In 2022, Zaminah Williams ’22 stood in the Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI), a medium-security prison that houses approximately 1,701 adult males, during her Leadership Maryland Executive Program Criminal Justice session. Inmates at this facility have an average incarceration term of seven years. 
 
“The part I think affected me the most was walking through, doing the tour, and seeing the faces of inmates,” said Zaminah as she reflected on her visit. “During one part of the tour, I saw what looked like young men who maybe just graduated high school walking into a classroom. What should have been teenagers dressed in normal clothes at school, were inmates in orange jumpsuits.”
 
According to a press release from the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, African Americans constitute approximately 30% of Maryland’s population but make up 72% of the state’s prison population – the highest percentage of imprisoned African Americans in the country, data that is statistically tied to systemic poverty and resource scarcity.
 
“Their faces echoed those of my sons, and there were so many of them,” Zaminah recalls. “I couldn’t reconcile in my mind why that was the case and it didn’t feel right.”
 
Deeply moved by her visit to RCI and looking for ways to give back to the community, earlier this year Zaminah founded Onyx Cares, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower at-risk middle and high school students through a focus on Academic Achievement, with an emphasis on academic enrichment, STEM education, health and wellness programs, and neurodiversity awareness. Through supporting at-risk youth and impoverished communities in the state, Onyx Cares hopes to reduce the disproportionate rate of incarceration among the African American community and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
 
Zaminah credits her Leadership Maryland experience for providing her with the insight and inspiration to start Onyx Cares, by allowing her to see the issue firsthand.
 
“I’ve always been very people-focused,” said Williams. “When I learned [through Leadership Maryland] there was a business model where your success is measured by how many people you’ve impacted, I thought, well how did I ever start with a for-profit business? I was truly so inspired [by what I saw]. Roxbury did that. Leadership Maryland did that.”
 
To learn more about Onyx Cares, visit https://onyxcares.org/. 

Two months into a new job at TEDCO, I was asked to write about one of the organization’s five core values: accountability, collaboration, integrity, respect, and stewardship. These principals are mission central and serve as a guide for the organization’s activities and initiatives. Excited by this opportunity, I immediately selected accountability. The timing of the request is perfect as we head into the new year and expanded opportunities for innovation. For when done right, rather than dragging down innovation, accountability can help inspire and ensure it. Accountability also creates trust and ultimately tells the story of how TEDCO achieves its mission.   
 
Many of us take the opportunity of a New Year to establish fresh resolutions but we often lose sight of those resolutions a few months down the road.  I believe that the combination of a New Year’s resolution (inspiration/innovation), combined with the right mix of stick-to-it-ness (accountability), can achieve incredible results.     
 
The global pandemic has been challenging and pushed people to look at things in new ways.  For me, one of the changes was an evolution in my career focus. With the backdrop of the pandemic and 20 years of professional experience in the Maryland banking and higher education sectors, I became increasingly interested in what fuels Maryland’s economic growth and creates economic opportunities for the State’s diverse population.  I learned that TEDCO is Maryland’s economic empowerment organization, and I was excited to join the impactful, dynamic TEDCO team as their new Chief Government Relations and Policy Officer. 
 
TEDCO serves Maryland’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem by providing investments, grants and wrap-around services to the State’s early-stage and startup businesses, which helps build great Maryland-based technology and life science companies. TEDCO also has a responsibility to create a more equitable entrepreneurial economy by providing investment opportunities and advisory services to not only create and sustain jobs, but also to expand wealth creation We are accountable for providing these services, and how we do so is key to establishing trust, growing our economy, and demonstrating success to our funders and the public.
 
Accountability as a core principle at TEDCO means: “We will do the right thing and have internal and external measures demonstrating that commitment.”  This core value keeps TEDCO true to its mission and leads directly to TEDCO’s mantra to “do well and do good.” TEDCO’s public mission is being accountable to many stakeholders, including the companies and individuals we serve, policymakers, institutional partners, the State, and the public.  TEDCO’s accountability focus was reinforced with the hiring of CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall, who is about to celebrate his 18-month anniversary with TEDCO and who puts values like accountability at the center of his leadership.
 
On the broader stage, TEDCO is accountable to the Maryland General Assembly, the Governor, State agencies, and the public, through multiple quarterly and annual reports, as well as through economic impact studies, legislative audits, consistent review, and compliance with statute and policies. 
 
A common accountability saying is “What gets measured, gets done.” The original phrase goes back to the 1500’s, which originally meant “If you can measure it, you can manage it.”  Ruth Henderson, a contributor to Forbes, says this phrase means “measuring something gives you the information you need in order to make sure you actually achieve what you set out to do.” At TEDCO, accountability is core to improvement, learning from past results, and leveraging that knowledge to inspire innovation and drive change. 
 
The positive outcomes of this approach are evidenced in TEDCO’s recent economic impact study, conducted by the University of Baltimore’s Jacob France Institute.  This study found that TEDCO provided significant value to Maryland’s start-up community, supporting 10,433 jobs and more than $2.3 billion in statewide economic activity as of 2021. This substantial impact is the result of thoughtful tracking of where TEDCO has been, an evolving market and entrepreneurial needs, and holding ourselves accountable for leading TEDCO’s programmatic and performance innovation. 
 
TEDCO’s economic impact study is the very definition of accountability and measured success.  Armed with data, TEDCO has a powerful story to tell about the role we play in the State and the Maryland start-ups we serve.  As I start my new position with the organization, I plan to demonstrate to our elected leaders that you can trust TEDCO to achieve its mission and we’ve got the data to prove it— because accountability is in our DNA.

This is a contributed post from our silver sponsor, TEDCO. 

​
Leadership Maryland is pleased to welcome Rick Gross as our new manager, youth programs! In this role, Rick will oversee programming for Maryland Leadership Workshops (MLW), and as a former MLW delegate, staff member, assistant director, and policy board member, we could not have found a person better suited for this role. Rick’s commitment to MLW’s vision has spanned most of his life, and we are excited the next stage of his journey will be as an official member of the Leadership Maryland team.

The Delegate Days
Rick first discovered MLW when his high school mentor encouraged him to join. He traveled alone to Chestertown, Md. by bus to take part in the MLW summer program, which he says changed his life. The leadership trainings, team building exercises, and friendships he made left a lasting impact. He experienced “MLW Magic” for the first time when he returned to his hometown and advocated to prevent the closing of his high school as an active member of the “Save Einstein” committee. A fellow delegate supported Rick’s efforts in defending his high school by spreading the word across Southern Maryland. Rick and the Save Einstein committee even got featured in a local publication, the Maryland Weekly.

A Commitment to Mentorship and Education
His experience in MLW and supporting his high school spurred him to continue making an impact in his community. He joined MLW as a staff member, and one of his first duties was to oversee the snack bar committee, which unfortunately didn't go quite as well as he'd planned. At the end of the summer session, Rick and his staff partner gave an inspiring speech to delegates about how failures are just learning opportunities and that it's ok to not get it right on the first try. What Rick didn't know was MLW Founder Felix Simon, affectionately called Uncle Si, was listening in. Uncle Si was very impressed with the speech and praised Rick, which gave him a significant confidence boost and served as a point of inspiration in the years to come.

Rick’s commitment to mentoring and encouraging youth is evident in his professional history and his volunteer experiences. He was a special education teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools for nearly 10 years. He then went on to serve Prince George’s County Schools as a special education chairperson and mentor teacher for over five years. In his free time, Rick volunteers as a sports coach at CYO Youth Sports and Special Olympics Maryland.

The Future of MLW
Now that Rick has joined Leadership Maryland as manager, youth programs, he plans to use his prior MLW experiences to support delegates in their leadership endeavors and create new opportunities to gain genuine experience. On a personal level, Rick seeks to give back to MLW and leave an impact on the organization that has made such a positive impact on his life. His vision for the future of Leadership Maryland’s youth programming is to continue MLW’s legacy of building leaders, to foster inclusivity, and to improve representation of delegates and staff members of diverse cultural backgrounds.

“The people who come through MLW are the best and the brightest,” said Rick. “At MLW you will find a strong network of brilliant, supportive individuals who truly care about your success.”

Fun Facts
Rick’s hobbies include photography, coaching lacrosse, coaching basketball, spending time with his wife and two sons, and reading. When asked what book he’d recommend to delegates, Rick suggested Alex Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X because it represents the journey of life and greatness, and the importance of being open to other world views.

Please join us in welcoming Rick Gross to the Leadership Maryland and MLW family!
​You can reach him at [email protected]. ​

DEAR MEMBERS,
I hope this letters finds you in good health and high spirits. We are  coming to the close of a yet another chaotic year. Kicking off the year with virtual programming caused some concern among the staff, board and class but, we are happy to report, that the staff and class rallied and had a few great months via Zoom. That said, we were all thrilled to bring the class together in person for their October session. Never have the words “back on the bus” been so anticipated!
​
Maryland Leadership Workshops scaled back their summer programming to allow them to bring the students back for in-person sessions. Anita ’14 and her staff once again created a tremendous program with nearly 100 delegates participating.

As you are aware, Renee ’05 has announced her intention to transition to a different role in 2022. She will be facilitating the class sessions with Eliot and we are all excited to see what this dynamic duo delivers! Ken Brannan ‘05 is chairing the committee searching for our new President & CEO and we will keep you posted on their progress. That individual will undoubtedly have big shoes to fill, but we are confident we will find the right person for the job.
​
As we move into a new year, I hope you all take a moment to reflect on your experiences with our programs and the ways in which those experiences may have helped to prepare you for the tumult of the past two years. This moment necessitates empathy, resolve, and clarity of purpose. Our communities are desperate for connectedness, shared vision, and resilient leadership. Our mission of empowering a diverse network of local leaders has never been more important; I look forward to meeting and working with many more of you as we continue in that endeavor.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and a wonderful 2022!
Respectfully,
Jeanne Forrester Singer, Esq. ‘07 (LM)
Chair   ​

DEAR MEMBERS,
Congratulations to the Class of ‘20/21! It took you two years, but you made it!

After eight years at the helm, living through a worldwide pandemic and personal challenges difficult to
imagine, you all know that I have decided to transition from the day-to-day operations of our favorite leadership organization to co-facilitating the program – my favorite part – with our beloved Eliot. I am thrilled the board is giving me this opportunity and that Eliot agreed to my grand notion.

I have had the opportunity to experience so many things, including graduating nearly 400 members in seven and a half classes, over 1,000 hours of programming and untold miles in the front of the seat of the bus.

I have also collected some amazing nuggets of wisdom. My friend Ken Brannan ’05 reminds us to “Have faith in the process” every year we select a new class – the most amazing process that still works after 28 years.

Carla A. Reid ‘03 reminded me during a panel at a MEDA annual conference, “Leaders…know your blind spots.” Good advice.

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III ‘93 touts “The Brady-an Effect” to always ask yourself, “What keeps you up at night? What haven’t I thought about?” Something we can all learn from the incredible Jim Brady ‘93.

During our September program, Jake Day ‘15 encouraged us to, “Take bad news well. When you don’t, people will stop bringing it to you.” Words to lead by.

My friend John Wasilisin ‘05 lives by James Taylor’s lyrics, “The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time.” So true.

I am blessed to have the most incredibly supportive board of directors. Thank you.

Melissa and Anita ‘14 – you are the best staff ever. Keep up the great work!

Finally, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes you figure out why, sometimes you don’t. Whatever happens to you, listen and learn every day. Take joy in both and don’t keep it to yourself.
​
Very Sincerely,
Renée M. Winsky ‘05
President & CEO, 2013 to 2021

By Stephen Auvil '14, Chief Program Operations Officer, TEDCO
 
The last time I attended a symphony, I recall listening to the musicians warm up and tune their instruments just prior to the start of the concert – the crisp notes from the violins, the soft tones from the oboes, and the heavy percussion from the drums. Honestly, what I was hearing was more noise than what I would call music. I certainly recognized that each performer was uniquely talented and independently could produce beautiful music but listening to the collective group play in an uncoordinated fashion did not produce something pleasing to the ear. That said, I did not abandon my seat and leave the concert. I knew that the musicians would soon play together as a coordinated orchestra and generate a quality of sound more magnificent than any of the individual musicians could achieve by playing alone.   

This should not surprise anyone. Gestalt theory teaches us that a whole system taken together can have a greater value than the sum of values from its individual components. In my current role at TEDCO, I interact with various organizations supporting Maryland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – the collective organizations and resources supporting entrepreneurs and early-stage companies in our state.  Like the individual musicians, each of these organizations and resources independently provides unique value to the ecosystem through advising, business incubation, funding, etc. That said, when I look at our ecosystem with a Gestalt perspective, I see an opportunity for much greater coordination – the opportunity to create a symphony of support. 

This is not just my perspective. In 2017, the State launched an initiative, Excel Maryland, to take advantage of the State’s strengths in cybersecurity and life sciences to advance its national leadership in these areas. The effort was to accelerate innovation-driven commercial activity. Two consultants were hired to examine Maryland’s ecosystem. The consultants were from Massachusetts, a state that has been very successful developing its life sciences economy. They found that Maryland had a wealth of resources; however, better connectivity between the various [resources] was needed to strengthen the State’s leadership. The challenge is finding a way to improve coordination of the various resources that we have available and elevate Maryland’s ecosystem as a whole.

Meeting this challenge will require individual stakeholders to look beyond themselves. To look beyond their individual or organizational metrics. To look beyond the personal credit that might be achieved through individual success. To take a Gestalt perspective and look at their role in the larger ecosystem and to appreciate the greater value and greater efficiency associated with collaborating with others in the ecosystem to raise the overall quality of support in our state.

At TEDCO, we are buying into this philosophy and leveraging Collaboration, one of our core values. To this end, we are currently supporting an effort by the Maryland Business Innovation Association (MBIA) to explore how Maryland’s various incubator and accelerator programs could be better coordinated and what value that could bring to the State. For example, this effort could help to standardize and collect metrics that will enable us to tell better stories of success, to attract investment to the State by creating a critical mass of funding opportunities available from all incubators across the State, and to better share resources so a company at one incubator can more easily access resources at another.

TEDCO is also part of an initiative called the Urban Business Innovation Initiative (UBII) focused on Baltimore City and Prince George’s County to support entrepreneurs in traditionally underserved communities. A group of 23 partners (thus far) are working together on this initiative. The UpSurge Baltimore effort is bringing together hundreds of ecosystem stakeholders to make Baltimore the country’s first Equitech city. The Small Business Administration (SBA) just closed its Community Navigator funding opportunity that required applicants to propose a hub and spoke model that involved the coordination of several partners within an ecosystem. These represent a few examples of efforts to “knit-together” parts of our ecosystem. We need more.

It is time for leaders in Maryland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to put the greater good of the ecosystem’s success, beyond their own individual interests. They need to find new ways to collaborate with more stakeholders. As more individuals take on leadership roles and recognize the benefit of being proactive with uniting the ecosystem, Maryland can position itself to lead the country in innovation and technology-based economic development. The instruments are tuned, the warm-up is over, and it is time to make music.

This is a contributed post from our silver sponsor, TEDCO. 

When people put their heads together to achieve a goal, amazing things can happen. The same can be said for organizations that work together to better the community. Maryland Leadership Workshops partners with some incredible organizations who also strive to see student leaders discover their potential, refine their skills, and work together to achieve their goals, while making a difference in their schools and communities.
 
Two organizations that have helped us train and connect with more students across the state of Maryland and improve the MLW experience for our staff and delegates are the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC) and the Charles County Association of Student Councils (CCASC). With collaborative opportunities and their support, MLW shares our magic with more people while offering students different leadership perspectives and real-life experiences.
 
The Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC)
MASC—a peer-led, hands-on leadership organization—teaches students about important skills such as organization, responsibility, communication, time management, decision making, and professional writing, while focusing on issues including mental health, cultural sensitivity, biases, and more. Offering workshops, round-table discussions, town halls, and conferences, MASC teaches students how to navigate difficult or uncomfortable situations that they might experience as community leaders.
 
MASC has supported MLW from the very beginning, seeing as MLW was originally known as MASC Leadership Workshops. “The purpose was ‘promoting leadership in student councils’ and utilizing peer facilitators,” shares Karen Crawford, MASC assistant executive director and longtime MLW advocate and supporter. “In 1972, when the sponsorship of MASC went to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), MASC Leadership Workshops became an independent entity known as Maryland Leadership Workshops.”
 
But MASC’s support did not stop there. Ever since the first annual summer conference in 1956, MASC has supported MLW by sending its four elected officers to MLW summer programs, spreading our mission, and networking with our delegates and staff. “Students have different needs and engaging in MASC and MLW programs exposes them to unique view points and experiences,” shares Nicete Moodie, MASC executive director and alumnus and past regional president of Charles County. “It’s important to show our students how two organizations can effectively support one another. Many of our students go on to work with MLW and we always love having MLW at our conferences.”
 
MASC students are encouraged to attend MLW programs, while many MLW staff members present at MASC’s conferences or help train student leaders at MASC events. “From the modeled leadership and workshop content to the student-led discussions, the mutual support we share is invaluable,” states Karen. “This partnership allows MASC and MLW to influence and assist students to be the best they can be in order to inspire the next generation of student leaders,” adds Nicete.
 
The Charles County Association of Student Councils (CCASC)
Another organization that is heavily involved with MASC and MLW is the Charles County Association of Student Councils (CCASC). In fact, CCASC learned about MLW through its membership with MASC. “Our students have attended workshops and summer programs with MLW every year that we have been a member of MASC,” states Gary Winsett, CCASC regional advisor. “Many students in Charles County have gone on to serve as staff for MLW.”
 
Having assisted as CCASC regional advisor for 12 years, Gary oversees and coordinates all efforts that involve the student governments from across Charles County—including all middle school and high school student councils. After witnessing how vital MLW workshops are to the growth of student leaders, Gary presented the idea to the Charles County School Board to send one student from every middle and high school to MLW. “We are blessed with a supportive school board when it comes to student leaders. They have always been supportive of our efforts, attending student led events, and encouraging the student voice,” he states. “When I suggested my idea to send students to MLW, they were on board from the beginning.”
 
Depending on an institution’s selection preference, one CCASC student from each school attends an MLW program each year. “I reserve a spot for our student member of the Board of Education as a CCASC representative to strengthen their leadership and communication abilities when working with our Board of Education members,” states Gary. “Students take these leadership skills and use them as they mature into adult leaders. They grow in self-awareness, self-confidence, as well as collaboration and compassion with others.”
 
Partnerships that Inspire Powerful Change
You can learn more about MLW and its one-of-a-kind partners at mlw.org/partnerships.

It’s almost time to open applications and once again begin the very important process of selecting our next Leadership Maryland class! It’s always exciting to meet new candidates who are motivated to experience our program and join our membership family.

Part of keeping our program thriving is ensuring we always have a vibrant list of prospects, and to build that list, we rely heavily on nominations from our members.

“Leadership Maryland is only as good as the participants make it. Having quality individuals with differing perspectives, backgrounds and experience is the lifeblood of the organization,” says Diane J. Devaney ’16, who nominates as many as 50 or more candidates each year. “I had such a wonderful experience in Leadership Maryland, I want others to experience it, too. By recommending individuals who I think are just a perfect fit for the program, I am paying it forward to keep the program going, stronger than ever.”

Kenneth L. “Ken” Brannan ’05 (LM), board vice chair, agrees that paying it forward is a vital component of the Leadership Maryland experience. That is why he is always working to identify new candidates and likes to have two or three potential applicants lined up for each new class year.

“Leadership is about passing the baton,” he says. “If you are not cultivating and providing stewardship for the next generations of leaders, in my judgement, you are not much of a leader.”

In addition to supporting the continued success of our program, nominating deserving candidates can also be an effective way to foster relationships.

“I feel that I also gain a lot from nominating individuals,” says Diane. “I nominate clients, prospects, referral sources and influencers to my business. Everyone always appreciates being nominated. I keep a running list throughout the year and whenever I meet someone who I think would be a good candidate, I write them down.”

No one better understands the makeup of an ideal Leadership Maryland program participant than those who have already lived it, which is why we so strongly value recommendations from our members.

“I look for individuals who have a bright intellect and a curious mind. I try to identify candidates who are open to unexpected outcomes and confident in addressing life's challenges,” says Ken. “It has been my experience that class members who are open, but not attached, to the outcome gain the most from the Leadership Maryland program. These graduates continue to find relevance in engaging with our organization long after the experience of their individual class year.”

“Even though I nominate many people, I am very picky in who I choose, because I am very protective of the program,” says Diane. “Leadership Maryland is not for salespeople or anyone with their own agenda. I love when I find an industry that I have never seen represented or is under-represented in our membership. I think all C-level executives who are new to Maryland should go through the program, plus it is always good to have a few legislators as well.”

Renee Winsky ’05, Leadership Maryland president and CEO, agrees that member endorsements are the organization’s most powerful marketing resource.

“We have learned the best nominations are those that come directly from our members. Word of mouth or, in our case, ‘word-from-the-impassioned-member’ is better than any ad we could buy or any social media message we could post,” she says. “We are grateful for every nomination we receive.”

To submit a nomination for the Class of 2022, please send your candidate’s name and contact information to Renee at [email protected]. All prospects will be notified as soon as the application is available.

Thank you for your support in preserving the legacy of Leadership Maryland for the next generation!

Season 2, Episode 7: A Leader’s Toolbox: Striking Balance, Making Connections, and Establishing Trust

“[Good leaders] have an openness to things we may not know, or even be interested in at the onset. Oftentimes, leaders have grown to a point where they’re experts in their field, but we always have the opportunity to learn more and grow more.” – Eli Modlin ‘19 (LM)

In this episode, Eric Brotman ’09 (LM), and guest host Eliot Pfanstiehl (LM) are joined by Eli Modlin ’19 (LM), Chief of Staff and Director of Government and Community Relations at Salisbury University. Eli and the hosts discuss how Salisbury University has navigated political, social, and COVID-19 issues, while faculty and staff have worked together to assist students and families during this unprecedented time. Eli shares insight on leadership roles within the University, and how the institution goes above and beyond to engage with and support the greater Salisbury community. 

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Salisbury University’s status after the impacts of COVID-19, the role of government and community relations with the University, and the power of strategic planning and pivoting
• How balance and trust are essential skills of a leader, helping them stay true to their mission
• The importance of collaboration, and how it helps institutions move towards progress
• The Leadership Maryland experience and how it prepares participants to be better leaders with a more diverse understanding of what happens within an organization

About our guest: 
Eli Modlin has served as Chief of Staff at Salisbury University since July 31, 2019.  Prior to this position, Modlin held roles as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Government and Community Relations.
 
Eli graduated from Salisbury University with a degree in communication arts and a minor in political science, spending his summers in Washington, D.C. as a U.S. Capitol intern. At Salisbury University, he served as president and general manager of the campus TV station, SUTV, where he conducted interviews with dozens of state and local leaders including Governor Larry Hogan, Senator Chris Van-Hollen and other members of Congress, the Maryland General Assembly, and local elected officials.
 
In addition to the President’s Executive Staff, he chairs the Town-Gown Council and serves on the PACE Steering Committee, Safety Task Force, Neighborhood Relations Committee, and Strategic Planning and Budgeting Committee.
 
Prior to joining SU, Eli served as the Public Affairs Officer for the Comptroller of Maryland where, as a member of the Communications Team, he was responsible for writing speeches, talking points, and briefing memorandums for the agency. Before joining the Communications team, he served as the special liaison officer and handled constituent matters and staffed the Comptroller in Baltimore City, Baltimore, Howard, and Wicomico Counties.
 
Eli is a member of the Salisbury University Chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa and an active alumnus of Mount Saint Joseph High School. He is also a member of the inaugural class of the Transformational Leadership Program, a collaboration between Salisbury University and the Greater Salisbury Committee to engage the next generation of leaders.
 
Beyond the University, Modlin serves on the board of directors of My Brother’s Keeper, a Baltimore organization that provides workforce development and meals for those in need, and the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce. He also is a member of the National Folk Festival Executive Committee and the Leadership Maryland Class of 2019.

By: Jody Sprinkle '17, Chief Government Relations & Policy Officer, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO)

At TEDCO, we embrace the core value of stewardship every day in each of our programs.  It is our responsibility and privilege to manage the scarce resources entrusted to us by our public and private partners. As a quasi-public instrumentality of the State of Maryland, TEDCO incorporates stewardship into our mission to serve the State’s entrepreneurs in an efficient, effective, and fiscally responsible manner. 
 

​TEDCO provides a public service to the State’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem by providing grants, investments, and wraparound services. Nothing is more fundamental to public service than the trust instilled by the citizens it serves. That trust is earned by the continuous and repeated demonstration of responsible stewardship of the public’s investment.    
 
More broadly, for TEDCO, stewardship means that we understand the impact of our resources and how we choose to deploy them. Our resources are deployed to maximize the benefit to Maryland entrepreneurs and to position Maryland for growth. Since its inception, TEDCO investments have led to the creation of over 7,800 direct jobs in Maryland. Under the Maryland Innovation Initiative alone, our portfolio companies have generated over $200 million in follow-on funding. TEDCO has made over 400 investments from our Seed Fund in Maryland start-ups. In total, TEDCO has generated over $1.6 billion in economic impact for the State.
 
However, having core values means that we cannot let successes lead to complacency. Good stewardship also means openness to stakeholder input. It means that we are caretakers of the relationships with our collaborators in the ecosystem. We use that stewardship to strengthen the dialogue with our partners to evolve our programs to be more responsive to the challenges in a modern economy. We build on that stewardship to cultivate a reputation for an unfailing dedication to our mission. 
 
When we demonstrate trustworthy, ethical, consistent, and responsive stewardship, we are afforded the confidence and the space to lead in new and pioneering ways. TEDCO is developing innovative approaches to entrepreneur development because of its proven track record of responsible and productive investment. This is increasingly vital as Maryland continues to address a new generation of rapidly changing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, biotechnology, clean energy, and blue technology, etc. This challenge is compounded by new realities of changing workplace dynamics and a long overdue reckoning with income and wealth disparities. 
 
TEDCO is embracing its leadership role by facing these challenges with new programming and re-energized partnerships. With the Department of Commerce and the University System of Maryland, TEDCO has launched the Maryland Entrepreneur Hub, an AI assisted portal that matches Maryland entrepreneurs with the best and most appropriate resources in the State. Under the Builder Fund, TEDCO has introduced its first Entrepreneur-in-Residence to guide early-stage companies that are owned by socially and economically disadvantaged founders to meet critical milestones toward growth. To address the economic impact of the pandemic, and with the partnership of the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly, TEDCO launched the Rural and Underserved Business Recovery from Impact of COVID-19 (RUBRIC) Grant Program and the Agriculture and Rural Rebuild (ARR) Challenge.  
 
The benefits of stewardship do not only lie in the accumulation of trust, but in the flexibility to find new methods to address modern challenges. TEDCO earns its freedom to innovate by embracing its role as a steward of a public mission. TEDCO will continue to use its stewardship to lead innovation to market.  

This is a contributed post from our silver sponsor, TEDCO. ​

Maryland Leadership Workshops Content Director Tiffany Wang tells us what delegates can expect from MLW On Tour

Due to the pandemic, Maryland Leadership Workshops truly reinvented itself in 2020, offering MLW @Home – a virtual program that gave delegates across the state the opportunity to experience MLW at no cost for the first time. This year, with concerns about COVID lingering, the MLW team is innovating again to create another first-time experience – MLW On Tour!

Consisting of four three-day workshops in different regions of the state between July 7 and July 28, MLW On Tour will give delegates the opportunity to gather safely in-person close to home. And for those who can’t attend in person, MLW will again offer free content online to give every Maryland middle- and high-school student the opportunity to immerse themselves in all aspects of leadership.

We recently spoke with Tiffany Wang, MLW Content Director, to learn more about the MLW On Tour experience and what delegates can expect this summer.
​
Q: This year will look different than MLW’s traditional residential summer programs. Can you tell us how each MLW On Tour stop will be structured?

A: Even though MLW On Tour is not our traditional summer program, we still aim to provide the same “MLW magic” – a transformative experience in leadership anchored in social justice – just as we do every year. This summer we are focused on helping delegates develop the tools they need to be able to advocate for the issues they're passionate about in their own communities. Each tour stop will include three workshops, community-building discussions, guest speakers, and a community project where delegates can put the skills they've learned into action. The workshops will build on each other so that by the end of the tour, delegates will have a better understanding of the roles they can play in creating change in their communities, as well as their relationships with others in those communities.

​Q: Since not all delegates will be able to attend in person, what content will be available to access from home?

A: We will have four free mini-workshops that will be accessible through our website. We are also planning two community calls for the month of July, where delegates can call in from anywhere to discuss issues that matter to them and learn about what's going on in other areas. In August, all MLW On Tour delegates will have the opportunity to share their community projects on one last community call that will be open to everyone.

Q: What has the process of building this curriculum been like? What goes into shaping the content for each workshop?

A: I am so grateful for the other three members of the content team. This curriculum was truly a collaborative effort between the four of us, other members of MLW who assisted with the brainstorming process, and the two amazing high school students who came in to give us feedback. We started with the big picture, with questions such as: "What are the main takeaways we want for the delegates?" and "If we could offer literally any workshops in the world, what would they be?" From there, we grouped together similar themes and discussed what needed to be included so we could meet the main goals of the program as a whole.  

Q: What can you tell us about the workshops you’re creating?

A: Our first workshop centers on understanding identity expression and how to effectively communicate one's passions with others. The next zooms out to focus on how delegates interact with the rest of their communities, the roles they play when advocating for change, and navigating the other resources available to them. The last workshop seeks to look at the larger systems affecting delegates' lives and tapping into the power they already have to achieve their goals. We hope these workshops, along with our free virtual workshops, can supplement the skills delegates have already developed as leaders in their communities.

Q: With just a small group of delegates participating in person in each region, will there still be opportunities for delegates from different regions to interact with each other?

A: While the structure of MLW On Tour does limit the opportunities for delegates from other parts of the state to get to know each other, I'm really excited about the opportunities presented by the regionally-based programs. Since each tour stop will bring delegates from more homogenous areas, it gives us the chance to make the community project truly based on their community and lets delegates share region-specific resources with each other. That being said, we hope delegates from all across the state can attend our virtual community calls, where that cross-community discussion and resource-sharing can still take place. We also encourage everyone to attend our end-of-tour community project presentations that will take place virtually at the beginning of August.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about MLW On Tour and the curriculum you are building?

A: I think this summer has really given us the opportunity to think outside the box and push the curriculum further with both the workshops and other programming. Young people today are often already doing work in their communities, so our goal is really just to assist them by introducing them to more concepts and tools that they can adapt for themselves.
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Registration for MLW On Tour is open now. To register, visit: http://mlw.org/apply-2/.