Maryland Student Ventures
The MD Student Venture Showcase & Pava LaPere Innovation Awards is an event/program funded by the Pava LaPere Legacy of Innovation Act of 2024 to provide grants to technology-based start-up companies founded by students from institutions located in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Attend the Virtual Info Session
All interested ventures are encouraged to attend the session to learn more about eligibility requirements, selection process, and to hear from a previous Pava Awardee. Additional hybrid information session will be held in September.
Submit Your Venture for Consideration
Abbrieviated Eligibility Requirements:
- 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.
- The venture must be a tech-based 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.
- The venture must be incorporated as a business. (LLC, 501c3, or other entities accepted) Incorporation can happen within 60 days of notice of award.
- Check back for full eligibility requirements and selection process.
A Look Back
February 18, 2025
Location: 4MLK, 4 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21202
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
2025 Pava LaPere Innovation Awardees
DegreeMap
Institution: Towson University
Founders: Andres Londono & Matthew Dibbern
Drio, LLC
Institution: Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC)
Founder: Rachel McFadden
Elastic Energy
Institution: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Founders: Samuel Bendeck
Fetal Therapy Technologies
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Founder: Selena Shirkin
Luminova Beauty
Institution: Loyola University
Founder: Charles Engler
RhizeUp
Institution: Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC)
Founder: Ulysses Matricciani
SneakerSync
Institution: Towson University
Founder: Hermes Bunch
Somnair
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Founder: Andres Sideris
Sustainabli
Institution: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Founder: Kevin Tu
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
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.ed
- Johns Hopkins University, Josh Ambrose, JoshAmbrose@jhu.edu
- Loyola University Maryland, Wendy Bolger, webolger@loyola.edu
- Maryland Institute College of Art
- McDaniel College, Joan Liptrot, jliptrot@mcdaniel.edu
- Morgan State University, Onyema Osuagwu, onyema.osuagwu@morgan.edu
- Notre Dame of Maryland University
- St. John’s College, Jaime Dunn, Jaime.Dunn@sjc.edu
- Stevenson University, Dr. Zamira Simkins, zsimpkins@stevenson.edu
- Towson University, Lauren Jan, ljan@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
- If your institution does not have a representative, please contact robbin@upsurgebaltimore.com