Baltimore Power Moves: BOPA gets a new CEO and CLLCTIVLY announces crowdfunding campaign, new hires

From a park in the Baltimore Peninsula named after the late U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings to the chief information officer for Baltimore City Recreation & Parks, there are so many notable Black power moves this Black History Month (BHM).

Black Power Moves

• According to a release sent to Technical.ly, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA) board of directors confirmed Rachel D. Graham as its new CEO during a meeting this week. Graham, a Towson University alum, most recently served as the director of external relations for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. She will start in her role on March 15.

Rachel D. Graham. (Courtesy BOPA)

• Under the leadership of Danielle Torain-Victor, Open Society Institute-Baltimore (OSI-Baltimore) concluded its operations in Baltimore last February. As part of OSI’s responsible closure strategy, it invested $6 million into the CLLCTIVLY-created Maryland Black Futures Fund. In January, CLLCTIVLY founder Jamye Wooten appointed Torain-Victor as the senior consultant for the aforementioned fund.
  • Additionally, Yanique Redwood and Sean Yoes have joined CLLCTIVLY as its scholar-practitioner and journalist-in-residence, respectively. The residency will offer Yoes support for his documentary project, “DISRUPTION: Baltimore’s Highway To Nowhere.”
  • This month, CLLCTIVLY launched its “28 Days of Black Futures” campaign, featuring 28 Black Futures Cypher videos showcasing local artists. Curated by Von Vargas, the narrative-driven crowdfunding campaign aims to support Black-led social change initiatives.

• Impact-focused digital services integrator Fearless, led by a handful of Black leaders in Baltimore, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. In a post on LinkedIn, Fearless’ founder and CEO Delali Dzirasa said, “We’re 15 and I’d like to think that makes us a teenager. We’re only getting started!”
• Susan Clayton, who previously won Baltimore Homecoming’s Crab Tank, along with her venture WhitePaws RunMitts, recently participated in the REI Path Ahead Ventures accelerator. Her company was awarded a $25,000 equity-free grant and gained access to additional funding opportunities. Clayton’s innovative thumbless mittens were showcased in CNN’s feature on Black-owned businesses to support this month.
• The Leadership has announced its class of 2024, which includes two local Black women in STEM: Tonee Lawson, CEO of The Be. Org, and Stephanie Alphee, co-executive director of Code in The Schools. See the full class roster here.
• Led by executive director Brion Gill, the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts & Entertainment District welcomed 2023 RealLIST Connector Ayo Figueroa to its team as its director of operations in January. Local founder Sola Ekunseitan joined the district as its marketing and communications manager during BHM.
• Julius Maina is joining 1863 Ventures as its head of community. He has experience in VC and government according to this post on LinkedIn. He was formerly an investment associate at Techstars DC powered by J.P. Morgan.

Other notable moves in Baltimore

• After a search, Mandy Snyder, a resident of Baltimore for over 10 years, has joined Baltimore Homecoming as its new executive director. On a recent call with Technical.ly, Snyder said that she felt her experiences with Junior Achievement of Central Maryland, where she focused on workforce readiness and financial literacy, had prepared her for her new role.
  • She aims to align her vision with the mission of Baltimore Homecoming and support local entrepreneurs, starting with a listening tour. The tour will take place among Baltimore Homecoming stakeholders, board members, past Homecoming Heroes and Crab Tank entrepreneurs, and then the broader Baltimore community.
  • “You get that one chance to make that first impression,” said Snyder, a huge Orioles and Ravens fan. She shared with Technical.ly that nonprofit work is a part of her DNA.
• EcoMap Technologies has named Eric Sauter and Ron Nelson as its vice presidents of product and sales, respectively. Both individuals, who each boast a background in tackling startup challenges and enhancing customer value, join the company to advance EcoMap’s product offerings and expand sales efforts.
• Roxana Beyranvand, formerly a senior program manager at the Mayor’s Office of Performance and Innovation, has transitioned after four years to the inaugural position of rider experience director at the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). This also marks the launch of the agency’s new Office of Customer Experience. Users may have a lot to say following the indefinite suspension of its light rail service a few weeks ago.

Opportunities for the people

• Leadership Maryland has introduced a new professional development initiative, the Emerging Leader Program, designed for “high-potential employees” in Maryland across sectors. The program is open to folks seeking to grow leadership skills and advance within their organizations. Applications for the inaugural class are being accepted until Feb. 26.