These 13 ventures are entering the 2020 Baltipreneurs accelerator at Loyola

Thirteen Baltimore ventures building business models around apps, food and bioproducts are joining Loyola University Maryland’s Baltipreneurs accelerator this fall.

Loyola’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will offer 10 virtual sessions for the ventures from November through February, followed by a demo day in the spring. Open to both business and nonprofit ventures with a social mission, the accelerator is built on a peer-to-peer model where the cohort members learn from each other.

The center received 80 applications for this year’s cohort, a 34% increase in the second year of the program.

“Baltimore will be relying on innovators like the Baltipreneurs for the revitalization we need in our economy coming out of the pandemic and our history of racial injustice,” said Wendy Bolger, director of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, in a statement.

Here’s a look at the companies, and links to our past coverage:

• Afterrhome, a platform founded by Lenora Felder and Michael Floyd that uses artificial intelligence to help users book remote home inspections. The company won the top prize at DC Startup Week’s pitch competition and launched a crowdfunding campaign.
• AlgenAir, a natural air purifying company founded by IMET PhD candidates Kelsey Abernathy and Dan Fucich. It launched the Aerium, an algae-based air purifier, last year.
• ATP-MD, innovator of a process to grow biocrops, with aims to clean the environment and create jobs. Founder Joseph J. James told us about the model as he joined Exelon’s Climate Change Investment Initiative this summer.
• Blue Bone Jewelry, a handmade jewelry business founded by Loyola University student Maria Jaeckel.
• Ekiben, the Baltimore Asian fusion business founded by Steve Chu that grew from farmer’s market and event booths to a pair of brick and mortar spots in the city.
• Equalyze, a platform designed to serve Baltimore’s small business community by connecting them with knowledgeable undergraduate business students via personalized virtual consultations. It was created by Loyola University students Spencer Blair, Brendan O’Connell, Franklin Parks, and Katherine Sanders, and took first prize in Innov8MD’s summer pre-accelerator program, called AddVenture.
• Hiatus Cheesecake, a Baltimore-based dessert company that specializes in cheesecake
• Infinite Focus Schools, a mindfulness and socio-emotional learning software for children founded by Ashley Williams. The company was a member of Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Lab, and we’ve heard Williams speak at events like Baltimore Innovation Week’s 2019 access day.
• Mentoring Mentors Inc., a Baltimore-based nonprofit led by Alphonso Mayo that promotes community interdependency and long-term relationships for African American youth in the city
• Project Own, an app that offers tech-enabled counseling for homeownership. The company, founded by Tyrell Dixon and AJ Protin, aims to help equalize access to property wealth creation for Black Americans.
• Silent Venus, a Baltimore company that installs restrooms at any location without major construction
• Sporty Dog Creations, a gourmet hot dog supplier with a mission to change the eating culture in urban communities
• Supir, a transportation staffing platform for transit agencies that provides on-demand operators. It’s also a member of ETC’s 2020 AccelerateBaltimore cohort.