Before its tenth birthday, Innovation Philadelphia will have to decide what it wants to be when it grows up.
The grant-funded economic development group, with a goal of attracting young professionals to the city’s “creative economies,” was formed in 2001 during Mayor Street’s administration with support from economic and academic leaders. More recently, though, the group has been better known for underwriting research to help postulate how the city can attract young professionals. With those ends, it hosts the annual Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit and produces the Entrepreneur’s Resource Guide.
The organization is also broke.
Last week in a newsletter to supporters, Innovation Philadelphia announced that it will be reevaluating its operations, and it’s not hard to see why. In 2008, Mayor Nutter cut all city funding to the group, and earlier this year one of its primary grants was not renewed. The news prompted CEO Kelly Lee to leave the organization, and three-person full-time staffers have been laid off. Richard Bendis, founder and chairman of Innovation Philadelpha’s board, will be leading an effort to reassess the group’s operations and its role in the city. That won’t be an easy task. Recently, the organization was criticized by the Philadelphia Business Journal. The Inquirer, too, expressed apathy about the its future.
Philadelphia’s creative economy ecosystem is far from reaching its full potential, and we think there is still a role for the organization. But it’s going to take some serious steering:
Trim down
Previously the group prided itself on producing reports such as the “Creative footprint,” which measured the impact of the region’s creative economy. But research is expensive, time consuming and its return-on-investment is difficult to pin down. Drop it. And drop GCECS’s national focus so that the high-profile event is centered on the region’s economy.
Don’t be redundant
The organization often sees itself as a cheerleader of sorts for the region’s creatives, but that is a function better left to the city’s grassroots organizations or existing economic development organizations. Find the gaps in existing groups and fill them.
Be a hub
Philadelphia’s various creative industries have their own trade groups and organizations. IP should be a central platform for all creative sectors to communicate and collaborate. It shouldn’t be top-down. Instead, it should explore how it can better facilitate those existing groups.
Invest
Until recently, the group had an uncanny ability to attract large government grants to fund operations. Why not route that money to help foster the create of new companies and jobs? For example, continue supporting startup incubator DreamIt Ventures and state-funded, early-stage investor Ben Franklin Technology Partners but make them priorities. With a federal and state emphasis on creating green tech and technology jobs, it should be an easier sell. There is no better way for Philadelphia to champion itself than if it was the home to a handful of the world’s most innovative companies.
Promote your web resources
The group’s excellent job board and its entrepreneur resource guide are incredibly useful to small business and freelancers and shouldn’t require too much effort to maintain and update. Keep ‘em. But there’s one crucial problem: they’re buried on the website. Put them on the front page.
Communicate and be transparent
Innovation Philadelphia’s blog is a 404 placeholder, its Twitter accounts have been suspended and press releases are few and far between. We would venture that even amongst workers in the creative economy, the majority don’t know what contributions the organization has made. If it is to be successful, its constituents must know the value it provides.
In a previous conversation with Technically Philly, Bendis promised a “rational and analytical” look at the way Innovation Philadelphia operates. He left all options on the table and emphasized a need to be flexible to the needs of the city.
That’s something we can get behind. — Sean Blanda
TECHNICALLY PHILLY is a news site that covers technology in the region. The site covers startups, investment, government policy, Comcast, social media and all that is Philadelphia tech. Read more at technicallyphilly.com.
May 4th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
May 10th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
As is well known, creativity, innovation, and industry fueled Philadelphia — “The Workshop to the World”—to staggering growth in the 19th century. As the city evolves from its industrial past, it relies on a future built upon knowledge, networks and culture. Here we have a unique environment for design exploration and development – an incubator, of sorts, for students and professionals alike. With its seemingly endless wealth of academic and cultural institutions, professional practices and associations, retailers and galleries, Philadelphia is emerging (sometimes despite itself) as a unique, inspirational environment in which to live, work, and play.
This is where DesignPhiladelphia comes in, the largest design event in the nation!
While Innovation Philadelphia’s arms reached further into the technological fields than do those of DesignPhiladelphia, the later is a grass roots endeavor, growing stronger by the year in number of participants and audience attendance. It emerged in 2005 to unite the design disciplines, celebrate their contribution to this region, promote public awareness, and further growth in this region’s creative economy. Last year, 500 designers were represented to an audience of over 200,000.
By connecting up our programming with seven academic design programs of higher learning across the city, and by introducing young designers to the opportunities, firms, and energy of design practices in Philadelphia, DP is helping to make the case that Philadelphia is a burgeoning city of design and innovation.
By showcasing the extent of design retailers, professional offices, museums and galleries, and other working professionals, DesignPhiladelphia is playing a role in aiding the city’s retention and attraction of young designers and creative professionals.
Ultimately, DesignPhiladelphia is instrumental in raising the national reputation of Philadelphia as a creative capital. The New York Times Magazine (2008) said that DesignPhiladelphia’s printed event program of events “looks more like a book than a pamphlet – a reflection, no doubt, of Philly’s expanding creative economy.” Through the breadth of our programming, we are making a case for the overall economic impact that the design professions have upon Philadelphia’s economy.
But, here’s the rub: Where does the money come from to keep fueling DesignPhiladelphia? Who will offer funding to the October festival of 135 events, year-round programming and website that all promote, retain, educate, and grow the design champions and innovative enterprises in our midst? Some corporations have stepped up, with tidbits in their hands, but there’s a black hole where state and local agencies should be contributing to an entity like DesignPhiladelphia, one whose bottom line is shouting across the region and the nation: WOW!! Philadelphia.
As we ready DesignPhiladelphia for its annual October festival (October 7-17), we are rebuilding our website, but check in with http://www.designphiladelphia.org in a month or so and join us as we rally together the region’s creative community.
May 15th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
http://www.innovationphiladelphia.com/initiatives/creative-economy-fund.aspx
I’m surprised I missed eight other investments. I guess that hits on your “Communicate” point.
I completely agree that this area should be (and should have been) more of a priority for the organization.
October 21st, 2011 at 3:30 am
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