Baker Donelson, a national law firm, today announced the launch of The Light of Baltimore Incubator at Baker Donelson, a partnership with Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, to support HopkinsLocal businesses and other area local small businesses. As part of the program, Baker Donelson has donated the entire 23rd floor of its Baltimore office, located at 100 Light Street, to a diverse group of 26 small Baltimore businesses in a wide variety of industries. A press conference with Mayor Scott will be held at 2:30 p.m. on October 11 to formally introduce the partnership.
The partnership arose from a brainstorming phone call between Jennifer Curry, managing shareholder of Baker Donelson's Baltimore office, and Alicia Wilson, vice president of Economic Development and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Health System. During the call, they talked about how to partner in a creative way to drive transformational change for Baltimore, its residents, and its small businesses. As law school classmates and now leaders in their respective institutions, they strategized about how to leverage the investments of their respective institutions for that goal.
In addition to providing physical office space, Baker Donelson will provide free resources to support members of the incubator, including mentorship and leadership, as well as education sessions on various areas of law such as labor and employment, intellectual property, technology, cybersecurity, venture capital, contracts, and more. The goal is to provide ongoing opportunities for participants to learn about various business and legal practices that will help them on their business journeys.
As part of Baker Donelson's commitment to create and support a diverse workforce, members of the incubator will be included in Baker Donelson's Women's Initiative program and will have the opportunity to get involved in the Firm's DEI activities.
"We're thrilled to be partnering with Baker Donelson. Baker Donelson's commitment to utilizing its resources to uplift the best of Baltimore is exceptional. We are so proud to be able to extend this wonderful opportunity to small businesses that are anchoring our community in so many ways. This is truly a win-win for everyone involved," said Ms. Wilson of Johns Hopkins.
Ms. Curry of Baker Donelson added, "This partnership underscores Baker Donelson's commitment to Baltimore City and our innovative approach to creating strategic partnerships. This diverse group of 30 businesses are future leaders of the Baltimore City business community, and we are excited to create programs to help them succeed. Baker Donelson is committed to providing opportunities for our neighbors to grow and thrive, and we're proud to play a leadership role in the revitalization of our city."
About Baker Donelson (www.bakerdonelson.com)
Baker Donelson is a national law firm with more than 650 attorneys and public policy advisors representing more than 30 practice areas to serve a wide range of legal needs. Clients receive knowledgeable guidance from experienced, multi-disciplined industry and client service teams, all seamlessly connected across 23 offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
About Johns Hopkins University Office of Economic Development (www.jhu.edu)
The Johns Hopkins Office of Economic Development and Community Partnerships vision paves the way for communities in and around the Hopkins enterprise to achieve their greatest potential and attain a better quality of life by increasing access to diverse, equitable, and lucrative opportunities.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies (www.bloomberg.org)
Bloomberg Philanthropies works to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people by focusing on five key areas: the arts, education, the environment, government innovation, and public health.
Encompassing all of Mike Bloomberg's giving, Bloomberg Philanthropies includes his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works with mayors in cities around the world.
About Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (www.10ksbapply.com)
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is an investment to help small businesses grow and create jobs by providing them with greater access to education, capital, and business support services. To date, more than 12,800 business owners have graduated from the program across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. 10,000 Small Businesses was launched in Baltimore through a co-investment with Bloomberg Philanthropies and is delivered in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, and the Community College of Baltimore County.