Office of Economic Development

About Our Office

The USM Office of Economic Development was founded in 2016 to promote technology commercialization, workforce development, entrepreneurship and partnerships among USM institutions and private and public sector organizations toward the ultimate goal of economic development. We leverage our economic and venture development experience to tackle important issues collaboratively with our stakeholders and ecosystem partners. We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion across all of these activities.

We report to the USM Board of Regents Committee on Economic Development and Technology Commercialization. See the latest materials presented to that group to learn more about our current activities.

Explore USM Resources for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

The University System of Maryland provides entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses with resources - you don’t have to be a student or faculty member to access them! Six expansive resources are below:

I-Corps, which trains entrepreneurs in customer discovery to uncover market potential
Maryland Technical Internship Program (MTIP), which provides reimbursement for interns
Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS), which provides funding for university-based research projects that help the companies develop new products.
$10M Maryland Momentum Fund, which invests in USM-related startups
TU's StarTUp Accelerator, which provides mentoring, space, and a $10k prize to accepted ventures
SU's Shore Hatchery, which provides up to $200,000 annually in prize money via fall and spring business plan competitions

The University System of Maryland and our institutions are proudly part of the state-wide Maryland Entrepreneur Hub, which enables innovators, startup founders, and small business owners to find and connect with the right resources for their business, including investors, universities, mentoring programs, networking groups, training programs, and more.

USM-specific Maryland Entrepreneurship Hub information is linked below:

Name	Location	See Resources
Bowie State University	Bowie, MD	See Resources
Coppin State University	Baltimore, MD	See Resources
Frostburg State University	Frostburg, MD	See Resources
Salisbury University	Salisbury, MD	See Resources
Towson University	Towson, MD	See Resources
University of Baltimore	Baltimore, MD	See Resources
University of Maryland, Baltimore	Baltimore, MD	See Resources
University of Maryland, Baltimore County	Baltimore County, MD	See Resources
University of Maryland, College Park	College Park, MD	See Resources
University of Maryland Eastern Shore	Princess Anne, MD	See Resources
University of Maryland Global Campus	Headquarters in Adelphi, MD	See Resources
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science	Headquarters in Cambridge, MD	See Resources
University System of Maryland	Adelphi, MD	See Resources

Connect with the USM

We connect large companies, small businesses, startups, and other ventures to the USM.

Quick Economic Impact Stats

42,000 USM graduates annually
38,000+ USM employees
5,950 jobs at USM Research Parks
Over 1,000 startups and small businesses supported since 2012
Annual Snapshot
- $1B research activity
- 85 patents issued
- 65 technology licenses and options
- 20 spinouts based on USM technology
- 40 companies joining USM incubators/research parks
Learn More

About Our Team

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Lindsay Ryan
Venture Development Director
lryan@usmd.edu
410.576.5730
410.409.2236 (cell)

Lindsay came to the USM after establishing and running a USM-affiliated incubator. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial researchers. Her work spans all industry sectors. She started her career at the National Science Foundation in the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships, home to innovation and startup grant funding programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research and I-CorpsTM programs. Lindsay is an Advisory Board Member for the Capital Region chapter of the non-profit Women In Bio and a Board Member at the Maryland Business Innovation Association and Innov8MD.

Broido Johnson - Managing Director of the Maryland Momentum Fund

Claire Broido Johnson
Managing Director, Momentum Fund
cbjohnson@usmd.edu
410.706.3361

Claire Broido Johnson brings almost 25 years of senior operations, finance, and startup experience across industries to the USM. The Founder of CBJ Energy, LLC, a full-service energy consultancy firm, Claire also co-founded SunEdison in 2003. By 2015, SunEdison had grown to be the world’s largest solar energy services provider with a $10 billion market capitalization and 7,200 employees. In 2009, she joined the Department of Energy (DOE), serving as Energy Efficiency Advisor to the Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. While at the DOE, she managed the Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs and was responsible for deploying an $11 billion stimulus package. Claire is an investor in companies and participates in the Baltimore Angels and Blu Ventures investment groups. She is an Advisory Board member of Betamore, and routinely judges regional business plan contests. She currently sits on the board for the Living Classrooms Foundation. Claire is appointed as a University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) employee and is based out of the UMB campus.

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