First, take a moment to watch this Instagram reel featuring some hilarious sibling-in-STEM banter.

Then, as you dive into today's newsletter, you'll find a guest post shedding light on the detrimental economic impact of underfunding Black founders.

Additionally, we had the opportunity to attend a tech roundtable featuring mayoral candidate Sheila Dixon — yes, that Sheila Dixon, who served as Baltimore's mayor just a year before HBO's "The Wire" was canceled.

— Alanah, Technical.ly lead reporter for Baltimore

Last week, Technical.ly editor Sameer Rao attended an event where former Baltimore mayor and current mayoral candidate  Sheila Dixon advocated for a return to office for municipal workers. Dixon stressed the significance of this move in revitalizing downtown businesses and improving communication between private enterprises and city agencies. Despite the comfort of remote work, Dixon highlights the adverse effects on small businesses and downtown areas, underscoring the importance of bringing people back to offices.

Read more from Sameer's report on the event, a tech industry roundtable that featured comments on various local economic development issues — and a reveal about an upcoming membership club for the tech world.

➡️ Find out more about this story in Sameer's full report here.

Melissa Bradley, founder of DC-based 1863 Ventures, highlights the significant economic impact of racism on the United States in a new guest post. Citing a Citibank report estimating losses of at least $16 trillion, she emphasizes that eradicating racism could add an additional $5 trillion to the US economy. Despite these staggering figures, underfunding and marginalizing Black founders persist, hindering American prosperity. Bradley further argues that lawsuits against organizations serving people of color not only lack foresight but also impede economic growth.

➡️ Find out more about this story in Melissa's full guest post here.

• Baltimore Peninsula released its Impact Report for 2024, featuring a plethora of founders from the local tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem. [Baltimore Peninsula]

• Loyola University Maryland has a new strategic plan. "Together We Rise" will aim to define the University as a preeminent university for student success.  [YouTube/Loyola]

• According to GovEx, letting a chatbot respond to resident service requests could make your city government more efficient, but it could also spread misinformation. [GovEx]

• During Black History Month, Kiante Bush, the CEO of Venture for T.H.E.M. and winner of the 2023 Black Ambition Prize, encourages people to delve into the insights from the book "Why Should White Guys Have All The Fun?" by Reginald Lewis, a gift from his grandfather. [LinkedIn]

• The US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognized the Maryland Institute College of Art as one of the top-producing institutions of Fulbright US Student Program selectees. [MICA/LinkedIn]