Innovation : Innovation + Job News

Seven Maryland biotech companies were awarded $1.3 million through the state's Biotechnology Commercialization Awards and the Translational Research Awards. The programs are administered by the Maryland Biotechnology Center, part of the Marylarnd Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED).
 
"Biotechnology continues to be a key driver of Maryland's economy," says Governor O'Malley. "The high quality of the biotechnology projects supported by these awards, as well as their link to a number of Maryland institutions of higher learning, demonstrates Maryland's significant potential to commercialize our unparalleled academic research."

"These funds provide critical support to companies bringing innovative technologies to market and play an important role in the Center's mission to support commercialization," says Dr. Judith Britz, Executive Director of the Maryland Biotechnology Center. "The Center is proud to fund these grants, which last year drew applications from more than 30 biotechnology companies and academic institutions."

The Biotechnology Commercialization Awards were made to three biotechnology companies to assist them in commercializing a product or service. College Park-based Zymetis, received a $200,000 grant to advance their work in converting whey to fuel; Fyodor, based in Baltimore's BioPark, received $200,000 for the commercialization of their flagship product, the Urine Malaria Test; and InfraTrac, located at the Silver Spring Innovation Center, received $100,000 to grow their counterfeit drug monitoring product.

"MBC's grant program is brilliant because it places critical resources into companies like ours at just the right time," says Scott Laughlin, CEO of Zymetis. "Right now, everyone is looking for companies that have made the leap from development to commercialization. These funds will help us achieve this milestone."

The Translational Research Awards, which are given to help commercialize basic science research and encourage bio companies to collaborate with academic institutions, were presented to Baltimore-based Gliknik Inc., in partnership with the University of Maryland, Baltimore and Dr. James S. Gammie of the University of Maryland Medical Center. Each has received a $200,000 award.

Gliknik will use its award to support development of a drug that aids in organ transplants, with a significant portion of the funding going to transplant researchers at the University of Maryland. Dr. Gammie will use the funding to develop surgical tools that will assist in repairing the heart's mitral valve through a minimally invasive procedure.

The Shared Resource Grants, totaling $400,000, were awarded to two University of Maryland programs that provide specialized services to local bio companies. The Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH) Biotechnology Research and Education program received $200,000 to expand its operations into a new facility at Shady Grove.

A second $200,000 grant was awarded to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County for the purchase of new equipment, specifically a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer.

Applications are now being taken for grants available  in Fiscal Year 2011 through the Maryland Biotechnology Center to assist in commercializing promising research, encouraging bio companies to collaborate with academic institutions and expanding biotechnology resources. The Governor also announced that seven Maryland bio companies and universities received $1.3 million in FY 2010 grants, which was the first year of funding.

Applications for the Biotechnology Commercialization Awards and the Translational Research Awards must be submitted by Sept. 15 to the Maryland Biotechnology Center. These grants complement funding available through TEDCO's Maryland Technology Transfer and Commercialization Fund, the University of Maryland's Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program and DBED's Maryland Venture Fund programs.


Source: Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program (MIPS), an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) at the University of Maryland, has awarded $3.3 million to 16 teams of Maryland companies and faculty developing commercially promising technology products. All the funding goes to the faculty members conducting the research and development on company products.

Projects for this round of funding include floating wetlands to clean the Chesapeake Bay, bolts that change color as they are tightened, faster Internet-via-satellite upstream, wireless sensors for monitoring home energy use, bioremediation for restaurant oil, and a backup mass-emergency electrical system. Treatments, vaccines or tests for anthrax, malaria, influenza, staph infections and infertility are also included.

Totaling $3.3 million, the projects combine $1.9 million from participating companies and $1.4 million from MIPS. Funding supports research in the laboratories of participating university faculty, who work closely with partner companies to advance their products.

Nine company partners are in Montgomery County; four are in the Baltimore area, one is in Howard County, one is in Frederick and one is in Frostburg.

Projects awarded include:

• Silver Spring-based Bio-Quick Corporation and Richard Zhao, associate professor and division head, pathology, University of Maryland, Baltimore received $195,570 for the clinical study of Bio-Quick's ultrasound-facilitated tissue preservation system, which cuts down the time it takes medical and research facilities to preserve tissue samples from two days to one hour.

• Ellicott City-based BlueWing Environmental Solutions & Technologies LLC and Joshua McGrath, assistant professor, environmental science & technology, University of Maryland, College Park was awarded $139,000 to develop BioHaven Floating Islands, which closely model natural floating island systems commonly found in clean waterways, to remove harmful nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from impaired waters such as the Chesapeake Bay.

• Rockville-based Cellex Inc. and Richard Zhao, associate professor and division head, pathology, University of Maryland, Baltimore recieved $172,600 to perform a second phase clinical evaluation on the QFLU test, which simultaneously diagnoses influenza and detects flu virus drug resistance in point-of-care settings.

• Frederick-based Cerona Networks Corporation and John Baras, Lockheed Martin Chair in Systems Engineering, and professor, electrical and computer engineering and Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park was awarded $161,500 to develop algorithms for Internet via satellite communications to improve upload speeds from users to the Internet, support more subscribers per satellite and enable communications on the move.

• Takoma Park-based CoolCAD Electronics LLC and Shuvra Bhattacharyya, professor, electrical and computer engineering and Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Maryland, College Park will use its $150,000 grant to develop a cost- and power-consumption-optimized wireless sensor network for monitoring energy use in residential and commercial buildings.

• Lutherville-based Corridor Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Gerald Rosen, professor, pharmaceutical sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore will test the use of a compound against bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax with its $223,031 award.

• Olney-based EcoEmergence Corporation and Jianhong Meng, director, Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition, University of Maryland, College Park will developing the first industry standard test to evaluate the efficacy of bioremediation products (including EcoEmergence's bacteria mixture) for fats, oils and grease, which clog sewer systems and have a negative impact on the environment using its $440,745 in MTech funds.

• Baltimore-based Encore Path, Inc. and Jill Whitall, professor, physical therapy and rehabilitation science, University of Maryland, Baltimore will use the $138,872 award developing a new rehabilitative TREADTRAC Device to facilitate the recovery of walking in individuals with stroke in clinical and, eventually, community settings.

• Baltimore-based Fyodor Biotechnologies, Inc. and Ganesh Sriram, assistant professor, chemical and biomolecular engineering, University of Maryland, College Park will use the $180,330 developing and optimizing a yeast-based platform to reliably produce the drug artemisinin, a therapeutic effective against malaria and other diseases.

• Frostburg-based Instant Access Networks LLC and Hilkat Soysal, lecturer, physics and engineering, Frostburg State University will put the funds toward the $225,000 development of an economically viable backup electricity system by combining battery and hydrogen storage with renewable energy sources to provide power for mission-critical infrastructures in the case of a disaster when the electric grid becomes unavailable for a long period of time.

• Germantown-based Integrated BioTherapeutics, Inc. and Mary-Claire Roghmann, professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore will use the $137,277 developing a toxin-based vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of both hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections and bacterial sepsis.

• Halethorpe-based KYDES Pharmaceuticals, LLC and Stephen Hoag, professor, pharmaceutical sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore will use the $300,399 to develop compounds that deactivate drugs such as opiates, amphetamines and benzodiazepines when they are tampered with to prevent their abuse.

• Rockville-based Opticul Diagnostics Corporation and Richard Venezia, professor, pathology, University of Maryland, Baltimore will put the $325,849 towards pre-clinical and clinical testing of Opticul's rapid, point-of-care test system for antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the bacterium that causes staph infections such as MRSA.

• Gaithersburg-based Pregmama, LLC and Istvan Merchenthaler, professor, epidemiology and preventative medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore will use the $143,278 to develop a therapeutic regimen called Fertamax to prevent egg aneuploidy, infertility, miscarriages, and trisomic pregnancies for women over 35.

• Bethesda-based StarEnergyCo, Inc. and Nam Sun Wang, professor, chemical and biomolecular engineering, University of Maryland, College Park will use the $225,848 award to develop an economical, turn-key process to produce astaxanthin--useful as an antioxidant and as a pigment in aquaculture--from algae and using carbon dioxide emitted from ethanol plants.

• Bethesda-based Stress Indicators Inc.and Chandrashekhar Thamire, professor, mechanical engineering, University of Maryland, College Park will be use $200,000 developing a reliable process for manufacturing the company's High Resolution (HR) Smartbolts, fasteners which are fitted with special visual tension indicators that show whether a joint is loose or tight with a clear, reversible color change.

Source: Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Two guys are sitting in their hammocks when one turns to the other and says, "Hey let's hit a happy hour." Sounds like the opening line of a joke, but for Brian Chaplin, a Baltimore-area bartender, and Tom Camposano, a fireman, it turned into their big idea.

"We looked at our iPhone because we thought we'd be able to find a good solution. But we couldn't find anything we were happy with that had had good information," Chaplin recalls.

So the two decided to create their own app. They hired a developer to write the code and Chaplin bought TK and a book on how to use them. Their goal was to design an app that offered users the most accurate and up to date information.

The easiest way to do that was the pair decided was to have bars subscribe to the service. Bars receive access to a private website that allows them to update their information whenever they choose. The new details are instantly available.

Bars can also use the app's "dispatch" function to send blasts out to app users to alert them to last minute drink and dining specials, or any other information they want to get out. "That's limited only by their creativity. We wanted it to be more than just a tool to send out information, but also a means of communication too," Chaplin explains.

The application also needed to have a user-friendly interface, be fun to use and have the look and feel of Baltimore, says Chaplin. "There're a bunch of happy hour apps out there that are national, but they don't give you that warm and fuzzy feeling. We put that into it and people have really responded well to it."

One year later, and Chaplin and Camposano's Dilly Dally Apps, Llc, released the app. "We kept adding new features and making it better, but finally we got it to the point where we think it's a cool thing."

A one-year subscription to the service is $250. Chaplin says they kept the price low to make it possible for any bar owner to join the service. "We want to capture the majority of bars. That was another problem with the other apps, they were missing a lot of bars. So we set the price low so that bars would be interested in joining."

The free "Baltimore Happy Hour" app is available at the Apple App Store. It includes a map which displays participating bars with a drop down menu to select specific neighborhoods. There's also a list of member bars and the dispatch page where bars post their alerts. The taxi page enables users to call a cab with a single click and contact page for users to interact with the app's owners.

Users of the app can also send updates via buttons linked to their Twitter and Facebook accounts or email their friends to let them know which bar they'll be headed to that day. The messages will include the name of the bar and that day's special.

Chaplin says that he hopes to generate a grassroots movement among the app's users. "They can help us spread the word by showing the app to bar owners and also liking our Facebook page."

Future plans include an app for the Droid as well as expansion into the suburbs to the north and south of the city.

Source: Brian Chaplin, Dilly Dally Apps
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Baltimore-based TidalTV, an online marketing firm specializing in online video advertising, optimization and  yield management solutions, has signed a deal with ShortTail Media creating a strategic partnership that mutually leverages the two companies'  leading technologies in order to offer online publishers a simple way to bring online video advertising capabilities to their websites with scale and instantaneous monetization opportunities.

Through the collaboration, the companies will cross-market each other's products, providing publishers the option of seamlessly tapping into TidalTV's monetization tools and offering advertisers a unique way to harness the power of high-impact online video ads across premium websites.

By creating an entirely new layer of ad inventory that serves a video ad in front of any type of web page, ShortTail's D:30 Platform is designed to create a more sustainable ad model for websites. The D:30 has been effectively leveraged by marketers in all major brand categories to efficiently extend their existing television/video ad creative online and provide consistent brand messaging. Significantly, any publisher will now be able to meaningfully participate in the video ad marketplace with hundreds of brand advertisers by deploying a simple ad tag.

The companies will be able to offer clients an end-to-end solution by leveraging each other's technologies and expertise. While ShortTail has focused on creating new video ad inventory for publishers, TidalTV has built a state-of-the-art system that enables advertisers to reach their desired audience with highly impactful video ad placements and no waste. TidalTV's technology leverages the power of data and optimal ad decisioning to guarantee delivery of a brand's message against a target demographic.

"We're excited to bring this offering to the advertising and publisher communities," says Scott Ferber, CEO of TidalTV. "It delivers a scalable video advertising solution to the marketplace across high quality content, and by leveraging our optimal ad decisioning technology, TidalTV can ensure that the right ad reaches the right audience -- creating increased effectiveness for branded advertisers and a more relevant ad experience for the consumer."

"One of the reasons I am so excited about this partnership is that while we have focused on different industry segments, our companies share a belief that video must be at the core of online advertising," says David Payne, President & CEO of ShortTail. "By removing the artificial constraints on pre-roll, and opening up the opportunity for publishers without a lot of video views to generate material video revenue, ShortTail is helping redefine what the online ad model can be -- one that is sustainable and elegant without garish skins, flying cars, or pay walls. If it's archaic to believe that TV ads online aren't a better ad model than two-dimensional teeth whitening ads, then call me a dinosaur."


Source: TidalTV
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Medifast, a Baltimore-based portion-controlled weight-loss program, ranked 29th on the Fortune Magazine's 2010 "100 Fastest-Growing Companies" list.

According to Fortune's Managing Editor Andy Serwer, "The troubled economy is on all of our minds these days, but sometimes we forget that even in the long slog we seem to be in, entrepreneurs are hard at work creating the next Cisco or Amgen or Starbucks."

"We are extremely proud to be recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies," says Michael S. McDevitt, Medifast's CEO. "Everyone at Medifast continues to work tirelessly toward our long-term goal of helping Americans regain control of their health. Medifast is committed to providing clinically proven, innovative and superior quality products to support our multi-platform distribution channels."

"Our business model is demonstrating tremendous results by addressing each individual client's weight-loss and weight-maintenance needs. We look forward to building on this success over the next several years," he continues.

Medifast has been recommended by over 20,000 doctors since 1980. Clients can expect to lose up to two to five pounds per week on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, which consists of eating five Medifast Meals and one Lean & Green Meal per day. Medifast provides customers over 70 different menu options, as well as a variety of support options to assist customers on their weight-loss journey.

To qualify for Fortune's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, foreign or domestic companies had to meet the following criteria: be trading on a major U.S. stock exchange; file quarterly reports with the SEC; have a minimum market capitalization of $250 million and a stock price of at least $5 on June 30, 2010; and have been trading continuously since June 30, 2007. The company must also have revenue and net income of at least $50 million and $10 million, respectively, for the four quarters ended on or before April 30, 2010. Finally, the company must have posted an annualized growth in revenue and earnings per share of at least 15% annually over the three years ended on or before April 30, 2010.

Companies that meet the above criteria were ranked by revenue growth rate, EPS growth rate, and three-year annualized total return for the period ended June 30, 2010. (To compute the revenue and EPS growth rates, FORTUNE uses a trailing four quarters log linear least square regression fit.) The overall rank was based on the sum of the three ranks. Once the 100 companies were identified, they were then re-ranked within the 100, using the three equally weighted variables. If there is a tie, the company with the larger four-quarter revenue receives the higher rank.

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR), in collaboration with Anne Arundel Health System (AAHS) and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), has established a new network of academic and community-based clinical researchers, the Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network (JHCRN). The JHCRN, which will provide new opportunities for research collaborations, is designed to accelerate the transfer of new diagnostic, treatment, and disease-prevention advances from the research arena to patient care.

The JHCRN creates a bridge for research between Hopkins and community-based medical centers by linking physician-scientists and staff from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions with community-based medical centers in the region. The network, which will ultimately have additional member institutions, will serve several purposes, the most important of which is to make clinical trials available to patients who may not ordinarily have access to them.

"This strategy started four years ago when the newly ICTR wanted to expand its capacity for doing research and to take advantage of the potential collaboration of physicians both at GBMC and Anne Arundel who wanted to collaborate with us to do joint trials, but we didn't have a mechanism for at that time," says Dr. Charles Balch, Deputy Director for Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research, JH Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Director, Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network.

"What's unique about it is that it's intended to facilitate collaborations of physicians in any specialty, although we've started initially in cancer because that's the most mature area of clinical trials in many facilities. We're moving quickly into other areas such as diabetes, heart disease, vascular disease and so forth," he continues.

The JHCRN directly addresses the many complexities of conducting multisite and multi-institutional trials by providing investigators with a larger patient pool and a seamless platform that uses common research protocols. The goal of the network is to speed the approval of new trials while ensuring careful oversight of patient safety. Rapid start-up and timely completion of research studies, aided by widespread access to the clinical trials, will make promising therapies available for patient use more quickly.

The network was established through an initial agreement with charter affiliate AAHS in early 2009. This early collaboration was instrumental in clearing many of the organizational and legal barriers to shared research, a process that continues with the inclusion of newer affiliate GBMC. The initial focus of the JHCRN will be on expanding cancer-related clinical trials (including medical, surgical, and radiation therapy aspects of cancer treatment) and diabetes and surgical studies. Future collaborations will include a wide range of research areas, including intensive care; cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, brain, and spine diseases; and radiology and nuclear medicine studies.

The JHCRN is a program of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR), which is a part of a national consortium aimed at transforming how clinical and translational research is conducted at academic health centers around the country.

Network researchers from participating hospitals will use a centralized data system to coordinate information from diverse information technology and electronic medical records sources. Clinical research methodologies, data management, research reporting documentation, patient consent forms, and quality- and safety-control criteria will be standardized. With this uniformity, network hospitals can better develop and coordinate their own clinical research activities or joint clinical trials with other JHCRN institutions.

Source: Dr. Charles Balch, Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has negotiated an agreement with Google that makes Google Apps for Education available to the 189 K-12 and higher educational institutions in Maryland that are members of The Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium (MEEC). Google Apps, which is free for educational institutions, currently provides email, documents, group pages, chat and other products to over eight million students.

UMBC served as the lead institution working with MEEC to broker the deal with Google, and will be the first campus in the University System of Maryland to implement the Google suite of products under the new contract. The University worked with MEEC, the Maryland Attorney General's Office and Google to develop a contract that can be used by any MEEC member.

UMBC's decision to migrate to Google came after engaging in conversations with students, faculty and staff.

"We began this early last fall. We brought technical expertise to the table, so that as the legal team had questions about the language of the contract we would provide our input. We provided context for the Attorney General's Office," says Mike Carlin, UMBC assistant vice president of IT.

"As we discussed options for outsourcing email with students, they overwhelmingly recommended Google because it works exceptionally well with their mobile lifestyle," he continues. "UMBC will immediately set up the 3,000 new students enrolling for classes this fall on Google email and will provide the 10,000 existing students with the option to convert their accounts over to Google in late August 2010. By the start of the spring 2011 semester, we anticipate having all students moved over to Google."

UMBC also licensed Google Message Security, a secure, hosted service that provides enterprise-grade spam and virus protection and email content filtering, under the contract for use with the University's existing email infrastructure for faculty and staff this fall.

MEEC members are under no obligation to switch to the Google Suite, Carlin explains. "They are free to continue using their current applications or migrate to Google.

Source: Mike Carlin, Univeristy of Maryland Baltimore County
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Juxtopia, a Baltimore-based biomedical and information technology company focused on improving human performance mainly in the areas of learning and health, has teamed with Johns Hopkins Hospital to create a surgical navigation system based on Juxtopia's innovative goggle technology.

"When a surgeon like Ben Carson is working on a brain, they often have to look up at monitors displaying the CAT scans and monitors that track how the patient is doing. There is an occupational hazard though with these long surgeries that require physician's to repeatedly look up and then try to map a screen that he sees at a distance to make precise cuts iwith a scalpel n the brain of the patient. With a lot of practice you can get good at, but still mistakes can be made," explains Jayfus Doswell, Juxtopia's CEO.

"It's not the easiest thing to do. It's almost like driving a car in reverse when you don't have rear view mirrors. You can look behind you and hope you don't hit anything, but why not just get a rearview mirror," he continues.

Funded by a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant, the collaboration will assist in the development of a Wearable Intelligent Navigation System for Surgery (WINSS). The WINSS software will be developed as a Wearable Augmented Reality-based Surgical Navigation System for distribution through the Juxtopia Wearable Augmented Reality Goggles.

The WINSS technology would display all the information a surgeon needs on the lenses of the goggles.The voice activated/deactivated goggles, will enable surgeons to navigate various medical images that assist surgical procedures while keeping their hands and eyes focused on the patient.

"Everything runs through our headset so we'll create the alogrithms and software, and make the interface," says Doswell.

The project is slated to begin in September.


Source: Jayfus Doswell, Juxtopia
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Baltimore Medical System's (BMS) new Highlandtown Healthy Living Center officially received LEED-Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council last week.

The Highlandtown Healthy Living Center is the first Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the country to receive LEED-Platinum Certification. The award was presented by Peter Templeton, President of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

BMS had not initially planned to build a green building, says Jay Wolvovsky, president and CEO. Once the healthcare organization decided to build an entirely new building, The Knott Foundation, an early funder, challenged BMS to think about building an environmentally-friendly facility that met LEED standards.

"We didn't know anything about it at all and had to do a fair amount of investigation. As we learned more, we were able to draw our own conclusions about the linkage between environmental factors and our patients' health. What is the environment of an inner city neighborhood? What are the environmental factors associated with a neighborhood that doesn't have a lot of green in it? What's the impact on water and air quality, or of lead in paint on houses? What's the environmental impact of not having enough parkland in the area so people can get exercise, keep their weight down and deal with their diabetes, obesity and heart disease," he explains.

As BMS leaders continued to weigh these factors, they began setting the bar higher and higher until finally the decision was made to go for LEED-Platinum. "It became a mission and a passion that this building would stand for more than just being the best space for us to deliver our healthcare services in. It was going to be a standard bearer for the organization, making a statement about ourselves and what we believe in and what we think is the next frontier for healthcare � dealing with public health issues, including the environment, diversity, and healthcare disparities."

The building delivers comprehensive primary care to more than 22,000 patients from over 50 countries each year. Baltimore Medical System is the largest provider of primary health care to medically underserved communities in Maryland. BMS provides special services to help uninsured, non-English speaking and other high need patient groups access care. Over 48,000 people each year receive medical services and education at BMS's six health centers throughout Baltimore City and County and six City school-based locations.

Source: Jay Wolvovsky, Baltimore Medical System
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Neighborhood Grants Program of the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) recently awarded $85,647 in grants to 23 community-led projects in neighborhoods across Baltimore City and County.

The BCF neighborhood grants fund a varietyy of projects like community gardens, neighborhood signs, and community festivals that have been proposed by a community organization. They reflect various interests and causes, with each project underlining the value of citizen power in action and how community organizations mobilize residents to complete a neighborhood project, build new leadership, or strengthen existing leadership within neighborhoods.

In Remington, for example, residents are working to provide constructive summer activities for neighborhood youth by organizing a first annual summer science camp. The 10-week program will provide young people with an exciting and enriching outlet during the summer months and into the fall, with lessons on steam engines, hot air balloons, solar ovens, and bio-fuels. The camp will help keep neighborhood youth off the streets and engaged in healthy activity while at the same time providing academic enrichment to combat the summer learning loss.

"The Neighborhood Grants Program is in many ways at the heart of what we do at BCF," says BCF President and CEO Tom Wilcox. "Our support of resident-led efforts to strengthen neighborhoods is a crucial investment in the life of our city, and one central to our vision of a Baltimore with a growing economy where all have the opportunity to thrive."

BCF's Neighborhood Grants Program is supported in part by the William Donald Schaefer Civic Fund at BCF, created in 2008 as a living legacy for Governor Schaefer, one that honors and perpetuates his commitment to Baltimore's neighborhoods.

BCF's 2010 Neighborhood Grants Program awards include:

Better Waverly Community Organization (Abell, Better Waverly) - $5,000
To attract more residents and merchants to Waverly's commercial corridor by designing, publishing and distributing a self-guided historic walking tour brochure focused on the area.

C.A.R.E. Community Association (Middle East) - $5,000
To discourage illegal dumping by reclaiming and beautifying a vacant lot in Baltimore's Middle East neighborhood.

Cherry Hill Community Coalition (Cherry Hill) - $5,000
To engage adults and middle school youth from Baltimore's Cherry Hill neighborhood in establishing the Eat Healthy, Live Healthy Community Garden, which will offer farm shares to community residents.

Duncan Street Miracle Gardens (Broadway East) - $3,892.95
To help this long-standing and successful community garden pursue a rodent abatement campaign.

Edmondson Heights Civic Association (Edmondson Heights) - $2,087.50
To increase neighborhood visibility and resident pride by installing a neighborhood sign in the center of the community.

Fells Prospect Community Association (Fells Prospect) - $4,900
To discourage and reduce littering, graffiti, and crime in the neighborhood by gating a problematic alley and transforming it into a community green space.

Greater Remington Improvement Association (Remington) - $1,384.68
For the first annual Remington Science Summer Camp, a 10-week Saturday workshop series for neighborhood youth that runs from late summer through the first weeks of the school year.

Hanlon Improvement Association (Hanlon-Longwood) - $3,000
To increase the number of active community association members by hosting a day-long forum that will explore neighborhood issues and community building solutions through resident focus groups.

Hezekiah Movement (Roundhouse) - $2,000
To support the Our Families in Healing Program's participation in the SoWeBo Recovery Expo, an event that provides Southwest Baltimore residents with information and resources related to addiction recovery services and drug prevention.

Lutherville Community Association (Lutherville) - $2,357
To improve community cohesion and neighborhood identification by installing a community sign, park benches, and greenery on land that sits at the neighborhood's gateway.

Madison East End Multipurpose Center (Madison East End) - $3,250
To promote healthy eating and exercise among neighborhood youth by conducting interactive workshops that incorporate technology and field trips to address issues of proper nutrition, mental health, and physical fitness..

Milton/Montford Improvement Association (Milton/Montford, Madison East End) - $3,160
To fund a summer peace camp for neighborhood youth, ages 6-13, that offers computer classes, arts and crafts, gardening, leadership development, and field trips.

Monument East Development (Dunbar/Broadway) - $1,300
To promote community pride and resident interaction by holding a Monument East Community Day celebration.

New Greenmount West (Greenmount West) - $4,942.50
To increase community engagement, awareness, and interaction by launching a neighborhood communications campaign that includes the use of community bulletin boards, newsletters, community dinners, new resident welcome packets, and a Greenmount West stories booklet.

Oliver Community Association (Oliver) - $3,500
To promote community involvement and social interaction through two "Evening of Jazz" events, featuring live jazz performances, poetry, art, and local vendors.

Overlea Community Association (Overlea) - $5,000
For the Lead On! Overlea project, a year-long leadership and community organizing training for neighborhood residents.

Richnor Springs Neighborhood Association (Richnor Springs) - $3,000
To improve neighborhood safety through Operation Safelight, a project to install energy efficient light bulbs and timing mechanisms on porch lights of neighborhood homes to ensure that the community's streets are illuminated from "dusk 'til dawn."

Seton Hill Association (Seton Hill) - $4,000
To raise awareness about the neighborhood by holding La Fete Francaise, a free community event with an emphasis on the neighborhood's historic French origins and featuring live music, French-themed food and drink, performers, art displays, and walking tours of neighborhood landmarks.

St. Frances Neighborhood Center (Reservoir Hill) - $4,772.61
To provide information and services to neighborhood residents by hosting the 5^th annual Reservoir Hill Resource Fair, which will feature employment, health, and academic vendors in a block party atmosphere.

Stevenswood Improvement Association (Stevenswood) - $5,000
To promote community pride and awareness by installing lamp post street banners featuring the name of the neighborhood, as well as by beautifying the neighborhood gateways with new planters.

Union Square Association (Union Square) - $5,000
To beautify three target blocks in the neighborhood by conducting trash clean-ups and installing and maintaining planters and raised beds for flowers, plants, and trees.

West Edmondale Community Association (Gwynn Oak) - $3,100
To engage residents in a neighborhood-wide clean-up and beautification project by holding a "Motivation Day" contest that will reward blocks claiming the greatest number of participants.

Windsor Hills Neighbors (Windsor Hills) - $5,000
To raise the neighborhood's profile and increase resident pride by cleaning up and beautifying a neighborhood gateway with a community sign, plants, and flowers.

Source: BCF
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Some times finding yourself at the wrong table during an event can lead to good things. That's how more than 100 invitation-only attendees with a vested interest in the health of the Chesapeake Bay came together last week to discuss issues, initiatives to prevent bay pollution and innovative technologies developed by Maryland-based companies, according to Jim Poulos, vice president of Technology Transfer and Commercialization at the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) .

"Will Baker, head of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, was sitting next to me, and I knew that this could be an opportunity for the  Chesapeake Bay Foundation and TEDCO to do something together. We've been exploring the opportunity for a few years and came up with this technology show. We knew we had some small companies that are in the green space and that they're [Chesapeake Bay Foundation] are into cleaning up the Bay. So it was just a matter of connecting the right technologies with water cleanup," he says.

The event, "Technologies that Can Save the Bay: Reducing Nutrient and Sediment Pollution," sponsored by TEDCO and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), highlighted nine technologies from private industry, non-profit associations and research universities that are being developed and deployed to improve water quality and improve the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay by reducing pollution. The event took place at CBF's Phillip Merrill Environmental Center.

"We wanted to show the diversity of institutions, companies and their technologies," says Poulos

The showcase also featured keynote remarks by Tom Horton, noted environmental journalist and Chesapeake Bay expert, and J. Charles "Chuck" Fox, senior advisor on the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Poulous along with Allen Hance, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and Amanda Bassow, director of Chesapeake programs at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, delivered a special presentation on funding opportunities for entrepreneurs interested in Chesapeake Bay conservation. Attendees and presenters enjoyed a networking, poster, and exhibit session at the end of the event. Closing remarks were made by CBF President Will Baker.

"Environmentalists, business leaders, entrepreneurs and those concerned with the health of the Chesapeake Bay have come from all over the region to learn about these emerging green technologies," says Will Baker, president of CBF. "We are pleased to work with TEDCO to promote the awareness of these technologies and are eager to see more environmentally-focused business models transfer to the marketplace."

Of the nine technologie included in the event, several are either commercially avaialble or will soon be available. They were broken down into three areas:  direct water cleaning solutions, urban solutions, and solutions used in the Bay.

Poulos hopes to host another showcase next year that will include representatives from the federal level, Deleware, New York, Virginia and West Virginia, states that are also affected directly by the Bay or the its watershed.

Companies that presented technologies included:

•Porous Asphalt, Kent Hansen, National Asphalt Pavement Association -- Porous asphalt is an environmentally friendly tool for storm water management. It can conserve water, reduce runoff and promote infiltration which cleanses stormwater, replenishes aquifers and protects streams.


•Creating Green Stormwater with Bioretension, Allen Davis, University of Maryland College Park -- Bioretention, a soil and plant-based stormwater management practice , is used to filter runoff from developed communities. Also known as a rain garden, a bioretention facility consists of a porous soil covered with a thin layer of mulch and is designed to mimic natural vegetated areas and filter pollutants from water.

•Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance and Floating Wetlands, Keith Bowers, Biohabitats, Inc. � Biohabitats, a conservation and ecological restoration company, is developing floating artificial wetlands. These wetlands are composed of recycled plastic bottles wrapped in biodegradable fiber mats in the entrances to the Bay such as the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. These wetlands act not only as filters but as regenerated wetlands.

•SkyGarden: Green Roof Media, Emlyn Stancill, Stancills, Inc. -- SkyGarden specializes in engineered soils and mineral formulations for the greenroof industry. A green roof system is an extension of the existing roof which involves a high quality water proofing and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter cloth, a lightweight growing medium and plants.


•Smartslope: Living Retaining Walls, Michael Furbish, The Furbish Company � The Furbish Company designs, sells, installs and maintains plant-based building systems. "Living Walls" enable building owners and occupants to benefit from improved comfort and health, lower utility bills, increase asset value and help to restore the environment.

•Reclamation of Water and Prevention of Animal Waste Runoff, Carol Collins, Spiralcat � Spiralcat, a women-owned corporation that harvests water, energy and biofuel from diverse waste sources in order to transform waste into valuable energy and water resources. The company's technologies support local food economies, provide clean water, create usable resources, manage nutrients for soil fertility and deliver energy in an affordable manner.

•Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for the Selective Capture of Environmental Phosphate, Tracy Terry, JHU Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) � Phosphorus and nitrogen are major pollutants that enter water via runoff from sewage plants and farmland. Currently, there are no filtering systems that can selectively remove these two elements. APL is working on a system that has the potential to reduce contaminant concentrations of phosphorous and nitrogen to any arbitrary level through staging.

•Slow Release Fertilizer, Wayne Swann, NutriGrown, LLC � NutriGrown, LLC is developing a line of matrix-based soil nutrient products designed to reduce nutrient leaching while enhancing plant growth. Greenz™ technology is exclusively licensed from the USDA/ARS and is based on a formulated matrix of natural organic and inorganic compounds with high ionic exchange capacity. The matrix components bind and retain nutrients for both short and long term plant utilization.

•Pelletizing Seeds for Habitat Restoration, Robert Murphy, EcoSystem Solutions Inc. � Ecosystem Solutions, Inc., a small, privately owned, environmental consulting firm based in West Warwick, RI, specializes in wetland science, ecological solutions and soil science. They work with pelletized seeds to increase the success rate of habitat restoration. Pelletizing seeds are seeds wrapped in a clay pellet, which is a simple technique for hiding and protecting the seed until it can germinate.

Source: Jim Poulos, TEDCO
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Edeems, an social media marketing company based in Annapolis, has developed an innovative and pain-free way for Internet users to make charitable donations all with just a few clicks of their mouse. The company has teamed with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to drive charitable donations through online purchases.

Edeems' innovative URL shortening service is modeled on the typical B2B affiliate marketing developed by Internet retailers like Amazon.com in which website and blog owners post ads on their site and a recieve a percentage of any merchandise sold through those links. Instead of posting ads, Edeems provides users with shortened URLs  they can post on their Facebook, Twitter or other social media page. Now, the company has pushed the B2B affiliate marketing to the charitable giving level by allowing anyone to shorten links to products or services online and earn affiliate commissions.

Users can opt to keep the cash back rewards they have earned or have the proceeds donated to their charity of choice using a specially shortened URL. 

Composed of thousands of online merchants that pay referral fees, Edeems places an innovative spin on traditional fundraising. For example, a member who elects to donate to NWF finds a deal on Shoes.com, creates a link using http://nwf.honr.it and shares the shortened link with friends and family. As a result, based on the affiliate commissions provided by Shoes.com, NWF receives a charitable donation of $11.70 for every $100 purchase.

"We are excited to launch the Edeems platform while simultaneously providing a unique fundraising tool for large charitable organizations such as National Wildlife Federation," says Brenden Salta, CEO of Edeems, Inc. "Given the recent oil spill disaster and the economic downturn, this is a crucial time for National Wildlife Federation and other charitable organizations to find new, user-friendly channels of giving. Millions of links are posted on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, or personal blogs daily without any rewards. We wanted to create a way to not only reward individuals, but also offer a way to give back to the community."

To raise awareness and increase charitable donations to NWF, supporters are encouraged to visit http://nwf.honr.it before shopping online or recommending a product to a friend. Edeems' charitable service, honr.it, donates 90 percent of affiliate commissions to NWF, or any charity a member selects. In this case, donations would go to NWF to benefit its causes throughout the U.S., from protecting imperiled wildlife and its habitat in the Gulf and across the nation.

"Edeems not only gives National Wildlife Federation supporters another avenue with which to raise awareness and funds, but also provides a way to reach audiences who may not normally be inclined to donate to charity," says Anne Senft, vice president of membership and online marketing at NWF. "We are excited to embark on a new means of giving that will help us continue to support our mission to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for future generations."

The company plans to introduce more shortened URLs for a variety of charities in the coming weeks. Plans are also in the works to launch a shortened URL service for community-based fundraising. Local fire departments, schools, and other community organizations will be able to sign up for the service and receive up to 50 percent of affiliate commissions generated by the URL, says Salta.

Source: Brenden Salta, Edeems
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Two Maryland companies received national honors last week from  at the 2010 American Business Awards. Millennial Media, the largest independent mobile advertising platform, announce was awarded a Stevie for "Most Innovative Company-- Breaking Ground for Mobile Advertising" in 2010, while Encore Path, a Baltimore company that makes devices for recovery from stroke and brain injury, received the award for "Best New Product or Service of the Year" for its Tailwind rehabilitation device.

Stevie Awards were presented in over 40 categories including Best Overall Company of the Year, Executive of the Year, and Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year. More than 2,700 entries from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.

More than 200 executives across the country participated in the judging process to determine the Finalists and Stevie Award winners.

"2010 has been an explosive year of growth for our company and we are grateful to the American Business Awards for this national recognition of our achievements in mobile innovation," says Mack McKelvey, senior vice president of marketing, Millennial Media. "We have made it our mission to significantly increase advertisers' awareness on the effectiveness of mobile, and to remain on the forefront of mobile creative, technology and business innovation." 

Bringing home the Stevie award is akin to winning  an Oscars for the business world. Encore Path, an emerging life sciences company, competed along with long-time leaders of American industry. Encore Path beat out other finalists for "New Product or Service of the Year" including products such as an external defibrillator and services such as a LEED certification training program. 

"Encore Path is proud to be improving the quality of life for stroke and brain injury survivors around the world, and we are proud to be recognized for this by the American Business Awards," said Kris Appel, president EncorePath, in accepting the award.

"To be in the company of winners such as Ford, Apple, and Oracle is a tremendous honor, and an acknowledgement of the hard work of the people who have supported Encore Path and helped bring this important product to the market."

Source: Millennial Media, Encore Path
Writer: Walaika Haskins

There's a common perception that a fine line seperates the old from the new. Most people for instance wouldn't think that lovers of opera and users of social media like Twitter and Facebook would have anything in common. Brendan Cooke, general director for Baltimore Concert Opera (BCO), thinks its time to change the way people -- young and old -- think about opera and those who enjoy the centuries old art form.

"Opera isn't just about a fat lady wearing horns screaming at you. There's a lot of fantastic music. And if people give it a shot, we're pretty certain they'll be back soon," he says.

The mashup of opera and social media for the BCO came from a desire to get more people interested in opera.

"We realized that a lot of people running opera companies talk a great deal about bringing in a younger audience. I hate that idea. We just want to bring in a different audience. We realized that a lot of the people we want to bring in, the energetic people who can help spread the word about us are the social media users out there," he explains.

Lacking a budget that would support a large marketing campaign, Cooke looked for no cost alternatives. "Opera can be a tough sell. We realized that we would have to reach these people where they wanted to be reached and find them on their iPhones, iPads in that environment and give them enough reason to want to find out more about what we're doing. We really found that these are the most effective outlets for us, in terms of growing our audience."

His efforts have paid off and captured the attention of a new audience that receives special offers through Twitter and Facebook.

Now, the BCO has taken its social media marketing to the next level with its first Social Media Scavenger Hunt. The event, running from July 9 to July 18 will help the opera company raise money to support its upcoming performance at Artscape. The winner of the scavenger hunt won't leave empty-handed, either. That person will win $1000.

Cooke has enlisted the help of local retailers and as with traditional scavenger hunts, participants will search the city for these shops and specific objects hidden there. Once they've located the object, that's when the social media aspect comes into play with participants tweeting, posting Facebook updates, and uploading videos.

Everyone involved, the BCO, retailers and participants will benefit from the experience. The BCO raises the money it needs and gets its name out to a larger audience, the vendors also get a marketing bump and the hunters get to have some fun and learn more about opera and the city.

"It's about sharing the love a little bit. We have vendors who joined Twitter because of this and others that have thriving followings. The motivation is to grow our networks. The relationships we're building now will continue to flourish. It's a community project, but ultimately its meant to bring people out to our free performance at Artscape and get more people interested in opera," he says.

Anyone interested in participating in the scavenger hunt should sign up sooner rather than later. The fee to play goes up with every 10 people who sign up. The first 10 people pay $1, the next 10 will pay $2 and so on up to $9.

Source: Brendan Cooke, Baltimore Opera Company
Writer: Walaika Haskins