6 virtual resources to boost startup health in Baltimore and beyond

Some of the best ways to grow a healthy startup are to take inspiration from other CEOs, seek out useful products and learning resources — and maybe most important of all, find new paths to funding.

In honor of January as Startup Health Month, below, find a handful of local startup-boosting resources for when you’re feeling stuck.

You can also check out Technical.ly’s glossary of terms related to all routes of funding for the early-stage entrepreneur.

CLLCTIVLY

Founded by Jamye Wooten, this resource is specifically for Black founders to get connected to the Baltimore social impact ecosystem. Every month, the org gives $1,000 to the winner and $500 to the runner up in a monthly Black Futures Micro-Grant video contest for Black-led organization serving in the Greater Baltimore community, among other grant opportunities.

We are excited to announce the recipients of the Baltimore Black-led Solidarity Fund. Each organization will receive a micro-grant from CLLCTIVLY!#WeGiveThanks #WeGiveBlack 
 https://t.co/ACcy3UR90I pic.twitter.com/rz2JB1FFjk

— cllctivly (@CLLCTIVLY) January 15, 2022

Saba Karim’s Startup Starter Pack

Karim is the director of startup pipeline at Techstars, which runs an “equitech” accelerator in Baltimore. This website is the web version of his Twitter thread detailing a wealth of resources for startups ranging from operations and admin to banking and finance. It has everything you need to get your startup off the ground.

Startup starter pack 🎒 🧵 👇

— Saba Karim (@sabakarimm) January 13, 2022

Baltimore BASE (Business Assistance and Support for Equity) Network

This new $8.4 million fund is for Baltimore-based small businesses to receive grants and boost economic recovery during the pandemic. The first grant cycle opened on Tuesday, Jan. 18, and will end on Thursday, Feb. 3. Priority will be given to Black, brown and women-owned businesses, which are historically underfunded.

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A post shared by Baltimore Together (@baltimoretogether)

Maryland Entrepreneur Hub

EcoMap Technologies, in partnership with TEDCO, the Maryland Department of Commerce and the University System of Maryland, created this statewide database of funding, fellowships, media sources and incubators. If a startup needs it, the resource is probably there.

Technical.ly Culture Builder

The brainchild of Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink, the Culture Builder column and live interview series convene great minds in the tech and startup industry to discuss common entrepreneurship ailments. Don’t worry — it also offers the cures, too.

Bonus: John Henry

This serial founder has been documenting the growth of his insurance startup on instagram. You can look back on his early posts to see the growth path from idea to product launch. No Baltimore tie here, but a good follow all the same.

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A post shared by John Henry (@johnhenrystyle)

Donte Kirby is a 2020-2022 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.