Our Pivot to the Pivot

What do you do when overnight a global pandemic plunges your organization into uncertainty? At the Economy League, we immediately sprang into action, rethinking the way we provide insight, connect leaders, and drive regional change. We worked fast as a team, and it was inspiring.  

One of the things the Economy League does best is create forums for Philadelphia’s business and civic leaders to learn from each other. In that spirit, we’re proud to introduce The Pivot, our new web series highlighting innovative organizational pivots happening across the Philadelphia region in response to COVID-19. In a way, this content is part of our own pivot as we adjust to the new normal.  

I have only been with the Economy League for nine weeks at the time this post was published, five of which have been under stay-at-home orders. As a new team member eager to jump in and contribute, I wanted to challenge myself to create exciting and relevant content during these strange times. My approach to civic engagement has always been to focus on big picture issues and block-by-block solutions. Understanding that Philadelphia is such a social block-by-block city under normal circumstances, I felt that there was an opportunity to fill the gap created by social distancing. The Pivot allows us to socialize and check in with each out virtually. We’re seeing how we’re each handling this crisis each in our unique ways.  

Through this effort, we’ll hear from businesses, institutions, and nonprofits alike about how they are learning to forgo long-term planning, increase their risk tolerance, and adapt quickly to a constantly evolving scenario. Right now, there is no handbook or best practices on how to do this, so we must be creative and collaborative. And it is no surprise that Philadelphians are rising to the occasion, being swift, agile, and savvy.   

This series is recorded in one take and produced in my home office, with limited equipment, adding to the grittiness of the city’s hustle and hope type-character. Each story told will inspire innovation and collaboration, much as the Economy League has done for me. Welcome to The Pivot.