Philly breakout Phenom adds to acquisition spree, buying 6th competitor in 5 years

Philadelphia companies are gobbling up the competition in their sectors with multiple acquisitions over the last two months. 

HR tech company Phenom acquired its sixth company, its second acquisition in less than a year, while healthtech company NeuroFlow and financial services company SEI also announced acquisitions of their own. 

Plus, the University City Science Center selected its first chief program officer and University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education is partnering with the school district to teach teachers about AI. 

Check out all the details and more power moves below the chart, where we look at the top 10 desirable skills for jobs right now and how many job postings request each skill. 

Phenom buys its 6th company in less than 5 years 

Phenom acquired talent platform EDGE for an undisclosed amount, completing its sixth acquisition in five years. The company was interested in EDGE because of its resource planning technology, according to a press release. 

“Intelligence and automation empower HR teams to provide phenomenal experiences at scale,” Mahe Bayireddi, CEO and co-founder of Phenom, said. “The EDGE acquisition adds tremendous value to better serve professional service companies and global capability centers.”

Just last summer, Ambler-based Phenom acquired employee data platform Tydy, specifically for its onboarding and offboarding technology. 

The company also bought employee experience platform Tandemploy in 2022. Over six months in 2020 and 2021, Phenom purchased AI scheduling platform My Ally, recruitment tool Endouble and video tech company Talentcube. Around the same time, Phenom raised a $100 million Series D fundraising round at a $1.4 billion valuation, Forbes reported at the time. 

University City Science Center appoints first chief program officer 

The University City Science Center appointed Wendy K. Nickel as its first chief program officer. Nickel oversees the development of all programming at the Science Center. 

Prior to this role, Nickel was the president of the Health Care Improvement Foundation. Before that, she was the VP of prevention at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. She has 25 years of experience working in healthcare advocacy and program development. 

The chief program officer role aligns with the Science Center’s strategic plan to support early-stage healthtech companies and create STEM education opportunities. 

“I’m excited to contribute to this tradition of transformation, building on bedrock programs like Capital Readiness, the Founders Fellowship and FirstHand,” Nickel said. “I want to listen and engage with our diverse communities to ensure technology creation meets the needs of those who have the most to gain from innovation.”

BFTP selects new Tech Investment Group leader 

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania promoted Jon Beschen to managing director of its Tech Investment Group. 

Beschen has been with Ben Franklin for eight years, working on initiatives like the GoPhilly and GoPA investment funds. He was formerly the director of investments for IT. 

Beschen is taking over for Omar Mencin, who was in the role for almost four years. After almost 13 years with Ben Franklin, Mencin is moving to a corporate development role at a local company. The press release did not specify which company. 

“I am honored to step into this role and build upon the incredible foundation Omar has established,” Beschen said. “I look forward to working with the talented team to continue driving innovation and supporting the growth of transformative companies in our region.”

Penn GSE launches AI pilot program for Philly educators 

University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (GSE) is partnering with the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to launch an AI professional development pilot program. 

The Pioneering AI in School Systems program will be offered for free to SDP educators and show them how to integrate AI into their work. The program will focus on policy and governance for district administrators and show school leaders how to align AI with student goals. It will also train teachers how to use the tools in their classrooms. 

“Our goal is to leverage AI to foster creativity and critical thinking among students and develop policies to ensure this technology is used effectively and responsibly,” said Katharine O. Strunk, dean of Penn GSE, “While preparing both educators and students for a future where AI and technology will play increasingly central roles. 

The program, which is funded by the Marrazzo Family Foundation, is set to start in March and will start in select schools before expanding across the district. 

More power moves: 

• Montgomery County-based global financial services firm SEI acquired Boston-based tax technology company LifeYield. 
• Healthcare tech company Neuroflow acquired New York-based behavioral healthcare company Quartet Health. 
• Venture and advisory firm Persephoni BioPartners opened an office at CIC Philadelphia in University City. Persephoni will offer its services to CIC members. 
• AI-based pathology startup Proscia was named to CB Insights’ 2024 Digital Health 50 list of top innovative digital health companies. 
• The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia selected Ellen Yin, founder of High Street Hospitality Group, as the recipient of its 2025 Paradigm Award. This award recognizes successful businesswomen in the region. 
• Health data tracking platform Journal My Health is integrating its platform with Texas-based health information exchange C3HIE. 
• Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corp, took over leadership of Philadelphia 250, the organization planning Philly’s celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary next year, reported the Philadelphia Business Journal. This move comes shortly after Danielle DiLeo Kim stepped down as president and CEO of Philadelphia 250. 
• Biotech company Aro Biotherapeutics announced Glenn D. Crater as its new chief medical officer. 
• The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia appointed Mark W. Jaindl and Gregory Matuson to its Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. 
• AI gun detection software company ZeroEyes announced cofounder and former CTO Timothy Sulzer would transition to chief product officer. David Barton, formerly SVP of engineering, is taking over as CTO. 
• Comcast promoted Steve Croney to COO of its connectivity and platforms division. This is a newly created role.