BioBuzz Media Completes Inaugural University of Maryland Blockchain Accelerator Program
New blockchain talent marketplace seeks to solve hiring and diversity challenges in the rapidly growing biotech industry.
BALTIMORE, MD (May 10, 2022) – BioBuzz Media, the go-to community platform for biotech job seekers and industry professionals looking to access employers and plug into regional biotech communities, today announced its completion of the inaugural University of Maryland Blockchain Accelerator program. BioBuzz and other participating companies pitched to more than 70 attendees, including investors, mentors and industry leaders at Demo Day on May 4, 2022.
Selected from over 60 applicants to be one of eight startups in the inaugural cohort, BioBuzz is building a blockchain-based next-generation talent marketplace to de-risk hires and equitably expand the life sciences workforce. The new solution promises to provide employers with a more efficient recruiting process while providing job seekers with control of their data through a federated layer and enabling them to earn rewards for learning, training and contributing to the marketplace.
“With blockchain technology still so nascent there are fewer startup resources available for entrepreneurs in this space. The accelerator provided us the opportunity to present our ideas to blockchain industry experts and to get direct feedback, amazing insights and sage guidance to help us advance the business,” shared BioBuzz Founder and CEO Chris Frew. “We’re tackling a problem that is critical to every employer around the globe—hiring and diversity. We were honored that the accelerator leadership recognized our potential to make a real impact on solving that issue.”
BioBuzz has grown a successful existing media platform and professional community over the past 12 years and is currently generating revenue from advertising, recruiting events, a job board and employer branding solutions. Two full time staff are currently supporting the Talent Marketplace project, and a working prototype is in development in order to raise seed funding and spin-out the new solution in the next six months.
“As a director of an accelerator, the first thing you want to have is a cohort full of passionate and energetic founders, and that’s exactly what stood out in the BioBuzz team,” contributed Juan J. Acosta, Program Director of the UMD Blockchain Accelerator. “We got to see the combined skill of their founders and the creative product they are developing first hand. Not many people can convert a very traditional industry and process into an innovative product that utilizes blockchain technology. As they graduate from the accelerator, this team is on a good path to doing so.”
Led by the Robert H. Smith School of Business’s Supply Chain Management Center, the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, the Blockchain Accelerator helps early-stage companies from around the country access content and mentorship to systematically advance their businesses. The 45-day program was powered by the FounderTrac software, a new tool that provides startups a proven model for de-risking their company building process.
Learn more about BioBuzz’s talent community here: https://biobuzz.io/biotech-career-development-solutions/
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About BioBuzz Media
BioBuzz Media, a division of Workforce Genetics, LLC, is the go-to community platform for biotech industry professionals and job seekers looking to plug into regional biotech communities and achieve fulfilling careers with leading employers. We create experiences through content, events, and media that meet our audience where they are and enable them to learn about the employers, companies and individuals driving biohealth innovation forward in their regional markets. Our mission is to create exceptional experiences that build community and better connect life science professionals with rewarding careers at top employers.
About the University of Maryland Blockchain Accelerator
Maryland Smith’s new Blockchain Accelerator, led by the Supply Chain Management Center and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, merges the university’s best capabilities in computer science, engineering and business. For more information contact [email protected].
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Sarah Ellinwood, Ph.D.
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Sarah Ellinwood is BioBuzz’s Managing Editor. A scientist by training and a science communicator at heart, Sarah specializes in making complex concepts understandable, engaging, and exciting. She received her Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology with a focus in infectious disease immunology from the University of Maryland and is passionate about all things related to scicomm, peer mentorship, and women in STEM.
