Baltimore Homecoming Announces Finalists For Annual Crab Tank Pitch Competition

Baltimore Homecoming, an organization engaging accomplished Baltimore natives and alumni and mobilizing new partnerships, investments and collaborations in the city, has announced the five startup founders who will compete for a chance to win $25,000 in the second annual Crab Tank pitch competition at Amplify 2022, the organization’s three-day event taking place May 4-6, 2022.  

Crab Tank was established to spotlight small to medium businesses, startups and entrepreneurs in Baltimore. The competition, sponsored by M&T Bank, provides local business owners an opportunity to compete for the $25,000 grand prize and $2,500 people’s choice award.  

“A big part of Baltimore Homecoming is celebrating our growing startup and small business community,” said Robbin Lee, Baltimore Homecoming’s executive director. “We’re excited to hear from these entrepreneurs and provide an opportunity where they can share their companies with business and community leaders, potential investors and clients.” 

The following startups will pitch their businesses to a panel of high-profile judges with backgrounds in business and technology, and over 100 prominent Baltimore alumni at the event:   

  • Astek Diagnosticsa medical device company founded by Chief Executive Officer Mustafa Al-Adhami, PhD, has developed a platform for rapid antibiotic sensitivity testing. Every year, 1.7 million Americans are evaluated for sepsis – and too many die while waiting days for the correct antibiotic. Astek’s platform determines antibiotic sensitivity in one hour. 
  • BrickRose Exchange, founded by Pulitzer Prize winning Bianca J. Jackson, is a collaborative meeting space that engages audiences in-person and virtually in the Metaverse. With BrickRose Exchange, Jackson combined her experience managing mobile, web, and Metaverse projects for local Fortune 500 companies with a goal to transform Baltimore and communities beyond through live/hybrid events.  
  • EcoMap, co-founded by Chief Executive Officer Pava LaPere and Chief Operating Officer Sherrod Davis, creates data-driven platforms that help groups, spanning local organizations to tech-giants, navigate ecosystems from entrepreneurial communities, industry groups, corporate networks and beyond. LaPere and Davis started EcoMap with the belief that information needs to be accessible to have equitable outcomes.
  • RunMitts, LLC, one of two Black-owned outdoor gear companies in the United States, is an e-commerce company that sells patented mittens and other gear invented for runners, walkers and outdoor enthusiasts online and at REI. RunMitts Founder and Inventor Susan Clayton is an avid runner and started this company to encourage individuals like her to stay active during the winter months.  
  • The Cube Cowork founded by Dr. Jammira Lucas is the largest Black woman-owned coworking space in the United States that provides on-site babysitting services, business-building resources, meeting rooms and private office space rental. Dr. Lucas is a strong advocate for women in business, especially moms, having also co-founded the National Association of Mom Entrepreneurs which provides advocacy, support and resources for mom entrepreneurs. 

 “It’s a pleasure to once again invest in the Crab Tank pitch competition supporting the entrepreneurs who make up the fabric of our city,” said Augie Chiasera, M&T’s regional president for Greater Baltimore. “It’s through their dedication and innovation that the Baltimore business community is able to thrive and serve as a great place to work, live and play.”  

The following business leaders, and others to be confirmed, will serve as judges and select the grand prize winner: Mac Conwell, founder and managing partner of Rarebreed Ventures, a Baltimore venture capital firm for “pre-seed” stage businesses who may be overlooked by traditional firms; Jason Murphy, founder of Murphy Enterprise, Baltimore native and retired NFL player turned entrepreneur invested in community impact, workforce development, vendor/supplier inclusion and sustainability; and, Dave Troy, chief executive officer of 410 Labs, a maker of subscription email tools, and founder of Baltimore Angels, a regional angel investment group focused on early-stage investments in technology.   

The finalists were selected through an application process, reviewed by Homecoming host committee members, community advisors and previous Crab Tank participants. The 2019 winner Arion Long, Founder of Femly, credits the competition with enabling the creation of the company’s first prototype for its proprietary feminine hygiene dispenser.   

About Baltimore Homecoming, Inc. 

Baltimore Homecoming, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization designed to gather Baltimore’s most accomplished natives and alumni from around the U.S. and the world to spark new partnerships, investments and collaborations; make connections to the city’s next generation of innovators, artists, activists and community leaders; and to reawaken and deepen our personal ties to the city. Founded by Nate Loewentheil and JM Schapiro, who serve respectively as President & Chair of the Board and Board Treasurer, Baltimore Homecoming engages the professional community through its Board of Directors which includes Loewentheil, Schapiro, Rachel Bendit, Michael Chesser, chairman emeritus of Great Plains Energy, Michael Fader, vice president of MileOne Holdings, Josepha Hendler, Ganesha Martin, consultant, Anthony Moag, COO of Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Chip Wendler, vice president of strategic distribution initiatives for T. Rowe Price, and Brittany Young, founder and CEO of B-360. More information is available at baltimorehomecoming.com.    

About M&T Bank 

M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.