Advertisement

Applications open for TEDCO’s Women Leaders Program

Tech people

 TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced the launch of its redesigned Institute for Women Entrepreneur Excellence, Inc. (“Institute”), a program created to address the barriers to success many women face in the entrepreneurial sector.

“Women still face challenges when navigating the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says Linda Singh, PhD, Institute for Women Entrepreneur Excellence executive director. “In fact, recent numbers showed that venture funding to women-led businesses decreased from the all-time high of 2.8 percent in 2019 to 2.3 percent in 2020. With this redesigned program, we are working to combat this decline, confront the unique trials that women entrepreneurs face and create a community of resources and support.”

The Institute will help to ensure Maryland continues its trajectory of being an inclusive leader in the innovation economy. The Institute evolved from two pilot programs—the Leading Women’s Program and the Open Institute for Black Women Entrepreneur Excellence. Within these programs, TEDCO focused on leveraging the expertise of Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as other colleges, universities, economic development centers and counties in the State. Through this expertise, the pilot programs worked to begin building an alliance of promising, diverse, and disadvantaged women entrepreneurs in Montgomery and Howard counties; the Institute will expand this mission, building on the existing alliance.

“We are excited to continue developing an inclusive community where women entrepreneurs can find various resources available to help leverage their success,” says Tammi Thomas, chief development and marketing officer at TEDCO. “With the creation of the Institute, we are expanding on the work the two pilot programs started and creating a more inclusive, supportive community that entrepreneurs throughout Maryland can rely on. Through this community, we can build on the statistic that placed Maryland at the top, having the highest rate per capita of women business owners in the U.S.”

Applications have opened for the program’s first cohort; learn more about eligibility and how to apply here.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Latest Stories...

Funding & Finance

10 Creative Ways to Secure Funding in Tough Times

Tiaera Walker — February 9, 2025

Creating a Plastic-Free Future

BamBhu Innovation — February 7, 2025

How Trump’s New Tariffs Impact Small Businesses

Tiaera Walker — February 6, 2025

Five young Black women standing with their arms around each other smiling for the camera

Black Girl Vitamins Fitness Tour Celebrates Black History Month

MBE Magazine Staff — February 5, 2025

Business trends written in yellow on a black chalkboard

2025 Business Trends Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Tiaera Walker — January 29, 2025

Brick wall with a hole in the middle and money floating in the hole

Breaking Barriers to Funding

J.R. Henry — January 29, 2025

Mosaic outlines of a diverse group of people with Why It Still Matters overlaid on it

The Future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Michele Joseph — January 29, 2025

Creating Your 2025 Marketing Plan

J.R. Henry — January 26, 2025

Advertisement