maryland
(5)
The Government Contractor That Changed Its Mind
Applied Development began as an IT company. Then its founders noticed a harder, more human problem: access is rarely one big barrier - it is a hundred small frictions nobody owns.
The Baltimore Firm That Waits for the Boring Part
For 35 years, a growth-equity shop outside Baltimore has skipped the seed-stage lottery and bought into companies once they already work - then rolled up its sleeves.
Giant Food
For 90 years Giant Food has run the same play in the same four zip-code clusters: know the Beltway shopper better than anyone from out of town ever could.
Allswell
Allswell is a queer-founded, community-first mental health company delivering virtual, affirming therapy for LGBTQ+ adults. It pairs clients with licensed therapists trained in LGBTQ+-affirming care and evidence-based modalities (CBT, CPT, EMDR, DBT, IFS), and blends one-on-one video sessions with peer groups and community spaces. Live in Maryland and in-network with Medicaid and major insurers, Allswell raised $1.3M in pre-seed funding led by Amboy Street Ventures to close longstanding gaps in mental health care for queer people.
Compost Crew
Compost Crew is a Rockville, Maryland-based organics recycling company that collects food scraps from homes, businesses, schools and local governments across the Greater Washington (DMV) area and turns them into nutrient-rich compost. Founded in 2011 and acquired by CEO Ben Parry in 2018, the company has grown from three trucks into a regional operation that has diverted tens of thousands of tons of food waste from landfills. Operating a network of distributed 'Compost Outposts' in partnership with local farms, Compost Crew aims to make food waste recycling a mainstream, everyday habit while rebuilding regional soil health.