ET #117: The DMV Region
On this 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, it should come as no surprise that even the acronym DMV was coined to describe the group of rap artists that called Washington, DC and the surrounding suburbs home.
Today, DMV (short for DC – Maryland – Virginia) can be viewed as stretching from Richmond, VA all the way up the I-95 corridor to Baltimore, MD. However you define it, the region that benefits from having our Nation’s capital, Prince Georges County, and Baltimore as its northern anchor is full of assets and ripe with opportunities to connect them.
Last week, the UpSurge team was able to benefit from the findings of our intern Isaiah Pittman’s detailed presentation about peer ecosystems from Detroit to Atlanta, Pittsburgh to Raleigh-Durham. His analysis delivered key learnings and reinforced the importance of building and sustaining connections with the communities within our local geography and beyond.
All Summer, we’ve had opportunities to put those learnings into practice, partnering with Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) on the federal Tech Hubs award proposal, introducing the latest CVL Cohort at Equitech Tuesday, and collaborating with Fearless, TEDCO, and the Maryland Tech ecosystem to welcome AfroTech to Baltimore for the first time. These collaborations, partnerships, and events do more than just create local awareness and excitement for our growing tech community, they draw in assets from the DMV region and beyond.
This week, we have more opportunities to connect more regional assets with a partner who has been steadily investing in Baltimore and the DMV for the past 3 years, Techstars. Here’s a sneak peak at what’s coming!
Techstars Founder Catalyst is here!
We expect an announcement of the 20 companies that will join the 2023 Techstars Founder Catalyst pre-accelerator sponsored by Stanley Black & Decker to drop this week. The program will kick-off in-person here in Baltimore on Monday, October 2nd.
They are looking to hire two contractor roles to assist throughout the program. An EIR, someone who knows what it takes to build and run a company as well as raise capital, and a Design & Communications Associate to support the founders by helping them hone clear, attractive pitch decks. Please encourage anyone from your networks that might be a good fit to apply.
JP Morgan Techstars DC is coming to Baltimore!
Tomorrow, September 19th, we will welcome the 20 companies participating in the JP Morgan Techstars DC program to Baltimore for Equitech Tuesday so they can meet with other local Techstars alums and experience just how welcoming Baltimore city and the Equitech community is for founders. Plan to be there to meet them and show why they should consider living, loving, doing business, and building in Baltimore!
Techstars Equitech application is live!
Tomorrow, we will also announce that the application for Techstars Equitech 2024 is live! Let’s share the link with all of the talented founders of early-stage companies in our networks and make sure cohort #3 (beginning in March 2024) is just as awesome as cohorts #1 and #2.
Finally, here are two additional opportunities to strengthen local connections in Baltimore and extend the Equitech community regionally:
The Leadership Info Session
If you’re a leader looking to learn more about Baltimore city, network with leaders in other sectors across the state, and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the greater Baltimore region, join UpSurge Chief Ecosystem & Relationship Officer and current Leadership class member, Kory Bailey this Wednesday, September 20th, at Union Craft Brewing for The Leadership Info Session.
Equitech Community at Shawan Downs
In partnership with Brown Advisory, we invite you to join us at The Legacy Chase for a day of steeplechase horse races at Shawan Downs on Saturday, September 30th. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss!
So many things happening to help the growth of Baltimore and the DMV region. It all starts with Equitech Tuesday at Guilford Hall Brewery from 6-8pm. See you there!
Strap on your tool belt! We are building the world’s first #Equitech City!
#ThisIsEquitech