University City : Featured Stories

As we look forward to a new year, Flying Kite highlights a group of game-changing Commonwealth companies. Whether they're brewing beer, saving lives, making life more convenient or helping kids learn better, these startups are poised for a big 2015. 

Philly is still a bastion for quirky independent stores selling classic superhero tales, rare back issues, manga, independent titles and more. As comics continue to provide grist for the blockbuster mill, don't neglect the charms of the source material.

From landscaping to neighborhood entrepreneurship to cutting-edge training, the Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN) announces four big grants to projects that should help Philadelphians create and fill good jobs.

Flying Kite highlights some of the city's most inspiring and revolutionary projects, from the rescue of the Divine Lorraine to the Reading Viaduct's reinvention to luxury living in Logan Circle. There's a lot worth getting worked up over.

Last week, the latest class of startups entered DreamIt Ventures' tech accelerator. These fledgling entrepreneurs could be building the next billion-dollar company or learning to fail fast -- the next 90 days will say a lot.

Check out our list of the week's best events.

Plasma could have groundbreaking applications in energy, health care and technology -- and some of the most promising research and commercialization efforts are coming out of the Philadelphia region.

With the sale of the property to Drexel University and Wexford Science and Technology finalized, the local community continues to fight to make their voices heard. How will this potentially $1 billion development project impact the neighborhood?

Check out this week's top events.

The current labor market requires innovation, creativity and commitment -- not only to finding the best workers, but to cultivating them. Meet two local companies committed to rethinking how they train and hire. PTR Baler, a manufacturer in Port Richmond, and Wash Cycle Laundry, a green bike-powered laundry service, both looked at the challenges of maintaining an engaged, talented workforce and declined to take the easy way out. PTR has taken it upon themselves to train the next generation of high-skill workers, while Wash Cycle emphasizes upward mobility and taps vulnerable populations. Both solutions have bred success.

Local colleges and universities are developing innovative ways to foster entrepreneurship and cultivate the next generation of startup leaders. They are joined by schools across the state.

While their classmates are sleeping late and throwing frisbees, these collegiate all-stars are launching promising businesses.

Local museums, theaters and art spaces are working hard to open their doors a little wider, whether it's to people on the autism spectrum or those with disabilities.

Transit hubs across the country have the potential to be more than just places we pass through on our way to somewhere else -- all it takes it a little imagination. The process is already underway at 30th Street Station.

Check out Flying Kite's picks for the week's top events.