Photo: devanwells.blogspot.com

While The Wire has been referred to by critics as “the greatest TV drama of all time,” its portrayal of Baltimore isn’t exactly an all-encompassing one.  Because despite its reputation, Charm City has a lot that makes it charming: a growing entrepreneurial spirit, top-notch universities, and a pool of untapped talent.

The brains behind Baltimore unWIREd recognize that. “The point of Baltimore unWIREd is to find out what we can accomplish by connecting these points of strength. Together we can create change — developing solutions to critical social problems and make a difference,” explains the website.

From August 24-25, the event brings together innovators, creatives, and government officials to brainstorm and mingle. On Friday there will be a series of “lightening talks” on efforts that are currently underway. Saturday follows an “open campus” model, as participants break into teams and tackle a key social problem. Baltimore unWIREd is followed by Groundwork in September, a hackathon focused on putting these strategies and solutions to the test.

For more information about unWIREd, visit the website.

Baltimore unWIREd takes places from August 24-25 in John Hopkins University’s Maryland Hall.