Local Tech Firm App Beacon Tapped to Power Howard County Innovation

The partnership transitions the Maryland Innovation Center and the Howard County Economic Development Authority to a centralized mobile architecture. These custom applications serve as digital hubs, delivering funding opportunities, event notifications, and member-specific resources directly to entrepreneurs and business owners across the region.

For HCEDA CEO Jennifer Jones, the selection validates the agency’s long-term investment strategy. The agency previously provided mentorship and resources to App Beacon during its formative years. Now, that same platform will scale those support services to a wider network of local founders. Hector Ocasio, founder and CEO of App Beacon, noted that his firm’s internal growth was directly shaped by the resources offered at the Maryland Innovation Center, making the contract a symbolic expansion of the support system that facilitated his company’s own rise.