Why This Matters — Beyond the dollars

In January, TEDCO named AIN Ventures to deploy part of its SSBCI funding — specifically a $10 million allocation meant for early-stage, deep-tech, and veteran-led startups.

But let’s look closer: if this money is channeled into Black-led and Black-serving ventures in Baltimore, Prince George’s, and DC, the ripple effects could be huge.

Dollars + Design = Real Economic Gain

We’re not talking theoretical points — here’s how this plays out:

• Jobs and ownership: Early-stage funding boosts startup hiring, and Black leadership means more opportunities for Black professionals in tech.

• Community wealth building: Equity investments create real asset ownership — translating investor portfolios into community legacies.

• Ecosystem growth: Local VC success attracts further capital into the DMV region, lifting everyone’s game.

Why This Is Bigger Than Startup Cash

Early-stage capital still fails Black founders.
Most Black-led startups get under 1% of VC funding nationally. Maryland’s ABC could tip that — strategically aim for 30–50% of AIN’s pipeline to come from Black-led or Black-serving startups.

SSI funds aren’t loans — they’re equity vehicles.
That means returning capital doesn’t go straight to banks — it gets reused in new businesses. It’s a cycle of reinvestment in our people.

AIN’s founder network includes veterans — and often overlaps with underserved communities.
That alignment supports access and mentorship. When Black female or veteran-led founding teams get advisory, they stand a better shot at survival.

What Black Communities Should Do

• Black entrepreneurs: Monitor TEDCO’s SSBCI programs and join webinars or pitch efforts early.

• HBCUs and incubators: Partner with TEDCO + AIN to co-host demo days focused on Black tech.

• Community leaders: Urge state reps to require equity targets in SSBCI deployments — this is taxpayer capital, after all.

Final Thought

$10 million may not solve everything. But channeled right, it’s not charity — it’s investment in Black innovation, and in Maryland’s future. 

When public funding supports Black founders — not just token events — we don’t just survive.

We own the ecosystem.

And that’s the type of turnaround worth funding.