TEDCO Announces Lunch Keynote Conversation with SBA’s Tami Howie at 2026 Entrepreneur Expo
COLUMBIA, Md., (October 16, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announces a lunch keynote conversation with Tami Howie, acting deputy associate administrator for the Office of Investment and Innovation at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), at the 2026 Entrepreneur Expo at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor on October 27, 2026. The discussion will be moderated by Troy LeMaile-Stovall, chief executive officer of TEDCO.
The conversation will explore how federal and state initiatives are working together to expand capital access and grow Maryland’s innovation economy, drawing on Howie’s experience with SBA’s investment programs, including the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program. Attendees can expect a practical look at where early-stage and growth capital is headed and what founders and investors need to know to access it.
“We are honored to welcome Tami back to Maryland’s innovation community for this year’s lunch keynote,” said LeMaile-Stovall. “She brings a rare vantage point on both sides of the capital equation, from working alongside Maryland’s technology companies to her role at SBA, and I look forward to digging into how state and federal resources can work together to get capital into the hands of Maryland founders.”
The conversation lands amid a strong year for federal small business capital. The U.S. Small Business Administration closed fiscal year 2025 with $53 billion in combined private capital and SBA leverage through the SBIC program, up from $46 billion the year before, and guaranteed $45 billion in 7(a) and 504 loans to more than 85,000 small businesses nationwide. Maryland has its own channel into that federal capital: through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative, TEDCO has allocated nearly $16.5 million to its venture, seed and social impact equity programs since the initiative launched in 2022, with a further $7 million committed to its Venture Capital Limited Partnership Equity Program. That pipeline, federal dollars moving through a state program into Maryland companies, is exactly what LeMaile-Stovall and Howie will discuss.
TEDCO is also expanding founders’ access to non-dilutive funding. In September, SBA named TEDCO as Maryland’s recipient of a Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program grant, part of more than $8 million awarded to 50 organizations supporting innovators across 49 states and Puerto Rico. Through FAST, TEDCO will provide training, mentoring and technical assistance to help Maryland small businesses compete for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards, the nation’s largest source of early-stage, non-dilutive funding for technology startups. FAST is administered by SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation, the office where Howie serves.
Those investments are paying off for the state. An independent study by Sage Policy Group found that in fiscal year 2025 alone, TEDCO supported more than $1 billion in statewide economic output, 4,027 jobs and $479 million in labor income, and generated nearly $60 million in state and local tax revenue. That equates to more than $17 in economic activity for every dollar of state funding. Since its inception, TEDCO has supported more than $9.9 billion in economic output and 38,000 jobs across Maryland.
The lunch keynote follows a morning program that opens with remarks from Jay Perman, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, and a keynote address from Senate President Bill Ferguson.
Howie serves in SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation, which administers the agency’s programs to expand access to capital, advance technology commercialization and support high-growth small businesses. Before joining SBA, she spent 13 years as a partner at law firms including DLA Piper and Cooley LLP, and later led the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council and the Maryland Tech Council.
TEDCO’s award-winning Entrepreneur Expo shines a spotlight on regional entrepreneurship. Attracting more than 1,170 attendees, the event collects some of the region’s top entrepreneurs, business owners, innovators, venture capital investors, legislators and resources for a day of celebration. This year, the event will take place in Baltimore, one of the top 20 best cities for entrepreneurs, offering a full day of interactive workshops, insightful discussions and inspiring connections.
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from the region’s top experts; secure your spot at this impactful event now at tedcomdexpo.com/event/2026/register.
