NSBE - Convention 2018 - 68

Baltimore Professionals Host

'Minority Innovation Weekend'

Photos: Quamina Image

A

Entrepreneurial Development & Assistance Center (EDAC), the
one-day conference hosted by NSBE-BMAC, the
Black MBA Association - Washington, D.C., and the National
Baltimore chapter of NSBE Professionals, brought
Society of Black Engineers - Greater Philadelphia Professionals.
more than 50 engineers, technologists, entreThe conference was sponsored by The Harbor Bank of
preneurs and others to Hotel RL in downtown
Maryland, Will Holmes Consulting, Thomas & Wynter, and
Baltimore this past November. The goal of the event, named
Ricky Venters Enterprises.
Minority Innovation Weekend (MIW), was to provide knowlCalvin A. Young, a former NSBE national chair (2012-13),
edge to enable individuals to turn their technology-based ideas
participated in the event. He said his current work as vice
or concepts into viable startup companies.
president for The Harbor Bank Community Development
The conference included presentations
Corporation aligns with NSBE's mission.
by subject matter experts on seven topics,
"Harbor Bank was founded to fill the need of access to
among them "Defining the Competition,"
financial products and services in this urban market," Young
"Going to Market," "The Pitch" and
"Innovating on the Side." McKeever
Conwell of Maryland Technology
"With the number of funded tech startups among
Development Corporation (MD
TEDCO) presented on "Defining &
people of color being around 1 percent, we felt that
Validating Your Idea" and "Funding
this was an important program to help get more
Your Idea." TEDCO supports the
Minority Business Pre-Seed Fund,
people of color into the tech startup world."
a partnership between TEDCO and
Duane Rollins
- William Redmond, NSBE BMAC President
explained the advan- The Harbor Bank of Maryland to
tages of "MVP" over fund minority entrepreneurs who
prototyping.
said. "Sponsoring this event tied in well with initiatives in our
have tech-focused ideas.
community development corporation such as our pre-seed fund
A panel of four startup founders disused to invest in minority startups."
cussed "The Startup Scene in Baltimore," and entrepreneur
Teresa Clower, CEO and founder of a start-up company,
Luke Cooper gave the keynote address, sharing with the audijoined others in giving Minority Innovation Weekend a good
ence some of the challenges he's overcome
review.
in his life journey, from his youth in
"...The conference generated a lot of ideas about how to conhousing projects near New York City to
tinue to expand my market position and my qualifications as a
his current position as founder and CEO
viable partner for more established entities," Clower said.
of Fixt, a fast-growing smartphone and
Derek Westray, the conference coordinator, said NSBE-
tablet computer repair company. The goal,
BMAC plans to expand the chapter's entrepreneurship training.
Cooper said, is not "building great busi"NSBE-BMAC hopes to build upon the success of MIW 2017
nesses" but to "use them for some greater
and increase the amount of content provided for MIW 2018,"
purpose."
Westray wrote. "We hope to partner with other organizations
Lack of racial diversity among finanin order to build a Minority Innovation Entrepreneurship
cially successful technology entrepreneurs
Program." ■
motivated NSBE-BMAC to hold its event.
"With the number of funded tech startups among people of color being around 1
percent, we felt that this was an important
Sherika Wynter led
the MIW session on
program to help get more people of color
"Going to Market."
into the tech startup world," said Chapter
President William Redmond.
The Minority Innovation Weekend was
a collaborative effort: NSBE-BMAC's partners to promote the
event were the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
- Washington, D.C. Chapter, the National Society of Black
Engineers - Washington, D.C. Metro Area Chapter, the Greater
Baltimore Urban League's Greater Baltimore Leadership
Association, the Arab American Association of Engineers
and Architects - Capital Area, the Morgan State University
68 * CAREER ENGINEER * CONVENTION 2018 *

www.nsbe.org



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Convention 2018

Contents
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