EcoMap Technologies taps Baltimore executive as COO

Good morning Baltimore. It is Tuesday.

2024 is off to an exciting start, but for insect aficionados, this could very well be the most exciting year of their lives. That's right: We're talking about the double cicada emergence happening this spring.

According to scientists (via NPR), two broods of cicadas — Brood XIX and Brood XIII, for the entomologists among us — will come out of hiding in the same season for the first time since 1803. That means the last time this happened was before the creation of the iPhone and, yes, the air fryer.

All jokes aside, that's a real once-in-a-lifetime event, like the Chicago Cubs winning a World Series. Though we're unlikely to see any of the cicadas in Baltimore, the more southern of the two broods will stretch as far north as Virginia, per NPR.

Now, let's get down to the news.

EcoMap appoints local startup executive as new COO

EcoMap Technologies has tapped a Baltimore startup executive as chief operating officer to replace Sherrod Davis, who was promoted to CEO in October. Smitha Gopal will take on the role as the company looks to build into its next phase. Prior to joining EcoMap, Gopal was CEO of Baltimore-based medical software company Rendia, which sold to PatientPoint in October of 2022. She is a trustee of the Baltimore Museum of Industry, serves on the Board of Directors of The Leadership and Venture for America, and is a mentor for Conscious Venture Lab and Innovation Works. “This team has emerged stronger from tragedy, better than ever, so it is a privilege to be able to be part of," Gopal said in the announcement.

Sign up for the Baltimore Business Journal's emails to get the latest news from Greater Baltimore in your inbox twice a day. Already signed up? Consider becoming a subscriber for less than $4 per week.

French pastry shop set to open in shuttered South Baltimore restaurant

What started as a French catering business in Tunisia will soon become a full-fledged pastry shop in South Baltimore, our Morgan Simpson reports. La Cosette, a French pastry shop, plans to hold a soft opening on Thursday at 745 E. Fort Avenue in Riverside. It replaces the longtime Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen, which closed in May after more than 14 years in business. The shop will serve individual and family-size versions of pastries, tarts, cakes and quiches. Read on to learn about the new shop and the family story behind the enterprise.

Workers at Baltimore County cannabis dispensary file to unionize

Employees at a White Marsh cannabis dispensary have filed to unionize their workforce, our Phil Davis reports. Workers at Health for Life in White Marsh, one of three medical and cannabis dispensaries operated by LMS Wellness Benefit LLC in Maryland, filed their intent to unionize with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 27 last week. Organizers cited a lack of pay increases and respect from management following an increased workload brought on by the legalization of recreational cannabis in Maryland. Read more about the 17 workers' push for a union and the fledgling industry's working conditions.

Bank will slow its Greater Baltimore branch expansion in 2024

JPMorgan Chase & Co. will slow down its aggressive expansion into Greater Baltimore in 2024 as the bank shifts gears to focus on hiring, my colleague Garrett Dvorkin writes. Chase (NYSE: JPM) has opened 27 branches in Greater Baltimore since launching its first location in the region in 2019. The bank, however, plans to ease up its expansion this year with plans to open only three branches. Melvin Collins, Chase’s Greater Baltimore market director, said the bank needs to catch up with hiring to fill positions in the branches the bank has already opened up. Read more about where Chase plans to go next while leaving Baltimore County and Baltimore City as is.

TEDCO exec hired to relaunch city-backed tech development program

The Baltimore Development Corp. has hired the leader of a major Maryland venture fund to restart the technology development program it shut down in 2023. Arti Santhanam, currently the executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corp.'s (TEDCO) Maryland Innovation Initiative, will now be charged with bringing the Emerging Technology Centers back to life as its executive director. Santhanam wants to focus on helping later-stage companies in Baltimore attract funding and push for growth, compared to the ETC's previous focus on early-stage startups. Continue reading to see what Santhanam has in store for one of the largest incubators in the Baltimore region.

Babe Ruth Museum to showcase AFC Championship artifacts

It's championship season in Baltimore, and the museum of one of Baltimore's homegrown champions is getting in on the action. The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum will display memories of AFC Championships past this weekend during a buy one, get one ticket sale from Friday to Sunday, the museum announced Monday. Visitors will get to see two footballs from the last time the AFC Championship was held in Baltimore: January of 1971, when the Baltimore Colts defeated the Oakland Raiders on their way to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. The Super Bowl V Lombardi trophy will also be on display along with Johnny Unitas' 1970 NFL Man of the Year trophy, the first such prize awarded by the league.

Baltimore venue unveils new sound system ahead of upcoming shows

Baltimore's do-it-all concert hall has a shiny new sound system. The Lyric announced Monday that the venue's $500,000 state-of-the-art sound system is up and running. The L-Acoustics setup was installed by Showtime Sound (a Frederick-based company) and includes new speakers on and around the stage, with some in the rafters, according to a press release. The addition of the high-tech speakers to the 129-year-old structure will impact "every seat in the venue," the announcement reads. Patti LaBelle is the next artist scheduled to perform at the Lyric.

Ravens vs. Chiefs tickets go on sale today

[Disclaimer: There is no Taylor Swift attendance speculation in this item.] The Ravens are facing the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m., and tickets will be selling like crab cakes. The team will open ticket sales to fans without season tickets at 10 a.m. today, according to the Ravens official website. On the line will be a trip to the mother of all football games in Paradise, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas. My recommendation? Order early; the cold won't keep many fans away this week with two MVP quarterbacks duking it out. Some seats are already selling for well over $1,000 — what is this, the Eras Tour?

Questions of comments about today's newsletter? Email BBJ Digital Producer Joe Ilardi at [email protected].