Startup Maryland's 'Pitch Bus' Visits UMBC

What do you do if you're an entrepreneur with an idea that might set the world on fire—and no way to reach partners, venture capitalists or potential customers?

Startup Maryland is a statewide initiative that helps entrepreneurs and innovators bring their ideas to fruition with the Pitch Across Maryland bus, a vehicle equipped with a studio to help business people make video "pitches."

The Pitch Across Maryland bus made a stop at bwtech@UMBC, the incubator complex adjacent to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County on Sept. 19.

"We want to put the spotlight on entrepreneurs, to give them a bigger megaphone," said Startup Maryland co-chair Mike Binko. "You never know who's out there—a partner or investor who can help you get to the next level."

Ten entrepreneurs were selected to make pitch videos during the stop at UMBC. Startup Maryland is sponsoring a contest on Youtube for participants to vote on the best ideas and the best pitches, said Julie Lenzer Kirk, co-chair of Startup Maryland.

"We're helping to bring resources together," she said.

Gov. Martin O'Malley was on hand to welcome the bus at UMBC.

"Here in Maryland, we have tremendous assets and a tremendous amount of talented people who are creating the new ways to figure out not only how to feed, fuel and heal this world of ours, but how to create jobs in the process of addressing those challenges we face," O'Malley said.

Bwtech@UMBC is a complex with more than 90 young and emerging companies that employ about 1,500 people, and includes technology, cybersecurity and life sciences businesses.