Philly Versus is a series of guest posts highlighting what the region can learn from other successful startup ecosystems — and where Philadelphia can lean into its own identity to stand out. Part two is a post by Grace Francisco, cofounder and partner at EMG Worldwide on what she learned from her time in Silicon Valley. Read part one on Paris here.

As a former Silicon Valley tech executive and now cofounder and partner of EMG here in the Philly area, I’ve had a front-row seat to two ecosystems that are at very different chapters in their evolution: the seasoned power machine of Silicon Valley and the surging momentum of Philadelphia’s tech renaissance. 

Both have powerful stories. But today, Philly’s narrative is shifting in real time — and it’s impossible to ignore.

Philly is flying 

We’re not just dreaming. Philly is executing:

AND Pennsylvania is fast becoming what I like to call Techsylvania, an AI-powered, energy-backed tech corridor with national implications. The halo effect this is going to create in the broader region will further lift and push our already thriving and active ecosystem here.

That leap is not accidental. It’s the result of relentless founders, growing local capital and a community that’s starting to believe in its own global relevance. The changing narrative is a key turning point for us here. 

For many years, locals have long held this perspective that things were never going to change. We need to manifest our future success through shared positive narratives— reframing from “gaps” to “opportunities” from “issues” to “challenges”. We do have a lot of work ahead. Here’s what the Valley does exceptionally well that we should keep learning from.

Mindset: Default to ambition

In Silicon Valley, the default setting is big. Big problems. Big bets. Big exits. People don’t apologize for their ambition; they lead with it. 

That culture of risk-taking is reinforced at every level: investors writing checks on vision, employees joining startups over safe jobs and a community that doesn’t blink at a failed startup. It asks, “What did you learn?”

In Philly? We have the talent. We have grit in spades. But we don’t always lead with scale. It’s time to rewire the mindset: encourage boldness, normalize risk and push our founders to swing harder, earlier.

Network density: Proximity is power

Silicon Valley isn’t just a place; it’s a network effect in motion. The density of talent, capital, operators and advisors within a 50-mile radius is mind-bending. That proximity fuels serendipity over coffee, at meetups or on the Caltrain. Founders don’t have to book time to find help. It’s ambient.

Philly has incredible nodes — Comcast, Penn, Drexel, a growing startup scene — but it’s too fragmented. We need more intentional collisions. Shared workspaces. Standing meetups. Founder dinners. Let’s build connective tissue that closes the distance between our innovators. People help without friction. 

We need to reduce the friction tax with fewer gatekeepers, more warm intros and more “yes, how can I help?” 

I’ve mentioned this observation of high walls of social friction here versus Silicon Valley, which is still based on the Wild West culture of survival; ours is based on Western European culture. However, I’ve also seen plenty of people bridge across circles to help. 

We can do it, we just need to do more of it.

Capital velocity: Bet early, bet often

Valley investors aren’t afraid to be first. 

They know how to spot sparks and fan them into fire. Pre-seed rounds happen fast. Follow-on capital is structured to reward speed and conviction. There’s an implicit trust that talent plus time and cash equals velocity.

In Philly, there’s still too much waiting. Too many “let’s see traction” conversations at the earliest stages. We make startups pay to pitch in front of investors — you don’t see that in the Valley. 

If we want to compete, we need more first checks, more conviction-led capital and limited partners who back managers that get early-stage opportunities.

Talent recycling: The startup flywheel

You know what happens after an exit in the Valley? A dozen new companies are born. Former operators become angels. Engineers go on to found their own thing. And the flywheel spins again.

Philly’s tech economy is still catching up here. We need to retain our top talent, celebrate our wins, and turn alumni from companies like Gopuff, dbt Labs and Crossbeam into mentors, investors and next-gen founders.

Philly’s x-factor: Energy, intelligence and intentionality

Here’s the kicker: Silicon Valley never had what we have right now.

We’re not trying to be the next Silicon Valley. We’re becoming something else: smarter, more inclusive and grounded in real infrastructure, world-class universities and workforce depth.

Call it Techsylvania. Call it the Neuronet. Whatever name sticks, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania are no longer emerging. We’re ascending.

Now it’s on all of us — founders, funders, educators, policymakers, and builders — to turn this moment into a lasting movement.

Let’s keep flying, Philly.