Baltimore entrepreneurs have until Wednesday, June 19, to apply for Baltimore Homecoming’s Crab Tank Entrepreneurship Program.
Baltimore Homecoming mobilizes and empowers the city’s most accomplished natives and alumni from around the world to invest in the city and support its communities. They launched the Crab Tank program in 2019.
Sponsored by M&T Bank, the Crab Tank program aims to expand and uplift small- and medium-sized businesses by giving them a platform on which to showcase their work, innovations, passion, and potential in front of Baltimore’s most valued alumni. The local business owners compete for a $25,000 grand prize and a $2,500 people’s choice award.
“Baltimore Homecoming looks forward to this launch every year, which helps drive attention to Baltimore’s growing startup and technology ecosystem to amplify and support the innovative entrepreneurs who call Baltimore home,” said Mandy Snyder, Baltimore Homecoming’s executive director.
A committee composed of staff from M&T Bank, past Crab Tank Entrepreneurs, and leaders in the technology, entrepreneurship, and finance industries, will select 10 applicants on which the Baltimore community will be able to vote.
The top five entrepreneurs will pitch their businesses to an audience and a panel of business expert judges during Baltimore Homecoming’s signature event in 2025. At that event, the Crab Tank winners will be selected.
“We are proud to continue our sponsorship of Baltimore Homecoming’s Crab Tank, celebrating the ingenuity and tenacity of local entrepreneurs,” said Augie Chiasera, M&T Bank’s president for Greater Baltimore. “It is a privilege to support this program. Now in its fourth year, Crab Tank provides business owners in our community with an essential network of resources to help them thrive and make a lasting impact.”
Baltimore Homecoming utilizes two signature community engagement programs to help break down barriers to success many businesses face. The Crab Tank Entrepreneurship Program is one of them. The program pairs businesses with coaching resources, produces videos and other shareable content, and fosters one-on-one relationships between entrepreneurs and alumni. Crab Tank entrepreneurs join a network of Baltimore business leaders, gaining access to local expertise and community partners.
Past Crab Tank winners include Hiatus Cheesecake (2023 winner); WhitePaws RunMitts, a Black-owned outdoor gear company sold in REI Co-op stores that was founded by an avid runner to encourage individuals to stay active during the winter months; and Femly, a company providing healthier period care products and education through partnerships and bathroom dispensers.
“Baltimore Homecoming’s 2023 Crab Tank pitch competition came at a crucial point for our business. The prize money and support following the event allowed us to handle an increase in sales from new distributors and store expansion,” said Matthew Featherstone, founder of Hiatus Cheesecake, a Baltimore-based wholesale cheesecake manufacturing company. “We’re grateful and consider it a blessing, allowing us to find our footing and stable growth as a business.”
Learn more about each of the past Crab Tank winners by clicking this link.
Businesses interested in applying to participate in Baltimore Homecoming’s Crab Tank Entrepreneurship Program are encouraged to complete the online application by clicking this link.
