Stronger Advocacy. Smarter Networking.

Maryland Tech Council invites you to Annapolis on February 3, 2026, for our signature annual 2026 Annapolis Day: Advocacy Summit and the Leadership Cocktail Reception. Hosted at the Governor Calvert House at the Historic Inns of Annapolis, this event brings together the voices shaping the future of Maryland. Gain insight into legislative priorities, explore key policy issues, and connect with the people who influence progress at the state level.

Annual Advocacy Summit

Industry leaders and elected officials come together for panels, presentations, and discussions on public policy. Learn how to leverage advocacy and help guide the policies that support Maryland’s growing innovation ecosystem.

Annual Leadership Cocktail Reception

MTC has reimagined the traditional dinner into a focused networking reception designed to foster candid conversations with legislators and fellow leaders in technology and life sciences.

10:00 AM

Registration and Networking

10:45 AM

Welcome and Opening Remarks

11:00 AM

Session 1 – Keeping Cures Within Reach: Maryland’s Path on Rare Disease 

This session will examine how Maryland can expand patient access to rare-disease therapies while sustaining the development of novel medicines. Panelists will review statewide developments and ongoing federal actions that are shaping coverage, pricing, and market access for small-population treatments. The conversation will highlight real-world patient needs, practical steps to speed access, and what policymakers can do to keep Maryland competitive for clinical trials and manufacturing. 

MODERATOR: Kaustabh Basu, Ph.D., Associate Director, Business Development and Translational Medicine, TrilliumBiO

PANELISTS:

• Alan Freeman, Esq., Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel, Uncommon Cures 
• William Sarraille, Professor of Practice at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
• Michael States, Patient

12:00 PM

Lunch Keynote - Robert Popovian, PharmD, MS, Founder, Conquest Advisors, LLC

Dr. Popovian's keynote will cover the impact of policies such as 340B, the Inflation Reduction Act, and Most Favored Nation on biopharmaceutical pricing, spending, access, and affordability.

1:00 PM

Session 2 – Powering Growth: Reliable Energy & Infrastructure for Labs, Data, and Manufacturing

This session will outline a constructive path to unlock capacity, attract projects, and deliver energy abundance to support Maryland’s innovation economy. Panelists will explore state legislation and federal developments that are driving trends in the energy landscape, including interconnection, siting, grid resilience, as well as novel generation and storage technologies. The discussion will focus on the policies stakeholders can engage with to ensure that Maryland can support power-ready sites for labs, data centers, and advanced manufacturing. 

 MODERATOR: Sharon Midgley, Vice President of Regulatory Policy, Constellation 

PANELISTS: 

• Chairman Kumar P. Barve, Maryland Public Service Commission 
• Daniel Goetzel, Visiting Fellow, Harvard
• Amber Perry, Region President, Pepco
• Eric Wachsman, Ph.D., Director, Maryland Energy Innovation Institute 

2:00 PM

Session 3 – Smart, Safe, and Scalable: Harnessing AI to grow Maryland’s Advanced Industries

This session will explore how AI, big data, and other emerging technologies can anchor Maryland’s next wave of growth across life sciences, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. Panelists will connect real use cases across Maryland’s advanced industries to prevailing forces at the state and federal level that impact implementation. The conversation will highlight public policy opportunities to shape AI adoption in a way that is transformative, trustworthy, and scalable for Maryland’s innovation economy.  

MODERATOR: Kelly Schulz, Chief Executive Officer, Maryland Tech Council

PANELISTS:

• Mike Halaiko, Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
• Susan Coller Monarez, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Heartland Global Strategies
• David Tohn, Chief Executive Officer, BTS Software Solutions

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Leadership Cocktail Reception