Yesterday, the Emerging Leaders Corps participated in Session 7: Civic Engagement & Celebrating 2026; an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on equity-centered planning and how the power of cross-sector partnerships drive major citywide efforts. This session was led by our partners at Rvesta Consulting.
ELs participated in a fun game where they had to build a civic coalition by pairing the needs and wants of stakeholders, as quickly as possible.
A special thank-you to our incredible speakers and panelists: Sophia Peake, from The Pew Charitable Trusts, Tim Durkin from The Connelly Foundation, Dominick Mireles from Community Safety, City of Philadelphia, Kathryn Ott Lovell from Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, and Taj Sheikh, MSW from The Welcoming Center, for generously sharing your insights on what it takes to cultivate authentic civic engagement across sectors. Your experiences gave our cohort powerful tools to build coalitions that reflect and respond to community needs.
We had an unforgettable time celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in Italy. Samar and I were engaged 6 months after we met because when you know, you know. How to explain to others when you feel sure in your heart? @eastern.travels helped create the memorable experiences in Rome, the Almafi Coast, and Florence with personalized notes and thoughtful gestures. Our aimless night walks were the best. Feeling happy, grateful and still a little bit speechless. đźđčđčđđœđ
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I canât help
Falling in love with you
Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I canât help
Falling in love with you
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
So take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I canât help
Falling in love with you
Some things are meant to be
Yesterday, Emerging Leaders Corps participants dove into Session 6: The Pitch Workshop; a dynamic, hands-on space for crafting compelling policy pitches that drive impact.
With guidance from our facilitation team, peer collaboration, and a Pitch Prep Guide in hand, ELs began turning ideas into action by refining their pitches and laying the foundation for powerful advocacy.
This session is where knowledge meets purpose; itâs incredible to see these future leaders shape their vision for change. In just four weeks, each EL will present their policy pitch to the rest of the Emerging Leaders!
As always, thank you to The Pew Charitable Trusts, Patrick Morgan, Rishaun A. Hall, MPA, Rvesta Consulting, Vaughn Ross, Danielle Noonan, David Hanson, Ph.D., and Gilda Grant
On Tuesday, we took a deep dive into one of Philadelphiaâs most pressing issues, housing, with Emerging Leaders Corps session 5: Housing Affordability, Production, and Preservation in Philadelphia. The session was lead by our colleagues at Rvesta Consulting and was packed with data and discussion.
We kicked things off hearing baseline housing data from Jacob Rosch from Reinvestment Fund, then engaged with a panel of experts in the field: Jacob, Emily Persico, from Planning and Development, John Chin, from Philadelphia Chinatown DC, and Samar Jha from AARP.
The ELs we able to gain real-world perspectives on housing production and preservation by breaking into small groups with the experts.
Using the KWL methodâWhat we Know, Want to Know, and Learned, ELs reflected on the role they can play in shaping more equitable housing outcomes for renters and homeowners alike.
Big thanks to the Emerging Leaders who showed up ready to learn, question, and lead, and to our housing experts! Thank you as always to Patrick Morgan, Rishaun A. Hall, MPA, and Amanda ColĂłn-Smith from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
We recently had the opportunity to facilitate a retreat with the Students Run Philly Style Board of Directors.
It was an incredibly engaging conversation, and we got to dig deep into what works for their organization, and where, if at all, their challenges lie.
Always a great time, with SRPS!
Anavi Strategies has surpassed 5Âœ years â an important milestone for the firm.
As it looks ahead, Founder & CEO Anjali Chainani-Jha, PhD has been reflecting on a core challenge. What drives early success doesnât always support the next stage of growth. A piece by John Hamm in Harvard Business Review surfaced familiar themes.
Anavi has already evolved! Ownership of client work is shared across the team, and leadership is not centered on one person. Weâre receiving strong referrals and demand is growing. At the same time, the next phase isnât just about adding more people, but also building the right structure to support growth. We are excited to meet the moment with a thoughtful strategy and organizational design.
