DC daily roundup: $700K to help you hire an intern; a mural’s departure; DC’s AI battle with Silicon Valley

Tech internships for Maryland students

The UMBC-based Maryland Technology Internship Program recently received $700,000 from the state to boost the local tech career pipeline.

Launched in 2018, the program provides funds for Maryland tech companies to hire interns from colleges throughout the state. Now, thanks to that six-figure influx, more students will be able to take advantage of the program. Before this funding, the number of internships averaged 160 per year. Now, 300 internships are expected.

“It’s really a win-win for the companies, as well as the interns,” said Jen Spencer Heilman, the program director for workforce initiatives out of UMBC’s career center.

➡️ Get the details and see if you can get an intern in my latest report here.

Be sure you’re ready for investors

Founders can spend hundreds of hours searching for the right investors only to be missing crucial details when they finally sit down for that critical meeting. My NEXT RAISE aims to increase the likelihood of a successful fundraise by ensuring all entrepreneurs are actually ready — when it counts.

Created by startup legal services provider NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers, My NEXT RAISE is an all-in-one platform providing a variety of critical investor readiness tools in one subscription. The firm is accepting 250 founders to participate in the beta launch in early Q3 2024. Are you in?

➡️ Join the beta and get a year’s free premium subscription.

News Incubator: What else to know today

• The DC mayor’s former top aide, who resigned last year after he was accused of sexual harassment, is trying to push his way back in — this time in the private sector. [Washington City Paper]

• A Union Market mural featuring Black women entrepreneurs and STEM leaders in the region is going down after about two years. [LinkedIn/Technical.ly]

• There’s a battle for which region will innovate the fastest during this AI boom, and DC is at the center of it. [Politico]

• Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet announced today that she is leaving the company at the end of the month, citing health reasons. The company has accelerator programs in DC, among many other cities. [TechCrunch]

• Tesla owners beware: Anti-theft upgrades might not be as foolproof as you think. [Wired]

🗓️ On the Calendar