The past month brought a wave of workforce and career news from orgs in various industries in Philly.
AI weapon detection company ZeroEyes announced plans to hire 100 new employees over the next two years as part of a wider growth strategy.
The Wistar Institute partnered with Apprenti to build a life sciences apprenticeship program with a pharmaceutical company in New Jersey.
The Science Center also recognized workforce development efforts through one of this year’s Nucleus Award honorees, along with three other awards for ecosystem leaders.
Keep reading for all the details and more power moves.
ZeroEyes announces workforce expansion plans
AI weapon detection platform ZeroEyes announced plans to expand its workforce by hiring over 100 military veterans in Southeastern Pennsylvania over the next two years.
The company’s founding team and about three-quarters of its current 200 person staff have a military background, so hiring veterans is already baked into the company’s mission, Rob Huberty, COO and cofounder, told Technical.ly.
He expects to list a variety of roles, including engineers, IT professionals, analysts, and staff for the ZeroEyes Operations Center.
“The thing that I like to say about people from the military, they’re not necessarily better at anything, but they volunteer at a higher rate, right? And they are mission focused,” Huberty said.
The Conshohocken-based company started in 2018 with the mission of using AI to prevent mass shootings. Now, ZeroEyes is thinking about how it can grow beyond just gun detection and offer other safety services, Huberty said. Over the past few months, the company has added knife detection and threat geolocation, and needs skilled staff to continue that trajectory.
Plans also include growing research and development capabilities by testing out new tech at the company’s AI technology lab, located just outside of Philadelphia. The company will also develop small drone technology, such as 3D environment mapping and threat detection.
Wistar Institute partners with Apprenti to serve NJ
Biomedical research center the Wistar Institute is partnering with Apprenti, a national apprenticeship intermediary, to launch their first joint life sciences workforce program in central New Jersey.
The pair are working with an undisclosed pharmaceutical company to design a program that trains local residents in needed life sciences roles, Kristy Shuda McGuire, dean of biomedical studies at Wistar, told Technical.ly. Students will learn Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Laboratory Practices, aseptic processing, cell culture, cryopreservation, molecular techniques and quality control fundamentals.
The program starts with 12 weeks of learning in both a classroom and a lab, followed by a year of paid on-the-job training. After the training is complete, apprentices are expected to transition to a full-time role.
Wistar’s Biomedical Technician Training Program has already been training non-traditional workers to enter the life sciences field for over 20 years. Now, the research center is combining that experience with Apprenti’s expertise in building apprenticeship programs for this cohort.
“Together, Wistar’s excellence in curriculum creation and delivery aligns with Apprenti’s ability to drive the program administration and reduce employer lift, allowing life science employers across multiple states to deploy a single, standardized apprenticeship model,” Daniel Weagle, director of life science business development at Apprenti, told Technical.ly.
The Science Center selects four ecosystem leaders for Nucleus Awards
The Science Center in University City announced the four honorees chosen for this year’s Nucleus Awards which annually recognize leaders in Philadelphia’s innovation ecosystem.
- David Fajgenbaum, co-founder of drug repurposing nonprofit Every Cure, is the Commercialization Award recipient. This award honors someone working to bring new technologies to market.
- Cait Garrozzo, executive director of the Skills Initiative, won this year’s Cultivator Award in recognition of her contributions to Philly’s STEM talent pipeline.
- The Capital Award, which recognizes an individual making impactful investments in local startups, goes to Greg Howard, general partner at Quorum Capital Partners.
- Rebecca Grant, senior director of life sciences and innovation for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce, won the Convener Award for her efforts to foster collaboration within the ecosystem.
“Behind every breakthrough is a decision to act with intention. Our 2026 Nucleus honorees embody that principle,” said Kerry Benson, interim president and CEO of the Science Center. “Their work reflects what the Science Center stands for: translating ideas into real-world impact.”
More power moves:
- Doc Parghi is the new chair of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors.
- Tiffany Wilson stepped down from her role as president and CEO of the Science Center after almost six years, the organization shared with Technical.ly. Board members Mike DiPiano, Ivy Silver and Kerry Benson will lead the org until a new CEO is selected.
- The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry partnered with the Keystone Space Collaborative to advance Pennsylvania’s work in aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, research, technology innovation and commercial space development.
- Bethlehem, PA-based biotech company Oral Biolife announced Thomas J. Corrigan as its new VP of finance.
- Nonprofit research institute Monell Chemical Senses Center will relocate from its long-time Market Street location to a new lab and office space at One uCity Square.
- Digital product studio Moxie Labs launched its first proprietary product, Fngrfood, a platform for restaurants to manage customer orders and operations.
- Global financial services company SEI announced a wave of leadership changes over the past month. Matt Provencher is the new global head of enterprise professional services and Barry Frame joined the company as head of international private banking and wealth management services. The company also appointed three AI-related leadership roles; Sneha Shah as chief AI strategist, Michael Tryniszewski as head of AI orchestration, and William Coffey as chief data officer.
- Wealthtech company Orion opened a new office in King of Prussia.
- Centri Business Consulting promoted Sunny Patel from outsourced accounting practice leader to partner.
- Torben Shiffner joined the Wistar Institute’s Vaccine and Immunology Center to research immune responses to highly-mutating viruses.
- The National Institute on Aging selected local biotech company Linnaeus Therapeutics for its Interventions Testing Program. The company will test if its drug candidate can extend lifespan or delay age-related diseases.
- MobileHelp, which makes personal emergency response systems, launched a new model of its device for seniors and a rebrand.
