BALTIMORE — Economic development isn’t always about skyscrapers, billion-dollar projects, or ribbon cuttings.
Sometimes it’s about preparing people for careers, connecting neighborhoods to opportunity, and ensuring that the economic benefits of a growing city reach everyone.
That is the work of Mia Blom.
The Senior Director of Government and Community Affairs for Visit Baltimore and Executive Director of the Visit Baltimore Education and Training Foundation will be honored with the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award during the Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition, Wednesday, August 5, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the PS 103 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center.
Presented by BMORENews and BlackUSA.News, the Summit brings together leaders from government, business, education, media, real estate, and the nonprofit community to explore one important question:
How do we create and sustain lasting progress?
For Blom, the answer begins with people.
Throughout her career, she has championed the idea that tourism is more than attracting visitors. It is an economic engine capable of creating careers, strengthening neighborhoods, and opening doors for thousands of Baltimore residents.
That vision led her to launch the Tourism Academy, Baltimore’s online workforce learning platform for the tourism and hospitality industry. Today, the Academy has grown to nearly 2,000 enrollments across 61 courses, helping prepare workers for careers in one of the region’s most important industries.
She also spearheaded the creation of Charm City Certified, a free hospitality training program designed through extensive community engagement and industry collaboration. Blom helped shape the curriculum and facilitated the focus groups that ultimately became Baltimore’s hospitality training standard.
The results have been measurable.
Participants reported nearly doubling their confidence in helping visitors experience Baltimore, a finding later replicated when the program was expanded to volunteers supporting the CIAA Tournament.
Beyond workforce development, Blom serves as one of Baltimore’s strongest advocates for the travel and tourism industry in Annapolis and Washington, helping policymakers understand tourism’s role as essential economic infrastructure.
Her commitment to education extends into the classroom.
She serves on the faculty of Tulane University’s John Lewis Public Administration Program while also teaching as an adjunct professor in Morgan State University’s Hospitality Management Program. She works closely with Baltimore City Public Schools, helping introduce students to careers in tourism and hospitality, creating pathways from the classroom to meaningful employment.
Blom has also become a trusted mentor to young women entering professional careers.
Now in her seventh year with Towson University’s MentHER Program, she is the longest-serving mentor in the initiative’s history, continuing to invest in the next generation of leaders.
“Mia understands that economic development is ultimately about people,” said Doni Glover, founder of the Black Wall Street Summit. “She has spent her career creating opportunities where others might only see visitors. She’s helping Baltimore build a stronger workforce, a stronger tourism economy, and a stronger future.”
The Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards recognize leaders whose work strengthens communities through entrepreneurship, education, public service, innovation, and economic empowerment.
Blom’s career reflects each of those ideals.
By connecting education, government, hospitality, workforce development, and community engagement, she has helped position tourism not simply as an industry—but as a pathway to economic mobility.
She joins an outstanding class of honorees being recognized during National Black Business Month, continuing the Black Wall Street tradition of celebrating those whose leadership creates lasting opportunities for others.
The evening will feature The Doni Glover Show LIVE, thought-provoking forums, networking, and the presentation of the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards.
Event Information
Black Wall Street Summit: National Black Business Month Edition
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
PS 103 Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Presented by BMORENews and BlackUSA.News
RSVP: BlackWallStreetSummit26.eventbrite.com
As Baltimore continues building an economy that works for everyone, leaders like Mia Blom remind us that lasting progress happens when education, workforce development, public policy, and community engagement move in the same direction.
That is the spirit of Black Wall Street. And that is why Mia Blom is a Joe Manns Black Wall Street Award honoree.
