Showcase Details
February 18, 2025, 5:00-9:00 PM
Location: 4MLK, 4 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21202
This inaugural showcase celebrated nine student ventures selected for the first-ever Pava LaPere Innovation Awards. All nominated student ventures had opportunity to expo at the showcase as well.
Speakers:
- Abi Kulshreshtha, Executive Director, Maryland Innovation Initiative, TEDCO
- Francesca Ioffreda, Chief Innovation Officer, State of Maryland, Office of Governor Wes Moore
- Frank LaPere
- Markus Proctor, Executive Director, Innovators of Progress
The MD Intercollegiate Student Venture Showcase & Pava LaPere Innovation Awards is an event/program funded by the Pava LaPere Legacy of Innovation Act of 2024 where the State of Maryland established the Pava LaPere Innovation Acceleration Grant Program in the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) to provide grants to technology-based start-up companies founded by students from institutions located in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The funding has allowed TEDCO to disburse nine awards of $50,000 to student ventures from postsecondary institutions in the Baltimore Tech ecosystem.
In its first year, the steering committee aimed to expand the grant program in the future, and have come together for a multi-year commitment.
Representatives from each participating institution selected up to four (4) ventures to move forward. Awardees had an opportunity to present at the MD Student Venture Showcase in February.
Additionally, there was a Presentation of Community Awards. These awards are for the exhibiting student ventures which attendees will have had the opportunity to interact with during the Networking & Student Venture Expo portion of the evening.
- Impact Award Winner: The venture that will have the greatest impact on Baltimore
- Jay’s Watermelonade
- Innovation Award: The most innovative or novel application of technology
- Mindmap AI
- Passion Award: The team that demonstrated unwavering enthusiasm and determination to make their vision a reality
- Kairos
Student Founders
DegreeMap
University: Towson University
Founders: Andres Londono & Matthew Dibbern
Drio, LLC
University: Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC)
Founder: Rachel McFadden
Elastic Energy
University: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Founders: Samuel Bendeck & Kevin
Fetal Therapy Technologies
University: Johns Hopkins University
Founder: Selena Shirkin
Luminova Beauty
University: Loyola University
Founder: Charles Engler
RhizeUp
University: Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC)
Founder: Ulysses Matricciani
SneakerSync
University: Towson University
Founder: Hermes Bunch
Somnair
University: Johns Hopkins University
Founder: Andres Sideris
Sustainabli
University: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Founder: Kevin Tu
Student Venture Eligibility Requirements
1. A member of the founding and current leadership team must be enrolled at an Baltimore-Towson-Columbia MSA college or university at the time of application.
2. The venture must be a tech-enabled business leveraging some innovation in technology. This includes companies that are building/ have built a new technology, or companies that utilize technological advancement to deliver a new product or service.
3. The venture must be incorporated as a business. (LLC, 501c3, or other entities accepted) Incorporation can happen within 60 days of notice of award.
Core Advisory Board
- Josh Ambrose – Director, The Pava Center, Johns Hopkins University
- Markus Proctor – Executive Director, Innovators of Progress
- Lindsay Ryan – Executive Director of Economic Development, University System of Maryland
- Wendy Bolger – Founding Director, Simon Center for Entrepreneurship, Loyola University
- Graham Dodge – Vice President of Venture Development, TEDCO
- Margaret Roth Falzon – Principal, Squadra Ventures
- Robbin Lee – Director of Partnerships & Mobilization, UpSurge Baltimore
- Dr. Tammira Lucas – Venture Growth Advisor, TEDCO / Professor, Coppin State University
- Onyema Osuagwu – Associate Professor, Morgan State University
- Dennis Sullivan – Associate Professor of Business Management & Marketing, CCBC
Eligible Institutions and Steering Committee Representatives
- Anne Arundel Community College, Stephanie Goldenberg, slgoldenberg@aacc.edu
- Baltimore City Community College, Quintin Davis, qdavis@bccc.edu
- Carroll Community College, Amy Yingling, ayingling@carrollcc.edu
- Community College of Baltimore County, Dennis Sullivan, dsullivan2@ccbcmd.edu
- Coppin State University, Ron Williams, coppinallbusiness@coppin.edu
- Goucher College, Maureen Malomba, maureen.malomba@goucher.edu
- Harford Community College, Marc Minnick, mminnick@harford.edu
- Howard Community College, Helen Rose, hrose@howardcc.edu
- Johns Hopkins University, Josh Ambrose, JoshAmbrose@jhu.edu
- Loyola University Maryland, Wendy Bolger, webolger@loyola.edu
- Maryland Institute College of Art, Stacy Stube, sstube@mica.edu
- McDaniel College, Joan Liptrot, jliptrot@mcdaniel.edu
- Morgan State University, Onyema Osuagwu, onyema.osuagwu@morgan.edu
- Notre Dame of Maryland University, business@ndm.edu
- St. John’s College, Jaime Dunn, Jaime.Dunn@sjc.edu
- Stevenson University, Dr. Holly, Schiller, hlentz-schiller@stevenson.edu
- Towson University, Patrick McQuown, pmcquown@towson.edu
- University of Baltimore, Henry Mortimer, hmortimer@ubalt.edu
- University of Maryland, Baltimore, Taylor DeBoer, taylor.deboer@umaryland.edu
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Kevin Fulmer, kevinf@umbc.edu