There’s a buzz in the air. At the ETC in Canton and across the harbor accelerators are fueling up. Forums like the Baltimore Tech Facebook group are abuzz with announcements, debate, and discussion. Volunteer-driven events and meetups are proliferating, and there is a flurry of activity all around us.
Change is unfolding at GBTC too. Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to become a part of GBTC’s team and I am honored to be a part of an organization with a wonderful legacy. That change also made our organization a focal point within the larger conversation about the greater Baltimore tech scene. After reading and participating in many of those discussions and reflecting on more than a decade in our community, I offer these thoughts as we turn the page to 2012...
The latter part of the 90's witnessed an explosion of dynamic young companies who thought, acted, looked, and even dressed differently from their more established brethren. As the Internet and related technologies became mainstream and began to reshape the business landscape, traditional business organizations found themselves ill-prepared to deal with these brash young upstarts who were demanding a seat at the table. New ideas called for new approaches, and groups like GBTC were born as the platform to advocate and provide for the needs of the next generation of business.
Now we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Where once GBTC was a shiny new penny, a decade later GBTC is an organization with graying temples and some of the luster replaced by a patina of years. Have we turned into our parents while the future leaders of technology move past? Are we as unprepared for the new wave of innovation as those old school associations were for us back then? It’s critical that every organization regularly reflect on its mission and reason for being, lest it fail to adapt to new paradigms and fade into irrelevance and ultimately oblivion. As a member of GBTC for nearly its entire existence, I've witnessed firsthand the incredible energy of GBTC’s team, and I and my company have benefited greatly from their efforts. Their hard work and vision have brought us to this juncture, and over that time, as the names and faces change, I find myself asking some tough questions. Does GBTC still matter? Do I still care? Do I still believe? It didn't take me long to answer those questions for myself; the Baltimore technology community matters a great deal to me, and I do believe. This is why I’m here; I refuse to stand on the sidelines and watch a proud and dynamic organization fade away. It turns out that I’m not alone in my belief that GBTC’s best days, like our region, are still ahead. There are many who believe as I do.
We are fundamentally rethinking how GBTC creates and delivers value to all constituents regardless of size, product, or service. One key aspect includes lowering barriers to access by small companies and entrepreneurs, but that is a small part of the story. The "tech community" is not just about high-tech start-ups; it is a much larger ecosystem of interdependent entities. Nothing grows, much less survives, in isolation from its surroundings. There are critical roles for companies that create and build technology, companies that buy and use technology, service providers that enable these companies to operate successfully, educational institutions and funding sources that provide the human and financial capital to fuel the engine....all must work together for a healthy ecosystem.
If you've been paying attention, you are witnessing the start of a fundamental and structural shift in Baltimore's innovation community. It may appear to be ripples on the surface to the casual observer, but underneath the waters are boiling with incredibly exciting and dynamic people, companies, movements, and ideas. To some extent, this has been the case for years, but the efforts were more isolated and it was a long hard slog through the mud to get to the finish line. Now things are happening faster; there is electricity in the air and you can feel the seismic rumblings. Accelerators and angel investors, cool new events that attract diverse and creative people with world-changing ideas, new entrepreneurs making their presence known, young companies with cool products competing and winning globally, established public and private organizations increasing their commitments to innovation and access to resources... something big is brewing.
There is less talk and more action. People at all levels are stepping up and are committing to turn their ideas into reality. I believe that we are at an inflection point and a nudge will set the dominoes in action. It requires a critical mass of people who get it and are willing to invest their time, capital, and passion to make transformation possible. You are seeing those investments being made, and that pace will only accelerate. Forget the spin and the hype, because the real story is happening all around us. All we have to do is connect the dots.
Can you see the future happening? There are many among us who do and our numbers grow daily, but it will take the active involvement of the entire community to make the future happen. The time for talking and planning has come and gone; the time for doing is now. Please join us as we make the vision of what can be reality. GBTC is all of us, and our battle cry is....ENGAGE.
Andrew Hazlett 
Last week I visited with Rob Spangler of Sizeable Spaces, a coworking space in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. At Sizeable Spaces, designers, coders, and marketing pros share offices and camaraderie in a superhero-themed row house. Rob told me about the founding and flourishing of this cheerful group of busy web workers. 
