Maryland tough, Baltimore strong: Professional sectors mobilize in response to Key Bridge collapse

Racists threw insults at Mayor Brandon Scott, labeling him a “DEI mayor” in the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. His response, expressing pride in his identity and roots, echoed “The Wire” actress Felicia “Snoop” Pearson’s remarks — “We’re from Baltimore, we’re legendary” — during his recent youth summit for girls.

“We know what these folks really want to say when they say DEI mayor,” he told The Baltimore Banner. “Whether it is DEI or clown. They really want to say the N-word. But there is nothing they can do and say to me that is worse than the treatment of my ancestors. I am proud of who I am and where I come from.”

Gov. Wes Moore’s remarks following the March 26 bridge collapse carried a similar theme of resilience: “We are Maryland tough, and we are Baltimore strong.”

Even with these challenges, Baltimore finds space for its power with these notable institutional initiatives, job transitions and more Power Moves.

Government

• US Small Business Administration (SBA) Business Recovery Centers are now open in Baltimore area to support eligible companies affected by the Key Bridge collapse with loans.To further support impacted port workers and businesses after the collapse, The Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade Act (PORT Act) is getting expedited through the state legislature.

  In addition, President Joe Biden plans to visit the collapse site in Baltimore this week to get a closer look and meet with state officials.

• Hours before the disaster, Mayor Scott delivered his 2024 State of the City address, in which he highlighted his administration’s commitment to updating city services using tech.“We’re reforming the city’s decades-old procurement processes and we secured new technology to overhaul our tax and permitting systems,” said Scott.

  That overhaul is happening alongside other tech-driven updates like an online tax portal for businesses.

Private Sector

• Just after hosting its roundtable discussion on the region’s tech hub designation, the Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) welcomed Cristina Lopez as its new COO and Carter McClure as its newly appointed Regional Innovation Officer. The GBC additionally is collaborating with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center Institute to assess the impact of the Key Bridge collapse on Baltimore-area businesses; this partnership has resulted in the creation of a survey.

Share what your business needs in this survey

• In an email to Technical.ly, CyDeploy announced its acknowledgment as a top AI & Data product in the 2024 Product Awards, hosted by Products That Count in collaboration with Mighty Capital and Capgemini. Congratulations are due to Tina Williams-Koroma and her team.
• ReBokeh Vision Technologies has partnered with Towson University’s StartTUp at the Armory to offer individuals at the StartTUp’s site complimentary access to ReBokeh Plus, the premium version of the former company’s mobile app.
• Johns Hopkins University (JHU) spinout Scene Health and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield have extended their partnership to provide enhanced services to Medicaid members. Scene Health’s MedEngagement program, tailored to individual needs and focused on building trust, will now offer additional support to eligible members with conditions like asthma, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
• Conscious Venture Partners has been recognized by ImpactAssets, a New York-based impact investing company, as its Emerging Impact Manager for the second consecutive year.
• The Westminister-based Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory (MAGIC) recently announced StartUp Lab, a pilot program to support STEM startups in Carroll County, Maryland, as well as foster growth and innovation within the local tech ecosystem. The program has selected six tech startups from different sectors for its inaugural cohort: Acorn Family Services, Counter-Intuitive Cooking (maker of Celcy), DeafHealth, Nurse Lynx, SoberLivin and Water’s Edge Interactive.
• A Columbia investment bank formerly known as Three-Twenty-One Capital is rebranding to Tower Partners and hired Jason Pappas, former CEO of The Maryland Proton Treatment Center, as its managing partner.
• Claudia Jolin recently began her tenure as the executive director of the Baltimore Peninsula Community Benefits District, which is affiliated with the Baltimore Peninsula development. The former vice president of economic development for the Downton Partnership of Baltimore will focus on strategic planning, partnerships and affiliated tasks.
• RELI Group, a tech and government contracting services firm with primary offices in Catonsville and Windsor Mill, named former Peraton leader Brian McElyea its new vice president of cyber.

Nonprofits

• Both the Baltimore Community Fund and United Way of Central Maryland have opened relief funds for individuals and companies affected by the Key Bridge disaster.
• The Enoch Pratt Free Library has been named one of the 30 finalists for the 2024 National Medal of Museum and Library Service by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
• Leadership Maryland has introduced its inaugural Emerging Leader Program, aimed at fostering the development of promising individuals. The 40 participants from various fields, including LaKisha Greenwade, CEO of Wearable Tech Ventures, will take part in a six-month professional development initiative.
• Claudia Allen has officially started as the director of advancement for Maryland Humanities. Her colleague Alexandra Cenatus is in Leadership Maryland’s Emerging Leader Program.

Universities

• The dedication of the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship is set to take place at JHU’s FastForward U on Saturday, April 6. With large crowds anticipated, the program will be livestreamed to an outdoor tent at the facility’s parking lot in Remington.

RSVP for the Dedication

• Baltimore Business Journal reports that JHU and the Teachers and Researchers United union have reached a tentative contract agreement that could potentially increase graduate student pay by more than $10,000 annually.
  

Update: This article has been updated to include the news about Claudia Jolin and Brian McElyea’s new positions with the Baltimore Peninsula Community Benefits District and RELI Group, respectively. (4/3/2024, 10:34 a.m.)