A guide to CIAA's tech programs

FOMO fortuitous

Did anybody else miss Equitech Tuesday last night? I definitely wanted to mingle with startup founders and hear more about companies I hope to cover for Technical.ly.

I first went to Upsurge Baltimore’s recurring meetup back in December 2022, when I was still in the inspiration phase of what a shift from consulting to a full-time tech or tech-adjacent (and fully-remote, parent-friendly) role might look like. Now look at us, becoming best friends through this newsletter because I dared to be inspired. Many of us are feeling inspired these days, huh?

At that December event, I sat quietly in a corner and spoke only to folks I knew. Even with being the ambivert and social butterfly I’m known to be, a big part of my entering any community involves being observant first. Peers observing peers and immersion are design methods I learned and practiced while pursuing my master’s in social design at MICA (Hey MASD!). You gain a lot from glimpsing into the community you’re designing for because you see how they document their own lives. So, I went to Equitech Tuesdays a second time on Jan. 7, at the request of a good friend, and dipped my toe in a bit more.

On Feb. 7, I was coworking at R. House with Haneef Hardy, my good friend and 2022 M&T Bank Weaver Award recipient; and Anthony McCray, who Baltimore Homecoming brought on as its new communication and events fellow. We were approached by Micky Wolf from Dent Education and Kory Bailey from UpSurge Baltimore, who invited us out to — you guessed it — Equitech Tuesdays. My role with Technical.ly wasn’t yet public, but it definitely meant it was time for me to move out the inspiration phase. I did just that and guess who was there: my soon-to-be editor Sameer Rao, Technical.ly’s former editor Stephen Babcock, Kory and so many notable and new members of this ecosystem. Just when I thought Baltimore's social fabric couldn’t get any softer, warmer or inviting – it did.

What’s inspiring you about your work? Tell me by responding to this email or sending another to [email protected]. I’m always excited at the opportunity to be a part of the social fabric here in Baltimore, even when it involves asking hard questions, challenging the status quo and thinking of new ways to solve complex human problems creatively.

In the meantime, you can catch me at another event this Friday: the BearTalks Speaker Series at Morgan State University, featuring founders Bri Mobley and Sola Ekunseitan of BLK Ass Flea MKT. Next week is also jam-packed with events for the CIAA tournament (including its Tech Summit House) and I popped a guide below to help you be part of the social fabric — even if you just sit back and observe at first.