Why CNBC picked Philly for its next Disruptor 50 Roadshow stop

Earlier this year, CNBC put out a list of up-and-coming companies called the Disruptor 50.

Much like Technical.ly’s yearly realLIST, the roundup tracks the private companies making waves in the tech landscape. And on Oct. 24, the business-focused news channel is bringing a handful of speakers from the list to Philly for the Disruptor 50 Roadshow.

Execs from companies like Pittsburgh-based Duolingo, VC fund Revolution and ecommerce company Rent the Runway will join a handful of local speakers like RevZilla cofounder Anthony Bucci, Drexel University dean Donna de Carolis and Fanatics founder Michael Rubin.

Rubin’s apparel company, which is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., but has an outpost in Conshohocken, is the only company with Philly ties to land a spot on the list at No. 45.

The Philly event follows a similar “Roadshow” event that splashed down in Los Angeles in May. Per Jonathan Meyers, the SVP of CNBC Events, Philly getting the nod was an editorial decision that speaks to the city’s bustling tech community, not the fact that CNBC’s parent company is here.

“Our focus was more on going where there are hotbeds of entrepreneurship,” Meyers told Technical.ly. “It’s an area with a flourishing entrepreneurial scene but it’s a bit underserved. We’re looking at cities that have what Philly has but don’t have the benefit of a million events focused around fostering entrepreneurship for that community.”

Philly-area native Jim Cramer, co-anchor of Squawk on the Street and Mad Money will also join the event, happening at the Down Town Club at 6th and Chestnut.

Meyers said that attendees will get to hear from both local experts and notable out-of-towners like Shark Tank shark Kevin O’Leary.

“From the stage you’ll get insight you can apply today,” Meyers said. “We wont’t talk in theoreticals or war stories: The goal is to give tactical advice that makes you a better entrepreneur.”