Innovation Weekend 2025: The Start of Philly’s All-In Era

This year's Innovation Weekend centered on a crucial question for our community: What does it truly mean to go ALL IN for Philly tech?

Returning for its fourth year, Innovation Weekend created a space where brilliance, creativity, and unapologetic innovation showed up in full force. From founders pushing boundaries to young creators stepping into their power, every room was filled with the kind of energy you don’t forget. Our speakers didn’t just “share expertise” - they poured into the community, challenged the status quo, and sparked conversations that will ripple far beyond this weekend.

At a moment when the pace of change demands more than incremental progress, Innovation Weekend convened founders, investors, and innovation leaders to go ALL IN on building what’s next. This is where the future of tech entrepreneurship takes shape - through shared insight, collaboration, and a commitment to inclusive growth.

"Progress is possible, but it's also fragile. It takes all of us choosing to show up, invest, collaborate, and contribute to ensure that the progress we’re making lasts." - Danae Mobley, Executive Director of 1Philadelphia

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Connecting at the Meetup

The weekend began on Thursday night at South Side with a special edition 1PHL Meetup. It was amazing to connect with new faces and catch up with familiar ones while celebrating the innovative energy that makes our community thrive.

"What an awesome kick-off to Innovation weekend! I’m still buzzing from my encounters with so many brilliant minds! I can’t wait to continue learning and growing with everyone during the Summit and the Weekend Workshop! Hats off to 1Philadelphia." - Sherrell P, IW25 attendee

The heartbeat of Innovation Weekend was the incredible community that showed up. These were individuals full of intention, passion, and purpose, who came ready to share, inspire, and disrupt in the best way possible. They reminded us of the power of possibility when talent meets opportunity. Together, we created a space where everyone was seen, supported, and empowered to step into bold, groundbreaking potential.

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Learning at the Future Forward Summit

The cornerstone of Innovation Weekend, the Future Forward Summit, was once again a standout for the weekend. This day-long conference offered participants valuable insights from thought leaders who blew us away with their knowledge - sharing bold ideas, actionable strategies, and stories that truly resonated. "If you missed the summit yesterday, or any of the 1Philadelphia Innovation Weekend, you missed out," attendee Leona T. said.

"The 1Philadelphia Innovation Weekend Meetup and Future Forward Summit brought together some of the most forward-thinking minds in our city, and I left energized by conversations that pushed my thinking on technology, equity, and what's possible when we collaborate with intention." - Natalie S, IW25 attendee

Key Takeaways:

With over 30 incredible tech experts taking part in 8 impactful conversations, the Future Forward Summit included too many gems to count. Here are a few of our favorite takeaways:

• Guru CEO Rick Nucci called AI the new equalizer, lowering the barrier to entry and allowing founders to move forward faster.
• Grace Francisco, Bonnie Ravina, Jamie Catanach, and Christopher Wink discussed how ecosystems thrive when collaboration comes first.
• Ayanna Lott-Pollard shared her view on AI - it can democratize opportunity but only if the people closest to the margins are equipped to build with it, not just consume it.
• Sylvester Mobley, Heath Naquin, Antonia Dean and Jonathon Beschen talked about what investors want to see now. Learn 3 common mistakes founders make in overview from Technical.ly.
• Amanda Sabreah began her workshop-style talk with a statistic: According to MIT Professional Services, 34% of business failures come from loss or lack of product-market fit.
• To take in all of the insights and advice shared during the keynote conversation between Stacy Spikes and Will Toms, head over and watch the full recording on our YouTube channel.
  
  • Don't just build a business, build a community.
  • At every level, there is a different devil.
  • Success takes persistence, community, and visibility.
  • Don’t worry about changing the market, do what you do well.

Learn more about the Future Forward Summit from the perspective of Philly founder Sophia Pearson.

Growing at the Weekend Workshop

To wrap up Innovation Weekend, we knew we had to focus on founders. The Weekend Workshop was a time for founders to come together to connect, collaborate, and grow with fellow entrepreneurs and investors. This workshop was all about tackling shared challenges, exchanging candid insights, and building the connections that help move companies forward. "What an incredible way to wrap up Innovation Weekend hosted by 1Philadelphia! I spent my Saturday morning at the Fitler Club, immersed in an atmosphere of collaboration and inspiration," said Ce'Quan N. "This event perfectly highlights the vibrant, supportive, and growing spirit of the Philly tech and innovation community."

The Weekend Workshop started off with Mandy Bynum talking about the importance of gate-breaking, the opposite of gatekeeping. How as a community of innovators, we need to come together, share resources, and open our networks so we can all succeed.

"Time and time again, in a room full of founders, investors, and political leaders, I felt one powerful thing: Philadelphia is investing big time in how we solve systemic problems together." - Melissa S, IW25 attendee

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Before our founders broke off into groups, our experts gathered for a roundtable to introduce themselves and share early insights. We then spent the rest of the afternoon in breakout sessions where each expert went deeper into subjects such as navigating to the right decision maker, fundraising, hiring/firing, problem validation, and storytelling. These intimate sessions allowed our founders to ask questions and get real time feedback and advice from leaders in the field. We know how important community is when creating a startup and events like this help Philly founders grow their networks not only with their peers, but mentors who can provide key advice to take them to the next level.

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Coming Together to Move Forward

Throughout the weekend, we saw many reoccurring themes. But one rose to the top - community. Attendee Elizabeth M. put it best when she said "Maybe the real disruption right now is building community in a time that pushes us toward isolation. [...] What struck me most was the strong desire for connection, collaboration, and community, even in a sector typically focused on disruption and scale."

"Throughout the day, a clear thread emerged: we thrive when people are connected, informed, and supported. Growth doesn’t come from individual ideas alone, it’s spurred by the surrounding networks and culture. If we want to grow a Philly tech ecosystem that lasts, we’ll need to design for that human layer too." - Elizabeth M, IW25 attendee

1Philadelphia is working to build a tech community where everyone can thrive. Innovation Weekend is more than a conference, it’s a showcase of what’s next in innovation and a clear signal that Philadelphia is building the momentum to rank among the world’s leading tech cities. We hope you join us on this journey and continue moving our city, ecosystem, and founders forward. "Events like this that showcase the gems Philly has to offer are what will keep pushing this city up the ladder in innovation and entrepreneurship," said young founder Elwaleed G.

To everyone who pulled up to Innovation Weekend with intention, passion, and ideas that can reshape the future: you’re the heartbeat of this work. This community continues to prove what’s possible when talent meets opportunity, and when we build spaces that truly see and support our people. Innovation Weekend isn’t just special — it’s a catalyst. And trust, we’re just getting started.

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Want to learn more about 1Philadelphia? Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Innovation Weekend was made possible through generous support from the following sponsors dedicated to supporting our work: The City of Philadelphia, Halloran Philanthropies, SAP, Google, Department of Commerce for the City of Philadelphia, Accenture, Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania,  Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, University City Science Center, Sanctum, Penn Medicine, Penn Wharton School of Business.