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This week in Philly, Spark Thereapeutics lays off 300 workers in the Philly region, how to know if a co-op is right for you and more.
Read on for Technical.ly’s weekly roundup of top news in the region.
📰 News Incubator: What else to know
• The hit show Shark Tank is hosting an open casting call in Philly on Friday. Check out these tips for pitching from Shark Tank alum and Baltimore-based entrepreneur Dawn Myers. [Technical.ly]
• Check out former software engineer Gina Wilson’s debut book about the Route 202 corridor, aka Silicon Valley East. [Technical.ly]
• Carisma Therapeutics laid off 37 employees, about 84% of its staff. This is the third round of layoffs the cell therapy company has done in the last year. [Philly Biz Journal]
• Councilmember Mark Squilla introduced a bill that would allow the Philadelphia Parking Authority to enforce an AI-based system that detects and tickets excessive noise from vehicles. [The Inquirer]
• Philly’s Office of Innovation and Technology introduced a free Wi-Fi finder tool and dashboard to track Verizon’s progress as it works to bring internet to 183 rec centers across the city. [City of Philadelphia/Technical.ly]
• The University City Science Center released its 2024 Impact Report. [The Science Center]
• The Wharton School announced an undergraduate concentration and MBA major for AI in business. Last year, Penn Engineering announced degree offerings in AI at both the master’s and undergrad levels. [Wharton/Technical.ly]
• HiveBio accelerator accepted 10 startups into its first accelerator cohort. All of the founders are people of color, women and/or immigrants. [Philly Biz Journal/Technical.ly]
• Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center will launch a pilot program for health monitoring bracelets to prevent medical emergencies. [The Inquirer]
• The Shapiro Administration announced $2.8 million in grants to student research projects through the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program. Recipients include projects at Drexel University, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University and Villanova University. [DCED]
🗓️ On the Calendar
• Technical.ly event: Alliance of Civic Technologists executive director Christopher Whitaker will join Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink on Builders Live on April 14 to discuss the state of civic technology. [Tune in here]
.• Partner event: Looking to meet with entrepreneurs from around the globe? From April 5 – 9, they’ll be convening in Philly at the 39th International Conference on Business Incubation for sessions on ecosystem mapping, the green economy, founder support and more. [Register]
• Partner event: The next edition of the Temple Fox Business School’s Innovation Leader Speaker Series is on April 8. AI product expert Abhai Pratap Singh will reveal how he’s driven innovations in the field, like the Amazon Alexa.[Reserve a spot] [Submit a question]
• Partner event: Spend Earth Day learning about Philly startups with a strong drive toward creating a more sustainable future. The Greater Philly Green Startup Pitch Competition will showcase local climate and greentech innovations on April 22. [Sign up]
• Partner Event: Get practical strategies for building emerging tech at PACT’s 2025 Phorum conference on April 22, featuring workshops, discussion panels and the annual Demo Pit competition. [Register]
• Support Black woman-owned businesses at WURD Radio’s Level Up pitch competition on April 8. [Register here]
• Code for Philly’s April Hack Night is on April 8 at Indy Hall. [More details]
• Philly JavaScript Club will be discussing Gleam for TypeScript Developers on April 10. [RSVP here]
• Join Code & Coffee for a founder-focused coworking circle on April 11. [More details]
Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.
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