Baltimore Together Summit 2025 to Focus on Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy
The Baltimore Development Corporation's fourth annual summit will showcase progress in closing racial wealth gaps and building an equitable economy through public-private partnerships and community investment strategies.
The Baltimore Development Corporation has opened registration for the 2025 Baltimore Together Summit, scheduled for October 27 at the M&T Bank Exchange. Now in its fourth year, the event brings together city leaders, business owners, community partners, and residents to assess Baltimore's economic progress and plan future initiatives. The summit serves as a key component of Baltimore's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which focuses on building an inclusive economy by addressing racial wealth disparities, investing in underserved communities, and supporting local businesses.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott emphasized the intentional approach required for inclusive growth, stating that every decision must reflect Baltimore's diverse population and drive development across all neighborhoods. The 2025 Progress Report and updated Implementation Matrix, to be released at the summit, will document key achievements from the past year and outline next steps for the city's economic strategy. This documentation provides measurable accountability for the initiative's goals.
This year's summit features a condensed opening day program with three panel discussions examining Baltimore's economic advancement. Panels will explore public-private partnership models for development, new investment opportunities, support mechanisms for local businesses, and insights from companies recently choosing Baltimore for expansion. Featured speakers include Affan Sheikh of Hayat Brown, MacKenzie Garvin from the Mayor's Office of Employment Development, Eivind Dueland of Amber Infrastructure, Augie Chiasera of M&T Bank, and Mayor Scott himself.
Throughout the week following the main event, neighborhood workshops will highlight specific economic drivers, including community investment strategies, commercial district revitalization, Baltimore's growing music sector, and local economy strengthening techniques. These sessions offer practical engagement opportunities for participants to contribute directly to shaping Baltimore's economic future. Last year's summit attracted over 1,100 attendees and more than 815 livestream participants, demonstrating significant community interest in inclusive economic planning.
Otis Rolley, president and CEO of the BDC, described Baltimore Together as the organization's guiding strategy for city growth, emphasizing the consistent pursuit of equity in every investment and program. The initiative aims to ensure that business demographics mirror Baltimore's population and that economic pathways remain accessible to all residents. Major sponsors supporting this year's event include Bloomberg Philanthropies, CFG Bank, M&T Bank, BGE, WNADA, Johns Hopkins University, T. Rowe Price, Continental Realty Corp., CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Registration is available through the official event website at BaltimoreTogether.com.