Building for Belonging: Fireside Chats
Programming Details for Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities 2025
[Fireside Chat I]: Cultivating Resilience Through Regional Economies
10:00 am ET | Drafting Room
This fireside chat will delve into regional food systems that bridge the gap between urban consumers and family farms, challenging the dominance of the corporate global food system. We'll explore the wholesale impact of local farms supplying urban grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and hospitals, and how this can redefine sustainability in urban settings. Beyond just food, we'll discuss the integration of local energy, textiles, building materials, and plant medicine into urban economies, showcasing how these initiatives offer substantial business opportunities. This session will highlight the broader benefits of these systems, including strengthening local economies, enhancing community resilience, and promoting environmental stewardship, providing a dynamic vision of how urban areas can support sustainable and equitable growth.
Valery Yakubovich | Executive Director, Mack Institute
Judy Wicks | Author, Activist, and Entrepreneur
[Fireside Chat II]: Building Philadelphia
11:00 am ET | Drafting Room
This panel will spotlight the dynamic strategies driving the city’s growth and transformation, focusing on innovative partnerships and initiatives that foster economic development and inclusion. Featuring a diverse group of leaders with deep expertise in urban development, this panel will explore how Philadelphia is positioning itself as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and equitable growth. In addition to physical development of new and emerging economic hubs around the city, this panel will explore ways that local leaders can leverage that development to “build” pathways to prosperity for city residents.
Eleanor Sharpe | Former Director of the Department of Planning & Development | City of Philadelphia
Jamie R. Gauthier | City Councilmember, Philadelphia Third District
[Fireside Chat III]: Business Models for Change
12:00 pm ET | Drafting Room
This fireside chat will highlight the innovative ways companies are embedding social impact into the core of their business models. While social impact and sustainability initiatives are often siloed or treated as check-the-box exercises, the companies featured in this discussion take a transformative approach, integrating these priorities into their strategies and operations. With insights from leaders at some of the world's leading companies, this session will explore how these trailblazing organizations align profitability with purpose. From combating child labor in the chocolate industry to advancing financial inclusion and championing sustainability in beauty, these companies illustrate how businesses can drive meaningful change while achieving sustainable growth.
Laura Rog | Chief Service Officer, City of New York
Josh Bahn | Vice President, Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group
Maggie Kervick | Global Head of Sustainability, Kiehl’s
Victoria Din | Senior Vice President, U.S. Public Sector, Mastercard
Karin Campbell | Director of Partnerships, Tony’s Chocolonely
[Fireside Chat IV]: Promoting Innovation: Life Sciences Industry
1:30 pm ET | Drafting Room
The life sciences industry is at the forefront of transformative breakthroughs in healthcare, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. This panel will explore the essential role that real estate development plays in fostering innovation within the sector. Panelists will dive into the concept of innovation districts—designated urban areas that integrate life sciences companies, academic institutions, and startups to promote collaboration, knowledge exchange, and economic growth. Attendees will gain insights into how developing knowledge communities around life sciences hubs can revitalize cities, attract global talent, and drive sustainable innovation.
Sara Merriman | Director, Brandywine
John Grady | Senior Vice President, Wexford Sciences
Anthony Sorrentino | AVP, Office of EVP, University of Pennsylvania
[Fireside Chat V] Building Reused: Revitalizing Cities through Adaptive Reuse
2:30 pm ET | Drafting Room
Adaptive reuse is the ultimate form of urban (or suburban) recycling, breathing new life into historic structures while preserving their cultural significance. These projects require careful planning, community engagement, and thoughtful development. In this panel, industry experts will share insights from their work on adaptive reuse projects, ranging from transforming industrial buildings to public marketplaces in New York City to reimagining America’s malls. Panelists will discuss the innovative processes behind these projects and highlight the positive, lasting impact they’ve had on their communities—economically, socially, and culturally.