GBC Tech Hub Designation Congratulatory Statements

STATEMENTS OF CONGRATULATIONS “We are incredibly proud that the Greater Baltimore region has been selected as one of 31 Tech Hubs in the U.S.,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson.

“We are committed to driving innovation in Maryland and this designation will help us continue thriving as a top biopharma cluster, while incorporating emerging industries like AI.” “For the last 10-years the Conscious Venture Lab and Conscious Venture Partners has been working with our local partners to make Baltimore a more just, joyous, equitable, sustainable, and profitable community for all who love this city. As such we couldn’t be more thrilled to hear that Baltimore has been designated as a federal tech hub. It is an amazing accomplishment for our region and, it will help to accelerate the change we’ve been championing for the last decade,” said Jeff Cherry, Managing Partner of Conscious Venture Partners, LLC. “We are very excited to play a role in this exciting chapter and we look forward to continuing the partnerships we’ve built on the path to making Baltimore a place where all founders are welcome and all founders are supported.”

“Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) congratulates the Greater Baltimore Committee and their partners on a successful submission, resulting in Baltimore being designated as a Tech Hub by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. BDC was pleased to be a part of this effort,” said August J. Chiasera, Board Chairman, and Colin Tarbert, President & CEO, Baltimore Development Corporation.

“This achievement reflects our region's commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth. The designation will move us toward achieving Goal 3 of Baltimore Together (the city's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy), which is to build a thriving innovation and small business ecosystem by increasing investment in startups and small businesses. We are excited about the opportunities this designation brings for our community. BDC looks forward to working with the GBC and their partners on a compelling proposal for the program’s next phase, which offers significant implementation funding for specific projects.”

“On behalf of Fulton Bank, we want to congratulation the Tech Hub Consortium led by the GBC regarding the Baltimore Region’s selection for the federal tech hub designation,” said Joe Durham, President, DelMarVa Region, Fulton Bank.

“This is a tremendous recognition for the Greater Baltimore Region, and will create tremendous momentum for the region as we seek to catalyze the private, public and nonprofit sectors to work together to build the nation’s premier innovation ecosystem for precision medicine and predictive health care technologies.”

“Greater Baltimore’s designation as a federal tech hub is a game-changer for the region in our continued efforts to drive tech commercialization, create jobs, and scale companies. It’s easy to say you want to make a difference; it’s hard to take the action needed,” said Delali Dzirasa, Fearless CEO, and John Foster, Chief Impact Officer, Fearless. “At Fearless, our goal is to actually move the needle in the areas of efficient government, social justice, human life, and quality living. We believe that in order to harness the power of business for good, we have to align impact and profit. We are excited to play a critical role in the training of workers from underrepresented and nontraditional backgrounds and supporting entrepreneurs looking to build and scale tech companies in Baltimore. We look forward to sustaining this partnership within our consortium to bolster the Baltimore Region Tech Ecosystem and drive economic development through this transformative initiative.”

“Since our inception over 25 years ago, Brown Advisory has been proud not only to be in Baltimore but to be of Baltimore. We support clients, colleagues and local community advocates to catalyze growth in the city’s entrepreneurial community and beyond. We dedicate time, resources and capital to ensure that Baltimore is a go-to city of the future for innovation and transformation,” said Mike Hankin, CEO of Brown Advisory.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to learn that Baltimore will be designated a Tech Hub to complement the great work that is happening in our city!”

“Last Mile Education Fund is thrilled that Baltimore has been chosen as a Tech Hub and stands ready to support the workforce needs of the region. Last Mile recognizes the importance of investing in financially-vulnerable underrepresented students in tech pathways, so that they graduate and launch into their careers,” said Cristina Lopez, Chief of Strategy and Operations, Last Mile Education Fund. “Having invested in over 5,000 students in Baltimore and across the country, we look forward to making Baltimore’s Tech Hub a success as a consortium partner.”

“This designation isn’t just a huge win for the Baltimore region; it’s a powerful endorsement of the highly focused, highly collaborative work we’ve been doing for years. One of Baltimore’s greatest assets is its density of top-ranked colleges and universities—a dozen institutions with deep expertise in biotech, med-tech, genomics, AI, advanced analytics,” said Jay Perman, University System of Maryland Chancellor. “But if we’re going to make a real difference in personalized medicine and predictive health, we have to partner with industry and government; we have to marry our strengths and resources. That’s how we’ll move the needle on individual and community health, and how we’ll build an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

I’m proud the University System of Maryland has such a pivotal role to play, and I thank the System’s consortium members—UMB, UMBC, Coppin State University, Towson

University—and our close partner, the University of Maryland Medical System, for their hard work.”

"The economic health of a region has a huge impact on the overall health of our communities," said Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) and Vice Chair of the GBC Board. “We must choose to invest in inclusive and equitable approaches to diversify Maryland's economy and drive meaningful and impactful solutions in support of the health of our communities.

Receiving this designation is an excellent example of collaborative partnerships' power to drive inclusive economic growth."

“Baltimore’s designation as a Federal Tech Hub is a big win for our city’s growing tech industry and the economy at large,” said John Racanelli, President & CEO, National Aquarium. “Here at the National Aquarium, where conservation science and STEAM education power our mission, we look forward to Baltimore’s next chapter as a national leader in the cutting-edge thinking that will ensure a better future for people, animals and the planet we all share.”

“This designation affirms our region’s commitment to innovation and will help further propel the immense growth that is transforming the greater Baltimore area into a thriving business and tech hub,” said Kristi Smith, President of the Maryland region for Howard Hughes. “We are looking forward to more opportunities to accelerate tech growth in Downtown Columbia and the Baltimore region in the years to come, and we congratulate the Committee and all the partners who have worked to make this initiative possible.”

“Mark Anthony Thomas’ exceptional leadership, and unwavering commitment to this vision have been essential in bringing us to this moment of celebration. His dedication to promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors, tireless advocacy for initiatives that support positive movement, and visionary leadership have been the driving forces behind this achievement,” said Chrissy M. Thornton, President & CEO, Associated Black Charities. “His ability to rally the community, inspire change, and mobilize resources is truly commendable and is a testament to the newness he has brought to this role. This accomplishment should not go without acknowledging Mark being the right person, for the right job, at the right time.”

“Blackbird Labs – as the newest member of the Baltimore life sciences ecosystem – is thrilled to participate in the Tech Hubs initiative to drive growth in Baltimore by leveraging the exciting interface between AI and biotechnology,” said Matt Tremblay, PhD, CEO, Blackbird Laboratories.

“From our top-tier universities to our robust life sciences industry, the Baltimore region has a key role to play in advancing U.S. innovation and competitiveness. That’s why I strongly supported the Baltimore Consortium’s proposal to bring these assets together

under a new Regional Tech Hub, and this is an important step toward making this vision a reality,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen. “This program — made possible through our passage of the Chips & Science Act — will further unlock the Baltimore region’s potential to help our nation lead in the technologies of the future, while creating more jobs and opportunity in our state.” ###

ABOUT GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE: The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is the leading voice for the private sector in the Baltimore region, providing insightful economic and civic leadership to drive collective impact. Composed of more than 500 organizations, including large, mid-size, and small companies, nonprofits, foundations, and educational and healthcare institutions, the GBC is dedicated to fostering the prosperity of the Greater Baltimore region. For more information, visit gbc.org.