​Mother-and-daughter team uses local ingredients to craft vegan and all-natural dogs.          By Lauren Cohen | September 24, 2018, 4:06 pm

There’s nothing more American than a classic hot dog with zigzags of mustard and ketchup. But, in a time when diners are becoming more conscious about what they’re putting into their bodies, franks are losing their luster.

“Every time we ask someone why they don’t eat hot dogs, they say, ‘Because I don’t know what’s in them,’” says LaShauna Jones, owner of local hot dog pop-up The Sporty Dog. “We started thinking a lot about how to remove that. We want people to know exactly what’s in them.” In an effort to combat the hot dog stigma, Jones—along with her 25-year-old daughter, Daejonne Bennett—started their health-conscious food pop-up in the spring of 2017.

​The Sporty Dog uses all-natural, locally sourced products, including beef from Liberty Delight Farms in Reisterstown, to create unique franks topped with everything from strawberries and arugula to pineapple and caramelized onions.

“Yes, we put fruit on a hot dog—that’s just my brain being over the top,” Jones says. “No one would imagine that strawberries would pair so well with beef, but it’s ridiculously good.”
Jones previously worked as a government contractor for more than 20 years. When her contract came to an end in 2017, she decided to make the leap to start the business with her daughter, who had been pursuing a career in the culinary world.

“I was like, ‘Let’s do hot dogs, that’s gotta be easy, right?’ Jones says with a laugh. “Sometimes I’m a little more ambitious than I need to be.” But the duo’s ambition turned out to be well worth it. They began selling their creations at the Greenmount West farmers’ market last season—where The Sporty Dog quickly became an anchor—and have been popping up at various community events around town ever since. Read more...

Recognized for its generous contributions to Baltimore, Morgan State University’s Entrepreneurial Development and Assistance Center ( EDAC ) received a 2019 Lighting the Way Award from the  SunTrust Foundation  along with a $75,000 grant. EDAC will use the grant to create resources for individuals participating in the gig economy and entrepreneurs.
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The SunTrust Foundation’s Lighting the Way Awards recognize select nonprofit organizations that work to build self-sufficient families and more financially confident communities through financial education, financial counseling, career readiness/workforce development and small business/entrepreneurship.
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“The SunTrust Foundation is proud to recognize and support our local nonprofit partners that empower and strengthen the communities they serve,” said Stan Little, president of the SunTrust Foundation. “EDAC is making a meaningful impact with their programs to improve the financial well-being of the people who need it most.” Read more...

#EYECON The Premier Youth Entrepreneurship Conference#EYECON, Engaging Youth Entrepreneurs Conference, is a one day event designed to expose and teach students the basics of entrepreneurship. #EYECON is full of interactive workshops, games and prizes. All students are offered breakfast, lunch, snacks, en-tre-pre-neur t shirt and conference bag full of resources. Stay Tuned for More Details!

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​​​I am sharing an exhibit booth at a major conference with a friend who is in the same line of business. While this is a tricky situation, we are both working to grow our business and thought this would be the best approach. Any advice?

Finding new ways to generate leads is essential to business growth. Working with someone not affiliated with your company at a major event is another story. Ensuring you and your friend are on the same page will produce a successful event. Trust will either expose or promote your friendship and business relationship. To help you plan out a successful event, consider this list:

• Set your intention. Before the event, schedule time to meet with all parties involved to make sure everyone is on the same page. This includes your team, your friend’s team and any other parties that are related to success at the event. Also, review the organization’s rules and regulations for exhibitors.
• Associated costs. Discuss costs, including exhibit fees, insurance, Wi-Fi and electricity, associated with the conference. Will you need other individuals from your company to assist? Depending on the type of business you have, what inventory is needed to ensure a successful event? How will these costs be handled?
• Avoid conflict. Make a list of exhibitors and possible attendees. Discuss the lists with your friend and the other team members to determine existing relationships. Since you're in the same business and both of you are working to grow your business, you will want to eliminate any conflicts now.
• Whose lead is it? Determine how leads will be handled. Will you only follow up with the people you spoke with individually, split the leads up at the end of the event, or is there another way to fairly share leads? This is an important step to have in place to avoid any misunderstandings or future conflicts. This is a trust factor and will determine the outcome of this event, your friendship and business relationship moving forward. Read more..