BERLIN – Local officials used a visit from the Startup Maryland bus to bring attention to entrepreneurs and their importance to the economy this week.
The bright yellow Startup Maryland bus, an initiative to help small business owners launch their projects on a larger level, spent the second day of its statewide tour in Berlin. Area entrepreneurs had the chance to pitch their projects while representatives from Startup Maryland visited two popular Berlin businesses, Burley Oak Brewery and the Blacksmith restaurant.
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams welcomed the bus and its crew to the town he said was devoted to cultivating the jobs of the 21st century. He said unique and innovative businesses had played a role in town’s renaissance.
“It all starts with a vibrant and innovative economy,” he said.
Representatives of the Startup Maryland program, which is in its fourth year, travel the state providing entrepreneurs with the chance to pitch their ideas on camera. A two-four minute video of them describing their idea is uploaded through the Pitch across Maryland competition. Entries are viewed by investors and resource providers from throughout the state.
Mike Binko, founder and CEO of Startup Maryland, says it’s a way for entrepreneurs from little places like Berlin to get their ideas in front of a larger audience.
“The spotlight is on the entrepreneurs,” he said. “We want to bring those stories back with us.”
Toby Gilbert of Gilbert’s Provisions was one of those who stepped onto the bus Monday to create a video clip.
“I just explained my background with food and the evolution of where I wanted to go with my shop,” he said, adding that he had plans to eventually expand into wholesaling.
Merry Mears, economic development director for Worcester County, praised the Startup Maryland program.
“It’s a huge opportunity for local entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas,” she said. “It’s their hard work, their vision, their motivation, their dedication and their talent that helps the Worcester County economy remain vibrant, strong and open for business.”
Sen. Jim Mathias also spoke on the benefits of the program and its use of YouTube to publicize ideas. He said he wished there’d been programs like that when he was in the small business field decades ago.
“It was a little different back in the 1970s,” Mathias joked.
He said supporting small business was critical to keeping jobs in the area for local graduates, many of whom are forced to leave the shore to find employment.
“We want to make sure opportunities are here so they can stay here,” he said.
Lee Kirwan of Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) — a company providing funding and networking resources for start-up companies — said Startup Maryland was a way to find entrepreneurs with unusual ideas and help nurture them.
“We find the people that need help,” Kirwan said. “The bus is a way of bringing attention to this.”
Binko said his group was looking forward to exploring Berlin. Stops were being made at Burley Oak and the Blacksmith because they provided good examples of local sourcing.
“We’re delighted to see what we can absorb here in Berlin,” he said.
