BALTIMORE, MD — The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) and Johns Hopkins University and Medicine announced today that management of the BLocal program is transitioning from Johns Hopkins to GBC. BLocal is a successful economic impact initiative, co-led by Johns Hopkins since 2016 to support local hiring, procurement, and investment in the Baltimore Region. As part of this transition, the GBC will undertake a feasibility study—supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation—to shape the next phase of BLocal’s evolution and long-term success.
BLocal took the goals of HopkinsLocal – a commitment by Hopkins to build, buy, hire, and invest locally – and expanded that framework to the region’s broader business community in support of committing to similar investments throughout more of Baltimore. Originally co-chaired by Johns Hopkins and BGE, BLocal committed more than $69 million in its initial three years to invest in Baltimore City businesses and residents. Between 2016 and 2021, BLocal’s 24 partners spent over $1.4 billion on goods and services from local businesses and hired more than 4,000 Baltimore City residents.
In this new phase, BLocal will be combined with the work of the Baltimore Integration Partnership (BIP), which was established in 2011 with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and other philanthropic partners, and brought together anchor institutions, government stakeholders, funders and nonprofits to embed economic inclusion in institutional practices across the city.
“After nearly a decade of leadership, commitment and collaboration, we are pleased to see BLocal advancing into its next phase. Since its inception, our goal was simple: how can we partner together to do better for Baltimore? We’re proud to have played a role in its beginnings and are equally proud to support the transition alongside GBC as we continue our commitment as a BLocal member institution,” said Maria Harris Tildon, Vice President of Government, Community and Economic Partnerships for Johns Hopkins University and Medicine.
“BIP and BLocal demonstrated the transformative impact that business-led, place-based investments can make when done with intention and collaboration,” said Mark Anthony Thomas, President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. “GBC’s role as the region’s hub for economic development makes us uniquely positioned to lead this organization’s next chapter—aligning partners, policy and capital to deepen opportunity and prosperity for Baltimore’s communities.”
With renewed growth and investment in the Baltimore region, the business community has expressed strong interest in relaunching and expanding these efforts. GBC is stepping forward to reimagine and integrate the work of both initiatives into a single, modernized platform under the BLocal brand. The relaunch of BLocal aligns directly with the GBC’s Multi-Year Agenda, which includes 12 strategic priorities to drive inclusive economic growth across the region. Central to this agenda is the goal of strengthening local hiring pipelines, supporting small and locally-owned businesses and advancing access to economic opportunity.
The feasibility study will be led in partnership with an independent consultant and is designed to examine learnings from prior initiatives, establish goals, and provide recommendations for how best to structure and sustain a renewed BLocal for long-term impact. The study’s first six months will focus on standing up a “hire local” initiative, which is aimed at developing pathways for more readily connecting the region’s skilled and flexible workforce with major employers. GBC hopes to phase in three additional pillars—Buy Local, Invest Local, and Live Local—in subsequent years.
“GBC serves as a strong and respected independent table and is well positioned to engage major employers, anchor institutions, government stakeholders, workforce partners and the small business community to understand current and future hiring and purchasing needs,” said Kurt Sommer, former Director of the Baltimore Integration Partnership and now Executive Director of the West Baltimore Renaissance Foundation at LifeBridge Health. “In turn, GBC can work with partners to establish new processes, programs, and policies to better prepare Baltimore’s workforce for future jobs and connect procurement to the small business community to strengthen the region’s economy and open new pathways for opportunity.”“This next chapter of BLocal would not be possible without the foundational leadership of Johns Hopkins and the many partners who launched the initiative,” Thomas added. “We’re deeply grateful to Hopkins for having the forethought to create this initiative and the Annie E. Casey Foundation for supporting the feasibility study that will help us build on this legacy and take the initiative to the next level.”
Johns Hopkins remains committed to leveraging the economic power of Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Health System to support economic growth, employment, and investment in Baltimore.
GBC plans to release the findings of the feasibility study in early 2026, with a plan to relaunch BLocal thereafter. Interested parties can submit a proposal for consideration through the following link.
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ABOUT THE GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE
The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC) is the Baltimore region’s premier 501(c)(3) business-civic organization, uniting more than 300 private and civic leaders to drive economic development and shape a more competitive, prosperous, and vibrant region. GBC delivers collaborative solutions on business investment, infrastructure, public safety, innovation, and regional branding, and champions bold policies and partnerships that secure the region’s economic future. Learn more at gbc.org.