Our Philadelphia region is a region of firsts from the first hospital to the first school of pharmacy.  The entrepreneurial spirit has always been here and we are a community of makers who never settle and never back down. This week we feature a startup that has created a revolutionary product that empowers women while also helping the environment. Then we have a snapshot of one association who is helping grow our region through construction.

Creating the world’s first flushable, biodegradable pregnancy test is no small feat. After meeting at the University of Pennsylvania, Bethany and Anna decided to create a business to revolutionize pregnancy tests for women. They both sat down with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and discussed how they were able to evolve as entrepreneurs and overcome countless hurdles when starting their business.

The catalyst for any regional growth is construction. Joe of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) chatted with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia about how they provide education and training for their members in order for them to excel.  Joe also gave us a look into how ABC helps support and empowers skilled laborers in the region through their focus on merit construction and free enterprise.

Some people believe there is no such thing as fate and that everything stems from cause and effect, and each of us are responsible for our futures. Here at Growing Greater Philadelphia we agree to a certain extent; however sometimes we hear stories that are undoubtedly related to fate that cause us to sit back and reflect on the idea of destiny. From being at the right place at the right time, to running into someone by chance, sometimes chance encounters happen for a reason and it’s up to the entrepreneur whether or not they will capitalize on these unanticipated events and see where their future will go.

Recognized as one of the top places to work in the region, Phenom People is a business focused on people first.  Brad sat down with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, about their recruiting software platform that optimizes the process of matching job seekers with companies out of Ambler Yards. Brad also explained what characteristics made him a successful entrepreneur starting out.