ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the public private partnership between the Howard County Economic Development Authority and tech company Fearless to support government contracting startups and small businesses in the Baltimore region. Photos from the event can be seen here.
“With the recent turmoil of the drastic cuts in the federal workforce, Howard County expanded its strong support for all small businesses and become a regional leader in assisting affected federal workers or contractors who find themselves embroiled in uncertain, tumultuous times,” said Ball. “This partnership between known industry leader Fearless and our own Maryland Innovation Center is yet another way we are helping our residents across the Baltimore region navigate the choppy waters of uncertainty.”
Founded by Howard County native Delali Dzirasa, this partnership deepens the Baltimore regional partnership with Howard County with this new satellite office at the Maryland Innovation Center in Columbia.
“Coming home to Howard County, where Fearless was founded, is a powerful reminder of our purpose,” said Delali Dzirasa, Chief Executive Officer of Fearless and Board Chair of the Fearless Institute. “It's inspiring to return to a place that continues to align with our mission and momentum. We are better together.”
The Fearless Institute, headquartered in Baltimore, has inaugurated a satellite office at the Maryland Innovation Center in Columbia to deliver mentorship, targeted programming, office hours and collaborative events to Howard County residents. This partnership will deepen the relationship the Baltimore regional partnership with Howard County.
“This partnership shows what’s possible when we come together regionally to invest in bold ideas and local talent,” said Jennifer Jones, CEO HCEDA. “We’re supporting companies and building a stronger future for our entire economy.”
Hutch is a cohort program focused on enabling GovTech companies to increase revenue and customer engagement. HCEDA will provide $5,000 scholarships for two Howard County companies- DataSyinc & Gen Y Technology- to participate in the inaugural cohort. The program is designed to build capacity in areas including branding, growth strategy, finance, staffing, culture, and service delivery. All participating MIC companies will have access to the Hutch mentor network, resources, and specialized programming during their cohort period.
“The Hutch program feels like the blueprint I’ve been missing,” said Daniel Ogbonna, DATASYINC LLC. “The GovCon world is full of invisible rules, relationships, and rhythms—and Hutch has a reputation for demystifying all of that while building a real, invested community around it. Hutch represents access, excellence, and cultural fluency in a way that few accelerators do. With Datasyinc benefiting from this accelerator program, the mission is to take utilize these resources to build out an organization that can attract and empower the most talented individuals in our community to create economic and social impact for Howard County, so it continues to thrive as one of the most attractive and sought after communities to live in the country.”
“I decided to join Hutch because Gen Y Technologies, based in Howard County, has been growing rapidly since its inception in 2015, serving clients like the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and commercial companies such as Procter & Gamble (P&G),” said Doric Chandra-sekaran, Founder & CEO Gen Y Technologies, LLC. “Our goal is to become a $5 million company in the next 3 years. Since we operate in the government contracting space, joining Hutch will provide us with the specific education, mentorship, and networking opportunities we need to navigate this sector effectively. Hutch’s resources, partnerships, and exposure will give Gen Y a better chance at achieving its growth objectives and expanding in the GovCon space.”
Additionally, HCEDA will provide up to 10 scholarships of $3,000 per Howard County Businesses or transitioning Federal Workers for participation in the Bootcamp Program.
These structured, hands-on training sessions are designed to help founders and small business leaders build the skills and strategies needed to succeed in government contracting. Topics include GovCon 101, Marketing for Gov Contractors. Participants will receive hands-on tools and templates to accelerate their preparedness for federal contracting success.
As part of its participation at the MIC, Fearless commits to offering GovCon office hours at least once per week at the MIC for a year. It will also host outreach events, provide access to mentors and programs, co-develop and co-lead workshops and provide an economic impact report at the completion of programs.
The Fearless partnership is just the latest effort by the County to support displaced federal workers. To support residents impacted by the DOGE orders, Howard County has hosted a couple of successful federal workers career fairs at HCC, attended by more than 2,500 people combined. In February, United States Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth hosted a federal workers forum at Howard Community College, drawing thousands of participants in person and online.
In March, the HCEDA hosted a Business Resource Expo to help former federal workers and government contractors connect with resources to transition to entrepreneurship.
Additionally, the County has expanded its Office of Workforce Development (OWD) services to directly help federal workers tailor their resumes and give job searching advice.