Philly Startup Leaders Celebrates 15 Years of Fostering Innovation
Philly Startup Leaders Marks 15 Years of Fostering Innovation with Three Dynamic Anniversary Events
Philly’s largest early-stage startup community of 13,000 members celebrates its work in promoting regional economic growth through entrepreneurship
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philly Startup Leaders (PSL), a 501(c)3 nonprofit serving the region’s largest early-stage startup community, is thrilled to announce its 15 Year Anniversary milestone. Over the past 15 years, PSL has played a pivotal role in advancing entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology in Philadelphia by connecting, convening, and navigating founders to the resources which help them grow. In honor of Philadelphia’s longstanding history of innovation and to commemorate this achievement, PSL is hosting three extraordinary events that promise to engage, educate, and celebrate the local startup community and its growth.
The 15 Year festivities will discuss the future of the ecosystem and Philly Startup Leaders community, how to build lasting and scaling startups, and commemorates the contributions of ecosystem leaders and founders who paved the way for today’s founders. All events will center community connection, and the value of networks and mentorship.
Event 1: Techtoberfest: “Developing Philly” Screening Party
Date: 10/23/2023
Time: 5-8pm
Location: NextFab
Tickets: $20, techtoberfest2023.eventbrite.com
Kicking off the anniversary festivities is PSL's inaugural Techtoberfest. This casual community-uniting event will feature a screening and discussion of the 2013 docu-series “Developing Philly” by Maurice Gaston and David Dylan Thomas, highlighting the history of the Philly tech scene, its early community leaders’ significant contributions to the ecosystem, and their predictions for the ecosystem’s future. The screening will be followed by community networking, tours of NextFab and their member gallery, and refreshments from James Beard Award finalist Cantina La Martina and USAToday 10Best Award Best New Brewery nominee, Human Robot.
The event serves to unite the grass-roots meetups and communities in the region for an evening of celebration. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward programming and events supporting early-stage startup growth in the region.
Event 2: Founder Factory: Building Companies That Last
Date: 11/6/2023
Time: 1:30-8pm
Location: BEX at Brandywine Realty Trust, 2005 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Tickets: $100, founderfactory2023.eventbrite.com
PSL’s flagship Founder Factory is back! Founders come together for talks and panels on tactics to build strong foundations that scale, sharing how they’ve worked through the challenges startups so often face. Founder Factory will feature speakers on organizational development and building resilient team cultures, leveraging technology as a tool for growth, navigating adversity as a founder, developing commercialization strategies which own the market, and extending runway for longevity in uncertain economic environments. The focus of this event will be on overcoming challenges and gearing up for growth.
Founders will also be able to meet with service providers and experts in finance, legal, HR, and more to receive free advice during office hours. The event culminates in a networking happy hour with founders and investors to share insights and deepen relationships across the ecosystem.
Event 3: Glassbreakers Ball & Community Holiday Party
Date: 12/12/2023
Time: 5:30-9pm
Location: Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St.
Admission: $125, glassbreakersball2023.eventbrite.com
PSL’s 15 Year Anniversary celebrations will culminate in the first Glassbreakers Ball. The gala will feature awards for accomplished entrepreneurs and industry experts who have made significant contributions to Philadelphia's startup ecosystem. PSL will celebrate community contributions through Lifetime Achievement Awards while also reaffirming our commitment to our rising stars and PSL’s forward-looking strategy for another 15 years of growth.
Attendees will enjoy a sit-down dinner, live entertainment, and an opportunity to network with fellow innovators passionate about the region. The evening will culminate in a community-wide Holiday Party over the cocktail hours, convening our members for lively discussion and connection.
All proceeds from the Gala will be reinvested in PSL's initiatives to support local startups, such as mentor programs, new accelerators, a job board, leadership development programming, and trade missions to attract new business, investment, and talent to the region and to local founders.
For more information about Philadelphia Startup Leaders' 15th-anniversary events or to purchase tickets, please visit phillystartupleaders.org, Eventbrite, or contact engage@phillystartupleaders.org
To support the celebration and community as a sponsor, please contact engage@phillystartupleaders.org
About Philadelphia Startup Leaders (PSL): Philadelphia Startup Leaders is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing and advancing the startup ecosystem in the Greater Philadelphia region. For 15 years, PSL has provided resources, mentorship, accelerators, coaching, and networking opportunities to support local startups and entrepreneurs. Our mission is to increase the number of entrepreneurs in Philadelphia, grow the number of startups positively impacted by the community, help create a positive perception of Philadelphia’s startup ecosystem, and promote equitable economic development through entrepreneurship.
Philadelphia Startup Leaders remains deeply committed to fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth within the local startup community. We look forward to celebrating our 15th anniversary with our vibrant and dynamic community. Join us in commemorating the past, embracing the present, and igniting the future of startups in Philadelphia!