At Baltimore’s 4MLK, growing life science companies can rent a single lab bench or an office, use shared equipment and attend programs with other entrepreneurs.
The building opened in January 2025 at the University of Maryland BioPark, where developer Wexford Science & Technology combined laboratories with a civic lounge and gathering spaces for scientists, entrepreneurs and neighbors.
That mix of physical space and community programming drew us to 4MLK as we planned Nexevate’s second gathering in Baltimore. As we used 4MLK’s open workspaces, we saw people from different industries sharing and commingling. That experience sparked a conversation with the BioPark’s knowledge community director about our interest in bringing business leaders together across sectors. 4MLK subsequently offered to sponsor and host our next session.
The Oct. 22 event, The Global Horizon, will focus on the challenges of growing across cultures, markets and industries.
It builds on a thesis we tested at our initial Nexevate gathering at Johns Hopkins’ Pava Center in May, which was that the Mid-Atlantic business ecosystem didn’t need another transactional happy hour or industry-siloed panel. It needed an intentional, high-trust environment where executive leaders across business, finance, real estate, fashion and beyond could connect around fundamental growth strategies, regardless of their specific sector.
And it was a success. In a curated room of 45 attendees, we brought together leaders representing 20 distinct industries.
4MLK follows the same philosophy. Its events calendar includes investor office hours, science seminars and business workshops. Those programs give entrepreneurs ways to meet people and seek advice alongside and outside of their day-to-day work.
One hour of discussion, two hours of networking, no business cards
The Global Horizon’s featured speakers include Santiago Acevedo, cofounder and COO of Argentina-based software development company Devlights.
The program also includes Michelle A. Duquette, an aviation executive strategist and founder and CEO of 3 MAD Air, and Lior Hacohen, founder of cybersecurity and compliance firm Hucheck Security. The discussion will explore what happens when business growth crosses geographic and industry lines.
Entering new markets, diversifying revenue streams or navigating international trade requires business acumen as well as industry expertise. A real estate executive, a government contractor and a financial strategist can face similar questions about financing an expansion or managing growth, even when the details of their businesses differ.
Our aim is to give founders, operators and executives a place to compare those experiences. The value we see in bringing different sectors together is the opportunity to learn how someone outside your field has approached a problem you are working through.
Nexevate’s three-hour format pairs an hour of speaker discussion with two hours for conversations among participants. Business cards are prohibited, with the intent of keeping the focus on the people in the room.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 at 4MLK, 4 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Baltimore, MD. Attendance is free, but applicants are reviewed and admission is by invitation. People interested in attending can apply through Nexevate’s website.
