Philly Tech Week 2012 presented by AT&T: Program & Magazine by Brian Kirk

philly tech week April 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;28 A week-long celebration of technology and innovation in Philadelphia

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www.phillytechweek .com Organized by

Who owns OpenDataPhilly? full calendar inside featuring more than

tech events

plu s The rise of e-commerce in Philadelphia cover story

Graduation Rates Show Uphill Battle With Math And Science In School District The State of STEM Stem

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program & magazine

Table of Contents

Welcome

Page 04 Startups for startups / L&I gets an app / NextFab expands Page 06 OpenDataPhilly looks for a home / the Anti-Craigslist / A new tool for digital access Page 07 PTW2012's complete calendar Page 15 Quotable: how tech takes Philly Page 18 Philly's rising tide of e-commerce Page 20 From bus attendent to robotics instructor Page 22 The State of STEM education in Philadelphia

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cover story

Page 27 PTW2012 Sponsors Page 30 PTW2012 Participants phillytechweek.com Philly Tech Week 2012 presented by AT&T is a week-long celebration of technology and innovation in Philadelphia. This year’s theme is: Making a better Philadelphia through technology. The week is organized by local technology news organization Technically Philly.

A LETTER FROM the ORGANIZERS The real value proposition of Philly Tech Week is that if we organize all the corners of the region’s technology community together to celebrate innovation for one, crazed week, it will be hard to ignore. Hard to ignore in Philadelphia, in the region, in the country. Hard to ignore the entrepreneurship community that continues to take root. Hard to ignore the artists, hackers, hobbyists, designers and developers finding new ways to use familiar and new tools. Hard to ignore how far ahead so many of us are in changing the way we work, live and play. Hard to ignore that there are still many of us in Philadelphia who need help accessing the digital dream. This is the second annual Philly Tech Week and in organizing another open calendar of events celebrating technology and innovation, it’s proven very clear that what we all started together last year is still in its early stages. There are communities in Philadelphia that still need opportunity, yet there are also many other places — in shiny University City towers, in converted Northern Liberties warehouses and in Old City lofts — where this city is developing a reputation for being a place for urban renewal through technology. Much of what started last year is continuing to grow: OpenDataPhilly.org, the civic catalog of data, is further uncovering an open gov movement; a network of women-in-tech events is expanding and a public-private partnership now called KEYSPOT continues to roll out new computer centers in lowincome neighborhoods. And there is even more coming in this, the second Philly Tech Week, across more than 70 events in the city and region. Thank you for again supporting Philly Tech Week. There is little doubt that next year will feature another call for celebration. With continued optimism, Christopher Wink, Brian James Kirk and Sean Blanda Philly Tech Week organizers and Technically Philly co-founders

technicallyphilly.com Lead Organizers and Technically Philly Co-Founders Sean Blanda, Brian James Kirk, Christopher Wink Cover Photo

Rachel Playe contributors

Matthew Albasi, Yael Borofsky, Erica DePascale Design and Printing

Red Flag Media Logo and Website

Jarvus Innovations Publisher

Technically Media Inc. 1515 Market Street, Suite 400 t e c h n i c a l ly p h i l ly. c o m • P h i l ly t e c h w e e k . c o m

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Acceleration of coworking in Philadelphia Whether you bet it on a bubble or on a sign of a maturing entrepreneurship community, Philadelphia has seen a wave of new startup ventures hoping to house other, well, startups. Call it the coworking/incubation/accelerator gold rush of the first half of 2012, in which groups with office space sell low-cost desks, packaged with mentorship and backend services, to budding entrepreneurs. “This is an opportunity to create a stronger network of younger, smarter technology business in Philadelphia,” said Elliot Menschik, who started accepting applications in March for Venturef0rth, an accelerator in Callowhill. Hot on the heels of Venturef0rth, after a year or more of rumors, a trio of local entrepreneur scenesters opened in February the doors to Seed Philly, the missionminded nonprofit accelerator, at 1650 Arch Street, adjacent to Green Village, itself an accelerator dedicated to sustainable-focused businesses. News of the three initial startups in the Project Liberty Digital Incubator, hosted by the Inquirer’s publisher and largely funded by the Knight Foundation, broke in January, the same month that the Novitorium in suburban Langhorne announced it had welcomed its initial tenant. This month, Benjamin’s Desk, a coworking space with a more corporate feel was due to launch in Rittenhouse. Activity in the first four months of 2012 has likely more than tripled the number of subsidized seats aimed at startups in Philadelphia. This crew follows the path of University City accelerator DreamIt Ventures, incubator Good Company Ventures and the half-decade old Old City coworking standard bearer Independents Hall. In recent years, other tech businesses with room to spare have, too, opened

License to Inspect a possible launch Don’t hold your breath, but there is a shot that the long-awaited City of Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections web app could launch during Philly Tech Week. The tool, about two and a half years in the making, would use a scalable API built by the city’s Office of Innovation and Technology and allow users to access geo-coded information on permits, applications and zoning. Dubbed ‘License to Inspect,’ the app is the brainchild of Robert Cheeham, the founder of Azavea, which is building the web interface, Matt Golas, the managing editor of development news site PlanPhilly, which will host the tool, and Harris Steinberg, of PlanPhilly parent organization PennPraxis, which secured funding from the William Penn Foundation. “This would be the real deal of the city open data conversation,” said Golas. As Technically Philly reported in September, the project has been plagued by delays since its original concept in December 2009, part due to a collision of priorities with other projects in the city’s OIT office. Rumors of a direct pledge for increased city data trans-

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Entrepreneur Expo

Seed Philly founder Brad Denenberg, at right, with the Center City accelerator’s project manager Bill Mellinger

up desks to summon collaboration, including Devnuts in Northern Liberties, Alliance Equals in Manayunk and Bashpole in Center City, but never has there been so many new desks in so short a time. Launching is one thing, as any startup housed in one of these spaces will tell you. Surviving is another. —Christopher Wink

parency from Mayor Nutter persist which could push the project to launch and beyond. Still, progress has been made since the last missed deadline — for the end of 2011. This February, Cheetham and Golas were using a live, test version of the web app. “It is spectacular,” Golas said, “has all the bells and whistles too.” —Christopher Wink A screenshot of the License to Inspect application

Thursday, April 26 6:00pm – 9:00pm @ Levitt Auditorium, 401 S. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_ entrepreneurexpo; Free w/ RSVP Bright Ideas? Philly has them. The Entrepreneur Expo, a Philly Startup Leaders, Inc. event, will showcase the work of top Philadelphia-area entrepreneurs in a tradeshow setting, with an estimated 50 exhibitors and presentations. Hosted by Corzo Center for the Creative Economy.

Lunchtime Series: License to Inspect Wednesday, April 25 12:00pm – 1:00pm @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http://ph.ly/ ptw_license; Free w/ RSVP A demo event showcasing PlanPhilly’s forthcoming License to Inspect application and a panel discussion highlighting the publicprivate partnership between it, Azavea and the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspection that made it happen. Tracks4

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the next generation NextFab Studios Grows Up, Becomes NextFab 2 // by yael borofsky

The vision for the new Washington Avenue NextFab Studio

Next Fab Studio launched in January 2010 on the first floor of the University City Science Center as a members-only 3D prototyping studio. It was part of an idealistic strategy: turn a stretch of West Market Street into a vibrant tech corridor. Now, the organization is hoping to add window-dressing to another area of Philadelphia. At the end of February the outfit announced a second location at 2025 Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia. To transition the venue from ironworking to 3D printing, Philly architecture and design firm inHabit is revamping the 21,000 square foot spot to inThe TOOOL Lockpick Workshop clude everything from private Wednesday, April 25, 12:00pm – 4:00pm studios, classrooms, and an @ NextFab, 3711 Market St.; on-site street-level cafe. "The http://ph.ly/ptw_lockpick1; $10-$30 next space is going to be five times larger and have twice Are you interested in learning more about the mysas many machines," NextFab's tery behind locks and the tools used to open them? Community Service Specialist Are you already a seasoned picker? Attend this Itsuki Ogihara said. workshop to learn, practice, or show off! Tracks4

we’ve got philadelphia covered. pennsylvania • delaware • new jersey

smart. local. news. t e c h n i c a l ly p h i l ly. c o m • P h i l ly t e c h w e e k . c o m

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The new, new Craigslist Apartment hunting in a major American city like Philadelphia usually involves a lot of hopeful emails to anonymous web postings. Philadelphia startup Inhabi is looking to change that by doing for renters what Match.com does for soulmates. One of the five companies demoing at Switch Philly on April 25, Inhabi asks renters about the amenities that they are looking for in an apartment. Hardwood floors? Definitely. Target rent? Keep it affordable, please. Landlords and property managers are then able to send users the listings that match that defined criteria. The more landlords pay for the service, the more leads are available for them. Like dating sites, renters' personal details are anonymous until the deal goes down. It's ultimately a better use of everyone's time. No word if the company is looking at the dating site market. —Sean Blanda

meet Connect Philly The April 2011 unveiling of OpenDataPhilly.org

Lunchtime Series: OpenAccessPhilly Showcase

Young, public data catalog seeks older, more established institution to host OpenDataPhilly is looking for a new home // by Christopher Wink

Monday, April 23 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http://ph.ly/ ptw_openaccessphilly; Free w/ RSVP Lightning presentations on major public-private partnerships including Code for America, OpenDataPhilly, Connect Philly and the Freedom Rings Partnership. Tracks4

OpenDataPhilly.org, the civic-orientated directory of information, tools and apps that launched during last year's Philly Tech Week, will mark a year in existence later this month. In that time, dozens of new data-infused items have been added, thousands of developers and hobbyists have visited and a local network of hackathons have embraced it as the natural starting point for projects. The trouble might be that no one is quite sure who owns it, a strange hiccup in what may have been among the first and largest municipal data portals created outside of city staff. Well, the community owns it, is the answer from Robert Cheetham, the founder of Azavea, the popular GIS firm that built the site. The initial work was done pro bono, though a partnership with NPower PA and funding from the William Penn Foundation have helped the cause. "I don't think a private, for-profit business is the right owner for something like this," said Cheetham. For now, the OpenDataPhilly.org domain is owned by Azavea and the site is hosted by the company. No formal contracts or long-term strategy has been put in place. Though Cheetham asked last year for ownership interest from institutions — requests were made by Philly.com and privately by a research initiative, among otherrs — that effort has somewhat calmed. Temple's new Center for Public Interest Journalism is another suspected possibility, as is the city's Office of Information Technology and public media outfit WHYY. For now, the effort remains a pet project for Azavea, as chess pieces are moved alongside.

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At Technically Philly, we value highly the opportunities that access to and education about the Internet provide to citizens across city. For those that have access to it, technology is changing Philadelphia. With active efforts being launched and maintained across the city to improve the rate of those that have access — like the city’s KEYSPOT (Powered by the Freedom Rings Partnership), the Free Library’s Hot Spots and retail locations that provide Internet access — it became abundantly clear to us that if we could point to all of them at once, we could help connect citizens that lack access. That’s why we launched Connect Philly, a new tool that aggregates locations across the city that provide Internet access. Citizens can send their address by text message to find the closest available Internet access point. Try it now: type an address in an SMS message (i.e. “1515 Market St.”) to 215-240-7296. In a matter of seconds, you’ll be able to find the closest location that provides free, or nearly free, access to the Internet. We hope to get the word out about the service so that additional locations that provide free access and training can add their location, or improve the records already on file. We hope you’ll join us in that effort. To see the app, visit connect.tphilly.com. —Brian James Kirk

A screen capture of the Connect Philly interface at http://connect.tphilly.com

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new for 2012!

Calendar

Entrepreneurship/ Investment Sp onsor

Media/ Transparency Sp onsors

Kickoff Weekend, April 20∙21∙22

Arts/Creative

Access/Policy Sp onsors

Design/ Development Sp onsor

Startup Weekend

DAY 1 FRIDAY APRIL 20 5:00pm – 11:30pm

Startup Weekend is an intense 54-hour event which focuses on building a web or mobile application with people of different skillsets — software developers, graphic designers and business people — that could become a credible business over the course of a weekend.

DAY 2 SATURDAY APRIL 21 9:00am – 11:30pm DAY 3 SUNDAY APRIL 22 9:00am – 9:00pm @ Hamilton Hall, 320 S. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_startup; $89 Tracks4

Saturday, April 21

Sunday, April 22

Women in Tech SUMMIT

IndyHall Block Party

10:00am – 6:00pm @ Jon Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_womentech; $25 This symposium will bring together women who will support, challenge and empower other women at all stages of their careers. Panels and talks plus technology skills workshops.

1:00pm – 8:00pm @ IndyHall, 20 N. 3rd St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_blockparty; Free w/ RSVP Celebrate Philly Tech Week’s kick-off weekend at a block party hosted by America’s premier coworking space Independents Hall.

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p h o t o b y S ara h S c h u

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Philly Robotics Expo

Monday, April 23

12:00pm – 5:00pm @ Bossone Center, 3140 Market St.; http://ph.ly/ ptw_robotics; Free w/ RSVP Philadelphia’s premiere exhibition of robotics and advanced technology. Meet the companies on the cutting edge of tech. Learn, play and build robots with tomorrow’s tech leaders.

Kickoff Breakfast 8:00am – 10:00am @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http:// ph.ly/ptw_kickoff; Invite Only An invite-only event for event organizers and sponsors to celebrate the opening of Philly Tech Week. Presentations from Chamber of Commerce CEO Rob Wonderling, City of Philadelphia Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid and Wilco Electronic Systems Executive Vice President Brigitte Daniel. Leading up to this kick-off, we encourage you to show your support for digital literacy and inclusion by joining us for the KEYSPOT Internet FAST.

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Lunchtime Series: OpenAccessPhilly Showcase 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_openaccessphilly; Free w/ RSVP Lightning presentations on major public-private partnerships including Code for America, OpenDataPhilly, Connect Philly and the Freedom Rings Partnership. Tracks4

Performing with Technology 5:00pm – 8:00pm @ thefidget space, 1714 N. Mascher St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_techperform; Free An evening of sound installation, interactive dance, and experimental electronic music at thefidget space, a multimedia collaboration center in the Kensington area. Tracks4

Behind the Philadelphia Eagles NFL Draft

jarvis Digital Art Gallery

5th Annual Mobile Monday Demo Night 5:30pm – 8:30pm @ The Hub at Cira Centre, 2929 Arch St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_mobilemonday Mobile Monday’s Demo Night is one of the great chances to see what’s new in mobile technologies coming out of this region. Many past presenters have gone on to great things, so this is your chance to see what’s new and interesting coming out of today’s great startups.

7:00pm – 10:00pm @ Devnuts, 908a N. 3rd Street; http://ph.ly/ptw_artician; Free Artician.com is hosting a Digital Art Gallery for any and all Philadelphia digital media artists. The event will feature local digital art on a series of TVs, monitors, and projectors around the studio. Tracks4

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6:00pm – 8:00pm @ Apple Store, 1607 Walnut St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_eagles; Free w/ RSVP Join the Philadelphia Eagles at Content Strategy Philly for a look behind-the-scenes at how the franchise’s web team will put together compelling content during the NFL Draft. Tracks4

Digital Performances in a Possible Future 6:30pm – 8:30pm @ Hamilton Hall, 320 S. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_performances; Free New Paradise will open the laboratory doors to its Fringe productions in virtual space and live theater and will propose a possible future for the delivery of theater. Hosted by Corzo Center for the Creative Economy.

Node.Philly 2012 6:30pm – 10:30pm @ Quorum at the University City Science Center, 3711 Market Street, Suite 800; http://ph.ly/ptw_nodephilly; $25

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Node.Philly 2012 is an exclusive evening event for anyone interested in Node.the js framework. In addition to hearing from some of the most influential Node experts, meet and collaborate with other members of the community.

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Media/Transparency

program & magazine

Tuesday, April 24

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Check PhillyTechWeek.com for updates and more than a dozen additional events

Gamification for Non-profits Conference 9:00am – 7:00pm @ Hamilton Hall, 320 S. Broad St.; http:/ph.ly/ptw_gamification; $20 A full-day conference on the benefits of gamification for non-profit organizations including panel discussions, presentations, case studies, a social hour, and more. Hosted by Corzo Center for the Creative Economy. Tracks4

Lunchtime Series: Civic Engagement in Science 12:00pm – 1:00pm @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_civicscience; Free w/ RSVP A showcase and panel on the technology and other factors increasing citizen participation in scientific research. Tracks4

Intellectual Property And Social Media — is your ip leaking out? 12:00pm – 1:30pm @ United Plaza, 30 S. 17th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_social-ip; Free w/ RSVP Although social media offer tremendous new opportunities for marketing and communication with consumers, these outlets also present potential minefields for trademark infringement, ownership of copyrights, and loss of company trade secrets.

The Birth Of A Digital Incubator 5:30pm – 7:30pm @ Inquirer Building, 400 N. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_birth; Free Tracks4

In less than a year, The Knight Foundation, Philadelphia Media Network, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, DreamIt Ventures and Drexel University united to launch a digital incubator. Learn how this collaboration is positively changing media in the Philadelphia region.

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How I Stopped Wasting Time and Made Money on My Apps

Kanban-What? One Company’s Project Management Journey

1:00pm – 2:30pm @ Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, 200 S. Broad St., Suite 700; http://ph.ly/ptw_appsroi; Free w/ RSVP What are the advantages to software integration? Beyond the thrill of growing a cool product, creating integrations with other software can increase exposure and revenue.

3:00pm – 4:30pm @ Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, 200 S. Broad St., Suite 700; http://ph.ly/ptw_kanban; Free w/ RSVP When faced with the challenges of managing a growing email marketing software and 40-person development team, AWeber turned to the project management system Kanban. Advantages and disadvantages other companies should take into consideration before implementing the system.

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Tales of a Philly Entrepreneur 2:00pm – 4:00pm @ Cira Center, Woodcock Washburn Offices, 2929 Arch St., Suite 250; http://ph.ly/ptw_tape; $15 - $50 Four Philly entrepreneurs will cover everything there is to know about launching a successful startup in Philadelphia. From fundraising to scaling to exiting, you’ll hear local success stories and better understand how to take your business to the next level. Tracks4

Arts/Creative

AWeber Happy Hour 5:00pm – 7:00pm @ Nodding Head Brewery, 1516 Sansom St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_aweberhour; Free Join fellow members of the Philly tech community for a happy hour at Nodding Head Brewery. Drink tickets are available for first 40 people that register for AWeber’s “Kanban” or “How I Stopped Wasting Time” events earlier on Tuesday.

KEYSPOT: Digital Literacy 2.0 5:00pm – 6:00pm @ Parks & Rec Center TBD; http://ph.ly/ptw_keyspotliteracy; Free Join us for a lively discussion of the city’s challenges with digital literacy and numeracy. Learn how the Parks & Recreation Department is using innovative technology and e-learning practices to address these issues and what role you can play in play in fostering digital inclusion. Visit phillykeyspots.org for location of this event. Tracks4

Startup 101 6:00pm – 8:00pm @ Pyramid Club, 1735 Market St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_startup101; $10 What does it take to launch a startup? It starts with a great idea that is up to you. Funding, Technology, and Marketing are where we come in. Three professionals walk you through the process. Tracks4

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Access/Policy

Design/Development

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Tuesday, (cont’d)

Wednesday, April 25

Blogging about Philadelphia’s Creative Spaces

Smart Talk: Women in Science

6:00pm – 8:00pm @ PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_blogging; Free w/ RSVP Philadelphia’s creative vitality is stronger than ever, full of cultural nooks and hidden gems waiting to be discovered. We’ll ask these innovative storytellers to discuss tips, triumphs, and challenges associated with covering and cultivating culture in Philadelphia.

8:30am – 10:30am @ Quorum at the University City Science Center, 3711 Market St., Suite 800; http://ph.ly/ptw_womenscience; Free w/ RSVP Cross-listed with the Philadelphia Science Festival: Speakers – Jane Hollingsworth, NuPathe; Gwendolyn Binder-Scholl, Adaptimmune; Deborah Crawford, Drexel University; Susan Rohrer, Merck Research Laboratories Partners Tracks4

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12th Annual Information Technology Awards 6:00pm – 8:00pm @ Mitten Hall, Temple University, 1913 N.Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_itawards; Free w/ RSVP The Fox School of Business will award three IT innovators for leadership, innovation and their contribution to the community at this annual event. Tracks4

PhillyPUG 6:30pm – 8:30pm @ Liberty Two, 50 S. 16th St., Office of Buchanan Ingersol and Rooney, 32nd Floor; http://ph.ly/ptw_ phillypug; Free w/ RSVP The Philadelphia Python Users Group (PhillyPUG) will meet for its monthly meetup during Tech Week. We will then have a networking/social at Ladder15 following the meeting.

Lunchtime Series: License to Inspect 12:00pm – 1:00pm @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_license; Free w/ RSVP A demo event showcasing PlanPhilly’s forthcoming License to Inspect application and a panel discussion highlighting the public-private partnership between it, Azavea and the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspection that made it happen.

The TOOOL Lockpick Workshop 7:00pm – 9:00pm @ 100 S. Broad St., Suite 2100; http://ph.ly/ptw_qrcodes; Free w/ RSVP QR Codes are popping up everywhere – but how can you leverage this useful tool to really gain some mobile marketing insight? Discover the do’s and don’ts of QR code marketing.

4:00pm – 8:00pm @ NextFab, 3711 Market St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_lockpick2; $10-$30 Are you interested in learning more about the mystery behind locks and the tools used to open them? Are you already a seasoned picker? Attend this workshop to learn, practice, or show off! Tracks4

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Marketing with Quick Response Codes

The TOOOL Lockpick Workshop

12:00pm – 4:00pm @ NextFab, 3711 Market St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_lockpick1; $10-$30 Are you interested in learning more about the mystery behind locks and the tools used to open them? Are you already a seasoned picker? Attend this workshop to learn, practice, or show off! Tracks4

Designing for Touch Happy Hour 5:00pm – 7:00pm @ 1011 N. Hancock St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_touchdesign; Free With the rise of the iPhone and iPad, touch interfaces are everywhere, yet designing for these experiences can prove tricky and offer up a range of new user behaviors, interface challenges and expectations. Interactive agency Bluecadet goes behind-the-scenes on a range of touch-based projects.

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KEYSPOT: Women & Minority Tech Leaders

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DIY Music Night

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm @ Drexel University TBD; http://ph.ly/ptw_techleaders; Free Get inspired by women and minority tech entrepreneurs of all ages (from the 16-year-old web whiz-kid to the seasoned computer hacker) as they share their personal and professional stories. Followed by a speed networking session. Visit phillykeyspots.org for more information.

Digital Bridge

7:00pm – 9:00pm @ Hive 76, 915 Spring Garden St., Suite 519; http://ph.ly/ptw_diymusic; Free Hive 76 will feature synthesizers and hand-made instruments at the well-known hacker and DIY space. Tracks4

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6:00pm – 7:00pm @ Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_digitalbridge; Free The digital divide impacts us all: discuss how and ways to help combat it here in Philadelphia. Tracks4

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Media/Transparency

program & magazine

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Check PhillyTechWeek.com for updates and more than a dozen additional events

IGDA Philadelphia Game Showcase 7:00pm – 9:00pm@ Indy Hall, 22 N. 3rd St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_igda; Free w/ RSVP The game industry is one of the fastest growing tech sectors in Philadelphia. In the last year, more than 15 new studios have set up shop. Game developers will show off their newest finished and developing games to the public. Have a first chance at playing those games.

Hive 76 Open House 7:00pm – 9:00pm @ Hive 76, 915 Spring Garden St., Suite 519; http://ph.ly/ptw_hive76; Free This is a weekly open house for Hive 76, where folks drop by to work on software, hardware, or any other DIY projects that may be of interest. Feel free to bring your own work along and ask questions! Tracks4

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Thursday, April 26 FEATURED: Social Media for Nonprofits hosted by NPower PA Switch Philly 6:00pm – 7:15pm @ Levitt Auditorium, 401 S. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_ switchphilly; $10 Five Philly startups will demo in front of judges and attendees to determine the winner of a prize pack that includes free office space and meetings with local investors. Judges: Mayor Michael Nutter, Josh Kopelman and Ellen Weber. Hosted by Corzo Center for the Creative Economy.

9:00am – 3:00pm @ Alter Hall, 1801 Liacouras Walk; http://ph.ly/ptw_socialnonprofits; $50 A day-long conference featuring some of the region’s best perspective on how social media can impact and benefit the missions, strategies and efforts of nonprofits. The day will be heavy on takeaways and action to improve existing strategies and launch new ones. Tracks4

Computer Training Basics for Seniors

WordPress for Beginners & Intermediates

10:00am – 11:30am @ TBD; http://ph.ly/ptw_seniors; Free A brief overview of computer literacy basics for senior citizens in Northwest Philadelphia, sponsored by state Rep. Rosita Youngblood.

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10:30am – 12:30pm @ SEER Interactive, 1028 N. 3rd St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_ecommerce; Free w/ RSVP This is a two-part session looking at the business and technical side of e-commerce. Tickets are available for each session individually or for both sessions. O3 World is hosting and moderating event, held at the headquarters of Seer Interactive. Tracks4

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7:00pm – 9:00pm @ Inquirer Building, 400 N. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_ wordpress; Free Beginners: Learn WordPress from the ground up. This beginner presentation will teach you everything you need to know to operate a WordPress-powered website. Intermediates: see two presentations covering topics like theme creation and plug-in developoment.

E-commerce Exposed —The Business and Technical Realities of the Modern E-commerce World

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Enterprise Mobility Workshop

Lunchtime Series: “WHAT IT TAKES to be a Black Tech Entrepenuer” 12:00pm – 1:00pm @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_blacktech; Free w/ RSVP Join us for lunch and meet tech entrepreneurs at the top of their game that will share their strategies that made their tech start-ups or used technology to turn their ideas into successful companies. Tracks4

10:00am – 3:30pm @ Comcast Center, 1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 2520; http://ph.ly/ptw_enterprise; Free Come explore how mobility is taking the enterprise by storm not only externally with apps and mobile websites, but with new ways to engage employees and still maintain information security. Tracks4

Arts/Creative

Access/Policy

Design/Development

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Friday, April 27

Thursday, (cont’d) The Future of iOS Games

Tech- and Design-Themed Quizzo

1:00pm – 2:00pm @ PhillyCAM Studio, 699 Ranstead Street; http://ph.ly/ptw_iosgames; Free w/ RSVP Talkadelphia hosts a lively conversation at the new PhillyCAM Studio about the next phase in iOS gaming. Be part of the live studio audience as this popular local podcast takes to airwaves in a new medium.

6:00pm – 9:00pm @ The Trestle Inn, 339 N. 11th Street; http://ph.ly/ptw_techquizzo; Free w/ RSVP Join I-SITE and PhillyCHI as we celebrate Philly Tech Week with a Quizzo custom made for folks who love technology and design. Trestle gift certificates will be awarded to the first, second, and third place teams.

Tracks4

KEYSPOT: Broadband for Small Business/Non-Profits

New Technologies: Impact on artists, their work and careers

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm @ OIC, Inc.; http://ph.ly/ptw_broadband; Free Whether you are a small business or a nonprofit, learn how you can leverage broadband Internet access to further your business goals. Get expert advice on growing your organization with online tools. Visit phillykeyspots.org for more information.

6:30pm – 8:30pm @ Gershman Hall, 401 S. Broad St., Room 100; http://ph.ly/ptw_ techart; Free w/ RSVP A discussion of the impact of technologies on the way artists work, how they present their art, and how they promote their careers. Speakers will provide both an overview and concrete suggestions and examples. Hosted by Corzo Center for the Creative Economy.

Tracks4

12:00pm – 2:00pm @ WHYY, 150 N. 6th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_unity; Free w/ RSVP Come play with locally made games and learn about how they’re made. Tracks4

Without Walls: Works from the muraLAB/Breadboard Residency 5:00pm – 7:30pm @ Esther Klein Gallery, 3600 Market St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_without; Free Without Walls: is a joint exhibition between Breadboard and MuraLAB that explores new directions in public art and technology. Tracks4

Hack Gallery Show

Tracks4

Philly SNUG April 2012 meeting

Lunchtime Series: Unity Videogame showcase

Tetris Arm Wrestling Tournament

5:00pm – 7:00pm @ Experis IT, 1600 JFK Blvd., Suite 610; http://ph.ly/ptw_snug; Free w/ RSVP Enterprise Content Management… why do it? Why SharePoint? We’ll discuss things you should consider, customer success, and then open it up to a Q&A.

7:00pm – 9:00pm @ Hive 76, 915 Spring Garden St., Suite 519; http://ph.ly/ptw_tetris; Free Go head-to-head with other Tetris fans with a 100% original Hive76 Tetris Arm Wrestling game.

Tracks4

5:00pm – 8:00pm @ 1519 Walnut St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_hack; Free HACK is a juried design/art exhibition with an open call for technology based design and art from the Philadelphia region. We have a jury of top designers, artists, professors, and technologists. Tracks4

Entrepreneur Expo 6:00pm – 9:00pm @ Levitt Auditorium, 401 S. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_entrepreneurexpo; Free w/ RSVP Bright Ideas? Philly has them. The Entrepreneur Expo, a Philly Startup Leaders, Inc. event, will showcase the work of top Philadelphia-area entrepreneurs in a tradeshow setting, withv an estimated 50 exhibitors and presentations. Hosted by Corzo Center for the Creative Economy. Tracks4

Database Options 2012 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. @ Devnuts, 908 N. 3rd St.; ph.ly/ptw_database; Free w/RSVP As part of Philly Tech Week, this PhillyDB event will host representatives from several different database products and projects to help you understand the ecosystem. Tracks4

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tracks

Entrepreneurship/Investment

Media/Transparency

program & magazine

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Check PhillyTechWeek.com for updates and more than a dozen additional events

Saturday, April 28 Games and Music

TEDx Souderton High School

The Ruby Workshop

8:00pm – 11:30pm @ Levitt Auditorium, Gershman Hall, 401 S. Broad St.; http://ph.ly/ ptw_gamesmusic; Free w/ RSVP Presentations and a dialog with the people creating amazing and groundbreaking games that integrate music into gameplay. This isn’t about music for games, but rather games in which music is a core interactive element.

9:00am – 4:00pm @ Souderton Area High School, 760 Lower Rd. Souderton; http://ph.ly/ptw_souderton; Free w/ RSVP A locally-organized TED conference. The internet has changed everything in a radical way. Now what? What are the most pivotal ideas to our future.

12:00pm – 6:00pm @ Venturef0rth 417 North 8th Street; http://ph.ly/ptw_ruby; Free w/ RSVP So you want to learn Ruby? Maybe you’re familiar with other languages. Maybe you’ve never written a line of code in your life. Maybe you just want to see what all the fuss is about. In this interactive session held at the VentureF0rth offices, you’ll learn some of the basic principles and practices of writing software with Ruby.

Tracks4

LOW LIVES 4 in Philadelphia

BarCamp News Innovation

Podcasting Workshop – TechGirlz

8:30pm – 11:30pm @ little berlin, 2430 Coral St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_lowlives; Free little berlin and Mascher Space are partnering to present Low Lives 4 in Philadelphia – for two days little berlin gallery will be connected via livestream to co-presenting spaces all over the world.

9:00am – 5:00pm @ Annenberg Hall, Temple University, 2020 N. 13th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_newsinnovation; $5 BarCamp NewsInnovation is an annual, one-day national unconference on journalism innovation and the future of news as explored by practitioners and friends.

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm @ Springside School, 8000 Cherokee St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_techgirlz; Free w/ RSVP Do you have something to say and want to learn how to make your own podcast? Join us at SCH Academy to learn all about it! You’ll work with an all-girl high school technology leader team to create, edit and produce your very own podcast from start to finish.

Tracks4

KEYSPOT: Solutions Session TBD @ Philadelphia Fight; http://ph.ly/ptw_solutions; Free Come ready to brainstorm with the region’s technology leaders to develop effective ways to further close the digital divide. Visit phillykeyspots.org for more information. Tracks4

Open Gov ‘News’ Hackathon 9:00am – 5:00pm @ Annenberg Hall, Temple University, 2020 N. 13th St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_opengov; $5 Developers and subject matter experts build civic oriented tools using local data sets (event is held alongside BarCamp NewsInnovation). Tracks4

LOW LIVES 4 in Philadelphia 3:00pm – 6:00pm @ little berlin, 2430 Coral Street, 19125; http://ph.ly/ptw_ lowlives2; Free little berlin and Mascher Space are partnering to present Low Lives 4 in Philadelphia — for two days little berlin gallery will be connected via livestream to copresenting spaces all over the world. Tracks4

Regional US Forum for Innovative Educators and Learners 9:00am – 5:00pm @ 4021 Parkside Ave.; http://ph.ly/ptw_forum; Free w/ RSVP School of the Future is proud to host the Regional US Forum for Innovative Educators and Learners, sponsored by Microsoft Partners in Learning. Join us to celebrate great teaching and learning. Help us honor educators, learners, and schools and showcase how technology can further educational transformation.

Signature Event 6:00pm – 9:00pm @ Moore College of Art & Design, 1916 Race St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_signature; $30 A celebration of the Philadelphia technology community with all of Philly Tech Week’s attendees, sponsors and organizers. Hosted by AT&T and Technically Philly.

Arts/Creative

Access/Policy

Tracks4

Hack Gallery Show 5:00pm – 8:00pm @ 1519 Walnut St.; http://ph.ly/ptw_hack2; Free HACK is a juried design/art exhibition with an open call for technology based design and art from the Philadelphia region. We have a jury of top designers, artists, professors, and technologists. Tracks4

N3rd Street Gamer Party 7:00pm – 12:00am @ Devnuts, 908a North 3rd St.; http://ph.ly/n3rdstreet; Free w/ RSVP N3rd Street Gamers, a group of gaming enthusiasts in Northern Liberties, is hosting the neighborhood’s first gamer party. The night will include a DJ, bar, dance floor and all your favorite 4 player games on various TVs around the studio. Whether your a gamer or not, come out and enjoy the party. Tracks4

Design/Development

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NEXT GENERATION DATA PROTECTION & MANAGEMENT FOR VIRTUAL IT

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PHILLY. MEET TROPO. Check out these Philadelphia-based Apps Powered by Tropo (then build your own) SEPTAlking.com PHInditfor.me PHILLYsnap.com

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Quotable

program & magazine

Presented by

How tech impacts my Philadelphia Each week ever the past three years, Technically Philly has interviewed a prominent member of Philly's technology community. The conversations are distinctly Philadelphia. Some of the best of those interviews, below. For more, visit Technically Philly every Friday.

Brigitte

A.J.

Louis

Joe

Alan

Schmidt

Daniel

Russo

Toth

DiStefano

Butkovitz

City Commissioner, on technology’s impact on the Board of Elections

Executive Vice President, Wilco Electronic Systems, on digital access issues

Megatouch Creative Director

Comcast Ventures Managing Partner

Inquirer Business Columnist

“Before the iPhone was a glimmer in Steve Jobs’ eye, we were in the touch screen industry.”

“I don’t think any large company can possibly claim they have a lock on innovation”

“Every company you think is new is in someway is connected to an older company. So many people … have links to that older story.”

City Controller, on Sheriff’s Office website

“A lot of the changes are really primitive that still move the agency forward a light year.”

Saskia

“Everyone is seeing that without access, you’re not a participant in government.”

Dr. Chad

Thompson

Womack

The Executive Director of the Office of Property Data at City of Philadelphia, on Open Data initiatives in Philadelphia

Entrepreneur and STEM education advocate, on STEM graduation rates

“I’m not involved in this because of the data. I’m involved in this because I believe in making government as efficient as we can.”

“What is the likelihood of a kid growing up in West Philadelphia, in terms of employment in the technology industry?”

Desiree

PeterkinBell City of Philadelphia Director of Communications, on Mayor Nutter’s social mediafocused NBC10 Town Hall

“No other Mayor in the country has partnered with a local broadcast station to do an unrehearsed, full-hour to take questions from every medium imaginable.”

Bob

Steve

“They charged $2.9 million for maintaining a website for five years [laughs]… And it’s not very good.”

Sam

Moul

Tang

Katz

Former CEO of Boomi which was acquired by Dell

President & CEO, University City Science Center, on his appointment to a federal innovation advisory board

Investor and past Philadelphia mayoral candidate

“You can look at all the different industries that Philadelphia used to have and how that connected to what the region became.This is a digital rebirth.”

“ I felt like Vance Worley in a pitching rotation of Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels.”

“Philadelphia is disconnecting from government and has become quite entrepreneurial. Most of it’s happening without permission.”

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AT&T. The nation’s largest network. Stream video, upload pictures, and download presentations fast, in more places than ever, on the nation’s largest 4G network. Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 8.9 Samsung Galaxy Note™

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Monetate’s office is pictured in September 2011, before it scaled to its current 90 employees and growing

1914. The site was named one of the regions fastest growing businesses at the Philly 100 event in October and is up to 15 employees in a little more than a year. In Malvern, AmericanMuscle is staffing up for what boasts to be among the country’s largest aftermarket Mustang parts distributors, all through online sales. While Bucci, Lamps.com and AmericanMuscle each have warehouses full of shippable goods, most of Philadelphia ecommerce-related job growth is in supporting services. Most by Sean Blanda notably Monetate, headquartered in Conshohocken, has been hile the national job market is showing tentative signs of recovery, among Philadelphia’s fastest growing startups providing commerce optimization tools like A/B testing to large realtors like Philadelphia’s e-commerce sector is growing so fast, many local em- QVC. ployers can’t hire talent quickly enough. The company has grown from a handful of employees hudAccording to Forrester research, e-commerce is expected to see double-digit growth through dled in a shared office to more than 90 in a cavernous set of 2013 to a total of $240 billion in transactions, making online retail a wonderful option for a city offices in downtown Conshohocken in four years. looking to continue its reputation as a place with a growing technology The city’s web development shops are job market (third in the nation according to a January CyberCoders also experiencing rapid growth. Old City’s study). After surveying some of the region’s entrepreneurs we’ve Weblinc, O3 World and Queen Village’s SUMO found that Philadelphia is in fantastic shape to build a strong comHeavy industries have all moved into new E-commerce Exposed— merce ecosystem. In fact, such an ecosystem may already be here. offices in the past six months. SEER InterThe Business and One of Philly’s fastest growing online retailers, Revzilla, is tucked active, the SEO firm that counts many local Technical Realities away in a South Philly warehouse within walking distance of longe-commerce businesses among its client of the Modern time Philadelphia lunchtime staple John’s Roast Pork. Once you walk base, just recently moved into the “Search E-commerce World through its nondescript neighborhood and enter its warehouse, you’ll Church” a church at Third and George streets Thursday, April 26 see a bustling showroom of motorcycle gear and back office with a that houses the company’s over 40 employ10:30am – 12:30pm @ SEER rapidly-growing staff aiming to be “The Zappos of Motorcycle gear.” A ees. Interactive, 1028 N. 3rd St.; reference to the Las Vegas-based shoe company that grew radically Perhaps the best part of Philadelphia’s http://ph.ly/ptw_ecommerce; thanks to a focus on customer service before eventually selling to commerce ecosystem is that, well, it’s an Free w/ RSVP Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009. In 2011, co-founder Anthony Bucci ecosystem. The companies above all rouThis is a two-part session looking at says Revzilla did $20 million in total sales and hired more than 25 tinely work together and use each other’s the business and technical side of people, nearly doubling his staff. He’s now considering next steps. services. For example, Lamps.com counts e-commerce. Tickets are available “We love our Philadelphia address and the Philadelphia talent pool,” SEER as its SEO consultant. Revzilla was one for each session individually or for says Bucci, noting that two of three co-founders have graduated from of Monetate’s earliest customers. both sessions. O3 World is hosting Drexel. “Being over the bridge just wouldn’t be the same.” DiMarco says that some even get togethIn Old City, Christian DiMarco’s business has a different focus: er routinely for a dinner to swap advice and and moderating event, held at the lamps. The co-founder of Lamps.com is building a growing e-comwar stories. “We know each other very well,” headquarters of Seer Interactive. merce destination with the help of Arch Street Lighting, founded in he says. Tracks4

Philadelphia’s next big thing? E-commerce. A handful of Philly firms are growing fast //

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Informed and engaged communities. Knight Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to help sustain democracy in the digital age by ensuring people stay informed and participate fully in the life of their communities. Our Technology for Engagement Initiative funds innovative ways to help people take action for the good of their neighbors and city. Knight Foundation is looking to support more people with big ideas for using technology for engagement. If you have an idea, let us know. Find out more at TechForEngagement.org.

Informed t e c h n& i c a lEngaged ly p h i l ly. c o m â&#x20AC;˘Communities P h i l ly t e c h w e e k . c o m

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Philly Robotics Expo

bus attendant to robotics instructor

Monday, April 23 12:00pm – 5:00pm@ Bossone Center, 3140 Market St.; http://ph.ly/ ptw_robotics; Free w/ RSVP Philadelphia’s premiere exhibition of robotics and advanced technology. Meet the companies on the cutting edge of tech. Learn, play and build robots with tomorrow’s tech leaders.

Students at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Hunting Park work together during their after school robotics club

Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Temple University in 1984. Now, Cruz is a Technology Teacher Leader at Roberto Clemente, coaching Tracks4 other teachers in technology such as by Matthew Albasi and Erica DePascale of Philadelphia Neighborhoods SMART boards and velyn Cruz did not always want to be a robotics teacher or even dabble in tech- computer science. Her robotics classes range from nology. In fact, she started out as a bus attendant at Roberto Clemente Middle 5th to 8th graders, where she teaches technology as a significant art. Cruz’s after-school robotics club also School in Hunting Park, making a meager salary. demonstrates her dedication to teaching, where she Now, a technology teacher leader and robother students may not have basic tools at home, such coaches students on how to build working robotics ics instructor at her old middle school alma mater, as books or internet to even understand there are and to work in teams. as Technically Philly first reported on in February, greater opportunities. Having grown up in a similar Her robotics team has participated in various Cruz’s passion for teaching and giving back to her situation to many of her students, Cruz has a unique competitions over the years, including the Boosting own community shows her dedication and promise perspective. Engineering Science and Technology competition, to the neighborhood she grew up in. “Some of my students tell me ‘Ms. Cruz, you don’t First Lego League and the Marine Advance Technol“I’m a product of this school. I was one of them. I understand’. And I tell them, ‘I don’t understand? I ogy Education. Roberto Clemente has won awards in am a product of this neighborhood. I’m homegrown.” don’t understand what it’s like to come home to no all three of these competitions. Cruz said. working heat or no food on the table?” Cruz said. “One of the main reason why I enjoy doing these Cruz acknowledges the problems with advanced She considers herself a successful product of her competitions,” Cruz said, “is because it brings up education in her community, noting that some kids neighborhood, attending Potter Thomas Elementary real world situations where kids come in with some do not have the resources or even knowledge to excel School, Roberto Clemente Middle School and Olney level of background knowledge, they apply it, then in an advanced field, such as engineering. Some of High School in North Philadelphia. Cruz obtained a they use it.”

Meet Evelyn Cruz: teacher and robotics group organizer at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Hunting Park

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the state of stem Lack of citywide STEM education vision leaves Philly’s skilled workforce in jeopardy //

by brian james kirk

fter graduating from Murrell Dobbins Career and Technical Education High School while living in a working-class neighborhood in West Philadelphia during the 1980s, Myreon-Michael Smallwood had a decision to make. ¶ He didn’t have an interest in attending a four-year college, but his father, who worked as an inspector for the Philadelphia Water Department, wanted better for his son. They agreed to meet in the middle. ¶ Having always liked to take things apart, Smallwood enrolled in a two-year electronic technology associates program at the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology outside the city in Media. It was there that he learned computer-aided drafting, using an emerging software package called AutoCAD, which would shape the course of his career.

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After graduating in 1989, he got a job as a technician at a small polymer processing plant in Philadelphia. Five years in, outsourcing of industrial jobs

began to impact the plant. But the computer skills that Smallwood had learned in school made him an indispensable asset to the company. Today, Smallwood’s success, of graduating from Philadelphia’s public school system as an AfricanAmerican and earning a degree at a two-year technical school in a field related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM, would be considered a statistical anomaly. Despite an aggressive federal push to prepare students for 21st century jobs, reformers say that the School District’s lagging prioritization of math and science education was amplified this summer by a budget crisis that is tearing down fledgling and disparate STEM efforts, leaving concerned citizens and stakeholders to move outside the system to fix the problem. Without improvement, they say, Phila-

program & magazine

Comparison of Racial Breakdowns of SDP Overall Enrollment and Four-Year STEM Degree Earners n District Enrollment, 2010-11 n Four-year STEM Degree Earners, 2005-2010 70%

60%

58.3%

50%

40% 34.0%

32.2%

30.7%

30% 18.0%

20%

13.8% 10%

7.0% 0.2%

0% African American

2.7%

0.1%

Native American

Asian

Latino

2.0%

0.3%

Other

Presented by

students who graduated a two-year or four-year college during that period. “In essence, you have large swaths of the city that don’t have a bridge for their children into the 21st century,” says Womack. Complicating the issue, consequences of the $700 million budget gap crisis have impacted extracurricular STEM programming in the district, which is intended to increase graduation rates and interest in STEM education. There’s never been a central office for STEM activities, which has historically limited its ability to plan or to lobby math and science policy across the district. For advocates of the issue, that lack of systemwide policy is as detrimental to students as it is the region’s workforce. Experts say that STEM is crucial for the global and urban economy, and that the field of technology resonates with students in substantial and impactful ways. For the many involved, STEM education is a beacon in the storms of urban renewal and education reform. It is for these reasons that unlikely and inspiring advocates for STEM continue to fight inside of and outside the school system because they believe it can make Philadelphia a competitive environment for 21st century jobs.

White

At the Alliance for Progress Charter School, just west of Temple University along Cecil B. Moore Avenue, technology teacher Mary Beth Hertz runs the school’s first all-girl robotics club. delphia will have a hard time assembling a 21st ceneducation and workforce development. It’s an upstart team, funded by a $640 online “It means that the School District of Philadelphia tury workforce that can rely on math, science and donation campaign and Hertz’s own dime, which technology skills. doesn’t make a difference in terms of a student’s brought the purchase of a $1,000 robot kit last According to a report obtained by Technically ability for post-secondary success in STEM.” summer. Philly, between 2005 and 2010, less than one perSchool District spokesperson Fernando Gallard On an early evening last October, sixth grader cent of black students — who make up more than says that District officials had not yet seen the report Karizma L. plugged a LEGO Mindstorms robot into an half of the School District of Philadelphia’s enrollment and were not prepared to comment on it. iMac computer and began to fix the ‘bot’s light sensor. of 146,000 — graduated high school and went on to For now, the future of STEM education policy in After using a kid-friendly software package to proearn college degrees in a STEM-related major. The the School District remains in limbo. With a new sugram the light sensor by herself, Karizma crouched percentage of degree earners who are Asian or white perintendent expected to start this summer, Gallard down beside a white mat nearby and watched as the are more than double their percentage share of total says that STEM priorities are something the District robot automatically followed a circular black line by will be wresting with. District enrollment. comparing the color values of the white and black About 13 percent of School District graduates earn “I can tell you that there is a committment that pixels underneath it. four-year degrees in a STEM-related field, according STEM plays a larger role in public education. We unKarizma gasped and threw her hands up in the derstand the importance of it. We also know that we to that report. To be fair, the statistics are on par with air in celebration. “I just followed the instructions!,” need a greater focus on it,” Gallard says. national averages: between 2003 and 2007, 15% of she yelled to Hertz, who bachelor degrees were awarded watched nearby. in STEM-related fields, accord“It’s the epitome of ing to analysis by the Businesswhat learning looks like. Higher Education Forum. They’re working through a Still, education reformproblem. You can see the ers and technology industry light bulbs go off,” Hertz leaders interviewed for this says. story found the racial disparIt’s a familiar story ity alarming, given its impact across public school STEM on the lives of students and — Chad Womack , Principal and Managing Director of the America21 Project programs: children learnthe regional and global conseing the values of problemquences of a technologicallysolving, the impact of technology and the math and untrained workforce. The draft report — put together by the School science that make it possible. District’s Office of Accountability and provided to “At a level where it’s left to a single percentage STEM education reform could be a powerful way point, you have to round to zero,” says Chad Womack, Technically Philly by an anonymous source close to to rejuvenate the urban core of Philadelphia, advoa black science and technology entrepreneur, who the report — tracked 846 students known to have cates say, where the loss of manufacturing jobs in is Principal and Managing Director of the America21 graduated from a four-year or two-year college in the last half-century and the recent global recession Project, a Philadelphia nonprofit focused on empowa STEM field between 2005 and 2010. Those STEM have led to an unemployment rate larger than the naering urban centers and communities through STEM degree earners were tracked out of a pool of 7,058

“

In essence, you have large swaths of the city that don’t have a bridge for their children into the 21st century.

”

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“ (Above) Mary Beth Hertz works with Alliance for Progress Charter student Karizma at an iMac workstation; (Right) Karizma watches her LEGO robot automatically follow a black line.

tional average. In December, Philadelphia reported a 10.1 percent unemployment rate compared to the national average of 8.3 percent. The city unemployment rate continues to lag behind its suburban counties and other big cities. A decade ago, the possibility of STEM education priorities helping to reform schools might have only concerned technologists. But today, science, technology, engineering and mathematics issues are gaining mainstream interest and federal backing. In 2011, calling it the nation’s Sputnik moment, President Obama spoke highly of education reform in his State of the Union Address to address the quality of math and science learning. “If we want to win the future — if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas — then we also have to win the race to educate our kids,” the President said. On a local level, as part of Drexel University’s community development vision in University City, Vice Provost of University and Community Partnerships Lucy Kerman is helping to envision how technology education can impact a neighborhood plan, preserve history and empower existing residents. Kerman co-chairs the community-focused portion of Drexel’s oft-writ 2012 strategic plan under new President John Fry, using her experience in a similar role at the University of Pennsylvania during its West Philadelphia Initiatives. “In trying to solve brain drain,” she says, “one problem is that it’s not creating jobs for the massively unemployed. How do you create that new economy that stretches across high- and low-skill jobs?” “When we’re talking about giving youth the tools they need, technology is the medium that is so empowering,” Kerman says. Ensuring that kids have the right skills for the job market isn’t just theoretical. For manufacturers in

P h i l ly t e c h w e e k . c o m • t e c h n i c a l ly p h i l ly. c o m

It’s the epitome of what learning looks like. They’re working through a problem. You can see the light bulbs go off.

”

— Mary Beth Hertz,

Technology Teacher and Robotics Club Founder at the Alliance for Progress Charter School the region that seek highly-skilled workers, it’s an actionable gain, too. At the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center, project manager Gary Hines helps small and medium-sized manufacturing companies identify staff competency needs, and coordinates training and education to keep them strong, competitive and growing. A few years ago, “when companies started saying ‘we can’t find workers, our workforce is aging, and we don’t have anyone to take their places,’” he says the organization started advocating for and organizing around STEM talent development. “All of the things that happened with the District [last] summer, I think their priorities have shifted from focusing on STEM programs,” Hines says. “There are so many other critical issues going on.” Efforts to improve STEM education standards in the region have manifested in a number of ways since 2005. The Philadelphia Education Fund’s Math + Science Coalition pushes for teacher preparation and training. The 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education works to create programming for students. At the America21 Project, the focus is on STEM education and workforce development in urban communities. At the heart of each effort is a sense of civic duty to ensure that the United States, and Philadelphia, can create a competitive, 21st century workforce. Last November, Acting Superintendent Leroy Nunery presented the District’s new STEM priorities to the Philadelphia Education Fund’s Math + Science Coalition. He stressed a need for a more comprehensive STEM strategy starting at the elementary level, the expansion of extracurricular STEM clubs and the ability to tap into regional resources for teacher preparation, according to a Coalition summary. It was a departure from the STEM policies of former Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, “who didn’t

want to be bothered with it,” says Chad Womack of the America21 Project. But Nunery’s “Acting” status is just that. The School District is currently seeking a permanent superintendent to be installed this summer, and officials can’t say what will be that leader’s approach to STEM education. Joseph Merlino, President of the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education, who attended Nunery’s presentation, says that despite the sincere picture painted, change will have to come from outside of the District. “There have been very few districts that can pull off improvement on their own,” Merlino says. “It’s not about the next Superintendent, it’s about having a citywide vision.”

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Participants

Some of the more than 50 event organizers of Philly Tech Week 2012.

two.one.five magazine

Bluecadet

Cipher Prime

Devnuts

Fox School of Business

Judge Group

Meidlinger Partners

MaaS360

Moore College of Art & Design

New Paradise Laboratories

O3 World

Greater Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies

Philadelphia Media Network

PhillySnug

Philadelphia Game Lab

Souderton Area School District

Startup Weekend

TechGirlz

The Hacktory

Volpe and Koenig P.C.

PHILADELPHIA

N E W S I N N OVAT I O N

Artician

Atomni

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Central High School

Chariot Solutions

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Dreamscape Marketing

igda

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Drexel University

IGDA Philadelphia

Independents Hall

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Little Berlin

Mobile Monday Mid-Atlantic

NextFab Studio

nPower Pennsylvania

OpenDataPhilly

PFIT Inc.

Philadelphia Eagles

Philly Startup Leaders

PhillyPUG

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Temple University School of Communications and Theater

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