This re-entry nonprofit is set to hold its first Baltimore data event

Mission: Launch believes tech can be an important tool to address issues surrounding re-entry, and hackathons can be a good source of those tools. Equally important is making sure the tech solutions that are eventually built address the landscape as it exists, said Executive Director Laurin Hodge.
Before spending a weekend building, Hodge said, “Let’s in a creative, fundamental way start to lay the framework and groundwork for what it would look like to build something that helps the entire city.”
To get on the same page and define the landscape, the D.C.-based nonprofit is holding a Design & Data Day at Impact Hub Baltimore. The event is set for Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Register ($5)
It’s the group’s first event in Baltimore, but Hodge and the organization have long had ties to the area. In D.C., Mission: Launch has organized the Rebuilding Re-entry Hackathon for two years. They’re also behind an accelerator for returning citizens.
Participants can work on one of two tracks:

• A design track will look at identifying who is working on re-entry in Baltimore and visualizing what that looks like.
• The data track will look at national and local data, and dig in.

Mission: Launch is planning to hold a future Build Day.
For this event, Hodge said the focus is on collaboration, and giving folks a chance to learn more about re-entry. Knowing how to code is a plus, but it’s not required.