Baltimore Homecoming Brings Alumni Together To Give Back
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Charm City's biggest success stories are now getting back to their roots.
And though they may not call Baltimore home anymore, for three days, these highly influential people are learning how they can get involved.
"I really thought it was important to come back to the Baltimore Homecoming because Baltimore's my home," said Cheryl Dorsey, with Echoing Green.
This week, more than 100 Baltimore natives, accomplished in many different industries, are meeting for the first time ever.
"So our thought was, let's build an alumni network of all these accomplished Baltimore alumni from around the country, get them to come home, and get them to reinvest in Baltimore.
Pikesville native Cheryl Dorsey announced Thursday her company is bringing its Black Male Achievement Fellowship program to the city.
"We think this convening of bringing global leaders and national leaders together with leaders here in Baltimore could be really transformative, so we're really excited about it," Dorsey said.
She and dozens of other "expats" loaded buses for tours of the city's most innovative neighborhoods. They stopped by the Maryland College Institute of Art and "Impact Hub" in Station North, which fosters a network of Baltimore entrepreneurs.
They took a good look at the good, but throughout the conference, they made a point not to ignore the city's dirty laundry.
"They're going to get a real feel for what's going on in Baltimore, but the real Baltimore," said J.M. Shapiro with Baltimore Homecoming.
CEOs, actors, directors, military officers, nonprofit leaders, attorneys and more joined in on this inaugural event, all finding ways to raise up a city that raised them.
Organizers hope this will be an annual event, but to earn your invitation to come back, participants have to prove they've invested time, money or resources back in Baltimore.
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