Baltimore’s neighborhood economies are sustained by more than formal businesses alone. Across the city, informal entrepreneurs, community-based sellers, makers, service providers, and small operators often fill critical gaps while navigating systems that were not designed with them in mind.
This session explores the hidden economy as a real and necessary part of neighborhood life. Participants will examine why people operate informally, what barriers make formalization difficult, and what kinds of support can help entrepreneurs grow without losing the flexibility and trust that make their work possible.
Featured Speakers
Ashiah Parker
Executive Director, No Boundaries Coalition
Will Holman
Executive Director, Open Works
Donte Hayes
Founder & CEO, Another Man’s Trash
What to Expect
Welcome & Framing
The session will begin with a welcome and framing conversation on why Baltimore’s hidden economy matters to neighborhood stability, opportunity, and survival.
Storytelling Conversation
Participants will hear from community voices and practitioners through a storytelling-style conversation focused on informal entrepreneurship, visibility, support, and systems gaps.
Gallery Walk & Interactive Installation
Participants will engage in an interactive gallery walk centered around the prompt: “What hidden business keeps your neighborhood going?”
Attendees will contribute reflections and responses through sticky notes and shared community observations, helping surface the often unseen businesses, people, and systems that quietly sustain Baltimore neighborhoods.
Closing Reflection
The session will close by inviting participants to think more honestly about what it means to support entrepreneurs who are already creating value in their neighborhoods, even when their work does not always fit traditional business structures.