For its 10th annual UP/Start Venture Competition, MICA awarded more than $105,000 to student- and alumni-led ventures advancing creative innovation and community impact in Baltimore.
Held as the finale of a four-month entrepreneurial development program, the competition featured eight finalist teams presenting business pitches shaped through mentorship, prototyping, and strategic planning. The initiative supports emerging creatives working at the intersection of art, entrepreneurship, and social impact.
Top honors and $35,000 in funding were awarded to Flying House Arts Collective, a Baltimore-based venture led by Valentino Orlando ’25 (LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting MFA) and Isaac Kim ’25 (LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting MFA). The collective includes several MICA-affiliated artists and curators, including Rui Jiang ’25 (Curatorial Practice MFA), Tim Moran ’25 (LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting MFA), and Chia Hsiu Liu ’25 (LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting MFA).
The annual competition reflects MICA’s growing commitment to creative entrepreneurship and venture development, helping students and alumni transform artistic ideas into sustainable businesses and community-centered initiatives.
