Solar eclipse festivities in the Inner Harbor

Newsletter for April 1, 2024

It was great to see everyone this weekend at the "Fundraising for Social Good" event hosted by Social Innovation Lab and Black Tech Saturdays. Today's coverage brings you insights on upcoming celestial events and community milestones. Discover unique viewing opportunities for the solar eclipse in various locations, alongside exclusive tips tailored for Baltimore residents.

Additionally, you can relive the celebration of the Tech Council of Delaware's first anniversary, where its executive director had a special message to share.

— Alanah, Technical.ly lead reporter for Baltimore

This week's newsletter is brought to you by TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, which identifies, invests in and helps grow technology and life sciences startups in Maryland. TEDCO brings innovation to market, offering investment opportunities ranging from pre-seed to Series A from various funds. Learn more here.

We've got a couple of articles on the site containing details about the upcoming solar eclipse and its viewing opportunities in Pittsburgh, Delaware, and the DMV (which, yes, does not include Baltimore, by all local accounts). Now, we offer some tips for Baltimore.

While we won't witness a total solar eclipse on April 8, residents can still enjoy the event at places like the Maryland Science Center. Val Sullivan, the marketing manager, shared insights on the center's preparations for the eclipse, including sun-safe viewing techniques and the distribution of eclipse glasses.

➡️ Find out more about how you can prepare in my full report here.

The Tech Council of Delaware celebrated its first anniversary with a special message from executive director Zakiyyah Ali, welcoming all technologists. The event, held at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, highlighted Delaware's diverse tech sector.
As it reaches the end of its three-year incubation with the Rodel Foundation, the council aims to enhance the state's tech ecosystem with a focus on diversity and representation.

➡️ Find out more about the tech council's first year in senior reporter Holly Quinn's full report here.

• Rarebreed Ventures' McKeever Conwell, UpSurge Baltimore's Kory Bailey and EcoMap Technologies' Sherrod Davis are among the Baltimore tech leaders appearing at our Builders Conference on May 9. [Technical.ly]

• 2023 Technical.ly Awards winner Dawn Myers conceived the idea for her product, The Mint, while watching ABC's "Shark Tank." In a full circle moment, she appeared on the show to pitch her product to the Sharks. Tune in on Friday, April 5, to catch the episode. [Richualist]

• Related to last week's tragic Key Bridge collapse, a new report reveals that cargo and cruise operations at both state-owned and private marine terminals in the Port of Baltimore generated over 51,000 jobs and $5 billion in personal income for Maryland residents. [Maryland Port Administration]

• The US Army Corps of Engineers is employing sonar technology to survey the underwater debris resulting from last week's Key Bridge collapse. [US Army Corps of Engineers]

• In an email to Technical.ly, Maggie Villegas and Sharayna Christmas announced their departure from Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network (BCAN) and MICA. They expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve Baltimore's creative community and highlighted achievements including support for over 2400 creatives and the acceleration of over 100 businesses in the past six years. [BCAN]