Earlier this year, The Pew Charitable Trusts hosted its second cohort of the Emerging Leaders Corps (ELC), an eight-session collaborative learning program in Philadelphia designed to help rising leaders tackle the city’s biggest challenges. The ELC, created in partnership with Anavi Strategies and Rvesta Consulting, and supported in part by the William Penn Foundation, is part of Pew’s commitment to fostering an equitable, inclusive, and innovative local economy and a city where all residents can thrive.
Twenty-six participants—nominated by local civic, cultural, education, business, and economic development leaders, city officials, and participants from the first ELC cohort—attended the program’s eight shared-learning sessions. Through facilitated discussions, breakout group activities, and presentations by subject matter experts, these emerging leaders deepened their experience in using research and data to inform policies, build professional networks, foster critical and creative problem-solving, and assess consequences and trade-offs when making important decisions.
Anjali Chainani, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Anavi Strategies and former policy director for the Philadelphia mayor’s office, and Vaughn Ross, founder of Rvesta Consulting and former deputy chief of staff to then-Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, led the sessions, along with Pew experts.
Over the course of the program, each participant developed a vision for the city’s future. And in the final session in June, they shared with policymakers and civic leaders their action plans for advancing the progress they envision through continued learning, collaboration, and advocacy.
Session 1: The State of the City and Envisioning a Future Philadelphia
During the first session of the Emerging Leaders Corps, experts from Pew’s Philadelphia research and policy initiative made a presentation on the current state of the city and engaged in a Q&A with cohort participants. The ELC program directors also introduced the goals and objectives of the program and led participants in a structured exercise to craft their own vision associated with Pew’s core values and the budget priorities for Philadelphia 2035, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s vision for growth and development.
Session 2: Data-Driven Decision-Making for an Equitable Economy
In this session, emerging leaders heard a presentation from the Philadelphia research and policy initiative on workforce development and the economy and participated in a Q&A with the presenters. The leaders then completed a “speed networking” activity to help them build relationships with the researchers, explore approaches to identifying measures of success related to their vision and budget priorities, and expand their understanding of how data can shape narratives around problems and solutions.
Session 3: Housing Production and Preservation in the Context of Differing Perspectives
This session focused on how cities plan for, produce, and preserve housing, and how various stakeholders in the housing ecosystem represent their interests while navigating divergent perspectives. Participants heard about Philadelphia’s current housing systems, evaluated the consequences and opportunities of possible regulatory and operational changes to municipal land use, and began to make a game plan for how their budgetary priorities will need to account for competing interests.
Session 4: Budgeting and Trade-Offs in Municipal Government
In this session, the emerging leaders learned from municipal budgeting experts about Philadelphia’s budget process, innovations in how budgets are made, and ways to navigate the complex trade-offs inherent in budgeting as leaders work to achieve multiple priorities and meet the needs of diverse constituencies. The cohort also participated in a mock budgeting exercise, posing as city leaders or advocates to create, negotiate, and finalize a budget. This exercise aimed to teach participants how to constructively work through the prioritization of their goals while weighing the needs of relevant stakeholders.
Session 5: Using Data to Forge Cross-Sectoral Health Equity Solutions
This session centered on achieving health equity in Philadelphia, focusing on the city’s growing opioid epidemic and its implications for broader health outcomes, fiscal impact, and city policymaking. Public health experts from Thomas Jefferson University presented their latest research regarding the capacity of Philadelphia’s current treatment systems, opioid response strategies in relation to available resources, and the role of equity in approaching public health crises. Participants also gained insight from a panel presentation on how the business and philanthropy sectors use data to invest in public-sector solutions.
Session 6: The Effects of Federal and State Funding on Policy in Philadelphia
In this session, emerging leaders focused on the landscape of federal and state funding sources in Philadelphia. Informed by expert guests, the cohort learned about pass-through and formula-based federal funding programs. They were also introduced to strategies and potential challenges in the coordination of multiple sources of funding from different levels of government. The leaders then analyzed how intergovernmental cooperation might affect efforts to implement change in Philadelphia.
Session 7: Cities and Budgets of the Future: Strategizing Amidst Uncertainty
This session discussed important future considerations for cities, including how to structure municipal budgets in anticipation of potential unknown challenges, and innovations in future planning that can be used to manage unintended consequences of policymaking. Emerging leaders also heard from experts about how to think through their vision and how to take action that serves their goals.
Session 8: Showcase and Graduation
At the final session, the emerging leaders showcased their inspiring visions for Philadelphia and received their ELC certificates. For celebration and community, they invited guests to join them at the informal graduation gathering. The participants’ visions covered a diverse range of impactful topics, from creating greener public spaces to enhancing voter education and addressing affordable housing.
The session concluded by giving emerging leaders the opportunity to reflect on how the different sessions transformed their perspectives on civic life in Philadelphia and shaped the future of their careers. They highlighted the program’s significant value in raising awareness of resources and data-driven strategies, breaking down silos, and fostering future partnerships among the city’s civically minded individuals.
Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Pew’s senior vice president, Philadelphia and scientific advancement, closed the session with remarks that celebrated the program graduates and issued a powerful call to action. She urged them to continue their commitment to the city’s future, reminding them that they are now equipped with the knowledge, skills, and connections to make a lasting impact. As the emerging leaders embark on their journeys, they carry with them a shared vision of a brighter, more equitable Philadelphia, ready to lead and create meaningful change.
Following are the 26 participants of the 2024 ELC program.