It is imperatie we share our stories. For many, sharing these examples of disparate treatment may be an emotional challenge, but without both the quantitative data and the testimonial examples, jurisprudence has questioned the constitutionality of race based programs. Anthony Robinson our business consultant and resident subject matter expert as the Executive Director of the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund (MBELDEF) has reminded us of the need to tell our stories.

May is Asian American and Native Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We have celebrated the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the AANHPI community as have our Minority Business Development Agency colleagues across the country. View coverage of the AANHPI Business Summit here.

This month we want to congratulate and say thank you to the Maryland MBDA Business Center as they hosted Acting MBDA Undersecretary Eric Morrissette's visit to Maryland, including a roundtable discussion and company tour. We highlight the Under Secretary's visit to Iron Shore Contracting in this newsletter.

Finally don’t forget to join us on June 13 for the Baltimore City Procurement Conference, including our procurement workshop. The workshop will provide attendees with insight to the procurement services provided by MBDA Centers and National Minority Supplier Development Councils.

We hope you are finding time to join us for training, tours, talks, and trends events this spring season, including many of those offered by the MBDA sister agencies featured in Meet Our Team below.

Until next month, A luta Continua Victoria Ascerta!

N. Scott Phillips



Director

Mid-Atlantic Region MBDA

Advanced Manufacturing Center - Baltimore

MBDA works in collaboration with a host of U.S. Government service and resource providers, including but not limited to the agencies below. Your Baltimore MBDA Business Consultant can assist you with linkage to these these and other resource providers.

EXIM Export-Import Bank of the United States...MEP National Network...

Apex Accelerators...U.S. Small Business Administration

On April 30th, 2024, the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland (RMI) and Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MD MEP) joined forces with the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education to host the captivating "Tech Talks: Emerging Technologies Changing the World of Work" program. This event featured a dynamic blend of concise presentations and an engaging panel discussion, delving into the realm of transformative technologies reshaping both the workplace and workforce.

Among the spotlighted technologies were AI, the Industrial Metaverse, 3D Scan/Print, and Mechatronics, offering attendees invaluable insights into these cutting-edge advancements. With a turnout of 200 students, educators, and career navigators, alongside 150 individuals from Maryland's vibrant manufacturing community, including Center clients and team members, the event served as a nexus for knowledge exchange and networking. Notably, a portion of the proceeds from this enlightening event were contributed to the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, furthering their impactful initiatives in the realm of education and workforce development.

Click here to see more photos from the event.

Stellar TechTalks line up, including, left to right, Sherri Fisher, Baltimore County Public Schools; Michael Grubbs, Baltimore County Public Schools; Mike Kelleher, Maryland MEP; Dr. Mike Galiazzo, RMI of Maryland; Todd Marks, Mindgrub; Michael Raphael, Direct Dimensions; Alanah Nichole Davis, Technical.ly Baltimore; Dr. Oscar Barton Jr., Morgan State University School of Engineering; Sharon Schreiber, Maryland Business Roundtable for Education

Center Director N. Scott Phillips commenting during the Q & A session. Fabpro Technologies CEO and Center client Antoine Hutchinson in the distance.

The theme for the 2024 Women in Manufacturing (WiM) Virginia Chapter's Annual Spring Summit was “Building Bridges TogetHER." The event featured thought leaders and roundtable discussions and brought peers from across the Virginia Commonwealth to connect, share experiences and learn – togetHER. The WiM Virginia Mentoring Program also graduated its third class of participants at the event and kicked off the 2024-2025 session. Read more.

Left, Bridget Bender, the WiM Virginia Chair, offered opening remarks to attendees, graciously welcoming them to the Spring Summit, outlining the Summit schedule, and highlighting the fall WiM Virginia Leadership Conference.

Right, Lisa Skidmore, immediate Past Chair of the WiM and a featured speaker, shared her passion for empowering female leaders to achieve their dreams, drawing from her extensive leadership experience at GE Appliances and Ford Motor Company and her role on the Women in Manufacturing National Board of Directors.

Eighteen teams participated in a single elimination Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser. Proceeds support the WiM Virginia scholarship program, which has awarded over $25,000 to females in manufacturing for leadership and educational programs. 

Save the Date, Monday, June 17, 2024 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., for Super MatchMaker Conference, featuring the MBDA Capital Readiness Summit. This event is hosted by Center partnering organization, the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council, in collaboration with Bowie State University, Virginia MBDA Business Center, and the Capital Readiness Program.

Energy & Environment for Maryland Manufacturers Summit 2024 | June 6 @ 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Columbia

Streamlining Improvement in Manufacturing: A Guide to Value Stream Mapping | June 12 @ 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | Webinar

These three spring training opportunities are featured by the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MD MEP), an alliance partner of the Baltimore MBDA AC. Tap into other specialized manufacturing industry training in the Mid-Atlantic Region and throughout the country through the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institutes of Science and Technology's MEP National Network.

The Manufacturing Innovation Hub Cooperative (MiHUB) is an outgrowth of the Minority Business Development Administration (MBDA) Advanced Manufacturing Center – Baltimore’s support to minority manufacturers and collaborates routinely with the Center's team on client services and opportunities. The MiHUB Board and ongoing consultants comprise the organization's core team.

The Manufacturing Innovation Hub Cooperative is a member owned and operated entity committed to supporting the shared growth and development of minority manufactures and their communities. Our facility is located in Baltimore at 1100 Wicomico Street. We are co-located with our strategic partner Harbor Design. We provide shared services to include product design, marketing, financing, and administrative support. The self-sustaining co-op leverages member and stakeholder investments to develop systems and infrastructure to support core operations.

MiHUB is a member owned and operated entity committed to supporting the shared growth and development of minority manufactures and their communities. Our facility is located in Baltimore at 1100 Wicomico Street. We are co-located with our strategic partner Harbor Design. We provide shared services to include product design, marketing, financing, and administrative support. The self-sustaining co-op leverages member and stakeholder investments to develop systems and infrastructure to support core operations.

Read More | MiHUB is accepting applications for membership. For information, contact Mark Lawrence.

Gregory A. Malcolm, President

Our colleagues from the Maryland MBDA Business Center included a stop at IronShore when the Center hosted Acting MBDA Under Secretary Eric Morrissette's May 20th visit to Maryland.

Pictured, left to right, N. Scott Phillips, Baltimore MBDA AMC Director; Gary Moore, Baltimore MBDA Business Center Business Development Specialist; Gregory Malcom, IronShore Owner; Gianna Hylton, Maryland MBDA Business Center Director; Loretta Caldwell, L. S. Caldwell and Associates, Inc. Founder, President and CEO, Maryland MBDA Business Center Operator; Eric Morrissette, U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency Acting Under Secretary; Christopher Lundy, Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Business Advocacy and Development Director, Baltimore MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center Operator; and other guests

The all-star delegation toured IronShore's plant, including the company's manufacturing space.

Three Manufacturing Industry Specific Spring Training Opportunities | MD MEP | May 21, June 6 & June 13, 2024 l Read More

"Don't Miss" Virginia Industry Training & Meeting Highlights | May thru June 2024 | Read More

Super MatchMaker Conference | CRMSDC | June 17, 2024 | Bowie,, MD | Register

NMSDC Annual Conference & Exchange 2024 | NMSDC | Atlanta, Georgia, October 20-23, 2024 | Read More

TechTrends 2025 | SMART | April 3-4, 2025 | Atlantic City, NJ | Drive for Data Across America | Spring 2025 | Read More