University of Baltimore's Center For Entrepreneurship and Innovation

✈️ Do you have an innovative idea, but not sure how to turn it into a business?

The I-Corps Program offered by Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures helps researchers, faculty, students, and entrepreneurs take their innovations from concept to market through hands-on entrepreneurial training - for free!

Participants will:
✅ Conduct customer interviews to validate market needs
✅ Identify target customer segments
✅ Learn entrepreneurial fundamentals from experienced instructors
✅ Receive mentorship from established entrepreneurs

All 2026 cohorts will be held virtually.

📅 Summer Cohort
Applications Open: June 1 - July 1

📅 Fall Cohort
Applications Open: September 1 - October 1

If you were doubting whether this is the time, this is the time!

🔗 Application Link: https://ventures.jhu.edu/programs-services/cohort-based-programs/icorps/?mc_cid=9dde57562b&mc_eid=45bab37297

🤖 Yesterday, during our Annual AI Summit at the UBalt's Law School, we discussed the impact of AI on Baltimore, jobs, education, entrepreneurship, everyday life, and YOU!

We had a chance to hear from:
• Aruna Miller, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland
• Phylicia Porter, Baltimore City Councilwoman
• Elena Quiroz-Livanis, Interim Secretary of Maryland Higher Education Commission
• Portia Y. Wu, Esq., Secretary of Maryland Department of Labor
• Zeke Cohen, President of Baltimore City Council
• Dr. Shelonda Stokes, President and CEO of Downtown Partnership of Baltimore
And more!

This summit helped us realize that we cannot do anything about AI getting integrated more and more into our lives with each day. Instead, we should use it rationally to our advantage.

We also had a chance to network and find great new connections. Overall, the day was spent productively!

See you next year!

The University of Baltimore University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business

🔮 Wish You Had a Business Crystal Ball????

What if you could see next month's revenue before it happens?

Join The Business Crystal Ball: AI Sales Forecasting to discover how AI-powered forecasting can help you predict sales, reduce uncertainty, and make smarter business decisions with confidence.

Learn how to:
📈 Forecast revenue using your own business data
🎯 Turn predictions into actionable growth strategies
⚡ Identify opportunities and risks before they impact your business
🤖 Leverage AI to make faster, data-driven decisions
💬 Ask your questions during a live expert panel discussion

Featuring:
• Hillel Glazer, Founder & CEO, Entinex
• Rose Thun, Founder, Design Rosetta
• Mark Bockrath, Founder & CEO, MAB AI Strategies

Whether you're a business owner, sales leader, entrepreneur, operations professional, or just curious about those things, this session will provide you with tons of insights!

📅 Date: Friday, June 26, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
💻 Location: Online
🎟 Cost: Absolutely free!

🔗 SIGN UP! https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-maryland-presents-wish-you-had-a-business-crystal-ball-the-business-crystal-ball-ai-sales-forecasting/

Baltimore's AI future is being built now - be part of the conversation!

Join our AI Annual Summit, which brings together leaders across technology, business, education, law, and policy to explore how AI is shaping our communities, industries, and future opportunities.

📅 Thursday, June 4, 2026
⏰ 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
📍 John and Frances Angelos Law Center, University of Baltimore

This is an in-person event only! Space is limited and registration is required.

🔗 Register here:
https://ubalt.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eD7fx6sYw3I2O6a?Q_CHL

Whether you're a professional, entrepreneur, educator, policymaker, or student, this summit offers an opportunity to connect, learn, and help shape Baltimore's AI ecosystem. Hope to see you there!

🍉 We're excited to share that Joyson BaLisamore, one of our entrepreneurship students and the proud founder of Jay's Watermelonade, was selected as a recipient of the Pilot Small Business Growth Fund Grant!!!

He received $25,000 for his healthy hydration venture, along with a year of bookkeeping support, through the program by Pilot in partnership with Hello Alice.

Congratulations Joyson!! 🚀
If you're an entrepreneur like him, this is the kind of success you should look up to.

University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business

🎉 The 14th Annual RISE to the Challenge Pitch Competition lit up Wright Theater tonight, hosted by our Director Henry Mortimer.
Six finalists. Two categories. One unforgettable evening of Baltimore entrepreneurship.

Congratulations to our winners:
🏆 Most Promising Business ($20,000) — split between Pharmynx (Terjahna Richards) and Totem Jou Publishing (John Butler)
🌟 Existing Business Venture ($5,000) — Keepin' Up with the Jones' Hair Care (Hope Jones)
💡 Most Innovative ($3,000) — BLUE DREAM (Matthew Morris)
🚀 Aspiring Business Venture ($2,500) — K'Raw Juice (KLa Hamilton)
❤️ Crowd Favorite ($1,000) — Totem Jou Publishing (John Butler)

A heartfelt thank you to our esteemed panel of judges for sharing their time and expertise: Kevin Carter (Founder, Coach Carter Consulting), Stephanie Goldenberg (Academic Chair, Entrepreneurial Studies Institute, AACC), Katie Leonard (Founder, Slate Seven), Bill McComas (Co-Founder, Jensen & McComas), and Kimberly Royster (CFO and Chairwoman of the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce).

A special thank you to our keynote speaker Dorien Murphy for setting the tone with an inspiring message that energized founders and the community alike.
And a sincere thank you to Jason Tagler and to the sponsors who make this stage possible: the Pridgeon Family Entrepreneurship Fund, the Joseph Carton & Harvey Silberg Venture Fund, and the Jay Ripley Fund.

Founders showed up. Judges showed up. The community showed up. That's what RISE is about.

🚀🚀 The BOLD people behind the BOLD ideas. Presented TODAY, LIVE at the Wright Theatre

Rise to the Challenge Competition is where Baltimore's emerging entrepreneurs will present ventures designed to solve real problems and create new opportunities.

This year's finalists:
• Erica Attoe - Steady Hands (lifesaving training supporting cancer research)
• John Butler - Totem Jou Publishing (creator-first publishing for underrepresented voices)
• K'La Hamilton - K'Raw Juice (on-the-go organic hydration)
• Terjahna Richards - Pharmynx (making science more accessible and impactful)
• Matthew Morris - Blue Dream (reimagining energy use through data centers and agriculture)
• Hope Jones - Keepin' Up with the Jones' Hair Care (clean, health-focused hair care products)

Each founder will pitch live for a share of $30,000 in funding and professional services, bringing forward ideas across health, sustainability, technology, and creative industries.

📅 Wednesday, May 6 | 5:30 - 8:00 PM
📍 Wright Theatre - Student Center, 5th Floor, University of Baltimore
🔗 Register now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ubalts-14th-annual-rise-to-the-challenge-2026-business-pitch-competition-tickets-1980127142587

🌟 Support the Founders. HAPPENING TOMORROW!

Every venture starts with an idea - and the courage to share it.

Come support this year's finalists as they pitch on stage and compete for over $30,000 in funding at the Rise to the Challenge Business Pitch Competition.

📅 May 6, 5:30 - 8:00 PM
📍 Student Center, 5th Floor, UBalt
🔗 Happening tomorrow - REGISTER! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ubalts-14th-annual-rise-to-the-challenge-2026-business-pitch-competition-tickets-1980127142587

🚀 See the Next Wave of Founders

The Rise to the Challenge Business Pitch Competition brings together six finalists ready to take their ventures to the next level:
• Erica Attoe - Steady Hands
• John Butler - Totem Jou Publishing
• K'La Hamilton - K'Raw Juice
• Terjahna Richards - Pharmynx
• Matthew Morris - Blue Dream
• Hope Jones - Keepin' Up with the Jones' Hair Care

Watch them pitch live for $30,000 in funding.

📅 May 6, 2026
⏰ 5:30 - 8:00 PM
📍 Wright Theatre, Student Center, 5th Floor
🔗 Don't miss. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ubalts-14th-annual-rise-to-the-challenge-2026-business-pitch-competition-tickets-1980127142587

🎤 An Evening of Pitches, Possibility, and Networking!

The Rise to the Challenge Pitch Competition, where emerging entrepreneurs take the stage to share their ideas and compete for over $30,000 in funding.

This live event brings together founders, students, and supporters of innovation for a night of:
• High-impact venture pitches
• Feedback from experienced judges
• Opportunities to connect with Baltimore's entrepreneurial community

Whether you're building your own idea, want to stay close to the startup ecosystem, or here to network and find mentorship, this is a chance to see how ventures come to life.

📅 Wednesday, May 6, 2026 | 5:30 - 8:00 PM
📍 Wright Theatre, University of Baltimore
🔗 Come see it LIVE! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ubalts-14th-annual-rise-to-the-challenge-2026-business-pitch-competition-tickets-1980127142587