The final Speakers for the 17th Annual global Business Conference have been announced! Our Markets in Transition Panel will look at the world's fastest growing markets; ASEAN, MENA, and China. The full Conference Agenda is now available!

​Read their bios here and buy your tickets here.

By Paige Gross, Technical.ly

Delivery startup goPuff, recently in the news for reportedly taking a $750 million investment from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, is showing some support to its roots, establishing a $25,000 scholarship for an entrepreneurial Drexel University student.

Cofounders and co-CEOs Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola met during their freshman year at the University City-based school, and the following year started working on mockups of the business that would go on to become one of the most-watched local tech startups.

The company, which is headquartered in the Callowhill neighborhood and has more than 1,500 employees, announced plans for a 30,000-square-foot headquarters at 3rd and Spring Garden streets at the end of 2018 and operates in cities across the country such as Atlanta, Boston and Chicago.

“During our time at Drexel, Yakir and I met, conceptualized a business plan and launched goPuff on campus; so naturally, the university holds a special place in our hearts,” Ilishayey said in a statement. “We put everything we had into our business while at Drexel. Since then, we’ve sought to engage with other entrepreneurs and provide support whenever we can.”

The $25,000 will be administered though the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship and be awarded to one student with “financial need,” a goPuff spokesperson told Technical.ly. The school will select a student and the money will be distributed over the course of two years at the school.

“Six years into running goPuff, Rafael and I are passionate about supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and this scholarship is another way we can help the next generation of business leaders in Philadelphia,” Gola said.
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The student chosen for the scholarship will also be able to apply for a co-op opportunity at goPuff during their second year, the company spokesperson said.

Osagie Imasogie has over 30 years of experience in the field of law, finance, business management, healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. He is a co-founder and the Senior Managing Partner of PIPV Capital, a Private Equity Firm that is focused on the Life Sciences vertical. Prior to co-founding PIPV Capital, Osagie conceptualized and established GlaxoSmithKline Ventures and was its founding Vice President. 

Read his full biography here.

As the Coronavirus spreads rapidly across China and to other countries and continents, USI would like to offer practical suggestions for protecting your health and the health of those around you, and for safeguarding your business interests from virus-related impact and loss.

Download the alert to learn about the viruses background, prevention and control measures, and insurance considerations.

-for immediate release- ​

Media Contact: Graziella DiNuzzo, gdinuzzo@wtcphila.org, 609.680.7670
 
February 5, 2020, Philadelphia, PA

The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) will join the World Bank Group’s Private Sector Liaison Officer (PSLO) network. This voluntary network—which comprises over 150 business intermediary organizations in more than 95 countries—is designed to facilitate the World Bank Group’s engagement with the private sector. 
 
”We are dedicated to increasing the participation of Greater Philadelphia companies in global projects supported by leading international development institutions and agencies. Our participation in the PSLO network will enable us to help our companies do business with such agencies. Through the network, we will be able to better support companies in identifying international business opportunities funded by development institutions. We are delighted to have been invited to join,” says Linda Conlin, President, WTCGP.
 
PSLOs are based in and appointed by business intermediary organizations (chambers of commerce and industry, business and trade associations, investment promotion agencies) that are members of the Network. The PSLOs are not funded by, nor are they employees of the WBG.
 
The role of the PSLO includes: facilitating local companies’ contact with the World Bank Group (WBG) and other international financial institutions; providing the WBG with insights on how to better engage companies on development issues; and disseminating WBG knowledge and research that may be of interest to the private sector.
 
PSLOs organize a number of events throughout the world with the support of the WBG, including:

• Business Opportunities Seminars: presentations on how the different institutions within the WBG operate and how their work may offer potential opportunities for the private sector 
• Joint private sector delegations  to WBG headquarters in Washington, D.C.;
• Business Missions to the Field: joint delegations of companies from several countries to WBG client countries including meetings with WBG country offices, government project implementing agencies, and business-tobusiness meetings with local companies;
• Other outreach activities including presentations on new research products, etc.

 
About the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia

The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) is one of over 320 World Trade Centers in 89 countries around the globe. A non-profit and membership - based organization, the WTCGP accelerates global business growth for companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey by providing customized, one-on-one trade counseling, market research, educational programs, trade mission support, business networking events, and powerful connections to customers and partners worldwide. Since 2002, the WTCGP has served as a catalyst for regional economic growth and job creation, helping area companies generate over $2B in incremental export sales, supporting over 26,000 jobs.

About the World Bank Group

The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It comprises five closely associated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Each institution plays a distinct role in the mission to fight poverty and improve living standards for people in the developing world. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and www.ifc.org.

"The health and safety of our Members is of the utmost importance to the WTCA. We have continued to monitor the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and, based on recent developments, the WTCA Executive Committee and WTC Taipei have concluded that the best course of action is to postpone the upcoming WTCA General Assembly in Taipei.


​The proposed new date for WTCA’s 51st Annual General Assembly is September 20-23, 2020 in Taipei. WTC Taipei and WTCA HQs are diligently working to replicate the same excellent GA programming for the proposed September event, including the same venues for accommodations (the Grand Hyatt Taipei) and meetings (the Taipei International Convention Center).

We hope you understand the need to postpone the General Assembly and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. For those of you who have already made arrangements to attend the GA, please be advised of the following:
​

GA Registration – Your registration for the originally planned GA on March 1-4 will automatically be applied to the rescheduled GA on Sept. 20-23 (at no extra cost) unless you notify us otherwise. If you qualified for a complimentary registration for the GA due to early payment of your 2020 WTCA dues, that credit will be applied toward your registration for the rescheduled GA. If you want to cancel your GA registration and have your registration fee refunded, please email your cancellation request to events@wtca.org.


Hotel Reservations – If you made room reservations for the March 1-4 GA using WTCA’s booking link for the Grand Hyatt Taipei, those reservations will be cancelled automatically and any monies paid by you will be refunded. If you made your room reservations separately or at a different hotel, you will need to contact the hotel directly and cancel your reservation.


Airline Bookings – Those Members who booked discounted fares on China Airlines (the sponsoring airline for the March 1-4 GA) please see https://www.china-airlines.com/tw/en/discover/news/travel-advisory?travelAlert=36468-7030 for ticket handling guidelines related to the virus outbreak. The rebooking or cancellation will vary case-by-case, depending on your booking class/ticket type, so Members should contact China Airlines directly at https://www.china-airlines.com/tw/en/contact-us/customer-service-hotline regarding their existing bookings. If you booked your flight on a different airline, you will need to contact your airline directly about cancelling your ticket or rebooking for the rescheduled GA on Sept. 20-23.


Anniversary Events – Please note that our 50th Anniversary celebration will continue. Stay tuned for deadline extensions and details on the Global Mural Competition, WTCA Champions Awards, Digital Short series, and our WTCA Commemorative Video. Also the deadline for the WTCA Foundations' "Peace Through Trade Competition" has been extended, with the winning team to be honored at the GA in September. 


As a final and important note, we want to once again convey our thoughts and prayers to our WTCA Members and their families in China, as well as to others around the world who have been affected by this tragic outbreak. We have been in contact with our Members in China and have relayed their requests for medical supplies to other Members, who are in the process of providing assistance."

Read their Biographies and consider becoming a Sponsor.

By Graziella DiNuzzo

Hand-painting designs on textiles is a craft that dates back thousands of years to Asia and parts of Europe and this highly specialized technique continues to thrive in Philadelphia at Kevin O’Brien Studio (KOB).  

​Artist and painter, Kevin O’Brien, began his career as a painter with the goal to “add beauty to the world.”

When O’Brien had an idea for a design, he went directly to an old fashioned sketch book to hand draw his idea – not a computer. That was over 20 years ago and its still where KOB designs begin.

O’Brien opened his first studio in old city Philadelphia in 1997. Angela Romano-Vosburgh, a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design, joined O’Brien that year as an intern – today she is Studio Manager and Lead Designer.  “The way I remember it, there was this huge loft in the oldest part of Philadelphia. It was filled with the most splendid shimmering fabrics hanging everywhere . . . from the ceiling drying, against the walls being painted, even from the fire escape.”

A few years ago, O’Brien custom renovated an old movie theater on Broad Street to house his new studio. O’Brien and his team design, print, paint and dye all of their fabrics to produce pillows, quilts, duvets, rugs, and a variety of other items for the home furnishings market – “all under one roof and in Philadelphia.”

Angela leads a tour through the modern, bright studio.

The first-floor area is set-up for their annual end of year Sample Sale, “We used to primarily make fabrics for designers and one-of-a kind scarves that were sold in museum shops and upscale retailers like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman,” says Angela as she holds a silk-velvet infinity scarf. 

In addition to scarves, the floor is also filled with beautifully appointed upholstered chairs and ottomans (upon which your dog should never sit), beds, rugs, pillows, and stuffed animals. 

Stuffed animals? In order to reduce fabric waste, KOB decided to commission craft artist Carolyn Cook to create adorable plush “art,” pieced together from various fabrics. “Meant as a display piece.”

The display beds are dressed in KOB duvets and heaps of down and feather stuffed pillows. The pillows are encased in a variety of designs, which include silk, velvet, and cotton.

How long does it take to make one pillow? Sometimes a few days.

“We start with white fabric and only use natural fibers,” says Angela as we walk toward the room where the painting takes place. 

We watch as the artist handpaints the white fabric with natural dyes. With a steady hand and laser focus, the artist applies just the right amount of paint – a technique taught by O’Brien,  “its very labor intensive.”

John Loughney, Dye Specialist, has been working with KOB since 2003, “Once the painting is complete, the fabric is steamed for about an hour and a half in a “steam room.” O’Brien and Loghney built the steam room, “its large enough to steam about 32 yards at a time.”

“The fabric leaves the steamer and then needs to go a washing machine to be washed with fabric softener, and then goes to the dryer,” explains Loughney. 

Back in the production room, the fabric is then ironed to enhance the color.