How do we create real, lasting change in Philadelphia?

That’s the question that animated last Thursday’s inaugural Ideas We Should Scale Showcase, held at Lincoln Financial Field, with local funders, elected officials, and nonprofit leaders hearing from three organizations on the cusp of big things.

The Citizen’s first-ever Ideas We Should Scale Showcase was a companion event to our 8th annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival presented by Comcast NBCUniversal. Instead of putting the spotlight on innovative solutions from outside the city — something that we’ve been doing for eight years as part of the signature Festival, along with the popular Ideas We Should Steal column — the Citizen’s newest event aims to do the opposite: Shine a light on homegrown changemakers with brilliant ideas of their own, and connect them with potential funders who could elevate their programs to a new level of impact.

The centerpiece of Ideas We Should Scale was a months-long pitch competition that culminated with three mission-driven organizations making presentations at the Linc. But that wasn’t all: The night kicked off with a conversation between Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan and Michelle Histand of the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation, one of the main sponsors for the event, along with ImpactEd at the University of Pennsylvania and The Fitler Club.

“I truly believe that everybody is born worthy of love, of freedom, and of opportunity, but not everybody gets to have that because there are systems in place that create imbalances,” said Dr. Shyamalan. “I want to be part of breaking those systems.”

Shyamalan and Histand discussed the importance of no-strings-attached grantmaking, which is a staple of the foundation that they run. That’s because they believe that investing in leaders provides a better return (and drives more impact) than investing in ideas. “And once we find them, we stick with them for a few years. A very critical part of what we do is that we don’t prescribe. Our grants are unrestricted,” Shyamalan added. The foundation provides help to leaders around the globe (in Syria, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar to name a few places) and in their backyard — such as Raymond John, the founder of Philly-based 12+, a nonprofit focused on educational equity which has been receiving support from the foundation since 2018.

Following their talk, the funders and other audience members heard from the three organizations chosen to present their scalable ideas. Here’s how we chose them: Ideas We Should Scale was open to all registered nonprofits, benefit corporations, and B Corps with operating budgets of $2 million or less. Participants submitted a short video outlining their mission, what they’ve accomplished to date, and how additional support could help them expand. In August, a panel of judges chose three compelling leaders to present at the showcase and awarded them with an honorarium, provided by VisitPhilly, along with coaching to refine their pitch. The judges included Histand as well as Claire Robertson-Kraft, founder and executive director of ImpactED at the University of Pennsylvania; Kimberly McGlonn, author, entrepreneur and vice president of social impact at Fitler Club; Michael Pearson, president/CEO of Public Health Management Corporation; and Richard Binswanger, partner at Inlocalyst.

The night featured three standout Philly organizations working on very different challenges:

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

Through its new Bike Explorers program, Bicycle Coalition is teaching elementary school students in Kensington how to ride and travel safely on two wheels. After a highly successful pilot at Louis Elkin Elementary — sparked by students themselves — the Coalition now hopes to bring bike safety education to more schools. Their vision: Build mobility equity, confidence, and safer streets for kids across the city.

The Merchants Fund

With roots stretching back to 1854, The Merchants Fund shared how emergency and stabilization grants — paired with personalized coaching — are helping small businesses survive rising costs, unexpected crises, and market pressures. Their impact goes far beyond financial support; grantees say the Fund makes them feel seen, valued, and supported, and that emotional lift can be just as transformative as replacing broken equipment. Small businesses anchor neighborhoods, but they need equitable investment to thrive.

Philly Truce Foundation

Finally, the Philly Truce team presented Peace Patrol, a community-led public-safety model powered by Black men with lived experience. Their nightly foot patrols in parts of the city with high rates of gun violence are part mentorship, part deterrence, and part community care. Philly Truce has witnessed dramatic reductions in shootings on the blocks they patrol. With deeper partnerships and sustained funding, Philly Truce co-founder Mazzie Casher says that Philly can “lock in a new normal” for public safety.

Throughout the evening, a theme that emerged across the presentations was this: The solutions we need already exist in our communities — led by people who know their neighborhoods best. What they need, however, is a level of trust and long-term partnership from influential people and organizations in the city.

As the event closed, the participants made a call to action. From safer streets to stronger small businesses to a reimagined approach to public safety, Philadelphia’s next chapter calls for everyone in the room to be part of it.

Watch the event recap here:

Watch the full discussion and Ideas We Should Scale Showcase presentations here.

See more photos of the evening here: 

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