Dear Reader:
We are excited to bring to you the Winter edition of Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal. The first regional web-based journal of its kind, the Journal brings together Philadelphia’s top social innovators and entrepreneurs who are on the front lines solving our most pressing social issues.
In this second edition of the Journal, you’ll meet leaders who have created new models of behavioral health care that makes mental health services accessible within primary care settings and in the community. You’ll learn how local young people can effectively gain life-changing intern opportunities in the local business community. You’ll reap insights from a social innovator and former felon who has been instrumental in preventing youth crime by having ex-felons serve as mentors. And you’ll gain knowledge of innovations leading to incentivizing people to go back to college to finish their degrees. Finally, you’ll have a better idea of the cost of partnering and how to ensure you get a return on investment for your efforts.
We have also invited contributions from local and national experts in organizational leadership, in management, in performance-based and high-impact nonprofits, and in leadership development. Some of these articles are provocative by design. As in the fall, when one of our articles by David Hunter went viral, we hope they will spur passionate discussions among our readers — and with this in mind visit us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
We’ve had an exciting journey since our October kick-off — and best of all we’ve met so many amazing regional innovators across all sectors. A growing group of over 60 volunteers, of all ages and professions, edit, blog and write op-eds, and help manage the Journal. Regionally and nationally known and up-and-coming authors are contributing thought pieces on disruptive innovations and lessons about what works and does not work in the social sector. And our wonderful students from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Fels Institute of Government, and School of Social Policy and Practice, and from Drexel University’s School of Public Health, are producing feature articles on regional innovators and innovations in the healthcare, violence prevention and human capital (education and employment) sectors and on partnerships.
We appreciate all your feedback and encourage you to participate, whether through blogging or writing articles. When we hear comments from colleagues like “it’s been a difficult year for our country — but the Journal is like fresh air, it is positive energy, and it gives me and others hope that we are still a country and people who can innovate,” we know that together with you we are on to something that we need to continue to foster and grow in this region.
We have many people and organizations to thank, including our local funders and investors: United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, The Philadelphia Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, Independence Foundation, The Thomas Scattergood Foundation and St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children. We also want thank our partners from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Fels Institute of Government, and School of Social Policy and Practice, along with La Salle University and Drexel University.
We welcome your input and ideas to help us mature and grow, and we encourage you to get involved whether by contributing articles or sharing ideas about social innovators and innovations that we might highlight in future issues. Please email Tine Hansen-Turton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Nicholas Torres at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Thank you for tuning in! We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours,
Nick and Tine
Why an Old-fashioned Light Bulb?
A funder recently told us, “I love the Journal and its articles, but why did you use an old-fashioned light bulb for a logo?”
The truth is that we debated using a modern light bulb, and you will see one on our website pages. But we went with the traditional one for our logo, because social innovation at its core is about creating a simple solution to an old problem. Our old-fashioned light bulb changed human existence and thus itself symbolizes change.