Baltimore weekly roundup: Tech Hubs under Trump; $2M loaned for lab space; local founders on Forbes list

Welcome to the roundup of the latest from Baltimore's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

Feds hope Tech Hubs continue under Trump

Cristina Killingsworth, the acting assistant secretary of commerce and economic development at the Economic Development Administration, visited 13 of the 31 regions her employer designated as Tech Hubs.

Through that process, she witnessed bipartisan support for the program from members of Congress and other officials in those regions. That’s contributed to her confidence it will continue in the next administration, regardless of the President-elect’s thoughts on economic development. 

“While I can’t predict the future, I can’t predict whether or not there’s going to be additional funding — what I can say is that everybody is behind the idea of bolstering US economic competitiveness and US national security,” she told reporters at a media briefing this week. “And so, we’re hopeful that the program will continue for years to come.”

➡️ Get updates on the Tech Hubs program here

$2M public funds for a tech lab space

Maryland and Baltimore agencies put forth $2 million and $200,000, respectively, in conditional loans for the development of 4MLK Connect Labs. 

Connect Labs incorporates 35,000 square feet of flex lab facilities within the University of Maryland BioPark’s forthcoming building, which is expected to formally open on Jan. 15.

Plus, several medical device companies reported new capital in the area, and the White House requested $500 million for Key Bridge cleanup.

➡️ Learn more about recent Money Moves here

News Incubator: What else to know

• Check out Baltimore’s top tech and economic moments of the last year in an interactive timeline. [Technical.ly]

• Johns Hopkins students worry about mobile security cameras set up near the site of a Palestinian solidarity encampment. [Baltimore Banner]

• Several Baltimore founders made appearances on Forbes’ new 30 Under 30 lists. Rebecca Rosenberg of assistive tech firm ReBokeh Vision Technologies and Adeola Ajani of Fem Equity, whose platform helps people from marginalized groups raise their salaries, made the social impact category. Meanwhile, Clarisse Hu, cofounder and CTO of veterinary tumor treatment developer Kubanda Cryotherapy, featured in the science roster. [Forbes/Technical.ly]

• High-volume companies are increasingly using AI in hiring, with chatbots being the most common tool. [Technical.ly]

• Meet the food and hospitality ventures that participated in the latest Cureate Courses program. [Cureate]

• Empty offices have cost Baltimore more than $345 million, per a new report by the data firm Switch On Business. [Baltimore Business Journal/Switch On Business] 

• The construction firm in charge of the Key Bridge rebuild hired power couple Lisa Harris Jones and Sean Malone to lobby on its behalf for the next year. [Baltimore Banner] 

A year’s worth of insights in 45 mins

Technical.ly’s annual State of the Tech Economy reports drop next week, but you don’t have to navigate the jam-packed downloads yourself — let Chris Wink walk you through them! That’s what’ll happen at the webinar he’s got lined up.

Tune in on LinkedIn Live as industry leaders from across the Mid-Atlantic join Chris to break down trends from the past year and look forward to 2025. What does the new federal administration mean for the local innovation landscape? Which communities are thriving and which are in danger of being left behind? What’s the best way to tell your region’s success stories?

➡️ RSVP for the virtual event at 12 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11

🗓️ On the Calendar

• University of Baltimore hosts a talk on Dec. 5 with entrepreneur Habib Noor, who will discuss creating and scaling businesses. [Details here]

• Cowork with developers and technologists during Baltimore Code & Coffee on Dec. 7. [Details here]

• Discover highlights and trends from 2024 — and learn about what this year’s news could mean for 2025 — at a Technical.ly webinar on Dec. 11. [Details here]

• Learn about Baltimore’s startup and tech ecosystem on Dec. 13 at an event hosted by UpSurge and the Greater Baltimore Committee. [Details here]

• Attend a holiday party for materials science and engineering professionals on Dec. 13 at Glass Pavilion. [Details here]

• Partner Event: Got office holiday party FOMO? Technical.ly is thrilled to join Spark Baltimore as co-host of Every Startup’s Holiday Party with UpSurge on Dec. 17. [Details here]

• Partner Event: Connect with and learn from fellow founders and technologists from underrepresented groups, as well as a range of employers, at the Techsgiving Summit from Dec. 11 to 14. [Details here]