Harry Hayman

Got to sit in on a fascinating conversation with new Drexel President Antonio Merlo and Brian Tierney, organized by the Center City Business Association.

What struck me was not a discussion about higher education.

It was a discussion about Philadelphia's future.

Merlo spoke about growing up in a working-class family in Italy, becoming the first in his family to attend college, and how education fundamentally changed the trajectory of his life.

That perspective seems to inform everything about how he thinks about Drexel.

Not as a university.

As an engine.

An engine for economic mobility.
An engine for workforce development.
An engine for innovation.
An engine for Philadelphia.

A few numbers that stayed with me from his remarks: 96 percent of Drexel graduates are employed or in graduate school within one year. Drexel graduates earn above national averages on average. And approximately one-third of Drexel students are the first in their families to attend college.

But the most important idea may have been this: students should not have to choose between learning and doing.

In a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence and automation, Merlo argued that universities must prepare students not just for jobs, but for change itself.

That mindset is particularly relevant right now.

Philadelphia is preparing for the World Cup. America 250. Massive investment in infrastructure, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The question is not whether change is coming. The question is whether we are building the institutions, partnerships, and talent pipelines necessary to lead it.

One thing became clear today: Drexel intends to be part of that conversation.

Philadelphia is stronger when its major institutions see themselves as partners in the same regional project rather than separate entities operating in isolation.

Thanks to Ben and the Center City Business Association team for always organizing these conversations.

What do you think the role of higher education should be in Philadelphia's next chapter?

Left ULI Philadelphia's Art in Place Implementation Workshop more encouraged than when I walked in.

That does not always happen.

The right questions are being asked. Not "how do we incorporate art into a development project?" but "how do we build the conditions that make culture sustainable?"

That is a fundamentally different question. One treats culture as an addition. The other treats it as infrastructure.

Philadelphia has done more with arts and culture as a civic tool than most American cities. The Mural Arts Program. The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. An entire creative community that has built something over decades, quietly and without enough recognition.

What this city sometimes struggles with is connecting that creative infrastructure to the economic and planning frameworks that determine what gets built, where, and for whom.

The Art in Place framework is an attempt to close that gap. And based on what I heard in that room, the right people are asking the right questions.

Culture is the soul of a city. Not a line item. Not a grant cycle. Not a beautification committee.

The soul.

When Philadelphia treats it that way at every level of planning and investment, the city becomes something it has always had the potential to be.

Thank you to ULI Philadelphia and everyone involved in this workshop.

PHILADELPHIA, SUMMER IS HERE.

Sometimes we make things too complicated. It is eighty five degrees. You are standing at the Navy Yard. There is wine. There are people. There is music. There are entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, community leaders, and folks who simply want to enjoy a beautiful day in one of the most interesting cities in America.

The Wine Cup is not just a wine festival. It is a celebration of community, small businesses, culture, and the people who continue to create reasons to love Philadelphia.

A genuine thank you to Shakia Williams and the entire team behind this event for putting it together.

VIP may be sold out, but General Admission tickets are going quickly.

If you believe Philadelphia deserves more events that bring people together, support the people creating them.

See you Saturday, June 20. I will be there.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine-cup-2026-tickets-1978952269510?aff=oddtdtcreator

Municipal governments are often described as slow to move, difficult to coordinate, and resistant to change.

Then FIFA comes to town.

Roads get repaved.
Permits get expedited.
Agencies coordinate.
Stakeholders align.
Resources appear.
Problems get solved.

Almost overnight.

It raises a question that is worth sitting with:

If a city can mobilize to prepare for a soccer match, why can it not demonstrate the same urgency when people are hungry?

Why can it not move that fast when children do not know where their next meal is coming from?

Why can it not move that fast when small businesses are struggling to survive?

Why can it not move that fast when neighborhoods are asking for investment?

Why can it not move that fast when arts and culture institutions need real, sustained support?

The issue is not capacity.
The issue is not competence.
The issue is not resources.

The issue is priority.

Because when something becomes important enough, government has demonstrated, repeatedly, that it can move quickly, coordinate effectively, and produce results.

Imagine how it feels to be a parent choosing between groceries and rent, while watching millions of dollars mobilize around an event.

Imagine being told there is no urgency, no capacity, and no resources to address food insecurity... while a city invests in temporary banners, wayfinding signs, and visitor experiences for the world's biggest sporting event.

This is not an argument against FIFA.
This is not an argument against Philadelphia hosting the World Cup.

It is an argument for applying the same urgency, creativity, coordination, and determination to the challenges that shape people's lives every single day.

The lesson from FIFA is not that government cannot move fast.

The lesson is that it can.

What would happen if we treated hunger like we treat a World Cup?

Philadelphia, I have a question:

When was the last time you attended an event that combined art, photography, advocacy, community, cocktails, canapés...and goats?

Exactly.

That's why I'm excited to be serving on the Host Committee for GOAT FEAST 2026, an immersive experience from InLiquid featuring acclaimed photographer Claire Rosen and the incredible herd from the Philly Goat Project.

But this isn't just a party.

It's a celebration of creativity.
A celebration of artists.
A celebration of the weird, wonderful, unexpected things that make Philadelphia one of the most vibrant cultural cities in America.

The arts don't just entertain us. They challenge us. Connect us. Inspire us. They help us imagine a different future. And organizations like InLiquid are doing the hard work of supporting artists and ensuring that creativity remains a vital part of our city's DNA.

So yes, there will be cocktails.
Yes, there will be canapés.
Yes, there will be goats.

But there will also be artists, dreamers, patrons, community builders, and people who understand that a great city is built not only with concrete and steel, but with imagination.

If you're looking for another ordinary networking event, this ain't it.

If you're looking for one of the most unique, memorable, and delightfully Philadelphia evenings of the summer, come join us.

Let's support the arts.
Let's support artists.
Let's support the organizations that make Philadelphia more interesting, more vibrant, and more human.

And let's be honest...

Anything Rachel says we should do, I'm doing it!
See you there.