Betamore to expand focus, create broad advisory panel

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Betamore is getting an upgrade, and the new version will try to broaden its reach from giving aid to new companies to fostering a larger environment where those companies can grow and thrive.

The Federal Hill-based incubator and education center for startups, which recently merged with the defunct nonprofit Greater Baltimore Technology Council and became a nonprofit itself, is pulling together a 40-member advisory panel to guide emerging companies, expanding its educational offerings and creating an online resource for businesses and individuals to connect.

“We’re trying to create a group that comes from the best of the best of Baltimore,” said Betamore CEO Jen Meyer about the advisory board, which will include investors, educators, business leaders and experienced entrepreneurs, she said.

“We believe there’s got to be a community around these early-stage startups,” Meyer said.

The board will be chaired by investor and former T. Rowe Price executive John Cammack, and board members include Christy Wyskiel, who oversees the commercialization of new inventions for Johns Hopkins University, and state Sen. Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore City.

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity,” Ferguson said. “Betamore represents the type of investments in the new, innovation economy that are critical for the city’s future.”  The advisory board is made up of people who will hopefully have some ability to influence the city’s economy, he said.

Ferguson said his position on the board would give him the chance to hear from more people on the ground and gain a better understanding of what policies would help them and their businesses succeed, he said.

Another facet of Betamore’s expansion is the free networking website Baltimore Tech, which aims to help businesses and individuals to connect and “drive offline interactions,” according to its mission statement. Users can search the site’s membership by area of expertise, such as design, investment, or public relations, and their role in their respective companies.

“We want to make sure everyone here can can have their own voice,” Meyer said.

Baltimore Tech also aggregates news related to technology and business in Baltimore, offers a list of upcoming tech events, and allows employers to advertise open jobs.

Betamore is also expanding its selection of classes into a year-round educational program focusing on technology, business and design, Meyer said.

In recent months, Betamore has offered workshops in getting grant funding, programming, and web advertising, among other topics.

The brainchild of co-founders Mike Brenner and Greg Cangialosi, Betamore opened as a collaborative work space for tech entrepreneurs in late 2012, and its decision to incorporate classes set it apart from other incubators, Brenner told The Daily Record at the time.

The incubator is currently at capacity with 37 companies, Meyer said. For now, Betamore has no plans for a physical expansion, she said.