Happy Monday, Baltimore! Heads up that Alanah's out this week, so we'll be sending a newsletter today and Wednesday.
Below, find a great story Alanah filed before she left, about T. Rowe Price Foundation's grants to support local organizations, with leaders of recent grantees Arts Every Day and CLLCTIVLY discussing plans for how they'll use the funds. There's also a spotlight on Xclusit, an app designed for Black-owned businesses and those who wish to buy from them, and its CEO Vincent Johnson's journey as an entrepreneur.
Image of the Day: City Hall looking sharp (Sameer Rao) Have a photo or chart we should feature here? Hit reply and send in your submission.
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New social shopping platform supports Black businesses
To make shopping with Black businesses easier, Ellicott City-based entrepreneur Vincent Johnson created Xclusit, an app that offers a more streamlined retail experience than other social media platforms — and landed the company an honorable mention on our 2024 RealLIST Startups roster.
Johnson spoke with Alanah about his entrepreneurial background and how he tested his concept through market research, and the problem he's trying to solve: On social media, "the algorithm understands you are a business [and] you are promoting," Johnson said. "So because of that, you need to pay to play."
Screenshots from the Xclusit app. (Courtesy Vincent Johnson)
'Baltimore is the best place in the world to change the world'
Alanah caught up with leaders of Arts Every Day and CLLCTIVLY to see how they're spending their share of the T. Rowe Price Foundation's recent $2.25 million in awards to their and six other local nonprofits. The grants are part of the investment management firm's philanthropic wing's broader $6.5 million commitment to close funding gaps among Baltimore nonprofits.
The quote above the preceding paragraph comes from John Brothers, a 2020 RealLIST Connector and president of the foundation. Brothers also offered further insights into the foundation's aim with these impact grants that are well-worth considering for any other nonprofit leaders looking for the foundation's support..
Arts Every Day 10x10 Exhibit. (Courtesy Arts Every Day)
News Incubator: What else to know today
• A recent study suggests high schoolers from marginalized groups are avoiding college for their mental health. [Technical.ly]
• Baltimore-based aquaculture tech company Minnowtech just closed a Series A led by TCP Venture Capital's Propel Baltimore Fund, with participation from the University System of Maryland (USM) Momentum fund and other local investors. [USM]
• ICYMI: Check out this profile of Theta, a nearly decade-old company that's worked with federal government agencies to make their software easier and better to use. [Baltimore Business Journal]
• Blackbird Labs, which took the number one spot on our RealLIST Startups, has become the latest member of the Maryland Tech Council, a Frederick-based professional and economic booster organization for the state's tech and life sciences economies. [Maryland Tech Council]
• City Council this morning voted to push forward a set of bills related to redevelopment in the city's Harborplace area. [The Baltimore Banner]
Arti Santhanam, Al Delia and Michael Flinn discuss MII’s vision for fostering intellectual property generation in comprehensive universities across Maryland.
🗓️ On the Calendar
• EcoMap Technologies hosts our own Chris Wink for a virtual workshop on the power of storytelling this Wednesday, Feb. 28 at noon. [Details here]
• The Maryland Tech Council's Chesapeake Regional Council hosts a meet-and-greet for chapter members in Annapolis tomorrow morning [Details here]
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