The key elements to having a great job is when we have goals, have focus, and have a direction toward overall self-improvement. That is the true difference between having “just a job” and a position that puts us on a true career path. This week we feature two organizations that help to train, mentor, and educate individuals who are entering a career.

Tech Impact is a revolutionary nonprofit that helps train individuals in the tech industry who can then help other nonprofits with their technical needs. Patrick of the Tech Impact team and recent graduate Brian sat down with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and discussed how this nonprofit helps individuals find a career through a job training program known as IT Works. They explain how the program helps individuals start a career who do not fit the traditional college mold through their award winning 16-week course.

As a multi-disciplined engineering firm, the team at Wick Fisher White has been adapting and innovating for over 100 years. Wick Fisher White’s Tony DiLeondardo and Jessica Thronton chatted with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia about how their company values the importance of relationships to help educate their clients and to train the next generation of skilled workers.

This week on Growing Great Philadelphia we are airing a very special presentation. We had the pleasure of hosting an intimate conversation with Dan Hilferty, CEO of Independence Blue Cross and the new Chair of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia in front of a live studio audience at their state-of-the-art customer experience center, Independence LIVE.  Dan, a Greater Philadelphia native, shared his insights about growing up in our community, his career, and the future of healthcare.

We spoke with Dan in front of a live studio audience at their spacious and welcoming facility known as Independence LIVE. Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia moderated this candid conversation with Dan that provides an inside look into a man on a mission to transform how healthcare is delivered and who is driven by a pure desire to help others live better lives. Dan also discussed how the team at Independence Blue Cross is revolutionizing healthcare by harnessing the very latest ideas and technologies to deliver access to care that surpasses expectations.

So as part of our work around this program, we have heard amazing stories of business growth and some remarkable projects that are transforming the academic, business, and civic community of our 11-county region. Through it all, we have learned that there is a lot more work that takes place than what is seen from an outside perspective. This week, we continue to “pull back the curtain” as we showcase two stories that illustrate the lengths some businesses go to in order to effectively complete a project and become a success.

EDA Contractors is a business that has continuously evolved and adapted over the last three decades in the building industry.  Ed and Cory of their team sat down with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and discussed how their company uses emotional intelligence to succeed in business. In addition, they explained how their company specializes in creating sustainable, vegetated roofs.

JLL is a world leader in professional services that specializes in all facets of real estate including facilities management and operations.  Tony and Rob of the JLL chatted with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and shared what their role was recently in helping to transform, update, and modernize one of the premiere venues in our region and in the country, The Wells Fargo Center. 

“Actions speak louder than words” is a notable idiom famously used by Abraham Lincoln in 1856 that still rings true today. It’s one thing to want to do good, it’s another thing to act on those thoughts and actually do good deeds. This week we are featuring two organizations that not only say they want to help the community, but actively participate in projects that make a difference in our region.

The Satell Institute located in Malvern, Pennsylvania is a nonprofit that is dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility. Ed chatted with Matt Cabrey, Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia about how he believes it’s the business community’s duty to make the region a better place through increasing the number of companies committed to long-term investments in nonprofits. Ed also explained how they are a nonpartisan operating foundation that it is fully-funded by a multi-million dollar endowment which allows for 100% of their members investments to go to the nonprofits of their choice.