Member Sponsored Briefing: Supporting Youth Entrepreneurship in Baltimore Funder Focus Group

Members of Maryland Philanthropy Network are invited to this funder-specific debrief and discussion on the key findings from the Excellence in Entrepreneurial Learning (EXCEL): Equipping Baltimore Youth and Emerging Adults for Opportunity research project. The event will include a discussion about how the philanthropic community could collaboratively work to strengthen Baltimore’s youth entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

Through a partnership between Coppin State University’s (CSU) Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship and The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the EXCEL research project is a landscape analysis of entrepreneurship instructional programs in Baltimore City. This report is a follow-up project to the 2017 Casey Foundation report, "Reshaping Workforce Development in Baltimore: Ensuring Community Voice and Expertise Guide Us" which revealed that teens and young adults in Baltimore ages 16 to 29 "crave entrepreneurship and resources to build businesses that are free from discrimination and benefit their communities." 

Thirty-five organizations participated in the innovative research design, which included traditional interviews, questionnaires, and observations. These methods helped describe program models, success metrics, stakeholder value, trauma-informed approaches, and support for learners beyond launch. As CSU’s Center for Strategic Entrepreneurship thinks about next steps with this work, they are hosting Community Forums and specific stakeholder focus groups, including one for funders interested in youth entrepreneurship.  

Time: 8:30 – 10:00 AM (Breakfast from 8:30-9:00AM, Focus Group from 9-10AM) 

Location: Coppin State University, College of Business, 2500 West North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21216-3698. Parking is available in Lot B. Click here to view a map with the building location (13 PJ) circled in red. 

This briefing is sponsored by The Annie E. Casey Foundation and is for Maryland Philanthropy Network members and invited guests. Breakfast will be served.