Latest news with #NoPixAfterDark
Technical.ly
01-05-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Podcast guide: Get hip to Baltimore and DC's ecosystems with these storytellers
As a media organization covering entrepreneurship, technology and innovation in the mid-Atlantic, fully understands the power of storytelling. So it makes sense that we know many local creators who use their own platforms to highlight the Baltimore and Maryland ecosystems' many stories and personalities. To help anybody trying to learn more about the regional innovation scene, we rounded up a few examples of the many local podcasters who make a point of highlighting its various dimensions. From well-established figures with awards to their names to younger or newer ones that focus on different niches, these storytellers and their platforms provide a rich snapshot of the ecosystems they seek to serve. 'No Pix After Dark,' hosted by Aaron Dante ' No Pix After Dark ' started as a series illustrating lesser-known local stories of all types. It has since evolved into one of Baltimore's most celebrated podcasts, featuring interviews with many of the region's entrepreneurs, creative professionals and civic leaders. Host Aaron Dante, 2024 Creator of the Year, spotlights a variety of entrepreneurs and innovators, from small business owners to leaders of major anchor institutions. Dante's tone is relaxed and engaging, offering real conversations about the hustle and setbacks these leaders experience. Throughout the run of his award-winning series, which he previously told will come to an end this year, Dante continues to uplift the local innovation happening behind the scenes. 'Capitalism: The Remix,' hosted by Jeff Cherry Led by the founder of Conscious Venture Lab and the Novella Center for Entrepreneurship, ' Capitalism: The Remix ' challenges conventional ideas of entrepreneurship by focusing on purpose-driven capitalism across sectors and communities. Its 17 episodes so far feature notable guests like Gov. Wes Moore, EcoMap Technologies COO Smitha Gopal and Richualist founder and CEO Dawn Myers. The show highlights how Baltimore entrepreneurs are redefining success to center impact, inclusion, and innovation alongside profit. 'Charm City Dreamers,' hosted by Zack Garber ' Charm City Dreamers ' profiles Baltimore-based changemakers across sectors, including tech founders, nonprofit leaders, heads of local institutions and social entrepreneurs. Host Zack Garber dives into personal journeys, visions for the city's future and lessons learned from those working to make Baltimore stronger. The podcast and its motivational framing demonstrate how Baltimoreans hustle for one another. Founded in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the podcast boasts an impressive roster of guests, including public officials, athletes, nonprofit leaders and artists. 'Why Y'all Working,' co-hosted by Alairé Jameson and Michael Ogunsanya This newer podcast explores questions surrounding motivation, resilience and the future of work. Co-hosts Michael Ogunsanya, the founder of MindStand Technologies and a graduate of the Techstars Equitech accelerator — and Alairé Jameson, a finance professional and investor, take listeners inside the lives of entrepreneurs, artists and ecosystem builders. Episodes often blend humor, serious discussions and critical conversations about what it really means to innovate, especially in smaller or less obviously tech-focused cities like Baltimore. 'CyberWire Daily,' produced by N2K Networks This podcast is a leading project under the umbrella of N2K Networks, a cybersecurity workforce developer and media entity in Fulton, Maryland. Hosted by Dave Bittner, a longtime media professional, the show delivers daily news and analysis on the latest cyber threats, trends and developments. Episodes feature expert interviews and insights from industry professionals, bringing listeners a timely and comprehensive overview of the cybersecurity landscape. N2K Network's proximity to various cybersecurity firms and experts around the region enables them to quickly and concisely update those seeking information about this rapidly evolving field. 'Free to Bmore,' produced by the Enoch Pratt Free Library Yet another reason to love the local library system, ' Free to Bmore ' explores civic life, innovation and leadership in Baltimore. Guests range from entrepreneurs and journalists to nonprofit leaders making an impact. Recent episodes spotlighted topics like digital inclusion, creative entrepreneurship and urban innovation. Free To Bmore Podcast by Enoch Pratt Free Library · Al Hutchinson, President & CEO of Visit Baltimore 'The UMB Pulse,' produced by the University of Maryland, Baltimore ' The UMB Pulse ' dives deep into the world of healthcare innovation, scientific research and social entrepreneurship emerging from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Co-hosts Dana Rampolla and Charles Schelle tap into UMB's large network of local changemakers in healthcare, law, pharmacy and social work to communicate the university's local and global impact. 'Maryland — It's Better Here: Maryland Momentum,' produced by the Maryland Tech Council The youngest podcast on this list, the Maryland Tech Council's (MTC) show largely focuses on the state's innovation economy. Its current four episodes feature discussions on life sciences, technology and economic development throughout the state. Host and MTC CEO Kelly Schulz delves into the state's national leadership in these various technology sectors, offering insights for entrepreneurs, investors, students and industry insiders alike. 'Entrepreneurs Anonymous Talk (E.A.T.) Afterwork, co-hosted by Breonna Massey and Leon 'Lee' Stanford Led by Breonna Massey, founder of Slay Naturals, and Leon 'Lee' Stanford, owner of Digital Empath Studios, ' Entrepreneurs Anonymous Talk (E.A.T.) Afterwork ' explores the subtleties and lived experiences of young, local entrepreneurs building their businesses and brands in Baltimore. Conversational, friendly and funny, episodes cover topics such as personal development, strategy and community impact. They record out of Stanford's company's facilities, a local hub for other podcasters. 'The Monthly Blend' Moving beyond Baltimore's borders, ' The Monthly Blend ' is a video podcast that covers the startup ecosystem throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia. Cohosts Anthony Millin of NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers and Tien Wong of The Big Idea CONNECTpreneur Forum explore challenges and underlying opportunities within the regional landscape. Guests including policymakers, investors, accelerator managers and entrepreneurs discuss topics like venture capital, changes in government agencies and protocol, and the progress and success of various ecosystems. Do you know someone else who's surfacing stories and examples of innovation in Charm City via podcasts? Let us know! We'd love to learn of other perspectives and stories. Reach out to our Baltimore editor Sameer Rao at sameer@ or share in our public Slack!
Technical.ly
27-03-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Key takeaways from CIAA's Tech Summit House: AI, cyber, Black innovation and more
At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion principles are getting dismantled throughout the country, Maryland's biggest city made a basketball tournament an opportunity to showcase Black excellence to the country — including in its tech scene. This year's Tech Summit House took place toward the end of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's (CIAA) annual contest last month. The historic conference represents historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the East Coast. The CIAA's decision for Baltimore — which has two HBCUs, but no schools in the conference — to host this tournament through 2026 is part of a multi-year agreement that recognizes the city as a hub for Black excellence. While it is foremost about basketball, it goes beyond to showcase Black leadership across different sectors. The Tech Summit House, which this year hosted a mix of innovation-focused programs at the Inner Harbor's Rita Rossi Colwell Center, embodies this concept. 'It is the only tournament that does more than sports,' said Paul Plymouth, director of state government affairs and local engagement for Tech Summit House title sponsor Verizon's Maryland operations. 'It also prioritizes community building, education and innovation.' This year's event featured conversations chock full of lessons about AI, cybersecurity preparedness, youth entrepreneurship, social media and the African diaspora. Here are just a few of them. AI is the next gold rush, but who's mining the wealth? Aaron Dante, host of the 'No Pix After Dark' podcast and 2024 Creator of the Year, recorded a live episode with guest Amen-Ra Mashariki, AI and data strategies director at Bezos Earth Fund. They explored the rapid expansion of AI and the economic opportunity for the Black community. Mashariki drew on history in words of caution about who benefits from this expansion. 'AI is the modern gold rush,' Mashariki said. 'But remember who profited the most in the gold rush — it wasn't the miners. It was the companies selling the picks and shovels.' He contrasted the infrastructure giants, or 'hyperscalers,' (OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, etc.) with the 'gold miners' who sift and refine the gold — or companies like Grammarly that build AI apps and sell to consumers. Finally, at the bottom of the supply chain lies the consumer, like a student who wants to check their writing. Mashariki stressed the importance of developing AI rather than just using it. 'As a community writ large, we're on the bottom of that supply chain,' Mashariki said to the room. 'We need to flip that paradigm and actually start playing a role.' Without Black innovators building AI businesses, the technology will continue to be controlled by a select few, leaving Black communities at a wealth disadvantage — and will likely lead to further algorithmic biases, he said. Constraints breed creativity: Lessons from DeepSeek for HBCUs Mashariki shared another mental model he hoped listeners would take away: how constraints can breed creativity. Earlier this year, the DeepSeek event rattled markets after the Chinese AI company claimed to have produced a more powerful and cost-effective model than household names like OpenAI. This initially shocked markets because it came as a surprise — due to US export controls, Nvidia was selling China less powerful chips than what was available to US companies. Mashariki compared this domestic reaction to the ways that Black people got frozen out of the US economy throughout history — and can organize in the face of these structures. 'This was, euphemistically, the US government looking to put their foot on the neck of China to keep them from gaining AI supremacy,' he said, adding: 'Think about the Black community and how the government, whether it has been local, state or federal entities, have made decisions and policies that have kept the foot on the neck of African Americans throughout history. 'China is in a position where they get garbage technology,' he went on. 'So what did the DeepSeek team do? They literally had to hotwire the cheap technology we sold them to make it even better, faster, and more capable and cheaper to use than what we were doing here.' 'If a small team out of China with inferior technology can change the world, how come we can't get Coppin, Morgan, Bowie, Lincoln [and other HBCUs] together and do the same thing?' he continued to applause from the crowd. Cybersecurity for every generation Another common theme of the summit was cybersecurity preparedness, on which panelists consistently offered advice. When asked about safeguards around data and AI, Tasha Austin-Williams, a principal at Deloitte and executive director of its AI Institute for Government, suggested strengthening data literacy, disabling voice assistants like Alexa and Siri and using 'AI sandboxes.' These sandboxes 'help us have containers that can create prototypes, and enable us to be experimental while also compliant,' she said. Thomas Byrd, VP and senior cybersecurity manager at T. Rowe Price, emphasized a more human touch. 'Be inquisitive, unplug from electronics and connect in real life,' he advised. 'Be analytical of the world.' He also suggested that different generations can fall victim to different cybersecurity threats — and that we ought to learn and teach one another. On an earlier panel, West Muhammad, a 14-year-old cybersecurity expert and Coppin State University's youngest-ever student, urged teens and adults alike to prioritize cybersecurity basics like using strong passwords with special characters, not answering unknown scam calls and verifying sources before sharing things to bigger audiences. 'Misinformation is one of the strongest ways to bring down an organization,' Muhammad said. $10k for early-stage, Black women-led ventures The Tech Summit House wrapped with cheers as founders Aalliyeh Clinton of 2025 RealLIST Startup Monneah's Engineered Materials and Angel Hobbs of Krave, each earned $5,000 by winning a pitch competition. A sizable crowd stayed around to support and hear from the emerging group of Black founders. Throughout the day, conversations kept coming back to a core message: Novel technologies and ventures can either widen the existing digital divide or offer powerful tools to close the racial wealth gap. The difference comes down to who is at the table building these technologies, and for whom. Check out some more photos to see who showed up to CIAA's table: The CIAA tournament will be held next year in Baltimore as well, returning for the sixth consecutive year, but the bidding for the 2027 tournament is currently open.
