Our leadership

Jamie, the CEO of UpSurge, has been an investment banker, a movement builder, a speaker and coach. But her first passion is entrepreneurship, a bug she first caught at the young age of 9 when she started the Tiny Tots Tumbling School (her first small business).

Jamie is devoted to her adopted city of Baltimore, where she is engaged in a range of initiatives and organizations. She serves (or has served) on nonprofit boards like Open Society Institute, Impact Hub Baltimore, Venture for America, Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Lab, The Center for Urban Families, Job Opportunities Task Force, Innovation Works Baltimore, and Betamore, among others. She was the Founding Chair of the first large-scale Light and Innovation Festival in the US, Light City Baltimore, which attracted more than a million visitors and generated nearly $100 million of economic impact for the City. She has served on transition committees for Baltimore mayors O’Malley, Rawlings-Blake, and Scott.

When she is not working to unlock the potential of Charm City, Jamie can be found either turning up the oven to bake a loaf of bread, or turning up the torque on the racket court. No matter the challenge, Jamie digs deep.

Quote she lives by – “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.“ – Chinese proverb

Kory is a noteworthy leader in the startup and tech community focused on developing relationships locally and nationally with founders, investors, and startup support organizations.

Hailing from Durham, NC, he grew up loving sports and technology. Now a Baltimore resident, and a father to 3 boys, he spends his days outdoors surrounding himself with family, friends, and community (and food! He can’t get enough of the biscuits from Blacksauce Kitchen, a local Black-owned restaurant).

Kory is invested in Baltimore becoming the world’s first truly inclusive innovation economy.

Quote he lives by – “If there is no struggle there is no progress… Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” – Frederick Douglass

Maddy oversees the UpSurge team and organization, including finance and growth, legal, people operations, program strategy and evaluation. Maddy started her career in international development, working in Beirut, Lebanon supporting civil society organizations and activists. She later spent four years helping Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures build a dynamic entrepreneurship community. Serving on the boards of the Baltimore Museum of Industry and B-360 Baltimore, Maddy brings her community development lens, good-trouble attitude, and love of people into everything she does.

Quote she lives by – “We have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not stand in the way.” -Bell Hooks

Naomi graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a degree in History in May of 2021. After displaying a deep passion for entrepreneurship, she applied for Venture for America where she was accepted as a member of the 2022 class. Through her company Revolutionary Hearts Ind. she dove head first into learning about marketing, web design, and graphic design. This led to her role as the Marketing and Communications Analyst for UpSurge Baltimore. Naomi is hoping to take the opportunity in Baltimore to experience the deep culture, community, and history that lie within the streets of Charm City.

Quote she lives by – “Everything has a purpose, and you are everything.” – author unknown

As Data Analyst, Chris focuses on UpSurge’s reports and internal data systems. Chris, a suburban Atlanta native, graduated from Boston College in 2022 with a BS in Management, a major in Economics, and a minor in Social Impact. As a Venture for America ‘22 fellow, Chris is excited to learn from and support Baltimore’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Quote he lives by – “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin