Momentum!
“We find ourselves in a time of outstanding momentum in Baltimore and the state of Maryland and I invite you to Ride. The. Wave.”
Momentum! There’s time when you just feel it, like an undercurrent. Other times, it’s right there in front of you. In either case, feelings of anticipation for what’s to come and excitement for what’s happening seem to coexist and the urge to “ride the wave” is ever-present. We find ourselves in a time of outstanding momentum in Baltimore and the state of Maryland and I invite you to Ride. The. Wave.
First, the Maryland Tech Ecosystem has rallied around opportunities to bring Black Tech Conferences to Baltimore:
AfroTech is coming to Baltimore! The preeminent conference for black tech talent is hosting a Social Happy Hour this Thursday, September 14th from 6-8pm at the Pendry (presented by Fearless, TEDCO & Latimer Ventures). This is the first of many activations that we expect to partner and collaborate on as a united Maryland Tech Ecosystem. Only 200 tickets are available, so get yours TODAY!
We will soon have an official RFP for Black Tech Week and the deadline for submission is October 15th, so we are re-opening the call for letters of support. We currently have 40 letters from our initial outreach, including Fearless, UpSurge, GBC, BDC, The City of Baltimore, T. Rowe Price, M&T Bank, Lifebridge Health, Johns Hopkins Health System & JHTV, MAG Partners, Venture For America, and many more!
If your organization is interested in supporting the effort to win this game-changing conference with in-kind resources or financially via sponsorship, please follow the instructions on this link and submit your Letter of Support by Friday, September 22nd!
Next, our ecosystem accelerator partners are thriving:
Coming off of the excitement for Stanley Black & Decker + Techstars, Founder Cataylst, pre-accelerator program for diverse founders, we have another exceptional asset coming online in Baltimore. The Novella Center for Entrepreneurship, led by Jeff Cherry, will focus on training diverse founders operating at the intersection of profit and purpose. NCE will celebrate is celebrating its official launch and the 10th Anniversary of the Conscious Venture Lab Accelerator, which will now operate under the nonprofit. Get a preview of the new cohort and meet some notable CVL alums this week at Equitech Tuesday!
Towson StarTUp will also be hosting its Showcase event Thursday, September 14th (wow, so many incredible events on 1 day!). Towson has been racking up awards for their entrepreneurship program! Amongst a strong lineup, this showcase will feature a presentation by Super Bowl Winning, former Baltimore Ravens Femi Ayanbadejo & Kyle Richardson!
Finally, people are coming (home) to Baltimore!
With the excitement of the AfroTech Social Happy Hour, the activity surrounding the Black Tech Week bid, and the good news that our accelerator partners are thriving, not to mention our anticipation for the next step in the EDA Tech Hubs Award proposal led by GCB, the obvious next big wave is to get people to Baltimore (shameless plug for the new Live Baltimore campaign – you might see a few people you recognize!). We certainly know how to live and how to host a great event, so spread the word about these activations and activities, so they are well-attended and enjoyed by all.
And join us this September 12th, 6-8pm at Guilford Hall Brewery to meet CVL Cohort 10 and again next week, September 19th when we host the 20 founders participating in the JP Morgan Techstars DC Accelerator program led by our very own Adam Phillips. You won’t want to miss either!
Strap on your tool belt! We are building the world’s first #Equitech City! #ThisIsEquitech