Johns Hopkins among 25 businesses teaming up to expand economic opportunities in Baltimore

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Johns Hopkins and 24 other Baltimore-area businesses unveiled a sweeping plan today, pledging to harness their collective influence to help strengthen the city by creating more economic opportunities.

With the launch the BLocal initiative—announced this morning at a news conference at Zion Baptist Church in East Baltimore—the founding companies are pledging to expand existing programs or launch new ones to build, hire, invest, and buy locally. They will spend more on design and construction contracts with local and minority- and women-owned businesses, hire residents from Baltimore's most distressed communities, and spend more purchasing dollars with local vendors and women- and minority-owned businesses.