Lauren Smith is passionate about driving economic growth and empowering dynamic communities in Philadelphia through data-driven decision making. As Manager of Economic Development at Center City District (CCD), she supports initiatives to strengthen the commercial office sector, retain and attract high-quality tenants, and collaborates with property owners, brokers, and stakeholders to enhance Philadelphia’s downtown. Previously,…

Michael Shostek is a Community and Economic Development Program Coordinator at the Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC). At UAC, Michael focuses on two national initiatives that promote more sustainable, affordable homeownership opportunities for underserved communities, especially minorities and low-to-moderate income Philadelphians.  Prior to UAC, Michael supported the advocacy for many unheard, underserved, and marginalized communities as…

Mallory Richards is a senior analyst at PFM in the Management and Budget Consulting practice. In her current role, she focuses on economic sustainability and tax strategy, assisting city and state governments in maximizing their impact with constrained resources. Mallory’s work includes supporting city-wide efforts to address vacant housing and blight in Baltimore and evaluating…

A daughter of Liberian migrants, Project Manager, a transplant to Philadelphia by way of Ohio, Siah has been active in Philadelphia for the last 7.5 years. She has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Council since 2017 – starting with the Professional Development committee, she went on to be one of…

Charlie is an engagement manager in the strategy practice of a global consulting firm. He leads client projects spanning the life sciences value chain across R&D, commercial, and digital functions in both the biopharmaceutical and medtech sectors. His project experiences have included strategic planning, operating model design, financial modeling, integration and divestiture services, and project…

Dustin is a husband, father, and nonprofit attorney living in Fairmount. He has worked as Assistant General Counsel at the National Philanthropic Trust since 2021, where he advises donors and works directly with grantmaking organizations to increase philanthropy in society. Outside of work, he volunteers his time as Vice President of the Fairmount Civic Association,…

Zoraida Cordero is a social impact leader, Army veteran, and nonprofit professional with over 11 years of experience in community engagement, leadership development, and organizational growth. Zoraida holds a Master’s in Social Work with a focus on Human Services Management from Temple University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Muhlenberg College. As the…