Our Economic Inclusion team is comprised of three units: BLocal, Hopkins Local, Ward Infinity and 10,000 Small Businesses. Each unit focuses on economic and workforce development in and around Baltimore City as well as Washington DC. Click below to learn more about our work in this space!
BLocal
BLocal, Businesses Partnering for Baltimore, is a commitment by Baltimore-area businesses to leverage their collective influence to help strengthen the city and create opportunities for Baltimoreans.
Launched in 2016, the initiative was developed to further advance the commitment to Baltimore by area businesses, leveraging their collective influence to help strengthen the city and create opportunities for Baltimoreans. BLocal partners have set public goals to support city residents and local and women- and minority-owned businesses when making decisions about building, hiring, buying, and investing. Click here to learn more.
Hopkins Local
As the largest private anchor institution in Baltimore, Johns Hopkins seeks to create economic opportunities that are inclusive of diverse people and create wealth for individuals and communities. In 2015, we launched HopkinsLocal to support economic growth, employment, and investment in Baltimore. We held ourselves accountable by setting measurable three-year goals in construction, hiring, and purchasing, and we were proud to surpass our original expectations. Click here to learn more.
10,000 Small Businesses
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is an investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing greater access to education, capital, and business support services. With $750 million committed to date by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, the program has graduated 14,500 small business owners from across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in Baltimore, launched in 2017, is a co-investment between Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg Philanthropies. A consortium of higher education institutions, including the Community College of Baltimore County, Johns Hopkins University, and Morgan State University, delivers the program. Click here to learn more about joining our next cohort.
Ward Infinity
Ward Infinity is a cohort-based social entrepreneurship accelerator serving Washington, DC communities. We resource entrepreneurial teams serving DC’s historically underinvested communities to improve health, wellness, and sustainability outcomes. We provide the teams with fiscal, knowledge, and social capital in a five-month accelerator that is both supportive and challenging so they can catalyze community vibrancy. Click to learn more about Ward Infinity.