How does a 50 plus year old organization stay current with the latest trends? That's the challenge for
Leadership Philadelphia, which has been around since the late 1950s.
Liz Dow, President and CEO, says the key is connecting the old guard with up and coming business leaders in Philadelphia. In 2012, Dow is bringing people like Geoff DiMasi of
Indy Hall and
P'unk Avenue and Michelle Freeman of
YIP (and Flying Kite) into the fold, with plans for both to come speak at Leadership Philadelphia's
Sunday Breakfast Club.
"It's our mission to mobilize and connect professionals," says Dow, with offerings like the
Core Program and the
Executive Program, which aim to train and provide networking for Philly's business community. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Leadership Philadelphia launched the
Connector Project, with the stated mission to identify under-the-radar leaders, study them in order to teach others to connect, and celebrate their success.
At the end of 2011, Leadership Philadelphia announced the nomination of 76 creative connectors, which Dow terms "a funky wonderful group of entrepreneurial arts people who are trusted members of the community."
There's also the
Pay It Forward program, in which participants are given money to hand to someone else and then report back. The stories are now pouring in.
Fairmount Park Art Association's Executive Director Penny Balkin Bach writes that she "matched the $50 and sent it to Creative Connector Stanford Thompson at Play On, Philly to buy 100 reeds for the kids playing wind instruments." Irene Hannan, a Senior Vice President at Citizens Bank, donated the money to a single mom she found through Project HOME to use for her children’s Christmas gifts.
Leadership Philadelphia also launched This I Believe, which formed the basis for a national radio series produced out of
WHYY and airing on NPR's All Things Considered and Weekend Edition Sunday.
Recruiting for Leadership Philadelphia's Core Program begins in March 2012, The Executive Program, now underway, concludes in June.
Source: Liz Dow, Leadership Philadelphia
Writer: Sue Spolan