Baltimore weekly roundup: Meet our new local reporter; the Ukrainian tech diaspora; Journalism wins the Preakness Stakes

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

This week, we announced our latest hire: Maria Eberhart, who will join the Technical.ly team via the Report for America program to cover the rural-urban digital divide in Maryland. Plus, several Ukrainians working in mid-Atlantic tech ecosystems (including the head of a local sister cities committee and beneficiaries of a now-paused refugee program) spoke about their frustrations and challenges navigating the Trump administration’s policies toward their diaspora

Scroll down for more news from throughout the Baltimore region.

📰 News Incubator: What to know

• A Baltimore-based founder said his participation in Halcyon’s recent cohort for Maryland, Virginia and DC climate tech entrepreneurs helped put his sustainable construction materials startup on a bigger stage. [Technical.ly]

• Maryland Gov. Wes Moore included a bill authorizing a workgroup for best STEM practices and innovation network development in a slate of legislation he signed into law alongside the state’s FY 2025-2026 budget. That budget also includes a 3% tax on digital services that some members of the state’s tech community argued would stifle innovation. [Maryland Governor’s Office]

• The University of Maryland, Baltimore and Open Works announced a partnership to help more people access hands-on technical education via a makerspace in Baltimore’s Poppleton neighborhood. The latter nonprofit created a similar partnership with the historically Black Coppin State University about a year ago. UMB announced the partnership soon after budget cuts prompted it to cut 30 jobs and reduce about 1,000 other workers’ salaries. [UMB/Technical.ly/Baltimore Biz Journal] 

• A horse named Journalism came from behind to win the top spot at last weekend’s 150th Preakness Stakes horse race. [CBS News]

• Even with all its benefits, remote work can’t replicate a few in-office experiences that are key to growth. [Technical.ly]

• Some more University System of Maryland news: The system’s board of regents voted on Monday to give its institutions authority to slash salaries, close their doors and take other cost-saving actions. Meanwhile, its Center for Environmental Science is planning a relocation across the Chesapeake Bay from Cambridge to Annapolis. [Biz Journal]

• Baltimore-founded VC firm Squadra Ventures, whose primary office is now in DC, announced Meghan McGee as its new head of platform. McGee previously spent nearly 20 years working for Owings Mills-based private equity firm Camden Partners. [Squadra] 

• Artscape’s back this weekend with a number of programs and offerings incorporating technical topics and themes. This year features talks on tech and expression moderated by entrepreneurs Andrew Parlock and Keisha McClain, AR components within the festival map and a STEM-focused youth learning lab. [BOPA/Technical.ly/WBAL]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• The annual National Economic Mobility and Opportunity Conference takes place May 21-23. [Details here]

• Network with technologists and founders on May 22 at the next Baltimore Tech Meetup. [Details here]

• Techstars hosts a demo day for its AI Health accelerator in Baltimore on June 5. [Details here]

• Watch demos from local technologists on June 14 at the next Baltimore Code and Coffee. [Details here]