Helping founders find community and connections
A free NSF-funded 4-week customer discovery program designed to help researchers and entrepreneurs validate their technology's commercial potential. Participants must complete 40+ customer discovery interviews. Teams receive a $2,880 grant upon successful completion. Offered quarterly (January, April, July, October). Over 200 JHU teams have participated. JHU serves as a Mid-Atlantic regional hub alongside the University of Maryland.
An SBA-funded program offering workshops, panel discussions, and technical assistance to women entrepreneurs across the 6-county Baltimore metro area (Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard, Frederick, Carroll, and Harford counties). Topics include business planning, finance, marketing, and operations. Hosted at Morgan State University. Part of the national network of SBA Women's Business Centers.
Learn more →A 6-week in-person program (1.5 hours per week) led by the Maryland SBDC, focused on comprehensive business plan development. Accepts up to 10 participants who are 51%+ underrepresented business owners. Graduates may access the EmPOWER Loan Program for up to $10K in capital through LEDC CDFI and Maryland's DHCD.
Learn more →A 3-month, 60-hour intensive training program for women entrepreneurs run under the Empowered Women International (EWI) initiative. Cohorts of 10-15 women meet twice weekly. Since 2002, the program has served 3,500+ women and helped launch 400+ micro-enterprises. Located at the White Oak office: 12520 Prosperity Dr., Suite 200, Silver Spring, MD 20904.
Learn more →Free 6-week immersive workshop for Delmarva farmers and producers on transforming agricultural commodities into commercially viable value-added products.
Learn more →A government contracting education and networking program operated by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce that equips small businesses with the knowledge, skills, and connections to win federal and state government contracts. Includes forum series, training programs, procurement conferences, and access to agency officials and prime contractors.
Learn more →The Innovation Driven Entrepreneurship Accelerator (IDEA) Lab is a community-based program at FITCI that provides entrepreneurship education, peer learning, and early-stage business support to aspiring entrepreneurs in the Frederick community. Funded in part by a Truist Foundation grant, the IDEA Lab serves entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of business ideation and development.
Learn more →A community-facing program for earliest-stage entrepreneurs exploring entrepreneurship and innovation. Funded by an $88K Truist Foundation grant. Serves as the entry point into the FITCI ecosystem, with a pathway to the Edge Accelerator and FITCI Incubator for participants ready to advance.
Learn more →Bilingual (English/Spanish) workshops and one-on-one coaching for small business owners covering business planning, financial projections, and marketing strategies. Offered at the Baltimore location: Impact Hub, 10 E North Ave, Baltimore, MD. Delivered by LEDC, a CDFI-certified and SBA microlender serving Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs.
Learn more →Bilingual (English/Spanish) workshops and one-on-one coaching for small business owners covering business planning, financial projections, and marketing strategies. Offered at the White Oak location: 12520 Prosperity Dr., Suite 200, Silver Spring, MD 20904. Delivered by LEDC, a CDFI-certified and SBA microlender serving the Latino and immigrant business community across the DC-Baltimore region.
Learn more →9-week idea-stage bootcamp powered by COSTARTERS, helping working professionals test and develop tech business ideas toward commercialization.
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