What Is the Well City Challenge?

The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia in partnership with Accelerate Health Equity and powered by Independence Blue Cross presents the Well City Challenge - a social impact competition that will engage and support everyday innovators with new creative ideas for addressing Philadelphia’s health and wellness challenges.  We are soliciting proposals from the community and supporting their development through workshops, pitch competitions, mentorship, an accelerator, and over $100,000 in prizes, as well as access to seed investments. 

The 2023 Well City Challenge is focused on Community Solutions for Mind and Heart Health. Through a series of listening sessions, we have compiled the community’s most common and significant concerns regarding mental and cardiovascular health. Those concerns are the basis for the competition’s subcategories.

We are seeking proposals that address:

Creating Community & Social Connection: With today’s technology, there are new opportunities to build community in nontraditional ways, breaking down the invisible walls that act as barriers to true connection. Those walls include arbitrary lines between neighborhoods, but also the divisions between generations. Creating stronger community and social connections gives us a chance to empower neighbors, tap into grassroots leadership, and increase access to resources. 

Breaking Barriers: Equitable Access to Nutrition & Care: Too often, health disparities come down to one thing: access. There is no shortage of hospitals and health resources in the region, but the reality is that the quality of care is often dictated by a patient’s race or ethnicity. Likewise, many under-resourced neighborhoods lack access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods. We must build pathways to care and nutrition that embraces and reflects the community’s identity, instead of working against it.

Creating Safe Spaces: Safety in our Streets, Homes, & Communities: Our environment has a direct impact on our health, and unsafe environments lead to unhealthy outcomes. Here in Philadelphia, our neighborhoods are facing an epidemic of gun violence. There is an undeniable link between violence and health—whether poor mental health leads to violence, victims of violence face poor mental health outcomes, or neighbors are fearful of their surroundings. Unsafe streets are preventing many neighbors from walking, gathering, attending community hubs, and other activities that contribute to health and wellness. Safe spaces are critical to both mind and heart health.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there any cost to submit an idea for the Well City Challenge? 

A: There are no costs or fees to apply to the Well City Challenge.  

Q: Are you required to submit an idea as a team? 

A: Ideas can be submitted from individuals or from teams of no more than four people. 

Q: How many ideas will be selected for the pitch competition? 

A: From our call from ideas application, we will select up to fifteen ideas, five from each of our content themes (Food and Nutrition, Community and Social Connection, Mind/Body) 

Q: In what stage of development should your idea be?

A: The Well City Challenge is best suited for those in the idea stage, early stage ventures or existing organizations that are trying to expand into a new market. The incubator and accelerator are designed to help people develop and pilot their ideas.

Q: Can I submit more than one idea?

A: We encourage you to submit your strongest ideas. Applicants are welcome to submit more than one idea.

Q: Can there be a cost associated with my idea?

A: The Well City Challenge is open to for-profit and non-profit ideas. There is no fee to apply for the Well City Challenge.

Q: Can I submit my idea to all three categories (Community & Social Connection, Food & Nutrition, Mind/Body)?

A: No, the application requires that you submit your idea to one category.

Q: What time of day will the incubator happen?

A: If your application is selected as a Well City Challenge finalist, your team will participate in the Well City Challenge virtual rapid incubator workshops for approximately 8-10 hours over the course of two weeks in January 2021. These scheduled dates are still being finalized. We are looking to host most programming in the early evening.  

We are grateful to our advisory committee, a diverse group of local leaders invested in health equity. The committee was instrumental in shaping this year’s competition and ensuring that the program is inclusive, serves as a helpful resource for communities, and provides a meaningful experience for participants.

Well City Challenge Advisory Committee

Leann Ayers, Senior Program Officer, Philadelphia Foundation

Tamara J. Cadet, PhD, LICSW, MPH, Associate Professor, Senior Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

Sandra Gomberg, MSN, RN, COO, Stel Life

Talore Gray-Peel, MPH, Program Officer, ProMedica

Casey Kuklick, Chief of Staff, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Tia Lyles-Williams, CEO, HelaPlex

Lauren Nestler, Chief Communications & Strategy Officer, Public Health Management Corporation

Orfelina Feliz Payne, Executive Director, Puentes de Salud

Olan Soremekun, MD, MBA, Co-Founder & CEO, Cabaya Care
Laura Weinbaum, Vice President, Strategy & Impact, Project HOME