Context

As we continue to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Philadelphia metro area residents continue to experience job loss and underperform the nation in economic recovery. In short, we are experiencing a human capital crisis with more than half of Philadelphia's employers struggling to find and retain talent.

At the same time, Philadelphia is pulsing with untapped potential, especially among its Black and Brown residents. The Wealth + Work Futures Lab will invest in this potential, designing and activating a new engine for designing for the future of cities that centers the most marginalized Black and Brown residents of the Philadelphia Metro Area—carving out pathways for healing, building wealth, and investing in economic and workforce development.

We can bridge the gap together by learning how to nurture existing talent. 

Introducing the Wealth and Work Futures Lab

The Lab will be:

1. An Employer Hub of Innovation, that helps cohorts of companies to design, test, and launch new initiatives and ways of working that support hiring and retention for Black and Brown residents

2. A Research Institute that investigates the future of work and cities as it relates to human wellbeing

3. A collaborative community of practice that cross-pollinates learning on what works across the metro area and beyond to other cities

The design for the Lab was a collaborative product of The Metro Futures Coalition, weaving together the expertise of workforce specialists, the ambition of young adults, the vision of employers, and the advocacy of champions who believe in change. In collaboration with IDEO.org, we took a community-led approach, co-designing with practitioners, public sector leaders, employers, funders, and young adults. Together we identified:

• The unaddressed impact of trauma and the difficulty of meeting basic needs makes it hard for Opportunity Youth to plan for the future
• Employers need a compass to navigate the complexities of recruiting and supporting diverse talent
• The workforce development system is in need of greater cohesion

Metro Future Coalition Members include:

• Michael O’Bryan, Founder of Humanature, Distinguished Resident Fellow Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation
• Phil Brooks, Director, STEM Workforce Partnerships at the University City Science Center
• Gwyneth Gaul, VP, Strategic Partnerships & Community Impact, Comcast NBCUniversal
• Gianna Grossmann, Senior Director, Workforce Development, City of Philadelphia
• Julia Hillengas, Co-founder & Executive Director of PowerCorpsPHL
• Danae Mobley, Executive Director, 1Philadelphia, Chief Operating Officer, Coded by Kids
• Matt Riggan, Co-founder and Executive Director, Workshop School
• Sarah Steltz, Vice President, Economic Competitiveness at The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia
• Bethany Van De Water, Program Coordinator at YEAHPhilly

What's Next

We look forward to engaging with you as the Lab takes shape in 2024. Please contact lindyinstitute@drexel.edu if you have questions or would like to collaborate with us.