EnterpRISE Pitch Competition

Welcome to EnterpRISE, Open Works’ Annual Business Pitch Competition. Since 2017, we’ve invested $124,750 in 70 Maryland-based manufacturing startups. But it’s not just money — all participants receive 1 year of free membership at Open Works, access to five enlightening business webinars, and the opportunity to attend two valuable safety classes! If you have a product–based idea that can leverage Open Works to grow, we’ll help you nourish it into a thriving success.

Past Winners

Over the past 6 years, we have worked with 70 companies, 43 of which have won cash prizes of some level at the conclusion of the competition. In 2021, we changed the prize structure to ensure that all competing companies receive a stipend of at least $250. Of those 60 companies, 41 (68%) were minority-owned. 

2017: VersaMaker

2018: FranciePants

2019: Drama Mama Bookshop

2020: WhitePaws RunMitts

2021: Keppel and Kismet

2022: Kiki Thunda Cosmetics

2023: Divaneering Labs

2024: Bonnie Hawk Furniture

2025: Compression Apparel and Accessories

HUGE thank you to our generous sponsors the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Abell Foundation, PNC Bank, and M&T Bank. 

All Past Participants

 Sign up for our mailing list and you will be notified when 2026 applications open!

Our Sponsors:

Big thank you to our partners in the Baltimore entrepreneurial community for helping us find great companies: Maryland Dept. of Commerce, The Abell Foundation, M&T Bank, and PNC Bank. 

Our Partners:

We owe our success and continued growth to the support of our generous sponsors, who share our vision of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

Made in Baltimore, Impact Hub, The University of Maryland Grid, UpSurge Baltimore, BaltiPreneurs, Moms as Entrepreneurs, Loyola Center for Entrepreneurship, JHU Fast Forward, University of Baltimore E-Fellows, Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women Business Development, and Towson University’s the Armory.

Organizational Background

Open Works (OW) is a nonprofit makerspace with a mission to make tools, technology, & the knowledge to use them accessible to all. Makerspaces are public workshops that offer regular citizens access to expensive industrial tools so that they can start a business, train for a job, learn a new skill, make art, or invent new products. We fulfill our mission by providing access to 7 industrial workshops, technical education for all ages, fabrication services, & affordable studio space, serving approximately 4,000 people/year through membership, classes, and events.

Open Works’ facility is 34,000 S.F., containing a full wood shop, metal shop, 3 4’x8′ CNC routers, 5 laser cutters, 12 3D printers, a digital media studio, a CNC quilting machine, two CNC embroidery machines, a direct-to-garment printer, a dye sublimation printer, a vinyl cutter, and a full cut-and-sew studio. These machines are supported by 16-seat computer lab loaded with 3D modeling and graphic design software. Adjacent to the studios, we host 110 cubicle-sized “micro-studios” for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and start ups.