Baltimore Innovation Week 2021 showcases the city’s blossoming entrepreneurs. Check out the sessions

The fast-moving changes and challenges of 2020 brought a need to adjust plans quickly and rise to meet the moment. In 2021, society is seeking to reemerge, but we know some of the new developments of the last year will be lasting.

In other words, it’s a time to let innovation come to the forefront.

So it’s fitting that Baltimore Innovation Week will return for a virtual celebration of the local tech community this spring. From May 18 to 20, the free event series will feature programming that spotlights the city’s companies, and offers an inside look at how they are building solutions.

Lead organizer ETC (Emerging Technology Centers) has teamed with more than 20 partners to bring together a calendar of independently produced events that put a spotlight on the local startups and entrepreneurs working to shape worldwide responses.

The three-day Baltimore Innovation Week in the spring follows a daylong celebration in fall 2020 that served as an initial look at how companies were pivoting and learning. With wider breadth, the calendar includes sessions with software developers, scientists, marketing pros, investors, youth leaders, educators, legal experts and plenty of other local community builders.

“The intention and attention this BIW is to truly highlight innovation,” ETC President Deb Tillett said. “Due to the pandemic and yearlong changes in life and lifestyle, innovation has become essential.”

Register here

“Another goal is to spread awareness on the tools and resources that the local community have been utilizing to overcome all types of challenges and highlight forward thinkers and game changers,” added ETC Marketing and Engagement Manager Celene Monroe. “We want to create an inclusive, diverse, innovation community and space for real conversations, connections, and, hopefully, positive change.”

Each day has a mix of content providing a look at the community from all sides. Get tactical with how-to sessions with tips for businesses on topics like financing, marketing and podcasting. Get a deeper look at the contours of Baltimore’s community with conversations on inclusion, perspective from local incubators and stories from local entrepreneurs from all walks of life. And make sure to stick around for some fun each day that goes beyond work, like a top local VC’s bread-baking demo and a yappy hour to meet the very good dogs behind the best local startups.

Here’s a look at the full slate of sessions, with daily schedules running 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Register for each independently:

Tuesday, May 18

• Baltimore as an Innovation Hub, hosted by Maryland Momentum Fund
• Using Data to Understand the State of Baltimore’s Neighborhoods, hosted by Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance and the University of Baltimore
• Legal Aspects of Raising Financing, hosted by Shulman Rogers
• Digital Marketing for Small Businesses, hosted by Further Insights
• Accelerating Student Entrepreneurship, hosted by University of Maryland, Baltimore and the Graduate Innovation Research District (The GRID)
• Collaborative Design Thinking Opening Access to Black Entrepreneurs, hosted by Cohado, Inc.
• Overcoming Startup Challenges with OPP (Other Peoples’ Property), hosted by Amazon Web Services
• Helpful and Crowdsourcing Innovation, hosted by Helpful
• Social Impact Fundraising, hosted by Spread Karma
• Location Based Marketing Tips for Innovators, hosted by Enradius
• How a Digital Adherence Program and Health System Improved Outcomes for Pediatric Asthma Patients, hosted by Emocha Health
• Introducing Capital CoLAB (“Collaborative of Leaders in Academia and Business”), hosted by the Greater Washington Partnership
• WFH Wellbeing: Stretch Session, hosted by B-Fit

Wednesday, May 19

• Zero-Party Data & Personalization in Digital Marketing, hosted by Response Labs
• IBT’s Innovations in Upper Limb Myoelectric Prostheses, hosted by Infinite Biomedical Technologies
• Start Small: Partnerships during the Pandemic, hosted by Towson University
• Civic Finance Innovation for More Equitable Business Growth and Development, hosted by Jess Gartner
• Innovating in Baltimore as a Mother, hosted by Moms as Entrepreneurs
• Managing and Growing Remote Teams, hosted by Trustate and Method Data
• THRIVE: Creating Peak Performance Teams Through Purposeful Leadership, hosted by Ennoble Venture Partners
• Sales Growth for Startups: Scaling Past Your First Customer, hosted by Kiinetics
• Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Economy, hosted by University of Baltimore
• HR Evolution: Moving from Inertia to Action, hosted by HR Geckos
• AMA + Bread Baking Lesson with Guy Filippelli of Squadra Ventures, hosted by Squadra Ventures
• Yappy Hour + Pet Meet & Greet, hosted by ETC
• Start Here, Venture Forward, hosted by Venture for America, Johns Hopkins FastForward U + Social Innovation Lab

Thursday, May 20

• The Startup Studio Model, hosted by Maryland Development Center
• Unexpected Dundalk – The Innovation Chapter, hosted by Dundalk Renaissance Center
• Tax & Estate Planning for Entrepreneurs, hosted by Trustate
• Connecting with Baltimore’s Youth Leaders, hosted by Enradius
• How to Market and Promote Baltimore Like a Pro, hosted by Visit Baltimore
• Investment Crowdfunding 101, hosted by Brite.US
• Finding the 95%: How ‘Going Global’ Can Accelerate Your Startup, hosted by U.S. Commercial Service of Maryland
• Transforming Government through Civic Tech, hosted by Hutch
• Using the Baltimore Podcast Community for New Businesses, hosted by M.A.P.S. Media
• Creating User Interfaces for Mobile Application, hosted by Stewart Design Agency
• Software Innovation & Inclusion, hosted by Tech Slice
• Building Baltimore Better: Leading in Social Innovation, hosted by Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Lab
• Bmore Tech’s Post-Pandemic Pivot, hosted by Spark Baltimore