Community Connect 9 | The State of the Innovation Ecosystem

Join us for the Community Connect, Montgomery College’s signature biotech networking event hosted by the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science + Technology (PIC MC).

OVERVIEW

A look back at 2026 - and look ahead for 2027.

Maryland’s innovation economy didn’t stand still in 2026. It reorganized.

Federal employment contracted. Capital stayed cautious. And yet companies kept choosing Maryland: building here, hiring here, and betting on what this state can become. Across the state’s lighthouse sectors (life sciences and healthcare, cybersecurity, quantum, and aerospace), decisions made this year will shape the next decade of this economy. Most didn’t make headlines. All of them matter.

This morning is where we make sense of it together: what actually moved, where Maryland stands right now, and what it will take to grow in 2027.

Join us for:

The state view. The Maryland Economic Development Corporation opens the morning with where the state is investing, from grants to RISE Zones, and how that investment maps to Maryland’s lighthouse sectors.

A lighthouse sector panel. One leader from each sector on what really happened in 2026, the pain points still in the way, and what Maryland needs to get right in 2027. No pom-poms, just straight talk.

Networking all morning with the founders, operators, investors, and partners building Maryland’s innovation economy.

Join us to celebrate the progress this community made, and to close out the year the way it deserves: together.

AGENDA

Stay for the whole program or drop in at your convenience. Networking will be ongoing throughout the morning.

8:00 AM — Registration + Networking

9:00 AM — Welcome + Open Remarks

9:05 AM — The State of Maryland's Innovation Economy

How Maryland’s innovation economy changed in 2026, where it stands now, and what comes next. A look at the trends shaping growth across the state, including capital, talent, infrastructure, and policy, and what they mean for founders, companies, and partners planning for 2027.

Featuring:

Nick Henninger-Ayoub, CEcD, Director of Program Development, Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO)

9:20 AM — Beyond the Headlines: Maryland’s Lighthouse Sectors [Panel]

Leaders from each of Maryland’s lighthouse sectors on the decisions that defined 2026, and what it will take to grow here in 2027.

Life Sciences & Healthcare: How biotech companies and health innovators built, hired, and raised through a cautious capital market.

Cybersecurity: What shifting federal priorities meant for one of Maryland’s defining industries, and how the sector is adapting.

Quantum: Why Maryland is positioned to lead, and what the ecosystem needs to turn research strength into companies and jobs.

Aerospace: How Maryland’s aerospace and defense companies navigated shifting federal support, and how new technology is reshaping what they build.

Featuring:

Reza Mirabrishami, AI & Cybersecurity Specialist & Educator, CEO & Founder, Prime Mind Academy

Josh Watters, VP of Tactical Systems, Hughes Network Systems

Corey Stambaugh, Director, Capital of Quantum

Moderated by ​Thomas Luginbill, Executive Director, PIC MC at Montgomery College

10:00 AM — Networking

THE VENUE

HIGH TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE CENTER

Montgomery College’s Germantown Campus anchors the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology (PIC MC), where industry operates side by side with students. It’s home to Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Hughes Network Systems’ 140,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility, the first of its kind on a U.S. community college campus. The High Technology & Science Center houses Globe Hall, classrooms, and specialized technical spaces built for hands-on science and technology education.

To learn more, visit montgomerycollege.edu.

PARTNERS

HOLY CROSS GERMANTOWN HOSPITAL

Montgomery College is the only community college in the U.S. with a full-scale hospital on campus, providing unparalleled real-world learning opportunities.

To learn more, visit holycrosshealth.org or follow them on LinkedIn.

HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS

An EchoStar company delivering broadband and network services to millions globally.

To learn more, visit hughes.com.

GERMANTOWN INNOVATION CENTER

Montgomery County's incubator in partnership with Montgomery College featuring premier office and laboratory space for life science companies.

To learn more, visit montgomerycountymd.gov.

BIOTRAIN

A workforce partnership shaping the region’s biotech talent pipeline.

To learn more, visit montgomerycollege.edu.

BIO-TRAC

Over 17,000 Scientists Trained • 300 Scientist InstructorsOpen to the scientific community, each Bio-Trac® workshop is designed by active researchers for bench and research scientists with focus on the latest relevant techniques necessary for laboratory research. Bio-Trac clients represent every major sector of the biotechnology industry and include attendees from across the globe.

Our 30+ year wealth of relationship capital and program management expertise enable us to develop, implement and deliver training on up-to-the-minute relevant innovations in biotechnology.

To learn more, visit biotrac.com.