Baltimore Power Moves: Fearless Digital appoints a new president

In August, Baltimore’s Fearless invested $17 million to launch a new dual structure with divisions Fearless Digital and Fearless Guides. The Fearless Digital component, which concentrates on organizational enablement, this week welcomed Alka Bhave as its first president. 

Fearless is currently undergoing a strategic transformation, marked by the establishment of the aforementioned two distinct entities, that aims to combine emerging technology with organizational development. With Bhave at the helm, Fearless Digital aims to expand its presence in both government and private sectors while leveraging its previous successes — including partnerships with prominent organizations like the NFL and Exelon in 2022. 

Bhave previously held the role of chief operations officer at Riverside Research, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing national security. Delali Dzirasa, CEO of Fearless, expressed his admiration for Bhave on LinkedIn, emphasizing her pivotal role in the company’s future initiatives. He encouraged everyone to watch a video where Bhave shares her insights.

Local VC Squadra Ventures partners with information security professional org

CISO Executive Network (CISCOExecNet), a peer-to-peer organization for information security professionals, has announced a strategic partnership with Baltimore-based Squadra Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on cyber and national security companies. According to a written statement, this collaboration aims to foster relationships among cybersecurity leaders, facilitate connections between startups and enterprise leaders and offer valuable programming at chapter events.

With support from Squadra Ventures, CISOExecNet plans to expand its 2,500-member community of cybersecurity executives across North America, provide enhanced collaboration opportunities and strengthen its position as a hub for information security, IT risk management, privacy and compliance professionals.

To accommodate its growth, CISOExecNet has established a new headquarters in Baltimore.

“Over the last 18 years, CISOExecNet has grown into a nationwide forum for cybersecurity leaders,” said CisoExecNet founder Bill Sieglein in a written statement. “We’ve come a long way from a group of CISOs gathering for bagels and coffee in Baltimore to a network of nationwide chapters that hold seven meetings a year. Through our partnership with Squadra, we’re excited to continue to extend our reach across the industry.”

Kion adds a new marketing exec

Columbia-based Kion, a cloud computing software provider specializing in access management, financial management and compliance, welcomed Justin Bartinoski as senior vice president of marketing in late August. With over two decades of tech expertise, Bartinoski has a proven track record in brand building, demand generation and customer-centric marketing. 

In his new role, he will drive the company’s cloud operations platform’s market expansion and adoption across both commercial and public sectors. 

Meet Baltimore’s latest Comcast RISE grantees

Comcast recently announced 100 Baltimore-based businesses across tech, food and drink, marketing, beauty and other industries as recipients of its latest Comcast RISE award package. The Comcast RISE initiative aims to support small businesses with a variety of resources, including consultation services, entrepreneurship-specific education, new technology and a $5,000 grant. 

This year’s Baltimore awardees include prior Baltimore Homecoming Crab Tank winner RunMitts, whose leader Susan Clayton is among the only Black women to operate an outdoor apparel company. Tech-focused Comcast RISE grantees include biotech companies Kalocyte and Melatech; tech recruiting platform Workforce Genetics; IT integration service provider Arch Systems; Kubanda Cryotherapy, which provides treatments for pets’ tumors; and Adinkra Solutions, a cybersecurity company.

Check out the full list of this year’s recipients.