Maryland’s economic empowerment begins with its people. TEDCO recognizes the importance of making opportunity available to everyone. This vision, known as equitech, is the guiding force behind the Equitech Growth Fund, which invests in the infrastructure and talent development programs that are creating a more inclusive and resilient workforce.
TEDCO announced the first round of Equitech Growth Fund awardees in December, unveiling an award cycle that was projected to support training for more than 3,200 students studying information technology (IT), potentially place 2,500 of these students into jobs annually, and support the creation of more than 160 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs in Maryland during the first year alone.
Three of these recipients, WorkSource Montgomery, Kid Museum and the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, are actively showing how strategic investment can be transformative for Marylanders of all ages and backgrounds.
A Homegrown Talent Pipeline: The WorkSource Montgomery Story
For years, many residents of Montgomery County have watched the life sciences industry flourish from a distance, feeling a chasm between their skills and the high-wage jobs in their own backyard. WorkSource Montgomery was determined to bridge that gap. Their solution was the Bio Boot Camp, a two-week, intensive training program designed to equip individuals from underserved communities with the foundational skills needed for entry-level positions in biotechnology.
“We promote awareness of the life sciences and career pathways, and we recruit individuals to enroll in the boot camp,” shared executive director Anthony Featherstone. “Individuals who may not have a college degree, may have certain barriers… we put them in an intense short-term course where they learn the basics to biotechnology and the life sciences so that they can get their foot in the door as an entry-level worker; then they can continue to earn, learn and progress from there.”
The TEDCO Equitech Growth Fund grant enabled WorkSource Montgomery to scale its proven model, transitioning from a single pilot to a program that will now serve at least five cohorts, with the first cohort of eight participants set to begin this July. “We jumped at the opportunity,” recalls Featherstone, “Because their focus with the Equitech Growth Fund to place an emphasis on life sciences and biotechnology was in direct alignment with our Bio Bootcamp.”
The fund ensures that each participant receives a stipend, removing a significant barrier to entry. Featherstone added that wraparound support will also be available, saying, “If students need help with transportation assistance or any of the other personal infrastructure barriers that folks may have that may stop you from finishing training, getting into a job, thriving in a job, we'll be helping them out with those things as well.”
But the true power of the program lies in its direct connection to employers. Through partnerships with industry leaders like GSK and United Therapeutics, participants are not just getting a certificate—they're getting a direct line to a career.
Preparing Educators to Empower Students: The Kid Museum Story
A strong workforce starts in the classroom, where students learn to think creatively, solve problems and embrace new technologies. Kid Museum, a hands-on learning lab in Bethesda, is a national leader in this space. But the challenge they faced was how to reach more of Maryland's teachers, especially those serving high-need populations, and empower them to bring this innovative approach into their own classrooms.
“We don't have the same boundaries and restrictions that a school does,” noted managing director Annalise Phillips. “So, we're able to experiment with and explore new learning models, new projects, new technologies, new approaches to things in a way that teachers often can't in their schools. And then, when we figure out how to do it and how to make it really work, we're able to pass that along.”
TEDCO’s Equitech Growth Fund grant allowed Kid Museum to expand its "Teach for the Future" fellowship, bringing together more than 65 teachers for the 2025 program.
The ripple effect of this program is profound. The more than 65 teachers who participated will now return to their schools, bringing new skills, a renewed sense of purpose, and a wealth of digital resources to thousands of students.
Keeping Biotech in State: The F³ Tech Accelerator Program
Maryland has long been a powerhouse for biotech innovation, yet it faces a critical gap. While the state excels in research and development and has successfully attracted large industrial biomanufacturing companies to the I-270 corridor, a need for infrastructure for small- and medium-sized firms has caused promising companies to leave the state.
As executive director Mike Thielke of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center’s (ESEC) F³ Tech Accelerator Program explains, this has often led to the "evaporation" of homegrown talent after they complete accelerator programs: “After we finish working with them for six months, they leave Maryland because Maryland lacks manufacturing infrastructure in biotechnology for small and medium-sized companies.”
The F³ Tech Accelerator Program recognized the need to reverse this trend and raised a collective $1.625 million, including Equitech Growth Fund support from TEDCO, to build a new frontier for biomanufacturing on the Eastern Shore: a pilot-scale biomanufacturing facility in Easton. This 6,000 square foot facility directly addresses that critical gap, serving as a bridge for startups to scale their operations without the immense cost of building their own sites.
“There's a lot of benefit for companies to be located in a rural environment, while at the same time having that similar proximity to the federal agencies,” noted Thielke. By leveraging the unique advantages of a rural setting—including lower costs and proximity to agricultural resources—this facility is a strategic move to retain Maryland’s most promising biotech startups.
With tenants already lined up for its September 2025 opening, the ESEC isn't just building a physical space—it's building a crucial piece of infrastructure that ensures Maryland's innovation pipeline remains within the state.
Continuing to Cultivate Maryland
These success stories are the tangible results of a shared commitment to building a more competitive Maryland. By addressing the need for more diversity and inclusion in Maryland’s technology ecosystem through investing in programs that address these challenges and inspire the next generation of innovators, the Equitech Growth Fund is writing the next chapter of our state’s economic success—one person, one classroom and one opportunity at a time.
Source: Baltimore Business Journal