The Monthly Blend

The sports landscape in the Washington, DC – Baltimore corridor is transforming faster than anywhere else in the country. New stadiums. New arenas. New entertainment districts. Billions in development reshaping not just teams — but the businesses, communities, and entire neighborhoods around them. Today we're joined by Jeff Ajluni, President of Fusion Sports and Entertainment. Jeff's remarkable ca...

The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong sat down with DC Startup & Tech Week Founders/Organizers Rachel Koretsky, Seema Alexander, and Darius Clair to hear all about their 10 th Anniversary plans and all the incredible new tracks of content being offered this year and of course, all the fantastic speakers and community leaders that will be there!

Check out this month's episode of The Monthly Blend with Virginia economic development leaders from Fairfax and Arlington, as well as Virginia's venture arm VIPC – Victor Hoskins (FCEDA), Ryan Touhil (AED), and Tom Weithman (VIPC). Co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong discuss the current entrepreneurial landscape in Virginia, its regional strengths and unique advantages and how it attracts early-...

There have been some incredible changes recently at the Maryland Department of Commerce. Co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong meet with Assistant Secretary John Gilstrap to discuss how Maryland is attracting investment and capital, looking at AI, developing top talent and workforce, and collaborating across the broader DMV startup region.

At the end of 2024, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the new $26 million dollar DC Venture Capital Fund to be managed by K Street Capital. Learn all about this exciting new initiative, who it is targeting, how capital will be deployed, and the impact it will have on DC startups directly from Adam Lattimore, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Policy for DMPED and Paige Soya, Managing Partner of K S...

Listen in to this unique episode as our co-hosts sit down for an informal discussion. Tien just returned from CES and the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference and has stories to tell!

As 2024 comes to an end, CEO of TEDCO Troy LeMaile-Stovall talks to co-hosts Anthony & Tien about all the changes that have been ushered in since he started 4 years ago, how much our ecosystem has grown yet we still need to work on that "muscle memory," and how the entrepreneurial journey is far from linear! Check out this great episode and learn more about TEDCO's great resources as the State of...

The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong sat down with DC Startup & Tech Week (Formerly DC Startup Week) Founders/Organizers Rachel Koretsky and Seema Alexander to hear all about the exciting rebrand, all the incredible tracks of content being offered this year including AI and of course, all the fantastic speakers and community leaders that will be there!

Check back with the legendary Kathie Callahan Brady, CEO of Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITCI), to learn about all the recent changes going on with the new facilities, specialized programming, and the fast growing entrepreneurial ecosystem it represents.

Tune  in for a DMV cyber update with key players Maurice Boissiere of DataTribe, Brian Gallagher of CodeLock, and Larry Letow of CyberCX, and hear more about how our region is leading innovation in the cybersecurity field in both public and private sectors.

Checking back with leaders in the life sciences startup ecosystem, The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong speak to the CEO of MD Tech Council Kelly Schulz, Founder of Ecphora Capital Deborah Hemingway, and Founder of Solaxa Christian Walker to get an update on why this region is still a powerhouse in life sciences and biotech. Hear from these leaders, how venture capital, startups...

Checking back with the startup ecosystem in Baltimore to hear how the region has grown and is hotter than ever! Join The Monthly Blend to speak to veteran Baltimore founders, funders, and connectors – Jeff Cherry, Christopher College, Andrea Pais, and Sherrod Davis - to hear how Baltimore is joining the DMV as a startup stronghold.

Join The Monthly Blend as they kick off 2024 with an episode focusing on female founders in the DMV. Cohosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong have the pleasure of discussing the progress made for female entrepreneurs with Springboard Enterprises CEO Natalie Buford-Young, Citrine Angels Cofounder Lisa Friedlander, Sky Squad founder Julie Melnick and Veza Innovations Founder Karen Maschi. But why are we...

Join The Monthly Blend cohosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong as they discuss 2023 the year in review. Anthony and Tien look at the fundraising market and pace of this past year, valuations, growth in the DMV region, bold initiatives, the value of what NEXT, NEXT RAISE and Connectpreneur bring to our ecosystem, and what to expect for 2024.

DC Startup Week 2023 will kick off on Monday, October 16th and lots of exciting programs, speakers and networking happy hours are in store. Listen in as Rachel Koretsky, Founder DCSW/CEO Upace, Seema Alexander, Co-Chair DCSW/Founder Disruptive CEO Advisory, and DMV rock star entrepreneur Mariam Nusrat, CEO Grid/Breshna tell The Monthly Blend all the great things, and a few surprises, that await at...

The DMV is climbing the ranks as a top entrepreneurial ecosystem! Listen in to what 3 rock star entrepreneurs have experienced in their journey as Xiaonao Liu, PhD, CEO of Nanobiofab, Denise G. Tayloe, CEO of PRIVO, and Otha Smith III, CEO of Tetragram talk to The Monthly Blend. Co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong dig into how our region has changed, what is the current funding landscape, and ho...

Listen now to this critical and informative discussion of how AI is already impacting our world, with a particular focus on the healthcare industry. Join co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong as they speak to Dr. Moira Schieke, Founder of Cubismi, a new decision-based AI technology revolutionizing healthcare, and global AI expert, ex-Microsoft leader and author, Tom Lawry. This is an episode not t...

What do you know about SBIR funding? Is it right for your startup? No better place to learn the basics as well as the ins and outs of SBIR grants than with our two experts in this month's The Monthly Blend. Listen in when Dr. Diane Hickey, SBIR Consultant & Founder, Diamond Chameleon Group, and Commander Christopher Steele PhD, US Navy Physiologist, talk to co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong ab...

Founder of DCA Live, one of the DMV's top ecosystem builders, Doug Anderson brings along 3 of this year's 2023 Red Hot Entrepreneurs – Shavini Fernando (OxiWear), Laura Randa (Toivoa) and Vishal Chintawar (Givhero) – to join The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong for this new episode. Listen in and hear the incredible stories of these "red hot" startups as well as Doug's own histo...

The Monthly Blend co-hosts Anthony Millin and Tien Wong had the exciting opportunity to sit down with George Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer at Connected DMV, Jim Cook, Former VP, Strategic Engagement and Partnerships at MITRE Corporation, John 'Jay' Lowell, Principal Senior Technical Fellow, Disruptive Computing & Networks at Boeing and Kaniah Konkoly-Thege, Chief Legal Officer at Quantiniuum to...

Back in 2021, The Monthly Blend talked to DMV Accelerators who play an integral role in our startup ecosystem. We are back in 2023 with an update from Halcyon, Conscious Venture Labs and Techstars. What's the latest and what's to come and how do they work hand in hand with founders and funders to nurture and de-risk startups. Check out their insights and efforts with Anthony and Tien!

Techstars is playing big in the DMV with 2 programs in Washington, DC and 1 in Baltimore. Partnering with JP Morgan and Upsurge, Techstars is bringing its secret sauce to our region enabling startups to launch, grow and scale with precision and success – creating "dragons" and unicorns.

Seth Goldman is a DMV legend as a prolific, serial entrepreneur, social impact leader and industry pioneer. Seth has literally put his money where his mouth is in everything he does and tells The Monthly Blend he is just getting started.

The Quantum World Congress, coming to DC on Nov 29th through Dec 1st, is the first-ever gathering of its kind. QWC will connect the world's quantum ecosystem, including the brightest researchers, innovators, technology developers, legislators, and industry experts. Its mission is to accelerate the value of the growing quantum industry. The Monthly Blend welcomes the organizers of QWC Connected DMV...

September 12 th – 16 th is DC Startup Week this year and it is back in person! Our region's premier event for entrepreneurs and investors provides a full week of 100+ events and 250+ speakers. Cohosts of The Monthly Blend, Anthony Millin and Tien Wong, sit down with DCSW Founders and Organizers to learn what's in store for this year!