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 highlight the drop in local VC funding from last quarter, a Pulitzer winner’s guest post on the importance of arts education and opportunities for you to nominate your favorite community-minded technologists for our RealLIST Innovators honors.
Scroll down for more news from throughout the Baltimore region, then test your mettle by taking our latest news trivia quiz.
📰 News Incubator: What to know
• A new safety benchmark from DC startup Aymara reveals major risks across leading AI language models — showing there’s still work to do to fight misinformation, impersonation and harmful content. [Technical.ly]
• Despite a tough national job market for entry-level workers, Baltimore stands out as a city offering strong opportunities for recent graduates and young professionals. [Wall Street Journal]
• Baltimore-based architecture firm Ayers Saint Gross is relocating its headquarters to a new 25,000-square-foot space in the Baltimore Peninsula development. [Baltimore Business Journal]
• Maryland saw its largest monthly drop in federal jobs in nearly 30 years this June, contributing to a wider statewide employment decline. [Maryland Matters]
• Baltimore Youth Film Arts is ending its current model after losing major funding — but leaders say the program will pivot to a smaller, community-driven format. [Baltimore Banner]
• Trump’s new AI plan aims to boost US dominance by cutting regulations and prioritizing tech with “no ideological bias.” [NPR]
• The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved updated Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment proposals from all 56 states and territories, clearing the way for federal funding to expand high-speed internet access nationwide. [Broadband Breakfast]
🗓️ On the Calendar
📅 Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition is hosting a job fair on July 24. [Details here]
📅 Baltimore Tech Meetup hosts its latest recurring happy hour for local technologists on July 24. [Details here]
📅 Get insight from Black founders’ journeys at the next BLK Tech Connect conversation on July 26. [Details here]
📅 Connect and collaborate with fellow developers and engineers at the next Baltimore Code and Coffee event on July 26. [Details here]
