Innovation Works - Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report

Innovation Works

creatively and collaboratively connects neighborhoods, entrepreneurs, social innovation assets, and investors to build sustainable neighborhood economies in Baltimore.

Our Mission

is to reduce Baltimore’s neighborhood and racial wealth divide by supporting and accompanying leaders of social enterprises working to create sustainable neighborhood economies.

Our Values

HEROIC VISION // Each person, no matter their circumstance, has untapped leadership potential

EXCELLENCE // Baltimore’s entrepreneurs can create grassroots, national models of quality, livable, urban community solutions

DIGNITY // Work is fundamental to the dignity of the person

INCLUSION // We meet community members where they are FOR THE GREATER GOOD // We encourage social entrepreneurs to see opportunity as more than about income

Welcome

We recognize that our mission—to reduce Baltimore’s neighborhood and racial wealth divide—is ambitious, and we have repeatedly returned to the question, “Where do we go from here, and how do we get there sustainably?” We have outgrown many of the systems built in our scrappy early days. We have placed a stronger emphasis on creating a more stable foundation for the longevity of our mission and the broader benefit of our stakeholders.

IW’s first four years were spent experimenting, adapting, and learning what it would take for us to achieve our mission. We supported economic sectors poised for inclusive growth through our Strategic Initiatives, navigated the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and grew our team from four full-time employees to 10. We executed 10 structured programs and engaged with 350+ social entrepreneurs in Baltimore. Through all of this, we have begun to build a recognizable presence in Baltimore’s historically disinvested communities as a place for social entrepreneurs to find the support they need to execute their missions.

Through the execution of our early launch plan, we have confirmed a few things: 1) the concept of social enterprise is widely embraced in communities across Baltimore, and we have an opportunity to help shape the field with justice and sustainability in mind; 2) access to creative, flexible, and mission-oriented capital is critical to the future of Baltimore’s

economy; and 3) as impact investing and mission-based lending continue to grow in Baltimore, we can build systems that will begin with our most vital asset in mind— the talented people on every corner.

As we enter our fifth year and look expectantly into the future, we are applying the lessons learned and planning for our ongoing growth. We are developing a more comprehensive social impact model that accurately maps to our long-term goals while building out our operational systems to improve efficiency, maximize collaboration, and meaningfully aggregate data to better guide our growth. We are also in the midst of a crucial strategic planning process that will help us thoughtfully outline our path forward as an organization.

As you peruse this annual report, we hope you find inspiration, transparency, and hope in its contents: inspiration in the stories of the members of our community, transparency about the path we have taken to reach this point in IW’s journey, and hope for all that the future holds for IW, our stakeholders, and Baltimore City.

With gratitude,

Jay Nwachu Dan Rizzo President & CEO Board Chair

This year marked our fourth year of operations here at Innovation Works (IW) and we gained valuable perspective on how we can ensure ongoing sustainability and growth well into the future by making a tangible, tactical shift in objectives and priorities.

WEST BALTIMORE

Community Partner: No Boundaries Coalition; Social Enterprises: Parity, Black Arts District, The VPI Firm, Fight Blight Bmore

SOUTHWEST BALTIMORE

Community Partners: West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation & Southwest Partnership; Social Enterprises: Safe Alternative Foundation for Education, MOMCares, GRASS Baltimore, Lifting Labels, WhitePaws RunMitts

TOP 10 NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH OUR SE’s HAVE AN IMPACT

(1) Sandtown-Winchester/Harlem Park; (2) Upton/Druid Heights;

(3) Penn North/Reservoir Hill; (4) Pimlico/Arlington/Hilltop;

(5) Greater Mondawmin; (6) Edmondson Village;

(7) Greater Charles Village/Barclay; (8) Southwest Baltimore;

(9) Mount Washington/Cold Spring; (10) Belair-Edison

FARMS INVOLVED IN IW’S NATURE’S COLORS INITIATIVES

Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm (plantationparkheights.com)

Parks & People Foundation (parksandpeople.org)

Strength to Love II (s2l2.intersectionofchange.org)

Whitelock Community Farm (whitelockfarm.org)

Farm Alliance (farmalliancebaltimore.org)

Community Partner: Rebuild Johnston Square; Social Enterprises: Blue Light Junction, Oyin Handmade, Black Acres Roastery, Keppel & Kismet, Global Air Drone Academy

The Greener Garden (www.facebook.com/thegreenergarden)

Bliss Meadows (backyardbasecamp.org/bliss-meadows) Future

The Innovation Works Model

The work of Innovation Works is best understood within the context of Baltimore City. Decades of redlining and racially motivated policies have left many predominantly Black neighborhoods in Baltimore lacking adequate resources and investment to provide support for their community members. Social entrepreneurship is one way to address such challenges.

The IW Model concentrates our work in three strategic focus areas that build on Baltimore’s existing strengths and address the challenges facing the city through resource allocation and local social enterprises. The map to the left showcases three focus neighborhoods of our Neighborhood Strategy and the social enterprises and partner organizations within each, the top ten neighborhoods in which our social entrepreneurs have an impact, as well as urban farms we partner with through our Strategic Initiatives.

Neighborhood Strategy Strategic Initiatives

IW’s Neighborhood Strategy delivers social enterprise programming at the neighborhood level with the understanding that meaningful, trusting relationships with community members are needed to fulfill our mission.

IW’s Strategic Initiatives’ goal is to take a macro look at economic sectors with unique assets in Baltimore to aggregate our efforts in supporting Baltimore’s disinvested neighborhoods and entrepreneurs using the City’s existing strengths.

Social Enterprise Development

With IW’s 5-stage Enterprise Development Pipeline, we meet social entrepreneurs and their enterprises where they are and support them through the full life cycle of the entrepreneurship journey.

Neighborhood Strategy

Partnering with local community anchors and delivering social enterprise support resources that ignite and develop local interest and capacity to transform neighborhood economies.

IW’S NEIGHBORHOOD STRATEGY

is what equips us to fulfill the neighborhood component of our mission by ensuring the economies we help build are rooted in community. To do this, we must be present and develop meaningful, engaging, and productive relationships with all community members.

Through relationships with trusted community anchors, IW is able to identify the unique strengths and challenges within each neighborhood in order to best support the community members through the creation of social enterprises. We know that entrepreneurs present in a variety of different ways and having a presence in each target neighborhood is the best way to ensure we are finding the entrepreneurs making a difference in their communities.

Centering West Baltimore

All focused on reversing the effects of systemic racism in West Baltimore, the following three social enterprises are an example of the importance of community-driven, entrepreneurial solutions to the problems facing Baltimore’s historically disinvested neighborhoods. Though they share a similar vision for West Baltimore, each brings a unique model and perspective, creating an abundance of opportunities for place-based solutions to challenges facing the broader community.

FIGHT BLIGHT BMORE

Fight Blight Bmore is an economic, environmental, and social justice initiative led by the community and informed by data to address the issue of blight caused by systemic racism, including disinvestment and depopulation, in Baltimore’s historically Black neighborhoods.

“If only the political, investment, and philanthropic communities would fund and execute the required disparity studies—and follow the leadership of BIPOC communities toward harm reduction and repair—Baltimore could become a powerful example to other American cities.”

— Nneka N’namdi, Founder & COO

ENGAGEMENT WITH IW

Spring 2021: Joined IW Pipeline

Ongoing: Neighborhood Strategy Thought Partner

Learn more at www.fightblightbmore.com

BNIA COMMUNITY GUIDEPOST

Created in partnership with the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA), the Community Guidepost is an online resource designed to equip anyone interested in Baltimore with relevant and accurate data to help them make informed decisions in their communities. Originally launched in 2020, we refocused our efforts this year into maximizing the reach and effectiveness of this resource. Scan the QR code to learn more about the Guidepost, use it for yourself, and provide feedback on how we can continue to improve it.

THE VPI FIRM

The VPI Firm is a process and strategy design firm focused on helping social impact initiatives and community-based organizations reach their full potential through three core focus areas: (1) community and real estate development; (2) entrepreneurship; and (3) social impact initiatives.

“We are addressing the problem of gaps in transformational community development through an interdisciplinary approach to complex challenges. Most people fear discomfort and ‘getting it wrong’, thinking we have to know HOW to achieve success and what it will look like. The truth is, when we’re pivoting from the status quo and creating new possibilities, the ‘how’ changes and the destination gets more refined over time. Part of the exploration and transformation is not knowing. Scary!”

— Candace Chance, Founder & CEO

ENGAGEMENT WITH IW

Fall 2020: IW+MC Boost

Winter 2021: Volunteered on IW hiring panel

Summer 2022: Joined IC Investment Committee

Learn more at www.thevpifirm.com

PARITY

Parity is an equitable development company in West Baltimore that acquires and rehabilitates abandoned properties by the block to create affordable homeownership opportunities.

“Although we have many goals at Parity, our most foundational focus is to increase Black homeownership in the City of Baltimore— specifically in communities that have suffered the historical trauma inherent in segregation and forced uprooting of Black people. If we succeed in our mission, then we are affirming the fact that our neighborhoods—and the people in them—hold great value and are deserving of a quality of life we’d all hope to experience.”

— Bree Jones, Founder & CEO

ENGAGEMENT WITH IW

Spring 2020: IW+MC Accelerator

Fall 2020: Received Ignite Capital (IC) Funding

Spring 2022: Joined IC Board and became IC Investment Committee Chair

Learn more at www.parityhomes.com

Strategic Initiatives

Pursuing initiatives that accelerate innovation and growth across Baltimore.

IW’S STRATEGIC INITIATIVES’ GOAL is to take a macro look at opportunities in Baltimore to aggregate our efforts in supporting Baltimore’s disinvested neighborhoods and entrepreneurs. Through our existing Strategic Initiatives, we have focused on particular economic sectors where Baltimore has unique assets that could help increase economic activity, create new livable wage jobs, and generate new social enterprises led by people of color. These sectors have included food, manufacturing, urban wood, and urban farming.

Centering Urban Farming

The urban farming sector in Baltimore has a variety of existing strengths making it a clear economic asset for the City—whether it’s the array of existing farms, the vacant lots ready for new gardens to be planted, or the knowledgeable and dedicated farmers working in the industry every day. The urban farming community is vibrant, but the challenges have always been receiving equitable access to resources, maintaining a consistent level of growth and production to sustain a living wage for farmers, as well as securing contracts with buyers.

In applying IW’s Strategic Initiative model to Baltimore’s urban farming sector, we are utilizing the existing assets in the city by tapping into resources across the value chain to find ways to increase efficiencies,

reduce costs, elevate sales and marketing strategies, and develop models for sustainable compensation.

In partnership with members of Baltimore’s urban farming community and Blue Light Junction, a local natural dye processing studio, IW launched the Nature’s Colors Initiative (NCI) in 2020. The goal

of NCI is to maximize the natural dye resources in Baltimore with a focus on economic development and job creation in economically distressed communities. This year was NCI’s second farming season which engaged 21 local farmers and utilized approximately 6,500 square feet of land across 7 urban farms in Baltimore City.

ACRES4CHANGE

Acres4Change is growing the number of urban farms and farmers in Baltimore City by assisting with land security and providing the necessary resources for beginner farmers to succeed. Their Stewardship Program provides support for members to develop their farming and business skills so that they can thrive and improve quality of life and well-being for themselves and their communities.

“We employ a streamlined method to promote racial justice, build coalitions, and generate income through urban farming. We want to build a collaborative farming community that will expand healthy food access and improve soil and environmental conditions to ensure resilient and healthy communities.”

— Pertula George-Redd, Founder

ENGAGEMENT WITH IW

Spring 2021: IW+MC Boost

Learn more at www.acres4change.org

“This project allows us the opportunity to connect deeper to the richness of plant technologies, food, color, and medicine,” said Kenya Miles, owner of Blue Light Junction and a farmer at Parks and People.

While the first two farming seasons have focused on testing the feasibility of growing and processing natural dye plants in an urban context, future goals of the NCI are to use data and insights from the two growing seasons to develop an economic and impact model to test for sustainability and work alongside the stakeholders to determine a path for future growth.

Nature’s Colors Initiative

CAPITAL DEPLOYED

$$61K 61K

for farm labor

$$19K 19K

for farm land

$$5K 5K

for other expenses

PLANTS GROWN

8 species 8 species

800 lbs 800 lbs

NATURE'S COLORS 2022 GROWING SEASON*

(Black Eyed Susan, Calendula, Comfrey, Cotton, Hibiscus, Indigo, Marigold, and Safflower)

*Plants to be processed and sold in early 2023

Top: Kenya Miles harvesting plants to be processed for natural dyes.

Bottom: Indigo grown and harvested through the Nature’s Colors Initiative.

Social Enterprise Development

Supporting social entrepreneurs in growing their enterprise from idea to scale.

MAKING RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE to minority-led social enterprises is vital to the economic progress of Baltimore City neighborhoods and the overall well-being of the city. In order to make access to resources more equitable, we meet social

entrepreneurs (SEs) where they are and accompany them through the full life cycle of the entrepreneurship journey with our 5-stage Enterprise Development Pipeline (below), allowing leaders to come into the development cycle at any stage.

SNAPSHOT OF IW’S SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS

RACIAL BREAKDOWN

87% 87% Black-led enterprises

TOP

66%

GENDER BREAKDOWN led by women and gender nonconforming

PIPELINE BREAKDOWN

182 182 active SEs in the pipeline

59 59 new SEs since FY21

375 375

cumulative SEs served since IW’s launch in 2017

5 AREAS OF ENTERPRISE GROWTH SINCE JOINING THE IW PIPELINE

LIFTING LABELS

Lifting Labels creates sustainable employment opportunities for Baltimore’s returning citizens through the manufacturing and production of custom ceremonial apparel, such as clergy, choral, and judicial robes.

“We are impacting people who tend to be underserved. We are creating paths to a better quality of life. Without Innovation Works and Ignite Capital, we wouldn’t even be in business. They have been there since day one.”

— Chester A. France, Jr., Founder

ENGAGEMENT WITH IW

Summer 2019: IW+MC Boost

Spring 2020: IW+MC Accelerator

Summer 2020: IW+IC Social Enterprise Showcase

Fall 2020: Recipient of initial IC funding

Spring 2021: Recipient of additional IC funding

Learn more at www.liftinglabels.org

AMANI NICOL WELLNESS

Amani Nicol Wellness is a holistic wellness spa integrating self-care therapy and evidence-based health education to help women at risk of or diagnosed with a chronic illness.

“I honestly did not know my business was a social enterprise until I was accepted into Boost. Understanding what it means to be a social enterprise helped me to see leverage in the health and wellness space. It also helped me to see the value of data and metrics to prove and scale our impact.”

— Nik Sweeney, Founder

ENGAGEMENT WITH IW

Fall 2021: IW+MC Boost

Spring 2022: IW+MC Accelerator

Summer 2022: IW+IC Social Enterprise Showcase

Fall 2022: Recipient of IC funding

Learn more at www.amaninicol.com

Social Enterprise Programs

Providing social enterprise leaders with programs designed to boost business fundamentals, strategic thinking, and growth strategies.

INNOVATION WORKS PROVIDES social enterprises with curriculum developed with the help of our partners at the Miller Center (MC) for Social Entrepreneurship. Programs support SEs in the later stages of the pipeline with enterprise development curriculum in the form of structured modules, a timeline with concrete deliverables, and a cohort of SEs and mentors to work alongside.

SEs in all stages of the pipeline are also able to receive asynchronous curriculum support that addresses the challenges facing their enterprise.

In FY22, 26 social enterprises and 12 mentors were involved with the Boost program, while 24 social enterprises and 17 mentors were involved in our Accelerator programs.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE METRICS*

120K+ 120K+ lives directly impacted

75% 75% provide access to educational and professional development opportunities for their employees

65% 65%

maintain frequent contact with an IW Mentor

58% 58% use their home as a primary base of operations

74% 74% desire to expand their working space

*as reported through the FY22 Social Enterprise Survey

5 INDUSTRIES REPRESENTED BY IW MENTORS

Mentor Network

A diverse group of accomplished leaders volunteering their time by providing hands-on support to aspiring and established social enterprise leaders across the city of Baltimore.

SNAPSHOT OF IW’S MENTORS (FY22)

2,426 2,426

total active mentors

BILL BRUNS

24 24 mentor hours volunteered

88 88 new mentors since FY21

Bill Bruns is the COO and Partner at Berman McAleer and has been an IW Mentor since 2020, participating in IW’s Boost and Accelerator programs. Most recently, he has been a long-term mentor to Ana Rodney, founder of MOMCares.

“My relationship with IW, MOMCares, and Ana have changed my life… I feel as if I am doing something to help the Baltimore com-

50% 50% of mentors have participated in a structured program

TINA WILLIAMS

Tina is the Owner and President at TCecure and has been an IW Mentor since 2019. This year she worked closely with Chester France of Lifting Labels as a dedicated enterprise mentor and board member.

“Chester’s idea to help returning citizens earn wages that are at least market rate while leveraging the skills and experience

Ignite Capital

IW’s subsidiary social impact fund that invests in Baltimore’s historically underserved entrepreneurs.

IGNITE CAPITAL IS A UNIQUE solution that boldly addresses the critical gap in access to capital necessary to lead and grow sustainable enterprises. By design, Ignite Capital (IC) intentionally supports entrepreneurs based in and/or serving Baltimore’s economically distressed communities, connecting them to the resources required to spur economic activity and rebuild their

1.1M

1.9M

neighborhood economies through social entrepreneurship.

IW works together with Ignite Capital to provide support and education to these entrepreneurs and strengthen their impact in their communities. Entrepreneurs receive an initial impact assessment that will help them develop short- and long-term social impact goals for

$$794K 794K

610K

their business and periodically measure the business’s performance in achieving its social impact goals throughout the term of the Ignite Capital loan. In addition to access to IC funding, investment-ready entrepreneurs have the opportunity to present their pitches to potential co-investors at the annual Social Enterprise Showcase.

89K

Ana Rodney (left), founder of MOMCares, and Sabrina Thompson (standing, right), founder of Girl In Space Club, at the 2022 IW+IC Social Enterprise Showcase.

Investment Portfolio Enterprises*

Amani Nicol Wellness Health & Wellness

Baltimore Read Aloud Arts & Culture, Early Childhood Education

Girl in Space Club STEM Education

Imagine Me Ministries Youth Development

Parity

Adult Workforce Development, Real Estate Development

SewLab USA

Apparel, Manufacturing

Black Acres Roastery Adult Workforce Development , Manufacturing, Retail

Jazmine Kionna Apparel, Manufacturing

Blue Light Junction Manufacturing, Urban Farming

Learning How, Inc. Early Childhood Education

SpreadKarma Fundraising Technology

Stem & Vine Horticulture, STEM Education

Clymb Educational Technology, Youth Development

Lifting Labels

Adult Workforce Development, Manufacturing, Returning Citizens

The Urban Oyster Food Access, Manufacturing

Meat the Mushroom Food Access, Manufacturing

WhitePaws RunMitts Apparel, Manufacturing

* Not including microgrant recipients

G-haven eSports STEM Education

Donors & Contributors

We express our deep appreciation and thanks to the organizations and individuals who support IW, Ignite Capital, and our social enterprises.

Corporations

Berman McAleer Foundation for Education and Economic Development

Communications Electronics

FNB Community Foundation

Good Green

Howard Bank

Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, Inc.

M&T Charitable Foundation

PNC Foundation

REEA Global

The SAGE Foundation

Institutions

Baltimore Development Corporation

Loyola University Maryland

USA East Province of the Jesuits

Foundations

The Abell Foundation

Bunting Family Foundation

Goldseker Foundation

The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation

T. Rowe Price Foundation

Transparent Fish/Chao Foundation

West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation

Individual/Family Offices

4K Foundation

Andy Russem

Anonymous

Anthony Day

Baltimore Homecoming

Baltimore Tiger21 Group

Bill Cole

Bill Heiser

Earl & Darielle Linehan

Eileen O’Rourke

Elbow Fund

Fr. Bill Watters, SJ

Frank & Carolyn Knott

Jacqueline Caldwell

Janet & Dixon Harvey

Jim & Mimi Piper

Jim & Sandy Smith

John Ciccone

John Springer

The LeAnn and Stuart Tobin Kindness Fund

M. Sigmund and Barbara K. Shapiro

Philanthropic Fund

Manus Christi Charitable Foundation

Matthew Seward

The Murray Dalziel & Elizabeth Rogers Family Fund

Nick Napolitano

Nkenge Yasin

Pamela Roussos

Sabrina Depestre

The Scott B. and Kimberly L. David Family Fund

Senator Frank & Janet Kelly

Tom & Rosemary Peddicord, Jr.

The Trevelyan Family

The Wiese Family Charitable Fund

“Three years ago, we and other founding funders provided seed funding to launch Innovation Works as a unique approach to develop locally owned sustainable social enterprises in Baltimore’s most marginalized neighborhoods. Results have been well beyond our expectations. We recently increased our funding of Innovation Works to build on its early successes.

We are hopeful that other local funders and investors will help this proven model grow its impact on more social entrepreneurs and neighborhoods.”

— George L. Bunting, Founder of the Bunting Family Foundation

Staff & Leadership

Innovation Works Staff

SHELLEY BROSIUS

Development Consultant

MARINA BUTLER

Manager, Strategic Initiatives

HANNAH CORRELLI Manager, Experience Design

MADI DUFFY

Manager, Marketing & Communications

KELSEY JONES

Manager, Enterprise Development, Programs

JAY NWACHU

CEO & President

LAMONTRE RANDALL

Manager, Neighborhood Strategy

SALLY RATRIE

Director, Operations & Culture

KRIS REYNOLDS

Executive Assistant

JOHN SPRINGER

Manager, Mentor Network

DAN STOKES

Manager, Enterprise Development, Pipeline Innovation Works Board Members

JACQUELINE CALDWELL

President, Whittier-Monroe Community Neighborhood Association

JOHN CICCONE

Governance Chair

President, St. Ignatius Loyola Academy

BILL COLE

Partner, Margrave Strategies

ANTHONY DAY

President & Head of School, Loyola Blakefield

SABRINA DEPESTRE

Director of Marketing & Recruitment, MICA

BILL HEISER, PHD

President, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

FRANK KNOTT

Fundraising Chair

Founder, Innovation Works

Founder & President, ViTAL Economy Co-Founder, Weaving Impact

NICK NAPOLITANO Finance Chair Director of Social Ministries, Jesuits USA East Provinces

JIM PETERSON

VP of Business Banking Relationship Manager, M&T Bank

DAN RIZZO Board Chair Innovation Fellow, Inovalon

TINA RODRIGUEZ

Vice Chair

CFO, General Counsel, & Founder, SAGE Dining Services

PAMELA ROUSSOS

Senior Advisor, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

CEO & Co-Founder, Weaving Impact

TERRENCE M. SAWYER, JD President, Loyola University Maryland

NKENGE YASIN

Founder & Child Development Specialist, Learning How!, Inc.

Ignite Capital Staff

GREGORY HUNTER Fund Coordinator

JAY NWACHU President

Ignite Capital Board Members

PATTI CHANDLER Board Chair Finance & IT Consultant

MURRAY DALZIEL

Dean, University of Baltimore School of Business

BREE JONES

Founder, Parity

FR. RICHARD MCGOWAN

Treasurer, Jesuits USA East Provinces

JAY NWACHU

President, Ignite Capital CEO & President, Innovation Works

DAN RIZZO

Board Chair, Innovation Works

Innovation Fellow, Inovalon

MARY ANN SCULLY

Dean, Loyola School of Business & Management

Ignite Capital Investment Committee

CANDACE CHANCE

Founder & CEO, The VPI Firm

PATTI CHANDLER

Finance & IT Consultant

BONNIE CROCKETT

Director of Small Business Lending, Baltimore Community Lending

BREE JONES Committee Chair

Founder, Parity

JAY NWACHU

President, Ignite Capital CEO & President, Innovation Works

DAN RIZZO

Board Chair, Innovation Works

Innovation Fellow, Inovalon

CHRIS GRANT

Partner, Yoke Management Partners

KEN MALONE

Co-Founder, Early Charm Ventures

CHRIS WARMAN

Program Officer, Baltimore Community Foundation

MAGGIE VILLEGAS

Executive Director, Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network

Financials

As of and for the period ended June 30, 2022

Statement of Financial Position

Statement of Activities

Design by: Lynde Pratt // LP Design Collaborative

Moving Forward

Building on the successes of FY22, we are looking forward to expanding our impact within Baltimore City through all of our programmatic areas in FY23. We also look forward to these three milestones in the evolution of Innovation Works and Ignite Capital.

Celebrating 5 Years

While IW was founded in 2017, we began public facing engagements in 2018 and launched our programming in 2019. In FY23, we look forward to celebrating our five year anniversary as an organization with reflection, celebration, and planning for our next five years and beyond.

Office Move & Expansion

The IW team is excited to be moving into our new home in Southwest Baltimore in the spring of 2023. We are relocating in an effort to be closer to many of our entrepreneurs who serve that area, and to pursue opportunities to partner with local organizations doing place-based work in the community.

Strategic Planning

Our strategic planning process kicked off in the fall of this year with the assembly of an advisory group representing all of our closest stakeholders to help us reflect on the last four years and discern what the journey ahead looks like. We hope to have a completed plan by June 2023 and look forward to sharing it with our community upon its completion.

Please join us in working collectively towards a thriving Baltimore! We appreciate your continued support.

Learn more about how you can support our work at www.iwbmore.org/join-us.