The Grid, a partnership between University of Maryland Ventures and the University of Maryland Graduate School, is an innovation space where students, entrepreneurs, faculty, and staff connect to bring innovative health and social impact ideas to life through education, early-stage funding, and programming.
While the Grid’s resources are primarily focused on supporting members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore community, there are resources that are free and open to the public. If you are interested in starting your own business or growing your existing business, you can make an appointment with a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) consultant. The consultant can help you strengthen your business plan, receive financing, and connect you with free or low cost courses from the SBDC. Reach out to Bill Freeman to make an appointment. The University of Maryland’s Carey School of Law also offers free services to the public from its Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic. If you are seeking legal advice and assistance, set up an appointment to visit them during their Grid business hours. Finally, the Grid offers educational programming centered on entrepreneurship in the life sciences. Courses range from topics such as customer discovery to paper and technical prototyping and are held during the fall and spring semesters.