Civic News

Baltimore’s tech community made great strides in 2023. Let’s celebrate them

A longtime local tech leader invites Charm City to look back on a strong year in tech and support the next generation of innovators with an end-of-year celebration on Dec. 20.

A scene from the Baltimore Regional Tech Council's 2023 happy hour. (Courtesy Ed Mullin)

Put simply: 2023 has been a great year for Baltimore’s tech community.

As we’ve moved past the pandemic lockdown, there has been so much progress in the startup community, as well as at existing tech organizations. Folks are going back to their offices and coming out to networking events and other convenings. Organizations like UpSurge Baltimore, Techstars and the Maryland Tech Council’s Baltimore Regional Chapter have been filling bars and auditoriums with their pitch contests, weekly happy hours and community meetings throughout the year. These activities have breathed much-needed, renewed life into this tech ecosystem.

Robotics teams in Baltimore City Public Schools also had a great year. According to the school district, more than 700 students, spread throughout over 140 teams from 70-plus schools, participated in a competitive robotics program this year — a nearly 40% increase over last year. This means that more students are being exposed to design thinking, software development, engineering and working on a project team.

In total, City Schools teams earned 19 statewide awards in robotics, with four teams going to the World Championships. Squads from Arlington Elementary, Baltimore International Academy, Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle, and Cross Country Elementary/Middle all qualified for and attended the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas this year.

Plus, high school seniors are getting scholarships to college and alumni are employed at Blue Origin, NSA, McCormick Spice, Northrop Grumman and many other top employers. It’s not uncommon for alumni of the robotics program to be making more than $100,000 three years out of college.

So let’s celebrate all of these interlocking achievements! On Wednesday, Dec. 20 from 4-7 p.m., we’ll be toasting the Baltimore tech community’s successes at Union Craft Brewing. Come join us for a light-hearted and fun evening of refreshments and connecting. All profits from ticket sales will go to support the Baltimore Robotics Center.

Get your tickets here

This is a guest post by Ed Mullin, the executive director of the Baltimore Robotics Center, business development manager for DP Solutions and chair of the Maryland Tech Council’s Baltimore Regional Chapter. He is organizing the Baltimore Tech Happy Hour, for which Technical.ly is a media partner.
Companies: Technical.ly

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

What actually is the 'creator economy'? Here's why we should care

Skills, not schools: A new path for government tech

Maryland governor appoints CIO to combat child poverty

A community survives the blows: Baltimore tech and entrepreneurship’s top 2024 stories

Technically Media