By Alex Keown - Tammi Thomas is a proponent of agape love, a selfless form of unconditional love that puts the needs of others first. Agape love is not static; it requires demonstrative action, something that drives Thomas in both her personal and professional lives.
“This is the kind of love where you see humanity before you see their differences,” she says.
This mindset is critically important for Thomas, who serves as Chief Development and Marketing Officer at TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation) headquartered in Columbia. TEDCO supports early-stage technology and life sciences companies in Maryland through resources, connections, and funding opportunities that allow businesses to grow.
In her role, Thomas leads the overall strategic direction, execution, and management of the organization’s marketing and fundraising strategies. Through careful crafting and shaping of TEDCO’s strong brand identity, Thomas says entrepreneurs across the state have learned that the organization is a reliable source for venture capital investments – within the top 20 investors in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to Pitchbook. The constant stitching and storytelling Thomas directs continues to promote scaling and stickiness that brings diverse stakeholders together in a collaborative way.
“Our work is an integrated process that allows us to tell the story about the amazing innovations our portfolio companies work on each day,” Thomas explains. “Through these stories, we stitch the ecosystem together, highlighting how different industries and areas are uplifting Maryland as a whole.”
Holding the spirit of agape love, Thomas helped bring TEDCO to new heights, redefining the brand and strategy, positioning the organization as a leader in the State’s ecosystem.
“Through storytelling and connecting the right people, we’re not just spreading the word about our state’s potential – we’re actively creating opportunities for collaboration and success across the entire innovation landscape,” Thomas adds. This can be seen in the near 10,000 articles sponsored and published last year, highlighting stakeholders, portfolio companies, and resources in Maryland that garnered around 5 billion impressions. “As we continue to scale our efforts, I’m proud to see the impact we’re making in building a sustainable future that benefits all Marylanders.”
With more than 40 federal agencies across the state, a large concentration of cyber talent, and one of the highest concentrations of doctoral scientists and engineers, Maryland is booming with brilliant minds and innovation. TEDCO helps bring all these aspects together. Through carefully curated programs to promote continued growth, the organization serves as a hub for entrepreneurs and small tech businesses, allowing companies to create jobs and tap into the potential to solve complicated technological issues, and develop transformative therapies for patients battling a myriad of health issues.
“We have the right team in place to help companies and scientists scale and grow,” Thomas says of TEDCO. “We have portfolio companies across the state, all with different innovations. From medical devices working to promote better patient care, to cybersecurity innovations helping to make security updates easier.”
The missional work conducted at TEDCO fuels Thomas’ desire to use the skills and knowledge of marketing and business development she has garnered over the past 30 years in multiple roles across Maryland.
“I’ve always had a background tied to working with businesses, helping them scale and grow. That’s something that hasn’t changed. Whether I’m marketing, writing, or connecting entrepreneurs to resources, I’ve been supporting companies’ growth for more than 30 years. That’s part of my own growth, too,” she says. “We (TEDCO) are small, mighty, and diverse. We come from different backgrounds. We don’t have groupthink, and that helps us do an exceptional job with the companies we serve. It’s about making sure people have access to information about all available opportunities.”
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