Microbusinesses, major impact: Baltipreneurs demo day highlights cooperation between a university and its community 

Reliable entrepreneurial support programs and accelerators grow champions — among participants, startup hires, mentors and ecosystem participants. 

That’s why a whopping 300 people showed up to Loyola University Maryland for the Simon Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s (CIE) 2025 Baltipreneurs demo day. Tied in with UpSurge Baltimore’s 191st Equitech Tuesday, the event was part pitch series and part community celebration for the new cohort.

The Baltipreneurs program, now in its sixth year, supports a diverse group of early-stage founders with a $2,000 stipend, cohort-based learning and hands-on mentorship over four months. Its notable graduates include the restaurant chain Ekiben, children’s engineering kit manufacturer FutureMakers, youth mental wellness-focused Clymb and affordable housing initiative Smalltimore Homes. Its participants need not be drawn from attendees or alumni of the Jesuit university. 

The energy in the room came from a mix of neighbors, students, donors, mentors and alums — people who weren’t there just to clap, but to vote, cheer, connect and invest. Audience members took notes, knowing they’d vote for a $5,000 audience choice award, while cohort members had already selected four peers to receive $5,000 each.

Community infrastructure for microbusiness growth

The crowd included the usual ecosystem faces, but also many new ones. Beyond the pitches pitches, the attendees provided a glimpse into how a community could support its own. Loyola students DJed and captured photos for social media. Faculty and staff came through. Various local businesses 

“This is what community looks like,” said Wendy Bolger, director of the CIE, as she introduced a slide listing donors, mentors, faculty members and advisors. “This is what it takes, folks. These are volunteers.” 

She went on to explain why a program like Baltipreneurs matters.

“We are here tonight because Loyola is committed to job creation and wealth creation in Baltimore,” she said. “It’s about supporting the people making it happen.” 

She reminded the crowd that “96% of US businesses are microbusinesses,” or companies with fewer than 10 workers. Small but mighty, “they employ nearly a quarter of the US workforce,” she continued.

The CIE recognizes the potential for local entrepreneurship to fuel economic development — and do so inclusively. According to Shannan Herbert, CEO of Washington Area Community Investment Fund and an advisor to the accelerator, Baltipreneurs alumni have raised over $11.6 million, created 65 jobs and maintained a 100% business survival rate two years after graduating, compared to the national average of 69%.

Bolger also highlighted how the program builds symbiotic relationships between cohort members, colleges and communities. 

“These students are supporting and learning from the Baltipreneurs, who, in turn, are hiring some of these students as interns,” she said. “These students, in turn, are helping the company scale so that more jobs are created, and [sustaining] a virtuous cycle that generates returns for the city and for the people who live here.” 

Meet the newest Baltipreneurs 

This year’s cohort featured ventures across a variety of industries, including fashion, mining exploration, AI in healthcare, STEM education, and food and beverage. 

Most ventures sought to solve problems rooted in lived experiences. Notably, 10 of the ventures were led by women. 

• Canopy Minerals uses leaf samples to detect underground mineral deposits – reducing the need for unnecessary drilling. 

• Nu Momish is building out “a village on demand” by offering in-home support for mothers to lighten the burden for even just a moment.

• NovvaCup, a 2024 Technical.ly RealLIST Startup, is designing period care products to be more sustainable than current offerings. 

• Creative Representation Empire creates coloring books and programs that are culturally representative and support youth in building socioemotional skills.

• Modelus and NeuroBarr are two separate companies, both leveraging AI, that pitched together. Modelus uses AI to improve clinical trial assessment and accuracy, while NeuroBarr uses AI and machine learning to assess intracranial pressure.

• REAL DigitizED uses gaming and e-sports to equip youth with skills and resources to build meaningful STEAM careers.

• The Queens Sisterhood Society is an investment club and community specifically designed to support women in building wealth.

• City + Sea Boutique is a clothing brand that brings together coastal motifs and city fashion.

• Solsis Beauty sells conflict-free and vegan beauty products that center women of color, particularly Latinas.

• Sunday Morning Coffee brings its principles into catering and community education around the coffee supply chain. 

• Yelé, which did not pitch at the demo day, aims to bring African fashion to the luxury market with hand-drawn Afrofuturist designs. 

Demo days as mirrors to the ecosystem

Nichole Sullivan, founder of Keppel + Kismet and a member of Baltipreneurs’ 2022 cohort, spoke to the audience about her experience with the accelerator, emphasizing the power and intentionality of its design.

“Even though you’re in an accelerator, this is still time away from your business,” she said. “Loyola shows it respects the entrepreneur and their time.” 

The event wrapped up with awards for $5,000 non-dilutive grants. Solsis Beauty received the Peerless Award; Modelus and Neurobarr took home the Greyhound Award; REAL digitizED won the Impact award; and Nu Momish earned the Audience Choice and Hustle awards.