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Baltimore daily roundup: Tackling tech silos; Harborplace developer loses bid; New local economy dashboard

Plus, a new accelerator targets Maryland entrepreneurs.

Baltimore skyline over the Inner Harbor (Sameer Rao/Technical.ly)

A new platform to tackle tech silos

Hosting events like the Startup Soiree series gave Patrick Rife enough experience fostering connections across Baltimore’s sector divides to realize that in-person networking can only go so far.

“You go to a great networking event. You meet amazing people,” the Pixilated founder said. “But it can be really hard the next morning to build momentum. You aren’t a burning problem in their email box.”

That’s why Rife created Baltimore Creators, a new platform and network aimed at bringing the scene together in a more concerted way. He discussed the project’s inception and future, along with his thoughts on what makes local innovation possible.

➡️ Learn more about Baltimore Creators and sign up for the waiting list

Accelerator program targets MD startups

Chris Haug leveraged his positions as head of Startup Grind Maryland and entrepreneur-in-residence at UMBC to help launch a new program for companies across the state. The StartUp Accelerator just wrapped its pilot cohort last week, with eight companies from Baltimore, Gaithersburg and Annapolis helping establish a model for the program’s next stages.

We chatted with Haug and bwtech@UMBC leader Marjie Cota about this pilot cohort, how the virtual program relied on an Annapolis company’s platform and more.

➡️ Get details on the StartUp Accelerator and its first companies.

News Incubator: What else to know today

•  Young Futures is giving 10 orgs educational resources and $100k each to help young people build a better relationship with social media. [Technical.ly]

• After almost three months and over $100 million of federal spending, the Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel is finally open. [Axios/WYPR]

• The Baltimore Development Corporation and philanthropic consultancy Bloomberg Associates just launched a new dashboard that lets users explore and visualize local economic data, from job growth and VC investment to rent burden and downtown office occupancy. [BDC]

• Inner Harbor-based Fearless (a Technical.ly client) named six people, including a former federal deputy CIO and a philanthropic leader at JPMorgan Chase, to its advisory board. [Fearless]

• Harborplace developer MCB Real Estate lost its shot at a $700 million acquisition of Houston-based Whitestone REIT. [Biz Journal]

• Music superstar The Weeknd used EDGLRD and OpenAI to interview…himself? [SSENSE]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• June 14-16: Baltimore Pride goes into high gear with a mix of events including Mt. Vernon Pride, the annual Pride parade and block party, and Pride in the Park. [Details here]

• June 15: The local Code and Coffee meetup returns to its original location at Spark Baltimore. [Details here]

• June 19: Applications close for Baltimore Homecoming’s Crab Tank Entrepreneurship Program, which offers a chance to compete for prizes worth $2,500 to $25,000. [Details here]

• June 20: The Maryland Tech Council’s Baltimore regional chapter celebrates its second anniversary at CFG Bank’s HQ in Baltimore Peninsula.  [Details here]

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