Baltimore Homecoming’s Amplify 2022 is winding down, but it saved the tech for last

Since Wednesday, local economic and civic booster organization Baltimore Homecoming has been gathering the city’s most accomplished natives and expats for panels and curated field trips as part of Amplify 2022. 

Much of this three-day convening’s conference and panel portions have taken place at The Penguin Room at Whitehall Mill. Friday, the event’s last day, will heavily feature prominent stakeholders in the Baltimore tech economy.

Tomorrow’s panels begin at 9 a.m., starting with:

• “Why Baltimore Can Win in Today’s Economy” with Dr. Anirban Basu, chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group Inc.
• “Baltimore’s Equitech Ecosystem” with Jamie McDonald, CEO of UpSurge Baltimore
• “Baltimore Founder’s Panel” with Fearless CEO Delali Dzirasa, Sonavi Labs CEO Ellington West and Allovue CEO Jess Gartner. Conscious Venture Lab founder Jeff Cherry will moderate.

Amplify 2022’s closing day also includes the second annual Crab Tank pitch competition, which boasts a $25,000 grand prize and a $2,500 people’s choice award. The finalists are:

• Astek Diagnostics, a medical device company and 2022 RealLIST Startups honoree from founder Mustafa Al-Adhami, which developed a platform for rapid antibiotic sensitivity testing. 
• BrickRose Exchange, founded by Bianca J. Jackson, offers a collaborative meeting space that functions both in-person and in the metaverse.
• EcoMap Technologies, another 2022 RealLIST Startups honoree, founded by CEO Pava LaPere and COO Sherrod Davis. The company develops data-driven platforms that help various business-based communities navigate ecosystems.
• RunMitts LLC, one of two Black-owned outdoor gear companies in the country, founded by Susan Clayton.
• The Cube Cowork, a coworking space founded by Dr. Jammira Lucas that provides on-site babysitting services, business-building resources, meeting rooms and private office space rental.

Judges of the competition include RareBreed Ventures founder Mac Conwell and 410 Labs founder Dave Troy, among other local business leaders.

Donte Kirby is a 2020-2022 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.