Innovation + Job News

Barb Clapp Advertising & Marketing has received the Greater Baltimore Committee's 2010 Bridging the Gap Award. The program acknowledges and pays tribute to minority-owned and women-owned firms for achievement and those who support minority business development. The agency topped the successful minority and women-owned firms category.

"It is a great honor to receive the 2010 Bridging the Gap Award," says Barb Clapp, the agency's president. "As a female business owner, I feel it is critical that we recognize the contributions of women in business. My company is powered by strong, smart women. The award proves that the mentoring of women brings great rewards."

Barb Clapp Advertising & Marketing is a full-service marketing agency, whose expertise spans advertising media planning and buying, brand development, public relations, event planning, web development, market research, marketing strategy and product launch, as well as creative development. BCAM is customer service driven and tailors individual programs to meet the needs of clients. Customers consist of local, regional and large national brands in sectors including automotive, hospitality, non-profit, healthcare, environment, education, and retail.

Source: Barb Clapp Advertising & Marketing
Writer: Walaika Haskins

On December 11th, Baltimore Green Space is sending 20 2-person teams to explore Baltimore and put their smartphones to use for a good cause -- to create a map of vacant lots that have been turned into community green spaces, including gardens, pocket parks, horseshoe pits, and the like.

The group has undertaken this task, it says, "because Baltimore City is working hard to streamline its sales process for land and buildings." While Baltimore Green Space acknowledges that this is great news, it says the improvement presents an urgent challenge to preserve green spaces.

With some 13,000 vacant lots, the group hopes to help the City deal with the information problem it faces as the city doesn't know which of these "vacant" lots are actually community assets that improve the livability of neighborhoods and thus property values.

The City is eager to learn which lots should be included in the "community use" category of their database, according to Green Space. The organization has already given them about 200 block/lot numbers, but says there are considerably more that need to be mapped and, unfortunately, the time to document them is running out.

Green Spaces has piloted "a great way to document the exact location of gardens" using geo-coded photos taken on smartphones. It has already tested the technology out during a 3-hour event during which six teams of volunteers photographed 150 addresses. Now, there are another 450 to go.

During the Dec. 11 event the group plans to catalog the remaining addresses as well as any that they don't yet know about.

Source: Green Space
Writer: Walaika Haskins

There's a new player in the popular daily deals game. Maryland-based Chewpons joins sites including Groupon and LivingSocial to bring residents in Baltimore City and surrounding counties discounted offers on food and drink from area businesses. 

Consumers who register thier e-mail address and zip code will receive "Daily Discounted Deals" ranging between 50 and 90 percent off in their email inbox.The Chewpons for featured businesses will be available for a period of 24 to 72 hours. The deals will expire six months to one year from the date of purchase. Chewpons do not require a certain number of participants and will not include an added service charge. 

A portion of the proceeds for each Chewpon purchase will go to support the charity of choice of that day's featured business highlighted in the site's "Daily Deal Donation" box on the homepage. If a business does not have a desired charity, then they may choose to give the proceeds to The Maryland Food Bank, Chewpons' primary charitable recipient.

Chewpons also rewards referrals with their unique "Chewbucks" program, which rewards existing users with discounts for recommending new ones.

Source: Chewpons
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Fiberlight, a provider of fiber optic networks, has officially kicked off its latest project, a new $20 million, 104-mile network that will provide local businesses access to a secure, high-speed broadband network and a telecommunications infrastructure stretching into D.C. and Virginia. The new network will extend from downtown Baltimore to the communities of Laurel, Columbia, Elkridge, and Greenbelt and will connect to FiberLight's 299-mile Virginia and D.C. networks.

FiberLight President and COO Kevin Coyne, a Baltimore native, says Baltimore was selected because it is a hub for innovation. He wanted to show his support of his hometown by building a high capacity, 100 percent underground fiber optic network to serve as a high tech bridge to other cities and data centers in the region.

"We selected Baltimore as a primary market to invest our capital dollars, including more than $1 million in conduit, as a way to provide greater economic opportunity for all citizens and businesses in the Greater Baltimore region," Coyne continues. "In today's economy, cities must position themselves as being forward thinking, innovative and technology rich in order to secure new economic opportunities. FiberLight's high fiber count network future proofs Baltimore and its surrounding communities and offers secure connectivity to Washington, Virginia and beyond while reducing the overall cost of broadband solutions through a choice of providers for service delivery."

Source: FiberLight
Writer: Walaika Haskins

if you're looking for a job in Baltimore, you're in the right place. That's according to a recent Forbes Magazine list that ranked Charm City as the fourth best city in the country to find a job. The magazine based its findings on a monthly report issued by Juju.com, a job listing aggregation site. 

The JuJu "Job Search Difficulty Index" tracks how hard it is to find a job in the nation's 50 major cities. Juju divides the number of unemployed workers in each city, using reports provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the number of jobs in their index of millions of online job postings.

According to the site, Baltimore has 1.89 unemployed persons for each advertised job. Washington, D.C. ranks as the best city for job seekers with 1.11 unemployed per job advertisement. San Jose, Ca. is No. 2 with just 1.20 out of work individuals per job listing and New York City at No. 3 has 1.63 jobseekers for each job advertised.

Source Forbes Magazine
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) will host the state's first Contract Connections, a federal industry day. The event, to be held on Monday, December 13 from 7:30 am to 4 pm at the Food and  Drug Administration building in Silver Spring, is an opportunity for Maryland businesses to connect with government agencies.

The event wiil feature National institutes of Health (NIH), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Social Security Administration, and other federal agencies, as well as the Naval Air Systems Command, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and other military commands. Participating companies will be able to learn about contracting and subcontracting opportunities; and gain valuable insight into the procurement process. One-on-one "matchmaking" sessions will allow businesses to present their statements of capabilities to federal agencies.

"The federal facilities and military commands in our state are an important economic engine for Maryland," says DBED Secretary Christian S. Johansson. "Contract Connections is part of Governor Martin O'Malley's comprehensive effort to support and leverage the vast potential of these facilities and to connect Maryland companies with federal contracting opportunities to create jobs for Marylanders."

Maryland is home to more than 50 federal facilities which contribute an estimated $16 billion to the state's economy. For the year ending September 30, 2010, federal agencies contracted $34 billion with Maryland companies. In addition, Maryland's military installations have an economic impact of $36 billion and purchase nearly $7 billion in goods and services from Maryland companies.

To further assist businesses seeking work with government agencies, DBED recently launched a B2G website which includes a "how to" guide and other resources for businesses interested in applying for federal contracts.

Guest speakers at Contract Connections include Walter Havenstein, CEO of SAIC, who will deliver the keynote address, and Russell J. Abbott, FDA Deputy Commissioner, who will offer opening remarks.

Registration is $55 and includes breakfast, lunch and materials. For additional information, visit Contract Connections.

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

There's a buzz of new activity over on the roof of the Resource Conservation Technology icehouse in Baltimore's eastern warehouse district. Led by Green Roof Service and ADI Architecture and Design Inc. the site is now the of the region's first green roofs designed to attract honey bees.

Volunteers and honey bee enthusiasts took to the roof to help create the new habitat.

"One of the greatest threats to honey bee populations today is the destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl," says Diane Odell (ADI), beekeeper and the garden's designer. To help remedy this, the honey bee green roof features 5,500 square feet of plantings honey bees love to support the small hive provided by State Beekeeper Oliver Snyder III.

To make the rooftop garden possible, special engineering and the use of modern green roof technology was needed. "The end result is a light weight vegetated structure that slows and contains contaminated storm-water reducing runoff, reduces air-borne pollutants, protects the roof from damaging UV rays, and better insulates the roof, reducing heating and cooling," says Kat Harrold, accredited Green Roof Professional. 

The green roof will also have a cooling effect on the surrounding area. "As water travels through the growing media, roots, and exits through the leaves it creates a cooling effect much like when one sweats. On a sunny day this can reduce the air temperature on the roof by about 10 degrees," says Jorg Breuning, 30-year green roof designer and owner of Green Roof Service. 

A  wide variety of flowering plants ranging from bulbs to small trees were used to create the unique habit necessary to keep the honey bees happy. The specially selected vegetation provides continuous bloom from February to November.

"The installation was a great success," commented Diane Odell. "I can't wait for the spring when everything has been established and starts to bloom."
 
Source: Green Roof Service
Writer: Walaika Haskins

A partnership between the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Research Park Corporation will create a new incubator tailored to the specific challenge of developing technology to protect the nation from a growing range of cyber threats.

The Northrop Grumman Cync Program will build on bwtech@UMBC's successful business-incubation framework by offering a "scholarship program" for companies with the most promising cyber security ideas. Participants in the program will draw on UMBC's research expertise and Northrop Grumman resources to develop tools that will secure and protect the computer hardware, software, and networks vital to national defense.

The Cync Program will accept applications from high-potential, early-stage companies from across the country looking to commercialize and develop their technologies. The companies will collaborate in the Advantage Incubator at the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park in Baltimore.

"Northrop Grumman is excited to partner with bwtech on this important initiative," said Chris Valentino, Northrop Grumman cybersecurity director and technical fellow. "This technology is even more important as our reliance on cybersecurity increases, and collaborating with both academia and small businesses brings a breadth of technological expertise that goes beyond what any one entity is able to supply."

Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation, which operates the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, noted that the program is a perfect fit for a region with a strong information technology workforce and a growing array of businesses and governmental agencies working on cybersecurity.

"UMBC and Northrop Grumman share a culture of innovation," she said. "This program will build on UMBC's strength in information technology and its success nurturing new companies. Businesses started through this partnership will come from across the country, expanding the local business base and spurring economic growth in the region."

Applicants with the best ideas for technologies that will protect the country from cyber threats will be selected in a nation-wide search to join the Cync Program. Participating companies will be provided with office space, business support services and academic resources, including access to faculty and student employees.

Source: Univeristy of Maryland Baltimore County

An acclaimed comedian and mother of three will take young women from Park Heights on a journey through time to study their rich African and Native American ancestry and heritage. An attorney will work to protect low-income residents who have been victims of creditor abuse by providing training, assistance and co-counseling services to other attorneys who take on the victims' cases. A woman who learned to love skateboarding as an adult will mentor young Baltimore skateboarders and teach them leadership and self-advocacy skills, as they work to get a skate park built in the city. And a recent Johns Hopkins graduate will pair graduate psychology students with youth charged as adults to connect them with mental health, case management and rehabilitation help while they await trial.

These are just four of the seven people whom the Open Society Institute-Baltimore selected to be 2010 Baltimore Community Fellows, as the program celebrates its 13th year of supporting social entrepreneurs and innovators to achieve their dreams to improve the city.

Each of this year's fellows will receive $48,750 to work full-time for 18 months, implementing creative strategies to assist and revitalize underserved communities in Baltimore. This year's new class brings the total number of Baltimore Community Fellows to 117 � most of whom still are actively working in the city, continuing to bring their energy and ideas to effect social change.

"Our new Community Fellows are dynamic and committed social activists, each with an innovative vision for bringing opportunity and greater justice to Baltimore's neighborhoods so that all residents can participate fully in community life," says OSI-Baltimore Director Diana Morris. "With this 13th class, we are proud to add to our corps of talented Baltimore Community Fellows. Working across issues and neighborhoods, these Fellows are bringing hope, new approaches, resources and advocacy skills to residents throughout the city, mobilizing them to take action to meet their own needs and to revitalize Baltimore communities."

Source: Open Society Institute Baltimore
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Based on input from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers across Maryland and initial funding from AT&T, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) announced plans last week to build the STEMnet Teachers Hub. The network will be a one-stop-shop for STEM teachers to find the resources, support, and professional connections they need to strengthen STEM teaching and learning statewide.

Phase One of the online tool, a joint project with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), will launch during the 2010-11 school year. The STEMnet Teachers Hub will feature three components identified by teachers as "most needed and favored," including a Resource Clearinghouse through which teachers will have online access to STEM curriculum, lesson plans, webinars, tutorials, classroom-ready experiments, and professional development; a System-Wide STEM Connections portal that will enable teachers to link with STEM educators across Maryland at all levels and with private-sector STEM professionals to share knowledge and resources; and the Specialists in the Classroom compenent that will offer teachers a roster of STEM practitioners from federal agencies, industry, and higher education who are available to visit their classrooms, augment curriculum-based learning, and inform and inspire students about real-world STEM work.

"Strengthening Maryland's STEM advantage means giving teachers all of the support they need to provide students with strong STEM knowledge and skills," says MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus. "It's a place where teachers can make connections and access resources. We think that as a result of that innovation will really flourish."

Plans for the network included in the state's "Race to the Top" application for federal education funding, received high marks, says Strecfus. A major contribution from AT&T as well as support from Citi, Northrop Grumman, IBM, and MSDE have made the creation of the network possible.

According to Streckfus, the concept for STEMnet originated with Gov. Martin O'Malley's STEM Task Force. In 2009, the Task Force offered seven recommendations for securing Maryland's future as a global leader in STEM-based education, research, and economic development. The final recommendation was to "create Maryland's STEM Innovation Network to make STEM resources available to all."

As a first step in making that network a reality, MBRT made creating a support hub for teachers its first priority. MBRT conducted focus groups and an online survey in spring 2010 to gain detailed input from STEM teachers throughout the state.

Based on the results of that market research, MBRT identified and then ranked 11 proposed initiatives to reflect the explicitly stated needs of Maryland STEM teachers. Phase One of STEMnet includes implementation of the three initiatives teachers identified as most important. "These initiatives represent the core imperative driving the first stage of Maryland's statewide STEM Innovation Network, the STEMnet Teachers Hub," says Streckfus.

Additional initiatives recommended by STEM teachers will be phased in over the next few years with support from stakeholders throughout Maryland whose shared interest in advancing STEM teaching and achievement will transform the state's ability to compete successfully on the international stage.

"We're starting with teachers, but it will support students and parents. Eventually, [one idea] is for it to support research in STEM across the state and to encourage people to enter that field. So we're looking at a major electronic system that will really promote STEM education in Maryland," she says.

Source: June Streckfus, MBRT
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Gold Crust Baking Company, a family-owned wholesale bakery specializing in breads and rolls, is relocating its operations from Alexandria, VA to Landover, MD, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) announced last week. The 10 year-old company manufactures more than 20 million pounds of dough per year for hotels, restaurants, and catering companies in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The move will initially create up to 60 new jobs in Maryland, according to the company. Plans to expand the frozen product line will create another 50 new jobs over the next three to five years.

"We all face major choices that shape our business and the lives of our employees. Gold Crust Baking Company, Inc. seized this opportunity and the support of MEDCO that marks a decisive step in growing our bakery," says Nausika Lyubinsky, owner of Gold Crust Baking Co. "We are extremely excited to move into Maryland and start the next phase of our journey."

To assist Gold Crust with its relocation and improvements to its new building, MEDCO, a private corporation established by the State that issues bonds to finance development projects, is providing tax-exempt financing through the issuance of non-recourse revenue bonds, allowing the company to borrow money at a lower rate. The company will also be eligible for Job Creation Tax Credits through the State, and will receive benefits for being located in one of the State's Enterprise Zones.

Source: MEDCO
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Morgan State University, an historically black university, has enrolled the highest number of students -- 7,888 --  in its more than 140-year history.

"This is wonderful news for the Morgan community," says Dr. David Wilson, the university's president. "At 7,888 students this academic year, we have truly reached a new milestone in the University's history and it is a direct reflection of the hard work of our faculty and staff. They have built a reputation of excellence for Morgan that attracts the best and brightest minds from across Maryland, the nation and many parts of the world."

The numbers reported to the Maryland Higher Education Commission show that more than 600 additional students enrolled for the 2010-11 academic year compared to 2009-10 enrollment. That represents an increase of 7.5 percent for undergraduates and approximately 19 percent boost in graduate and honors students. The largest increase came from transfer students enrollment that grew 33 percent over the previous.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie classified doctoral research institution offering more than 60 academic programs leading to bachelor's degrees as well as programs at the master's and doctoral levels.

Source: Morgan State University
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Homeowners looking for a little professional advice about their remodeling projects can now turn to a new resource. Tidewater Remodeling & Construction has launched a new website it hopes will serve as an information portal for Baltimore County area homeowners and businesses. The site features articles on a wealth of remodeling topics from the basic to the advanced, with new articles added several days a week. The site will also offer users an online monthly newsletter of remodeling tips.

Future plans include educational guides on selecting a remodeling contractor and professional advice from experts in the field.

"Our main objective is to be the number one remodeling resource guide for assisting everyone in the Baltimore County area with their remodeling needs. The depth of knowledge and resources on the site is simple, concise, and offers every homeowner some information about their home," says Bob DeGraw, owner.

Source: Tidewater Remodeling & Construction
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Baltimore-based JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. opened its 500th store last Friday in the Franklin Tower at 14th and I Streets in the East End of Washington, D.C.

The company, which first opened its doors in 1905, has opened over 200 stores in the past five years and says it expects to open another 100 to 175 stores in the future as part of its long-term plan to grow the chain to approximately 600 full-line stores and 50 to 75 factory stores in the United States. To date, JoS. A. Bank has opened 30 stores (25 full-line, 4 factory and 1 franchise) in fiscal year 2010 and expects to open approximately 36 stores for the entire year.

"We are pleased that the Company has been able to continue to grow the business through store openings," says R. Neal Black, CEO. "Achieving the 500 store level represents a significant milestone for the Company. Over the past 5 years, in addition to opening 200 new stores, the Company has increased net income every year, eliminated all of its debt, accumulated a cash and short-term investment position of approximately $190 million and created approximately 2,000 jobs in the United States," continued Mr. Black.

Source: JoS. A. Banks Clothiers
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Warschawski, a Baltimore-based full service branding, marketing, public relations, advertising, and interactive agency is stretching its reach with the acquisition of Boston-based marketing communications agency Louder Than Words (LTW). The purchase, which was effective November 1, will bring LTW president, Rich Polt, who served as vice president of Warschawski in the late 1990s, back to Baltimore as the firm's senior vice president.

Tricia McKenna, vice president of LTW, will remain in Boston to lead Warschawski's New England office, continuing to oversee and manage LTW accounts and ensure a successful transition for all clients to Warschawski.

"We have been fortunate to build a very strong name and reputation nationally for our integrated and brand centric marketing communications work. We were just named the "Small Agency of the Year" for the U.S. for the fourth time in five years. With that kind of momentum, we felt it was time to expand our geographic footprint and explore opportunities in another major market. The high caliber leadership at Louder Than Words, their specific experience and expertise, their client mix, and the Boston market all made tremendous strategic sense for us," says David Warschawski, founder and CEO.

The Boston market will provide a new geographic platform for growth, according to Warschawski. "We also are optimistic that the expertise that Louder Than Words brings to Warschawski in working with both hi-tech clients and socially responsible clients will be a boon to our current clients and of interest to perspective new clients."

"As Louder Than Words focused more on PR and marketing and did not previously offer in house creative services, this enables us to offer their clients creative services all under one roof (e.g. creative design, web development, interactive design). Since our creative services is based in Baltimore, Boston will work with our creative folks here to team on client assignments they are working on currently and for new clients we win in the Massachusetts area," he continues.

Due to the tremendous breadth and depth of clients handled by the Baltimore office, Warschawski says he expects some crossover between the type of work handled in both office. In some instances clients will benefit from having people in Baltimore and Boston work jointly on an account.

Source: David Warschawski, Warschawski
Writer: Walaika Haskins