The Connect

Philly showed up & showed out last night at our LikeMinded Black History Month Edition! Seeing so many brilliant Black & Brown professionals connecting, sharing stories, and building community under one roof is exactly why we do this work. Major s/o to @fox29philly and @cheyennecorin for amplifying our mission to transform Philadelphia into a powerhouse ecosystem where professionals of color don’t just survive - we THRIVE. ✊🏾 This is just the beginning. Together, we’re writing a new chapter in Philly’s story, one connection at a time. Thank you to everyone who made this night unforgettable. The vibe was immaculate! #TheConnectPHL #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackExcellence #PhillyNetworking #CommunityFirst #BlackProfessionals #PhillyBusiness​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Welcome to The Connect. Our mission is to create city ecosystems where Black and Brown professionals can thrive socially, professionally, and philanthropically. We help you build community, facilitate access to career and entrepreneurial opportunities and help you navigate the best of Philadelphia. To get started Please Introduce yourself in the comments: 1. Who are you? 2. What type of work do you do? 3. What would help enhance your social and professional experience in Philadelphia? Once you do so you’ll be sent a link to sign up for our email subscription list. Fill out the form to be kept up to date on everything Connect related. We’re grateful that you decided to join us! We’ll see you soon. -The Connect.

Thank you to the 400+ attendees for making January LikeMinded our best one yet! We can’t wait for to see you all in February for our Black History Month edition. Grab your Pay What You Wish tickets for February now while they’re still available! Comment “LikeMinded” and you’ll receive the link in your DM. Thank you for letting us serve you. Shout out to the shooter 🎥: @jamesjohnsonjunior We’ll see you soon, -The Connect

We have one more to add to the room. We are proud to welcome Dr. Ala Stanford, Congressional Candidate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd District, as a Featured Guest at LikeMinded: Power & Progress — Your Vote. Your City. This is exactly what this moment calls for. Real access to real candidates. Real conversations about what is at stake for our community. Tuesday, May 19th is the Philadelphia Primary. The decisions made on this ballot — who leads our city, who represents us in Harrisburg, who fights for us in Congress — will shape the next several years of our lives. Especially with everything happening at the federal level right now, our local and state elections are our first line of defense. You have the power to decide. Use it. Come Saturday. Vote Tuesday. 📅 Saturday, May 16 | 6:00–10:00 PM 📍 Midnight & The Wicked | Philadelphia, PA 🗳️ Primary Election: Tuesday, May 19 🎟️ Link in bio to RSVP. #LikeMinded #PowerAndProgress #YourVoteYourCity #TheConnect

Let’s be real about what’s happening right now. Federally, we are watching rights be stripped, funding be cut, and communities like ours be deprioritized at every level. And while we can’t always control what happens in Washington — we absolutely control what happens here at home. Tuesday, May 19th is the Philadelphia Primary Election. And what’s on this ballot directly affects your life. 🗳️ District Attorney — Who decides how justice is applied in your neighborhood. Who gets prosecuted. Who gets protected. 🗳️ City Council — Who controls your neighborhood’s budget, zoning decisions, housing policy, and public safety priorities. 🗳️ State Representatives — Who writes the laws on housing, education, minimum wage, workers’ rights, and healthcare in Pennsylvania. 🗳️ Judges — Who interprets the law that governs your everyday life. 🗳️ Ballot Questions — Including guaranteed funding for affordable housing and independent oversight of Philadelphia’s prison system. This is not abstract. This is your rent. Your school. Your block. Your future. The primary in Philadelphia is where the real power shifts — because whoever wins the Democratic primary almost always wins in November. This Tuesday, you are deciding who leads this city. Come to LikeMinded this Saturday and hear directly from the people on the front lines. Then go vote Tuesday. 📅 Saturday, May 16 | 6–10PM | Midnight & The Wicked 🗳️ Primary Election: Tuesday, May 19 🎟️ Link in bio to RSVP.

We talk about change. We talk about what needs to be different in our city. But change starts with showing up. Tuesday, May 19th is the Philadelphia Primary Election — and this Saturday, we are giving our community the opportunity to come together, get informed, and hear directly from the people making decisions that affect your daily life. This is your chance to be in the same room as your elected officials. Ask questions. Understand what is on the ballot. Know who is fighting for you — and hold them accountable. We all have a collective responsibility to vote. Not just in the big elections. Not just when it feels urgent. Every time. Especially in the primary, where your vote carries the most weight. Join us at LikeMinded: Power & Progress — Your Vote. Your City. Featuring remarks from: 🏛️ Councilman Jeffery Young 🏛️ Councilman Nick O’Rourke 🏛️ Councilman Anthony Phillips 🏛️ Chairman Jordan Harris 🏛️ Chairman Omar Sabir 🏛️ Rep. Andre Carroll 🏛️ Councilwoman Kendra Brooks 🏛️ Rep. Morgan Cephas ⭐ Sheriff Siddiq Kamara 🏛️ State Rep. Anthony Bellmon 📅 Saturday, May 16 🕕 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM 📍 Midnight & The Wicked | Philadelphia, PA 🗳️ Primary Election: Tuesday, May 19 🎟️ Link in bio to RSVP. #LikeMinded #PowerAndProgress #YourVoteYourCity #TheConnect

The room just got even more powerful. 👀 We are proud to welcome our newest Featured Guests to LikeMinded: Power & Progress — Your Vote. Your City. These are not just titles. These are the people in the rooms where decisions get made — fighting for our communities, our futures, and our city every single day. And this Saturday, they’re coming to your room. 🏛️ Rep. Andre Carroll — Pennsylvania State House 🏛️ Rep. Anthony Bellmon — Pennsylvania State House ⭐ Sheriff Siddiq Kamara — Delaware County, Pennsylvania 🏛️ Rep. Morgan Cephas — Pennsylvania State House 🏛️ Councilwoman Kendra Brooks — Philadelphia City Council This is one of the most important rooms in Philadelphia this year — and we’re just getting started. More featured guests still to come. Come connect. Come get informed. Come ready to vote Tuesday. 📅 Saturday, May 16 🕕 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM 📍 Midnight & The Wicked | Philadelphia, PA 🎟️ Link in bio to RSVP. #LikeMinded #PowerAndProgress #YourVoteYourCity #TheConnect

We appreciate Council President Johnson and his support of The Connect. We’re happy to support him and future of Black Progress in Philly.

We are the largest voting bloc in Philadelphia. And we are the least likely to show up to the polls. Let that sink in for a second. The power is already ours. The numbers are already there. What’s missing is our presence and that is exactly what The Connect is here to change. This Saturday, we are curating one of the most powerful rooms of the year. LikeMinded: Power & Progress — Your Vote. Your City. is not just a networking event. It is a movement. It is us — Philadelphia’s most dynamic Black and brown professionals — coming together to make sure our community doesn’t just survive what’s happening in this country right now, but thrives. Because here’s the truth: what happens federally affects us. But our first line of defense is local. It’s city council. It’s our commissioners. It’s our state house. It’s the people on Tuesday’s ballot. And if we don’t show up in the primary, we lose that line of defense before the fight even starts. We’re giving you access to some of the most influential people in Philadelphia — elected officials, civic leaders, and community builders who are shaping the future of this city. And this is just the beginning. More featured guests to be announced. This is the room you need to be in this weekend. Come Saturday. Know the ballot. Vote Tuesday. 🗓 Saturday, May 16 🕕 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM 📍 Midnight & The Wicked | Philadelphia, PA 🎟 RSVP at the link in bio — space is limited. Featured Guests: Councilman Jeffery Young | Councilman Nick O’Rourke | Councilman Anthony Phillips | Chairman Jordan Harris | Chairman Omar Sabir @jay_young_esq @nicorourkephl @phillipsdist9 @jordanaharris @omarforphilly More featured guests to be announced. 👀 #LikeMinded #PowerAndProgress #YourVoteYourCity #PhillyPrimary

When we vote, we win — and we’re proud to stand behind leaders who show up for the community. See you tomorrow night at Chairman Omar Sabir’s Pre-Election Day Happy Hour! 🗳️✨ @omarforphilly

Representation in healthcare is not just symbolic. It saves lives. When Black professionals are present in the rooms where care is given, the data is clear — patients live longer, communities are served better, and trust is rebuilt where it was broken. Swipe through. These numbers tell the story of why this work matters. Today, we celebrate every Black doctor, nurse, therapist, administrator, and allied health professional who has chosen this path — knowing the road was not designed with them in mind, and walking it anyway. Tonight is for you. LikeMinded: Healthcare Professionals Edition is a space to exhale, connect with people who understand your journey, and be reminded that you are not alone in this work. Come as you are. Leave with your people. 🗓 Tonight | 6–10pm 📍 @midnightandthewicked_ 🎟 Last chance — tickets at the link in bio. #TheConnect #LikeMindedPhilly #BlackHealthcare #HealthEquity #BlackDoctors #BlackNurses #RepresentationMatters #PhillyHealthcare #BlackExcellence #BlackMentalHealth #HealthcareHeroes #BlackProfessionals

We’re excited to support the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus K. Leroy Irvis Conference. Honored to help select and moderate a powerful panel around AI’s implications on the Black community, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and legislators for an important conversation on how we ensure AI expands opportunity instead of displacement for our communities. We then supported an additional conversation around the creator economy, designing a workshop focused on helping creators better monetize their brands and build sustainable opportunities in today’s digital economy. More importantly, we’re grateful to work alongside state legislators who genuinely care about the future of our communities and are creating space for open dialogue, thought leadership, and forward-looking conversations around what Black progress should look like in the AI era and beyond. We’re excited to continue building with leaders across the Commonwealth who are committed to creating opportunity, equity, and thriving futures for our communities. Thank you to the PA Legislative Black Caucus and the countless leaders who continue to fight for and advocate on behalf of our communities every day. ✨ @palegblkcaucus @palbcfound