Cordish marks first anniversary of Spark, announces expansion

The Cordish Companies marked the first anniversary of Spark, a co-working space in Baltimore launched in 2016 at The Offices at Power Plant Live. The space now houses 84 companies totaling over 250 members in a range of industries including advertising, biotechnology, cyber security, education technology and software/mobile development.

In the past year, Spark has been recognized by a variety of organizations, including as one of Baltimore’s 15 “Snazziest” offices by Inc. Magazine. Spark was also involved in a range of initiatives such as a partnership with the World Trade Center Institute to bring international business initiatives to the state and a partnership with Village Capital to bring its U.S. education venture development program to Baltimore, The Cordish Companies said in a news release.

“Our vision for Spark was to provide local entrepreneurs an affordable and effective environment for entrepreneurial businesses to grow and thrive,” said Beth Boots Workman, director of operations for Spark. “We’ve clearly accomplished that. We’re honored to play an important role in helping our members do remarkable things for our community, our city, and our state.”

Spark is doubling its co-working space this year. The expansion is slated to open in May.

“We’re thrilled to continue to invest in our city and its growing entrepreneurial base,” said Jonathan Cordish, a principal at Cordish.

“Spark has been a huge win for the City of Baltimore and has become central to our startup ecosystem,” said Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in a statement. “We applaud The Cordish Companies for their vision and execution in building a vibrant place for entrepreneurs to locate and grow their businesses in the City.”