BALTIMORE — A number of local businesses now have a new home right on Light Street in downtown Baltimore.
It's all thanks to an incubator program Innovation Works created to help these businesses grow.
The Light of Baltimore Incubator at Baker Donelson was launched in 2022 in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Goldman Sachs.
As part of this initiative, Baker Donelson dedicated the entire 23rd floor of its Baltimore office at 100 Light Street as a collaborative workspace.
Many of the business never had a central office space.
“Having a headquartered space, in a place where we can have administrative offices that allows us to focus on our growth, being able to scale our business," says Nichole Francis, Founder and CEO of Elocin Global Logistics.
David Marshall, Founder of Journey to Josiah, says having this space will help to expand his business.
“Definitely given a sense of legitimacy to the organization. The organization does national work, and so to be able to be in a home that is pretty nice helps to add something pretty special to the work," says Marshall.
Thursday, Innovative Works hosted a welcome event to officially open up the new work space to the public.
Each organization offering its own unique product or service.
“To have a space where you are around creative like-minded individuals. Everybody here is doing something very special, very, very, unique. Most of it is not even been heard of to be quite frank with you, so to be in a space with individuals that are creatives that are innovators in their own way is absolutely incredible," says Marshall.
Ebonee Baker says she is proud her organization, Elocin Global Logistic, is apart of this program.
“Regardless of what the industry is, we all have the same vision as pioneers and champions to make sure Baltimore continues to grow, and so that’s encouraging, again very empowering for us," says Baker.
Each business has the opportunity to stay in their office space on Light Street for 18 months free of charge.
