Under Armour is back as the NFL’s sneaker and glove partner — with a bonus for youth sports camps

Macroeconomic turmoil isn’t stopping people in Baltimore from welcoming new products, forming new partnerships, making new hires and even opening new buildings. 

We’ve got news from EcoMap, T. Rowe Price, Under Armour and more. Keep reading to get the details on those and more regional power moves. First, check out the chart below for a snapshot of what kind of jobs are in demand right now in the Baltimore region, and how much those employees make.

Under Armour partners with NFL, again

The Locus Point-headquartered sportswear company will provide footwear and gloves for the National Football League, complete with the company’s logos for on-field apparel. Under Armour previously had a deal with the NFL between 2006 and 2020. Sportswear giants Nike and Adidas also provide footwear and gloves, per NBC, and Nike still has an apparel deal with the NFL. 

Under Armour will also get “support” from the NFL for its information platform Under Armour Next, which is an online platform for youth sporting camps and events, per a press release. 

“At Under Armour, we’re passionate about nurturing talent and transforming the way athletes perform. We know what it takes to succeed on the field,” said Sean Eggert, UA’s senior vice president of global sports marketing. “With a shared dedication to investing in the game, from the pros to grassroots, we’re thrilled to continue shaping the future of the sport alongside the NFL.”

This move comes less than a year after Under Armour was told to pay $434 million as part of a settlement where the firm was accused of misleading investors about sales. 

EcoMap builds out its ‘ecosystem intelligence’ product suite 

There’s a new tool to help economic development leaders and entrepreneur support organizations better connect to founders, thanks to Baltimore AI software company EcoMap Technologies.

Officially launched this week, it’s called the EcoMap Ecosystem Relationship Manager. When at “full capacity,” per a press release, the tech will be able to organize and analyze activity by organizations helping entrepreneurs, with the goal of helping attract investments to regions. 

“We’re driven by a vision to break down barriers so entrepreneurs can access the resources and networks they need to build something lasting,” said EcoMap cofounder and CEO Sherrod Davis. “The data and intelligence will help ecosystems to tell their stories, and that’s why this tool will be a vital part of the digital infrastructure for our customers.”

This product is part of the company’s “Ecosystem Intelligence” line. That suite also includes a resource hub for founders, a chatbot feature and a community portal that operates similar to a social media feed. EcoMap’s tech has been used in Oregon, Indiana, Arkansas, Maryland and other states.  

The EcoMap Ecosystem Relationship Manager will be accessible to the public in June, but those interested in learning more about it can join the waitlist. 

Investment management giant opens new HQ

T. Rowe Price workers have begun moving into new global headquarters at Harbor Point. The publicly traded firm, founded in Baltimore in 1937, previously had offices on Pratt Street downtown. 

This new two-tower, seven-story building is 550,000 square feet and broke ground in 2022. About 2,000 employees will work out of the offices, per a press release. 

The company sees the move, which had a price tag of $278 million, as a recruiting and retention tool.

“With state-of-the-art amenities, our new space elevates connected experiences while providing additional choice in work settings for collaboration, social, and break spaces for our associates,” said Amy Beall, T. Rowe’s head of corporate real estate and workplace strategy. “This move will enable us to further enhance our collaborative culture and to attract and retain top talent.”

More leadership moves: 

• Maryland’s TEDCO released a talent strategy report about the cybersecurity workforce, including proposals to create more apprenticeships and start teaching cybersecurity throughout K-12. 
• Nearly 3,000 jobs related to health agencies are the latest federal mass layoffs to hit Maryland, the Baltimore Banner reported.
• Care Beyond Diagnosis and Landrace Bioscience have merged to create the biotech company 11Three, with offices located at the University of Maryland BioPark.
• Gov. Wes Moore’s secretary of appointments, Tisha Edwards, is leaving her post and will now serve as CEO of the Maryland Bankers Association, the Baltimore Business Journal reported. 
• Lucy Rutishauser, the former CFO of the media giant Sinclair, has retired after eight years on the job, per the Business Journal. 
• Loyola’s Sellinger School of Business named two people to the school’s board of sponsors. Nicole Nesbitt is a Loyola graduate and partner and global head of institutional client service at Baltimore investment firm Brown Advisory. Laura Neuman, also a Loyola grad, is an entrepreneur and business advisor via her own firm, Neuman Strategy. 
• Greater Baltimore Committee unveiled “Bold Moves” as the region’s new brand in March after research among focus groups, evaluations of similar regions and a national survey to see how people perceive Baltimore externally. 
• Baltimore tech government contractor RELI Group hired Sarah Sanchez as its new vice president of digital services. 
• Hunt Valley solar firm Solar Gaines is building out its leadership team. Genevieve Gravina will serve as the director of business development and Daniela Schneider will work as the director of procurement. 
• Global entrepreneurship programming and investment provider Techstars unveiled the inaugural class of its AI Health Baltimore accelerator. 
• Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System are shutting down their janitorial and other ancillary services subsidiary, and laying off its 1,000 employee workforce, the Baltimore Banner reported.
• Traffic management and vehicle technology company Rekor Systems’ CEO David Desharnais resigned after less than a year on the job, the Baltimore Business Journal reported.