Just as there’s been successful collaboration among the region’s profit-driven entrepreneurs, Greater Philadelphia now needs space for its top social innovators, those who are leading non-profit organizations throughout the region and tackling significant societal problems.
In response, the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal was born on Wednesday. The first regional web-based journal of its kind hopes to bring together Philadelphia’s leading social innovators and entrepreneurs to recognize and solve current social issues. Its co-founders, Nicholas Torres of Congreso and Tine Hansen-Turton of National Nursing Centers Consortium and Public Health Management Corporation, were inspired by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, which is one of the Philadelphia website’s sponsors. Torres and Hansen Turton hope to bring attention to current and ongoing innovative work with respect to health care, human capital, education, workforce development and violence prevention.
Fact is, too many social innovators are busy doing, not publishing.
“The Philadelphia region leads in creating cutting edge social innovations, many of which go unnoticed,” says Torres, who leads the state’s largest Latino social services agency. “Many of our region’s organizations and their leaders receive a great deal of regional, state, national and in some cases international recognition; yet, we see very little opportunity for these agencies to publish their own social innovations, share best practices or lessons learned.
“Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal presents that opportunity.”
The journal includes funders and investors like the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, The Philadelphia Foundation, and the Independence Foundation, representatives of which comprise part of the editorial board. Professors and students from local colleges provide content.
Source: Nicholas Torres, Congreso
Writer: Joe Petrucci
