After two semesters of preparation, the graduates of the Penn Community Scholars Program will present their innovative ideas to potential collaborators and funders.

The event will include networking opportunities, the pitch presentations, and a keynote presentation entitled “Improving Healthy Outcomes for All: Where Community and Collaboration Meet” by Dr. Victoria Cargill, Senior Director, Public Health @ the Milken Institute.

An esteemed judge’s panel of funders and academics will choose who gets the “top pitch” awards.

• Leann Ayers, The Philadelphia Foundation
• Lauren Maloney, AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation
• Jenny Rockwell, The Spruce Foundation & Philadelphia Health Partnership
• Dr. Victoria Cargill, Milken Institute
• Dr. Aviv Landau, SAFELab at the University of Pennsylvania
• Dr. Siva Mathiyazhagan, SAFELab at the University of Pennsylvania

Celebrating its tenth year, the Penn Community Scholars Program was developed to foster and promote community-academic partnerships and community-based participatory research. This 14-session training is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of community members to serve as equal partners in research. The Program features guest speakers from community-academic partnerships and other topic area experts in health care innovation, multi-sector collaboration, and more. In addition to learning the foundations of research, leaders from community organizations receive tools and resources to craft their “pitch” in a way that is attractive to funders and academic partners.

This year’s pitch presenters:

• Lexie Taylor, NAMI Philadelphia (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Marylissa Barbosa-Fish, HealthCorps, Inc.
• Sandy Sharma, CADCOM
• Elizabeth Donaghue, Jane Addams Place at Lutheran Settlement House
• Elaine Wells, Global Thinking Initiatives, Inc.
• Geanna Williams-Davis, EleganceXtreme Inc.
• Danielle McClane, Diamond Beauty Academy
• Clara Pritchett, Body Empowerment Project
• Shannin Smith, Odyssey of Eden Doula Services
• Lisa Quattlebaum, The Homesteadista
• Gail Pryor, URtheKey North Philadelphia Block Captains & Community Association
• Ihsan Hines, My Brother’s Keeper Cares
• Ashley Murray, NAMI Philadelphia (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Meg Finley, Lutheran Settlement House

Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are available for this event! In support of improving patient care, Penn Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team

• Physicians: Penn Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
• Nurses: This activity is awarded a maximum of 3.50 NCPD hours.
• Physician Assistants: Penn Medicine has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with the AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for a maximum of 3.50 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Join us for a morning of connection, collaboration, and celebration with some of the best community and academic leaders in Philadelphia.