Photo courtesy of Philly Tech Week

Workforce development is a key initiative in Chamber 2028, our five-year strategic plan. The Chamber’s recent partnerships with South by Southwest Conference and Festivals (SXSW) and Philly Tech Week (PTW2024) highlight some of the ways our team is attracting and amplifying business and talent growth in the region’s burgeoning technology sector. 

Nikki Pumphrey, Vice President of Talent and Workforce, the Chamber, leads the team that serves as a champion in promoting and growing the region’s rich tech talent industry through coordinated in and out-of-market initiatives. 

“The Chamber is supporting a diverse tech talent ecosystem by attracting talent, making sure the talent is connected to opportunity, and supporting a growing and emerging business community that is more tech-focused,” Pumphrey said. 

As part of this work, the Chamber recently represented Greater Philadelphia at SXSW, held March 8-16, 2024, in Austin, Texas, and is gearing up for our region’s PTW2024 activities, scheduled for May 3-11, 2024. 

Amplifying Philly and the Region at SXSW 2024 

To take Greater Philadelphia’s tech talent attraction story to the global tech community, the Chamber joined Amplify Philly (where Pumphrey serves a Board member) and its notable regional sponsors including Philadelphia International Airport (Chamber investor), 1Philadelphia (Chamber member), CMI Media Group, Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs (Chamber investor), Penn Center for Innovation and Pennovation Works (Chamber investor), University City Science Center, and Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board in spotlighting the region at SXSW. 

Pumphrey and Chamber colleague Ileana Fortuno, Senior Coordinator of Talent Engagement and Programs, represented the Chamber at the PHL Experience booth at the three-day SXSW Creative Industries Expo from March 10-13, 2024, and at activities at the Amplify Philly House, which attracted tech leaders on an international scale. 

“A highlight of the Amplify Philly House was the panel discussion, ‘From Hire to Inspire: Decoding Philly‘s Tech Talent Scene,’ which the Chamber presented on March 10, 2024, providing an overview of the region’s diverse tech talent ecosystem,” Fortuno said. The panel featured regional business leaders, including Danae Mobley, CEO of Coded by Kids (Chamber member); Senzwa Ntshepe, CEO of The Connect; Christopher Wink, Publisher and CEO of Technical.ly; and John Pennett, Partner at Eisner Advisory Group (Chamber member) in its National Technology and Life Sciences Group.  

“SXSW was an amazing opportunity to show how we grow and promote tech talent in our region,” Mobley said, reflecting on the event and panel. “We are ready to keep the momentum going with Philly Tech Week, a week-long series of events that demonstrate the diversity of opportunities in this industry. From community level to corporate, there is a unifying desire to make Philly a hub for equitable tech and innovation.” 

Philly Tech Week 2024 

Up next is the Chamber’s participation in PTW2024, hosted by news organization Technical.ly and tech community convener 1Philadelphia, presented by Comcast. Held May 3-11, 2024, PTW2024 will gather entrepreneurs, developers, and corporate executives to celebrate the region’s technology, innovation, and community. 

On Monday, May 6, 2024, the Chamber will host, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce (Chamber investor), the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (Chamber member), and Humanature, an invite-only employer session to understand and underscore the region’s current and future tech talent needs, and to inform the work that will come from that.  Also on May 6, 2024, from 5:00-7:30 p.m., the Chamber will join 1Philadelphia, Campus Philly (Chamber member), and Halloran Philanthropies in hosting the Wired Differently: 1PHL Special Edition Meetup at Moore College of Art & Design (Chamber member), where attendees will hear more about what the region has to offer young tech talent. 

Help the Chamber Grow the Region’s Tech Talent 

To join the Chamber’s efforts in promoting Greater Philadelphia as a diverse tech talent ecosystem and to support in attracting talent and connecting talent to opportunities in the region, connect with Nikki Pumphrey at npumphrey@chamberphl.com. 

To connect young talent with networking opportunities and educational programs in the region that equip them with the skills to succeed long-term, invite them to participate in the Chamber’s Young Professionals Council by sharing its impact and contacting Ileana Fortuno at ifortuno@chamberphl.com.