New board appointees exemplify Maryland’s innovative spirit
COLUMBIA, Md., (May 19, 2025) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced two new Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) Board of Directors appointees. Carol Washington, president and CEO of UTech Consulting LLC, and Francesca Ioffreda, chief innovation officer for the State of Maryland. Washington was appointed to the board by House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, while Ioffreda was appointed by Governor Wes Moore’s administration, thereby bringing the program’s board of directors to capacity.
The MII is a collaboration between the State of Maryland and five of Maryland’s academic research institutions – Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, Baltimore and University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The intent of the collaboration is to bring promising technologies with significant potential from the research laboratories to the commercial sector. This process is done through technology validation, market assessment and the creation of startup companies.
“MII has seen nearly 13 years of success and we are excited to continue moving forward with a fully slated board,” said Renée Winsky, chair of the MII Board of Directors. “Carol and Francesca’s appointments are sure to aid us in uplifting innovation and research throughout Maryland.”
Recently, this collaborative effort expanded to include two comprehensive universities, Frostburg State University and Bowie State University, as well as an expansion into Baltimore through the Baltimore Innovation Initiative (BII) Pilot Program. These pilot programs allow MII to further its reach and bring more innovative research to the market.
“I am pleased to welcome Carol and Francesca to the MII Board,” said Abi Kulshreshtha, MII executive director. “With more than $58 million invested in the Maryland ecosystem, nearly 400 jobs created and supported, and a revenue generation of $9 million in FY24, we look forward to building on our success with Carol and Francesca’s contributions and expertise.”
A full list of the MII Board of Directors includes board chair Renée Winsky, Bay One Group, LLC; Christina DeMur, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures; Francesca Ioffreda, State of Maryland; Wendy Martin, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Mary Morris, University of Maryland, Baltimore; Kenneth Porter, University of Maryland, College Park; Wayne Swann, Morgan State University; and Carol Washington, UTech Consulting, LLC.
Renée Winsky is the president and founder of Bay One Group, LLC, a firm that assists clients with a variety of subject matters, including leadership development, non-profit governance and management, economic development, government relations and advocacy, technology transfer and commercialization, university collaborations and partnering, entrepreneurship and small business start-ups.
Christina DeMur is a director of Technology Development at Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) with a focus on healthcare and med-tech. She manages a team focused on scouting high-value research and supporting innovators through the commercialization process while supporting faculty researchers across the commercialization pathways with the ultimate goals of success through licensing industry sponsored research or start-ups.
Francesca Ioffreda is Maryland’s first chief innovation officer, appointed by Governor Wes Moore. She leads the nation’s first Bloomberg Philanthropies-supported state-level innovation team, advancing the Governor’s top priorities through data- and community-centered approaches and cross-sector strategy and collaboration.
Wendy Martin is director of the Office of Technology Development (OTD) and has focused on building a culture conducive to establishing and attracting new companies and strengthening University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s external partnerships throughout the state. Under her leadership, OTD has developed and implemented several new initiatives that emphasize innovation and commercialization, including the establishment of the Technology Catalyst Fund (TCF), which provides $100,000 per year to advance innovations originating from UMBC research toward more commercially viable technologies.
Mary Morris has fostered economic development and technology across Maryland at the local, regional and state levels for more than 20 years. She is an experienced entrepreneur with a background in technology development, entrepreneurship, marketing, strategic planning and public policy. Mary is the director of the Baltimore Fund, a financial incentive that encourages technology companies affiliated with Maryland public higher education institutions to locate and grow in Baltimore City.
Kenneth Porter is the director of UM Ventures, College Park and leads a team of dedicated professionals who serve faculty, staff and students at the University of Maryland at College Park. UM Ventures, College Park, manages the University IP portfolio, engages corporate partners for research, supports faculty startups and provides experiential learning opportunities for students.
Wayne Swann brings over 50 years of experience as a researcher, technology transfer professional and entrepreneur. He uses his skills and experience to provide strategic vision to position the office to foster innovation, economic development and generate revenue streams from licensing of intellectual property developed by faculty, staff and students at Morgan. Wayne's guidance facilitates and oversees the process of technology transfer at Morgan, including assessment, patent protection, licenses, commercialization of innovations and start-up companies.
Carol Washington is the president and CEO of UTech Consulting LLC, an IT and Management Consulting firm focused on strategic enterprise optimization to enable sustainable growth. She has over two decades of experience leading operational transformation and innovative change across government and commercial sectors. With deep expertise in business strategy, program management and technology integration, she has delivered mission-critical solutions that drive performance and create lasting impact.
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