Harry Hayman

Got to sit in on a fascinating conversation with new Drexel President Antonio Merlo and Brian Tierney, organized by the Center City Business Association.

What struck me was not a discussion about higher education.

It was a discussion about Philadelphia's future.

Merlo spoke about growing up in a working-class family in Italy, becoming the first in his family to attend college, and how education fundamentally changed the trajectory of his life.

That perspective seems to inform everything about how he thinks about Drexel.

Not as a university.

As an engine.

An engine for economic mobility.
An engine for workforce development.
An engine for innovation.
An engine for Philadelphia.

A few numbers that stayed with me from his remarks: 96 percent of Drexel graduates are employed or in graduate school within one year. Drexel graduates earn above national averages on average. And approximately one-third of Drexel students are the first in their families to attend college.

But the most important idea may have been this: students should not have to choose between learning and doing.

In a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and automation, Merlo argued that universities must prepare students not just for jobs, but for change itself.

That mindset is particularly relevant right now.

Philadelphia is preparing for the World Cup. America 250. Massive investment in infrastructure, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The question is not whether change is coming. The question is whether we are building the institutions, partnerships, and talent pipelines necessary to lead it.

One thing became clear today: Drexel intends to be part of that conversation.

Philadelphia is stronger when its major institutions see themselves as partners in the same regional project rather than separate entities operating in isolation.

Thanks to Ben and the Center City Business Association team for always organizing these conversations.

What do you think the role of higher education should be in Philadelphia's next chapter?

Last week, I had the privilege of hearing from Penn Medicine CEO Kevin Mahoney at the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia Board meeting, hosted at the historic Pennsylvania Hospital.

The insights were outstanding.
The candor was refreshing.
The vision was inspiring.

Kevin made one thing clear: healthcare is bigger than healthcare.

It is workforce development.
It is economic development.
It is education.
It is research.
It is innovation.
It is neighborhood stability.
It is creating hope and opportunity for people who may never step foot inside a boardroom.

When Penn succeeds, Philadelphia succeeds.

And Kevin understands that in a way that very few leaders at his level actually do.

So many of us spend our days trying to solve problems from the outside.

Kevin Mahoney is one of the people actually solving them from the inside.

Can we talk about how ridiculously fortunate Philadelphia is to have him?

Philadelphia often does not give itself enough credit for the extraordinary leaders we have quietly doing world-class work every single day.

Kevin Mahoney is at the top of that list.

Thank you for your leadership, Kevin.
Thank you for your commitment to this city.
Thank you for your partnership.
And thank you for taking the time to share your perspective with all of us at the Economy League.

Philadelphia is stronger because of it.

Left ULI Philadelphia's Art in Place Implementation Workshop more encouraged than when I walked in.

That does not always happen.

The right questions are being asked. Not "how do we incorporate art into a development project?" but "how do we build the conditions that make culture sustainable?"

That is a fundamentally different question. One treats culture as an addition. The other treats it as infrastructure.

Philadelphia has done more with arts and culture as a civic tool than most American cities. The Mural Arts Program. The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. An entire creative community that has built something over decades, quietly and without enough recognition.

What this city sometimes struggles with is connecting that creative infrastructure to the economic and planning frameworks that determine what gets built, where, and for whom.

The Art in Place framework is an attempt to close that gap. And based on what I heard in that room, the right people are asking the right questions.

Culture is the soul of a city. Not a line item. Not a grant cycle. Not a beautification committee.

The soul.

When Philadelphia treats it that way at every level of planning and investment, the city becomes something it has always had the potential to be.

Thank you to ULI Philadelphia and everyone involved in this workshop.

PHILADELPHIA, SUMMER IS HERE.

Sometimes we make things too complicated. It is eighty five degrees. You are standing at the Navy Yard. There is wine. There are people. There is music. There are entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, community leaders, and folks who simply want to enjoy a beautiful day in one of the most interesting cities in America.

The Wine Cup is not just a wine festival. It is a celebration of community, small businesses, culture, and the people who continue to create reasons to love Philadelphia.

A genuine thank you to Shakia Williams and the entire team behind this event for putting it together.

VIP may be sold out, but General Admission tickets are going quickly.

If you believe Philadelphia deserves more events that bring people together, support the people creating them.

See you Saturday, June 20. I will be there.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine-cup-2026-tickets-1978952269510?aff=oddtdtcreator

Municipal governments are often described as slow to move, difficult to coordinate, and resistant to change.

Then FIFA comes to town.

Roads get repaved.
Permits get expedited.
Agencies coordinate.
Stakeholders align.
Resources appear.
Problems get solved.

Almost overnight.

It raises a question that is worth sitting with:

If a city can mobilize to prepare for a soccer match, why can it not demonstrate the same urgency when people are hungry?

Why can it not move that fast when children do not know where their next meal is coming from?

Why can it not move that fast when small businesses are struggling to survive?

Why can it not move that fast when neighborhoods are asking for investment?

Why can it not move that fast when arts and culture institutions need real, sustained support?

The issue is not capacity.
The issue is not competence.
The issue is not resources.

The issue is priority.

Because when something becomes important enough, government has demonstrated, repeatedly, that it can move quickly, coordinate effectively, and produce results.

Imagine how it feels to be a parent choosing between groceries and rent, while watching millions of dollars mobilize around an event.

Imagine being told there is no urgency, no capacity, and no resources to address food insecurity... while a city invests in temporary banners, wayfinding signs, and visitor experiences for the world's biggest sporting event.

This is not an argument against FIFA.
This is not an argument against Philadelphia hosting the World Cup.

It is an argument for applying the same urgency, creativity, coordination, and determination to the challenges that shape people's lives every single day.

The lesson from FIFA is not that government cannot move fast.

The lesson is that it can.

What would happen if we treated hunger like we treat a World Cup?

Philadelphia is opening its public parks to food businesses, and the opportunity is real.

The city's Parks and Recreation department has issued a Request for Proposals for food truck vending in city parks. Tonight, June 16 at 6:30 PM ET, there is a pre-proposal briefing on Zoom where vendors can get the full picture and ask their questions directly.

This is exactly the kind of connection that matters. Real city contracts. Real opportunities for food entrepreneurs, small business owners, and independent vendors to build sustainable, recurring revenue through public space.

The door is open. The question is whether people know it is there.

If you know someone who operates a food truck or has been thinking about getting into the space, share this with them. No registration is required for tonight's session. The meeting will also be recorded for anyone who cannot attend live.

Join the Zoom here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89215600421?pwd=UjO5JWU8wOx957K4I3cpxpgbox7EnM.1

Meeting ID: 892 1560 0421
Passcode: 210597

Register for upcoming support workshops: https://bit.ly/FoodTruckRFPWorkshop

View the full RFP on PHL Contracts: https://www.phlcontracts.phila.gov/bso/external/bidDetail.sda?docId=B2727287&external=true&parentUrl=close

Philadelphia takes care of its own. Pass this along.

Philadelphia. World Cup 2026. Six matches at Lincoln Financial Field. $770 million in projected local economic impact. 500,000 visitors expected this summer.

For every one of those six matches, the eyes of the world will be on this city. Not just on the pitch. On the streets. The food. The neighborhoods. The people who give Philadelphia its character.

The $770 million figure leads every headline. But the real story is what that number means on the ground. Hotels absorbing a visitor surge unlike anything this city has seen in a generation. Independent restaurants welcoming guests who have traveled across continents. Music venues filling rooms with people experiencing Philadelphia for the very first time. Neighborhood businesses becoming part of a permanent global memory of what this city felt like when the world showed up. Service industry workers at every level doing the work that turns a projection into an actual result.

This is not a sports story. It is an economic story. And the local economy that is positioned to receive it will look very different from the one that is not.

Soccer does not yet carry the same depth of cultural ownership in the United States that it holds across Europe, South America, Africa, and most of Asia. For many Americans, this is a significant event. For billions of others, it is the most important thing happening on the planet right now. The 2022 World Cup final drew more than 1.5 billion viewers. This tournament is projected to engage close to 6 billion people globally.

That is not a sports audience. That is the world. And for six matches this summer, Philadelphia is the stage.

For context on the scale of what a World Cup moment represents globally, Qatar spent an estimated $220 billion hosting the 2022 edition. At its peak, the country was spending $500 million every single week just to build the infrastructure needed to receive that audience. Philadelphia does not have to build a thing. The city, the culture, and the character are already here.

The question is whether the local economy is ready to be seen.

Philadelphia has a genuine once-in-a-generation opportunity in front of it. Not just to generate revenue during a tournament window, but to place itself permanently in the global memory of millions of visitors and billions of viewers as a city that rises to its moments.

That work starts now.

Every year, I go. I can't remember the last year I didn't at least drive by. I remember seeing the story on the news when I was younger.

Every year, I leave inspired.

And every year, I am reminded that one little, brave, courageous, incredible girl changed the world (and continues to).

The event is Alex's "Original" Lemonade Stand, and if you've never been, put it on your list.

For those who don't know, what started as a child wanting to help other kids with cancer has become one of the most powerful examples of love, hope, service, and impact I have ever witnessed.
Think about that for a second.

A little girl started a lemonade stand. That's it.

And yet today, millions of dollars have been raised, countless lives have been touched, groundbreaking research has been funded, and children and families all over the world have been given hope (and lives saved) because of her vision. Grief is brutal. I struggle with it every single day. Which is why I have endless admiration for Jay and Liz Scott and what they have created in Alex's honor. It helps sooth the pain.
Even in death, Alex continues to create so much life.

That is a legacy. You can't make this s**t up.

Huge, huge props to two of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever met, Jay and Liz Scott.

What they have built in Alex's honor is nothing short of remarkable. They have transformed unimaginable loss into purpose, action, community, and hope for families everywhere.

The event itself is incredible. Families. Kids. Volunteers. Survivors. Supporters. Smiles. Tears. Inspiration. Humanity at its absolute best.

If you're looking for a reminder that one person can make a difference, this is it.

If you're looking for proof that love is the most powerful force in the world and will survive and outlive us all, this is it.

And if you're looking for a reason to believe that ordinary people (including you) can do extraordinary things, this is definitely it.

Thank you, Alex.

Thank you, Jay.

Thank you, Liz.

And thank you to everyone who continues to carry this mission forward. I was honored to be there.

Philadelphia, I have a question:

When was the last time you attended an event that combined art, photography, advocacy, community, cocktails, canapés...and goats?

Exactly.

That's why I'm excited to be serving on the Host Committee for GOAT FEAST 2026, an immersive experience from InLiquid featuring acclaimed photographer Claire Rosen and the incredible herd from the Philly Goat Project.

But this isn't just a party.

It's a celebration of creativity.
A celebration of artists.
A celebration of the weird, wonderful, unexpected things that make Philadelphia one of the most vibrant cultural cities in America.

The arts don't just entertain us. They challenge us. Connect us. Inspire us. They help us imagine a different future. And organizations like InLiquid are doing the hard work of supporting artists and ensuring that creativity remains a vital part of our city's DNA.

So yes, there will be cocktails.
Yes, there will be canapés.
Yes, there will be goats.

But there will also be artists, dreamers, patrons, community builders, and people who understand that a great city is built not only with concrete and steel, but with imagination.

If you're looking for another ordinary networking event, this ain't it.

If you're looking for one of the most unique, memorable, and delightfully Philadelphia evenings of the summer, come join us.

Let's support the arts.
Let's support artists.
Let's support the organizations that make Philadelphia more interesting, more vibrant, and more human.

And let's be honest...

Anything Rachel says we should do, I'm doing it!
See you there.

One American dies from heart disease every 33 seconds.

Not every few minutes. Every 33 seconds. Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in this country for decades. 683,000 people in 2024 alone. The American Heart Association reports that more than 72% of American adults carry an unhealthy weight. More than half have diabetes or prediabetes.

Most of the risk factors driving these numbers are preventable.

So the question worth sitting with is this: how did the food environment get built this way?

In 1985, Philip Morris, the to***co company, purchased General Foods for $5.6 billion. In 1988, they acquired Kraft for $12.9 billion. R.J. Reynolds had already bought Nabisco. Cigarette companies now controlled a significant portion of the American food supply.

What followed was not a coincidence.

The scientists who had spent careers engineering ni****ne addiction were redirected toward food. Same researchers. Same understanding of the brain's reward system. Research has documented that foods owned by to***co companies were 80% more likely to be formulated for what the industry called hyper-palatability. The technical term for designing something nearly impossible to stop consuming.

Today, 60% of the calories in the American diet come from ultra-processed foods.

This is not a personal failure story. It is a systems story. And you cannot build a better food system without understanding how the current one was constructed.

One American dies from heart disease every 33 seconds.

The food was built to win. Knowing that changes what the work has to look like.