Happy Thursday! And for those of you just tuning in after some rest, welcome back from the holiday break, y’all. 

In our coverage today, you'll have a chance to step into the future with the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore as it marks its 40th year. Our interview with Shelonda Stokes offers a glimpse into a possible dynamic transformation awaiting the heart of the city in 2024.  There are some insights in there about Baltimore's tech hub status and the iconic Harborplace. So, enjoy!

Otherwise, here’s what ya might’ve missed in the past few weeks:

• As reported by Maryland Inno, Baltimore County’s TREND Health Partners, a healthcare payment management company, has acquired Nashville-based Advent Health Partners, an AI firm. The move is part of TREND's initiative to integrate AI into healthcare financing. TREND’s clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar Health and LifeBridge Health. The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed.
  
  
• Upsurge Baltimore’s own Naomi Winston appeared on CBS Mornings’ “Changing the Game” series, where she showcased her series of creative tools and coloring books.
  
  
• Harvard’s first-ever Black female president resigned amid reported allegations of plagiarism. Some social media commentators described the resignation as continued “disrespect” toward Black women in leadership.
  
  
• Folks in Las Vegas for CES 2024 might join Technical.ly alum Hua Wang as she moderates a panel entitled "From Zero to Global Superhero: How Digital Trade Supercharges Startups"
  
  
• Oh, and we took new team pictures! As Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink said in a post on LinkedIn to open the new year: “We'll see you out there, telling stories of local economies and making connections across our community.”

Lastly, don’t forget that it's Pathways to Tech Careers Month here at Technical.ly. Here's ONE question we're looking to answer in our stories within the editorial calendar theme: What nontraditional paths or pivots are being taken to careers in technology?

Let's showcase your unique career paths to inspire our readers. Hit us up at [email protected].