Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA)

TEDCO Virtual Tour
2021-02-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
The MEDA Membership Committee along with Leadership Maryland is excited to announce our next Virtual Tour on February 17, 2021! We will be joining our partners at the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (“TEDCO”), for a virtual tour of their investment funds, programs and resources provided to Maryland-based technology companies.
TEDCO is an independent instrumentality of the State of Maryland, established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998, to facilitate the creation of businesses and support their growth in all regions of the State. TEDCO’s role is to be Maryland’s leading source of funding for early-stage, technology-based businesses; to provide other business assistance to entrepreneurs throughout the State; and to foster technology transfer and commercialization from the State’s universities and Federal labs. TEDCO is leading innovation to market in Maryland and contributing to a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the State through its various programs and funds.
Join us to hear how TEDCO provides Maryland entrepreneurs with funding, resources and connections that early-stage technology and life sciences companies need to thrive in Maryland.

IEDC: Managing Economic Development Organizations
2021-02-18 - 2021-02-19
MEDA Members can attend at the IEDC Member rate.
This advanced course will focus on the key principles and practices of professional management in economic development. It will define excellence in economic development and explain the fundamentals of managing for results, outcome-based performance, organizational assessment, stakeholder identification, vision and mission scope, organizational culture and more. Also, participants will learn how to engage their board or council, staff and community stakeholders, constituents, and customers to achieve results in job creation, tax-base stabilization and community growth and development. Since EDOs differ from one another depending on their available resources, location, and mission, this course is designed to equip a leader of any organization to make the right decisions.

Course Highlights:
• Outcome-based management and performance
• Managing conflict and developing a statement of ethics
• Understanding and evaluating the EDOs core competencies
• Serving the customer and measuring customer satisfaction
• Improving knowledge management and internal processes
• Working with board/city council members, staff and community stakeholders
• Team building, determining hiring needs, and managing budgets
• Leveraging existing resources and working with regional organizations

2021 Economic Development Day
2021-02-22 09:00 - 11:00
MEDA’s Annual Economic Development Day is going Virtual!
Each year MEDA and our partners conduct Economic Development Day in Annapolis during the legislative session. Since we can’t go to Annapolis, we will hear from our elected leadership via the virtual format.
While we plan to celebrate Economic Development all day, our format will provide a panel discussion with an address from Governor Hogan. We also plan to share information on The Awareness Report, a project under development by the Public Policy Awareness Committee.
So join us for an event designed to bring together all those who are making an effort to Transform Lives by creating opportunities, inspiring innovation, and enriching communities. Free to MEDA members and their guests.
Click here to view the agenda!

MWCC Course: Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Program
2021-02-22 13:00 - 17:00
The Maryland World Class Consortia’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program (LSSGB) provides detailed instruction on, and guidance through, the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) Roadmap. The Certified LSSGB will be able to identify the right projects, collect specific data, analyze the data with powerful Lean and/or Six Sigma tools, identify root causes, put solutions in place and set the new process up for both sustainability and continuous improvement.
The LSSGB Program consists of 5 learning units covered over a 4-week period. Because this is delivered via Zoom, candidates for LSSGB Certification meet 4 hours per day online to participate in training sessions and exercises covering the DMAIC Roadmap.
Program Cost
Option 1 – Standard Course. The fee for the standard Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Program is $3,500 per person. This tuition covers all academic modules and course training materials for each academic day. Students will receive a training guide and “The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Tool Book: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed”.
Ø Participants who successfully complete the program will be presented with a Certificate of Completion.
Option 2 – DMAIC Project Mentoring and full Certification. Additional $1300 per person. Those opting for the DMAIC Project Mentoring and full Certification will receive an additional six hours per student (remote mentoring activities).
Ø Participants undertaking the “DMAIC Project Mentoring and Full Certification” will be certified by HartePro Consulting and the MWCC provided they successfully complete the program.
Ø Participants are strongly encouraged to plan improvement projects in their home facility between monthly classroom meetings beginning after Module 2. Time necessary to conduct these projects can be significant, depending on the scope and level of difficulty selected by the student and their sponsor/senior leader, and should be considered when planning business commitments while the course is in session. Please contact us if you have questions regarding project planning and applied learning.
TRAINING FUNDS
We are excited to announce that through a grant from the Maryland Department of Commerce, this training is eligible for 50% reimbursement of the program training costs if you are a Maryland manufacturing or technology company.
Please contact Joyce La Padula at 410-960-3785 or via email at joyce@leanmaryland.com for reimbursement criteria.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL COURSE DESCRIPTION
Who Should Attend?
The LSSGB Program is appropriate for workers at all levels in the organization. This structured program provides guidance for change agents the organization may be underutilizing. No prior exposure to Lean Six Sigma is required.

2021 Calendar:
WEEK 1 OF 4:
22-26 February
Define Phase and approximately 1/3 of Measure Phase to be completed in 4 hour/day sessions
1-6 March
No class this week. GBs work independently through Define Phase
WEEK 2 OF 4:
8-12 March
Complete Measure Phase in 4 hour/day sessions
15-19 March
No class this week. GBs work independently through Measure Phase.
WEEK 3 OF 4:
22-26 March
Complete Analyze Phase in 4 hour/day sessions
29 March – 2 April
No class this week. GBs work independently through Measure and Analyze Phases
WEEK 4 OF 4:
5-9 April
Complete Improve and Control Phase in 4 hour/day sessions

LSSGB Certification Exam available electronically.
Exam will be available for 4 weeks. Last possible date to take exam Friday, May 7, 2021.
Candidates working toward LSS Project Certified Green Belt status will have until Friday, June 25, 2021 to complete all project certification requirements. Each candidate must meet with/update instructor minimally at the end of each phase to remain on track for certification.

Meet Your Instructor
Maureen Harte, MT(ASCP)
HartePro Consulting, President
Maureen Harte is a Medical Technologist, Johnson & Johnson Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB), and a Certified Myers-Briggs Training Institute (MBTI) Instructor. She was the first Certified MBB in Sales and Marketing for Johnson & Johnson worldwide. Click here for complete bio!
Questions?
If you have questions about this program, contact MWCC Managing Director, Joyce La Padula (410-960-3785).

Maryland Business Innovation Challenge Release: IBM
2021-02-23 12:00 - 13:00
IBM is challenging the Innovation Community to build a Market Leading Quantum Computing Industry in the State of Maryland.

About this Event

MEET THE CHALLENGE
Join in the conversation John Joaquin , Client Leader at IBM and Julie Lenzer, Chief Innovation Officer at University of Maryland will discuss IBM’s commitment to building a market leading Quantum Computing Industry in the state of Maryland.
Learn how IBM is positioning resources to capitalize on the state’s early position in Quantum Computing, and to build this region into the Silicon Valley of the Second Quantum Revolution.
IBM ‘s Chalenge is to uncover and engage with entrepreneurial, research, development, and commercialization efforts around Quantum Computing in our state, to establish a base inventory of market players and Quantum Information Science (QIS) workforce talent. IBM would like to identify existing Quantum Computing offerings and promising use cases that can be further developed and supported by IBM in Maryland. IBM is looking for Talent, Ideas, Teams to move ideas forward – collaborations and partnerships.
While Quantum computing is in its infancy, it is a viable technology that is demonstrating supremacy over classical computing, with computational power trillions of times faster than today’s most powerful super computers in certain calculations and potential use cases.
Eligiblity :

Individuals, university students, entrepreneurs, and companies with less than 100 employees are eligible to participate in the Maryland Business Innovation Challenge – (MDBIC.org).

Individuals or Teams must be 18 or older, a member of a Maryland based University and/or reside in Maryland – companies must have an office in Maryland.

Be sure to dial in! Get Involved! Be Part of the Solution!
Please share with others in your network who can benefit. Spread the Word!
This will be a ZOOM Webinar. Links will be made available after registration.

Maryland Business Innovation Challenge Release: SC&H Group
2021-02-24 12:00 - 13:00
SC&H challenges innovators to reimagine the workspace – and to present ideas that will transform their office enviroment and culture.

About this Event

MEET THE CHALLENGE
Be sure to join the conversation with Pritpal Kalsi, newly appointed CEO at SC&H Group and Shervonne Cherry, Director of Community & Partnerships at Spark Baltimore – regarding the new reality of office space and work environments, that have been so dramatically impacted as an outcrop of the pandemic.
The SC&H Challenge, is an appeal to Maryland’s Innovation Community to bring forward a partner or several partners to assist in the establishment and rollout of a hybrid work environment suited to meet the needs of their clients, colleagues, and community. The right partner(s) will exhibit a thorough understanding of the firm’s professional dynamics and various requirements by presenting them with strategic proposals to transform their workspace. The proposal should explain how they will transform various elements of a professional workspace such as the physical work setting, technology, and design—and the impact the transformation will have on productivity, culture, and morale.
Get Involved! Be Part of the Solution!
Eligibility:

Individuals, university students, entrepreneurs, and companies with less than 100 employees are eligible to participate in the Maryland Business Innovation Challenge – (MDBIC.org).

Individuals or Teams must be 18 or older, a member of a Maryland based University and/or reside in Maryland – companies must have an office in Maryland.

Share with others in your network who can benefit. Spread the Word!
This will be a ZOOM Webinar. Links will be made available after registration.

Maryland Business Innovation Challenge Release: Healthworx
2021-02-25 12:00 - 13:00
Healthworx is looking for ideas to advance health equity by engaging communities in improving and managing healthcare.

About this Event

MEET THE CHALLENGE
Join the conversation with Emily Durfee, Program Manager at Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst. Healthworx’ Challenge focuses on improving health equity at the community level .Learn about Healthworx’ mission and vision, as Emily shares insights, answer questions and explains the intention of this terrific opportunity to connect with a very important leader in Maryland’s healthcare and innovation community.
Healthworx is Challenging Maryland’s Innovation Community to bring forward new ideas to improve health equity by engaging families, neighborhoods and local communities. Healthworx is searching for creative and interdisciplinary solutions that focus on improving health outcomes for a specific neighborhood or community, based on lived experience, healthcare expertise, technological-savvy and social sciences.
Join the Challenge! Get Involved! Be Part of the Solution!
Eligiblity :

Individuals, university students, entrepreneurs, and companies with less than 100 employees are eligible to participate in the Maryland Business Innovation Challenge – (MDBIC.org).
Individuals or Teams must be 18 or older, a member of a Maryland based University and/or reside in Maryland – companies must have an office in Maryland.

Please share with others in your network who can benefit. Spread the Word!
This will be a ZOOM Webinar. Links will be made available after registration.

Food Industry & The Pandemic Executing a Shift to Thrive
2021-02-25 17:00 - 18:00
Pivoting involves the dramatic shift in policy, position, and/or strategy. Did the Pandemic create pivoting opportunities? Yes! The question is, how did you pivot and what else could you do to leverage the new opportunities within your business.

The Bowie COVID-19 Business Recovery Assistance Program delivers online technical assistance to help Bowie businesses accelerate their post-pandemic economic recovery. This program is a collaboration between the Bowie Business Innovation Center business accelerator and the Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce, funded by the City of Bowie.

MWCC Event: Lean Learning
2021-03-09 09:00 - 10:00
Join us for our quick, virtual, monthly events called “Lean Learnings“.
From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. each month, catch a quick presentation from one of our consultants, a member or a guest speaker on some of your favorite lean subjects and methodologies!
Topic: Lean Healthcare
Lean Healthcare is the subject of this presentation. Learn how applying process excellence can improve your patient safety, quality and throughput while increasing staff satisfaction.
With our nationwide healthcare and hospital population seeing more acute patient types along with increasing cost pressures, the need for a solution has never been greater. Charlie Protzman and Mike Hogan will review overarching opportunities for Lean in healthcare with results obtained at client hospitals over the last 20 years in areas such as Emergency Departments, Surgery, Pharmacy, Lab, Radiology, Clinics etc. utilizing the BASICS Lean® Model.
Identify and eliminate the characteristics of your processes that don’t contribute to World Class Quality Healthcare Outcomes.

Want to Improve Your Quality of Care?
Want to Increase Positive Safety Outcomes?
Want to Create Flow and Increase Patient Throughput?

Presenters
Charlie Protzman has 20 years of experience in Lean healthcare across the U.S. His Shingo Prize winning series of books called “Leveraging Lean in Healthcare”, describes how to implement Lean in every area of the hospital.
Mike Hogan has over 17 years of Lean Healthcare implementation and design experience. Mike is the OPEX manager for Florida Cancer Specialists and former COO of Studio Plus Architecture in Fort Myers, FL and is OSHA 30 Certified. Charlie and Mike have trained thousands of practitioners worldwide in Lean concepts.
Key Messages
Increase patient and staff safety by creating Flow

Balancing Inputs vs. Outputs
Faster is better – reducing steps = reducing defects
Lean applies to all areas of the hospital and healthcare.
Tools in combination with Human Aspect is the secret to sustaining Lean

2021 MEDA Young Leaders Outlook Coffee Chat
2021-03-10 09:00 - 09:30
Join the MEDA Young Leaders for a quick virtual meetup to check in with the group and provide feedback on the 2021 event schedule. Questions and ideas welcome!
This event is open to MEDA Young Leaders only.

MD Tech Council: Digital Transformation Virtual Summit
2021-03-24 - 2021-03-25
Join Maryland Technology, a division of the Maryland Tech Council for our second annual Digital Transformation Virtual Summit on March 24 and 25, 2021.
This year’s event will focus on the new normal we have been faced with and how businesses are using digital transformation to adapt to the new reality. Attendees will hear from leaders in the technology industry on digital transformation in the time of COVID-19, security risks companies face while transforming, erasing the digital divide and emerging technologies.
For more information and sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, contact Emily Sumpter at emily@mdtechcouncil.com.

IEDC: Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development Strategies
2021-03-25 - 2021-03-26
This multi-faceted course explores the core aspects of entrepreneurial and small business development including value-add partnerships, technical assistance programs, financing, business incubation and more. Entrepreneurs and small businesses stimulate job creation, develop crucial innovations in both products and services and promote the diversification of the economic base. In this course, you will learn the financial and managerial tools economic developers use to create a climate that encourages entrepreneurial and small business development. Also, practitioners will examine the barriers they face and how communities can leverage their economic development resources to build highly integrated networks to help businesses thrive in the global economy.

Course Highlights:
• Identifying and addressing the needs of entrepreneurs
• Defining urban v. rural-focused entrepreneurial and small business strategies
• Managing technical assistance (e.g., economic gardening) programs
• Development and management of business incubators
• Understanding federal and state government resources (e.g., SBDCs)
• Financing programs including micro-lending, venture capital, and angel networks
• Creating a technical assistance tracking system to measure job growth and etc.

Roundtable with Comptroller Franchot
2021-03-25 10:00 - 10:45
Comptroller Peter Franchot will join MEDA members for a 45-minute roundtable discussion on Thursday, March 25 from 10am – 10:45am.
The Comptroller will make brief remarks in summation of The Board of Revenue Estimates March 9th meeting and take questions from MEDA members around fiscal and economic issues for Maryland. The Comptroller is looking forward to the discussion and is asking to hear your thoughts and take your questions on relevant topics. He invites you to share how you have fared during the pandemic.
Join us for this discussion moderated by MEDA member Shelly Gross-Wade, President & CEO, FSC First. This event is free and open to MEDA members only.

Digital Health Forum presented by EAGB & BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
2021-03-25 13:00 - 15:00
The Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore (www.greaterbaltimore.org) and BioHealth Innovation (www.biohealthinnovation.org) have partnered to host a Forum focused on the growing Digital Health industry in the Baltimore/Washington region and beyond. The Forum is free and will be held virtually on March 25, from 1 – 3:00 pm. There is no fee and all are welcomed, but you must register in order to receive the link to the event.
ACCESS THE FORUM PROGRAM BY CLICKING HERE.
REGISTER TODAY BY CLICKING HERE.
The Digital Health Forum features two panel discussions and a moderated conversation. Brief welcome remarks from Rich Bendis and Michele Whelley, CEO of BHI and EAGB, respectively, will open the Forum.
PANEL ONE: The Role of Academia in Digital Health
Moderated by Saralyn Williams, partner in EY’s Life Science practice.
Panelists:
• Dr. Eun-Shim Nahm, director of the University of Maryland School of Nursing’s Masters Degree program in Informatics. This graduate program was the first of its kind when it was launched in 1989 and has been consistently ranked as #1 in the country.
• Dr. Kenyon Crowley, managing director of the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems (CHIDS) in the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, and of the Health Insights AI Lab. Dr. Crowley is an associate research scholar in the global top ten ranked Decision, Operations and Information Technologies department
• Dr. Donald Taylor, assistant vice chancellor for health sciences translation at the University of Pittsburgh, executive director of sciVelo, and co-director of the Center for Commercial Applications of Healthcare Data, Pitt’s arm of the Pittsburgh Health Data Alliance, a collaboration between Pitt, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Carnegie Mellon University.
PANEL TWO: Digital Health in Healthcare
Moderated by Dr. Juergen Klenk, partner and Precision Medicine lead at Deloitte Consulting.
Panelists:
• Ricardo Johnson, Head of Healthworx and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield. Healthworx is the venture capital, corporate development, and commercialization arm of CareFirst.
• Pothik Chatterjee, Executive Director of Innovation and Research for LifeBridge Health.
• Nick Culbertson, CEO and co-Founder of Protenus, a growing Digital Health company that is bringing AI and automation to hospital compliance to reduce risk and increase trust and assurance in the healthcare industry
CONVERSATION: International Collaboration in Digital Health
The Forum culminates in a conversation moderated by Rich Bendis with:
• Laurent Waessa, senior business development advisor, life sciences and medtech, Québec Government Office in New York.
• Marina Massingham, CEO, Aifred Health Inc., a Canadian digital health company focused on clinical decision support in mental health, starting with depression.

NMTC IDISRUPTOR 3.6 – POST PANDEMIC EMERGENCE
2021-03-25 16:00 - 17:30
POST PANDEMIC EMERGENCE:
Markets, Technology, and the New Now
It focuses on our country’s emergence festering from COVID-19, transitioning to the “NEW NOW” by Fall 2021. It will be distinctly optimistic, showcasing the technologies, disruptive ideas, and forward-thinking leaders contributing to our emergence from the pandemic.
Many of us will recognize these three speakers: LTG (ret.) Bruce Crawford, former Commanding General, APG and now SVP for Strategic Development at Jacobs; Darius Irani, Ph.D. Chief Economist, Towson University and Sean Plankey, Deputy Asst Secretary, Cybersecurity, Dept of Energy (FMR).
Join us as we continue NMTC’s The Future of Everything….

Power of Possibilities Summit at Garrett College
2021-04-08 09:30 - 11:30
Attend FREE- either virtually or in-person!
Begins at 9:30am on Thursday, April 8
Call 301-387-3069 to register

Baltimore County Manufacturing Virtual Job Fair
2021-04-08 10:00 - 14:00
Recently unemployed? Looking for a new career opportunity? New to the job market?
Find a job to match your skills at our virtual job fair!
Presented by Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland, in partnership with Baltimore County Department of Economic & Workforce Development and Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), this virtual job fair will connect job seekers with open positions at manufacturing companies in Baltimore County, MD.
About the Maryland Manufacturing Virtual Job Fair

15 participating Baltimore County manufacturing companies in the virtual exhibit hall.
100+ open jobs in operations, manufacturing, engineering, product development, finance, administration, sales, marketing, customer service and more.
Connect with participating employers at their virtual exhibit booth through chat, audio call and video conferencing.
No cost to register as a job seeker and connect with participating employers.
Employers will have the opportunity to review job seeker resumes prior to the date of the Job Fair. Upload your resume and LinkedIn profile information today to capture their attention!

MBIA Spring Member Meeting
2021-04-08 12:00 - 13:30
Register to attend the MBIA Spring Member Meeting. | Share updates and be inspired from others in the MD Innovation Community!

About this Event

MBIA SPRING MEMBER MEETING | Thursday April 8th | Noon – 1:30
Join the MBIA Spring Member Meeting – we want to hear from YOU! Share your 1 minute – Rapid Fire Update – a success story, positive momentum or important news from your organization. What are the new initiatives that you are launching and excited about – or what is keeping you up at night?
It’s been a long year since our world changed. It’s time to reconnect – hear updates, get inspired – learn from each other, regroup and collaborate.
Get introduced to key members of the Maryland Department of Commerce Strategic Industry Team, who will share their focus, industry goals and how they can help us achieve greater success together.

Ulyana Desiderio – Director of BioHealth and Life Sciences
Vince Defrancisci – Director of Cyber & Aerospace
Colter Menke – Aerospace Program Manager
Wade Haerle – Energy & Agriculture Program Manager
Allyson Redpath – Director of Entrepreneurship

This is an important meeting – mark your calendar. Zoom links will be provided via registration. Looking forward to seeing and hearing from everyone!
Please encourage other members of your team to attend!

IEDC: Economic Development Marketing and Attraction
2021-04-15 - 2021-04-16
This hands-on course will review the fundamentals of developing and implementing a high-impact marketing and attraction plan. Businesses looking to locate or expand need accurate, up-to-date, and credible information and communities need rock-solid marketing techniques to reach the needs of the business community. Course participants will be able to learn how to craft their community’s message by learning about online marketing fundamentals, website design, and current trends in foreign direct investment. Participants will also explore various mediums of communication, including how to best utilize social media and other technologies as economic development marketing tools. Case studies and will highlight the dos and don’ts of economic development marketing and attraction. This online course will offer an interactive experience for both instructors and attendees that allows everyone to engage with one another similarly to how they would in a classroom setting, using Zoom software.

Course Highlights:
• Identifying target audiences using data-driven techniques
• Developing a community marketing plan and brand
• Garnering internal and external support for the marketing campaign
• Engaging social media and website design to target new markets
• Making the most of your foreign direct investment efforts
• Benchmarking, evaluating, and monitoring the marketing plan

Online Training Course: Introduction to Entrepreneurship-led Economic Development
2021-04-20 - 2021-04-21
This course focuses on building an understanding of the importance of building a community centered around entrepreneurship and small business creation, sustainability and growth. After taking this course, course participants will be able to identify their role in the ecosystem, understand the roles of others and come away with the skills to bring organizations together around shared goals. Learn important skills such as assessing a community’s appetite for risk, identifying resource gaps, understanding the importance of inclusion, and developing practical ways to measure success.
Course Highlights:
• Understanding entrepreneurship-led economic development
• Building an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem and collaborating with other entrepreneurship support organizations
• Assessing your community’s entrepreneurship composition
• Becoming a trusted source
• Understanding the importance of an inclusive ecosystem
• Measuring and funding your ecosystem
• Addressing BRE, attraction and philanthropy in your entrepreneurship efforts

2021 MEDA Spring Conference
2021-04-27 08:30 - 12:00
Looking Ahead: The Next Normal
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Virtual
Businesses and economic developers have spent much of the last year scrambling to adapt to extraordinary circumstances. While the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, with vaccine distribution under way, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 2021 will be the year of transition. Barring any unexpected catastrophes, individuals, businesses, and society can look forward to shaping their futures rather than just grinding through the present. The next normal is going to be different. MEDA takes a look at some of the factors that economic development and business leaders should keep in mind as they prepare for the next normal.
Click here to view the 2021 Spring Conference agenda.
Click here to view the meeting minutes from the January 14, 2021 Business Meeting.
Click here to view the 2021 – 2022 MEDA Proposed Slate of Officers.
Recordings and Slides
MEDA Spring Conference / Annual Business Meeting: https://vimeo.com/542384056/9cff4d998e

IEDC: Workforce Development Strategies
2021-05-04 - 2021-05-05
Skilled workers are the backbone of a productive and efficient economy. This versatile course explains the strong relationship between economic and workforce development through case studies, practical examples, and current research. Course participants will learn what programs currently leverage federal, state, and local financial resources to support workforce development. Learn about what collaborative programs will help upgrade the skills of your community’s existing workforce. Other topics of discussion will include: talent attraction, K-12 development and integration, occupational analysis, target industry clusters, and more.

Course Highlights:
• Reviewing the core components of the workforce development system
• Availability of funding sources at the local, state and federal levels
• Accessing Department of Labor grants and initiatives (e.g., WIRED)
• Understanding occupational data analysis and career pathways
• Assessing qualifications, skills and abilities of current workforce
• Recruitment and retention of a skilled labor force
• The role of higher education in workforce and economic development
• New alliances, new models and best practices in regional & local initiatives

Tour of Maryland SBDC
2021-05-04 11:00 - 12:00
Since 1988, the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has served as a premier resource for aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small businesses. The SBDC Network is a partnership between the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of Maryland, and the University of Maryland, College Park. Our organization links private enterprise, government, higher education, and local economic development organizations to provide high-quality no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and market and industry research to Maryland’s small businesses.
In addition to our core service offerings, the SBDC also provides specialized services including executive training, retail and restaurant, market growth, ownership transition assistance, technology transfer, and SBIR support. We offer expertise and keen insight essential to helping small businesses address their concerns today, and design solid long-range plans to secure their vision for tomorrow.
This event is open to MEDA and Leadership Maryland Members only.

IEDC: Business Retention & Expansion
2021-05-06 - 2021-05-07
MEDA Members can attend at the IEDC Member rate.
This interactive course presents the core components of a BRE program and why the concerns of local businesses need to be actively addressed. By building an understanding of business visitation techniques and survey methods, practitioners will be able to clearly gauge their community’s business climate. Learn the “red flags” that may indicate a company is looking to move elsewhere, and learn how to structure an effective technical assistance program to respond to business concerns. This course helps participants understand how a BRE program relates to attraction, workforce development, small business finance, technology transfer and many other economic development activities.

Course Highlights:
• Establishing, maintaining and upgrading a BRE program
• Creating effective models for business visitations and surveys
• Customer-Relationship Management (CRM) techniques
• Marketing a BRE program
• Establishing an early warning system
• Cluster and industry-focused BRE programs
• Tracking and analyzing customer feedback and response
• Quantitative and qualitative economic development metrics

IEDC: Economic Development Finance Programs
2021-05-19 - 2021-05-21
The core objective of this analytical course is to explain the financial tools used to stimulate private sector investment that results in the creation of permanent, private sector jobs, increased productivity and improvement in the local tax base. Specifically, the course will review current debt, equity, grant and incentive-based financing programs that are accessible to practitioners both rural and urban. Moreover, course participants will learn how to calculate debt/service ratios, cash on cash rate of return, capitalization rates, underwriting ratios, debt coverage ratios and similar financial tools used to identify project feasibility. Course instructors will also spend time teaching how potential investors measure return on investment (ROI) how lenders evaluate risk. Participants will have an opportunity to work through multiple case studies in order to solidify their knowledge of the finance programs.

Course Highlights:
• Learn how to help small businesses adjust the imbalance between cost and revenues
• Explore the fundamentals of reducing risk of default and foreclosure
• Understand credit risks – matching sources and uses of funds to lower monthly payment and strengthen cash flow position
• Review maturity risks – providing collateral substitution with guarantee of collateral cushion
• Evaluate Community Development Block Grants, Rural Business Enterprise Grants and Public Infrastructure Grants
• Revolving Loan Funds, Community Development Financial Institutions
• New Markets Tax Credits, Historic Preservation Tax Credits, Tax Increment Financing

2021 MEDA Primer for Economic Development in Maryland
2021-05-25 - 2021-05-26
Join MEDA for a virtual training that has been created to provide participants an introduction and overview of how Maryland practices economic development. Course attendees will quickly develop a network of resources to link contacts, all while building camaraderie among participants to further Maryland’s economic development team. This course is designed for those who are new to economic development in Maryland, in addition to strategic partners in collaborative industries. Find out how economic development transforms lives by creating opportunities, inspiring innovation, and enriching communities. Together we can work to make a brighter, more prosperous future for the state of Maryland!
Click here to view the agenda.

BWI Business Partnership: Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony
2021-06-03 16:30 - 18:30 | Benson Hammond House, 7101 Aviation Blvd, Linthicum Heights, MD, 21090
The BWI Business Partnership hosts and sponsors events throughout the year designed to promote our area, enlighten members on issues of vital interest to both the public and the private sectors, and to provide unique networking opportunities.
Our monthly Signature Breakfast Series features keynote speakers from business and government along with regular updates on the happenings at our favorite airport, BWI Thurgood Marshall. Due to COVID-19 we have pivoted to our Virtual Speaker Series until safe to gather in a larger group capacity along with our Transportation Think Tank (T3) series
We also host and collaborate on forums, meetings and workshops. Some of the topics include transportation, commercial development and doing business with government agencies.

IEDC 2021 Economic Future Forum
2021-06-07 - 2021-06-08
The conference will explore industry trends and the partnerships and strategies needed to grow, diversify, and retain companies in established and emerging industries. The Future Forum will focus on problem-solving and navigating in a post-COVID-19 environment.

2021 C2ER/LMI Institute Annual Conference
2021-06-07 - 2021-06-11 | Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel.
More information coming soon.

MCCEI Pathway Awards
2021-06-08 09:00 - 10:00
The Pathway Awards will recognize those in the built environment who embody the values of MCCEI and inspire the workforce of our industry.

Join us in a celebration of the amazing work being done in Maryland to promote career pathways in the built environment. The Pathway Awards were created to recognize all the people, companies, and partners in the AEC industry who embody the values of MCCEI and who have championed workforce development initiatives in the built environment in the past year.
Categories include:

Built Environment Hero
Champion of Workforce Development
Government Partner of the Year
MCCEI Educator of the Year
Community Partner of the Year
Future Builder of the Year

Nominations are open until April 30th. Click here to nominate someone today.
MCCEI’s mission is to develop, promote, and connect career opportunities in the built environment. MCCEI is an independent and trusted adviser and resource for industry, education, and government. Together, we will make careers in the built environment a first-choice option. www.mccei.org
