Building for Belonging: Fireside Chats
Programming Details for Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities 2025
[Fireside Chat I]: Business Models for Change
This fireside chat will highlight the innovative ways companies are embedding social impact into the core of their business models. While social impact and sustainability initiatives are often siloed or treated as check-the-box exercises, the companies featured in this discussion take a transformative approach, integrating these priorities into their strategies and operations. With insights from leaders at some of the world's leading companies, this session will explore how these trailblazing organizations align profitability with purpose. From combating child labor in the chocolate industry to advancing financial inclusion and championing sustainability in beauty, these companies illustrate how businesses can drive meaningful change while achieving sustainable growth.
[Fireside Chat II]: Cultivating Resilience Through Urban Agriculture
This fireside chat will explore the transformative potential of urban agriculture and its role in reimagining food systems for a more sustainable and equitable future. In an era where sustainability is often seen as an add-on, this session highlights innovative approaches to embedding community-driven food production and the slow food philosophy into the core of urban living. The discussion will examine how urban agriculture not only addresses food security but also fosters local economies, builds community resilience, and champions environmental stewardship. With insights from thought leaders at the forefront of this movement, this session will provide a compelling look at how rethinking food systems can create thriving cities and healthier communities.
[Fireside Chat III]: The Unseen – Building Equity in City Budgets
This panel will focus on how local governments can leverage city budgets to advance social equity. Panelists will explore the often overlooked but crucial role that budgeting plays in ensuring that resources are allocated in ways that benefit underserved and marginalized communities. With expert insights from leaders in the public and private sectors as well as academia, the panel will explore how equitable budgeting practices can drive systemic change. From technical support for cities navigating fiscal recovery to strategic planning for community engagement, this discussion will delve into mechanisms and strategies that make equity a central goal in the budget process.
[Fireside Chat IV]: Building Philadelphia
This panel will spotlight the dynamic strategies driving the city’s growth and transformation, focusing on innovative partnerships and initiatives that foster economic development and inclusion. Featuring a diverse group of leaders with deep expertise in urban development, this panel will explore how Philadelphia is positioning itself as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and equitable growth. In addition to physical development of new and emerging economic hubs around the city, this panel will explore ways that local leaders can leverage that development to “build” pathways to prosperity for city residents.