John Gilstrap

John Gilstrap serves as the Assistant Secretary under the Division of Innovation and Growth at the Maryland Department of Commerce. In this role, he collaborates with Deputy Secretary Ricardo Benn to oversee key offices, including the Office of International Investment and Trade, the Office of Military and Federal Affairs, and the Office of Strategic Industries. Their collective efforts aim to develop and implement strategies that foster innovation and entrepreneurship within the state. Prior to his current position, Gilstrap was a business executive in various organizations across the region. His extensive experience in real estate, community development, and educational technology has equipped him with a robust background that he brings to the Department of Commerce. Gilstrap has over 20 years of experience in operations, strategic planning and leadership, with extensive experience in policy, research and analysis, economic development, and AI innovation. Spending most of his career in New York City, he was most recently the principal consultant at NorthStar AI Rising Corp. He also co-founded and was the managing director of Hudson Cannabis LLC and previously served as the executive vice president at Empire State Development Corp.