following season, though participation does not guarantee selection.

Newcastle-based Singing Pastures plans to use its $25,000 prize money to fund a new website ahead of a rebrand and expansion.

The group includes Watermelon Pie, a cooking community and recipe platform founded by Kachina Miller.

The 13-week program, which started last week and will run through April, is entirely virtual.