The City of Philadelphia is full of problem-solvers, creators, and innovators — not just in our neighborhoods, but inside government, too. Every day, City employees see opportunities to make processes more efficient and create better experiences for residents and businesses.
That is why this fall the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), with support from Verizon, piloted a new program to bring those ideas to life: the Idea Accelerator.
What is the Idea Accelerator?
The Idea Accelerator course includes a five-week curriculum rooted in human-centered design and systems thinking, hands on support, and grant funding for implementation. It’s designed to give City employees the tools, support, and structure to turn creative ideas into real solutions.
Using a problem-solving framework, participants will learn how to:
- Frame and define the problems they want to solve.
- Use data and community insights to strengthen their proposals.
- Build solutions with clear goals, logic models, and business cases.
- Develop implementation plans.
Who Participated?
This first cohort includes 16 City employees on four project teams from four City departments. Each team pitched a creative program idea to improve a resident-facing service.
Over the five weeks, the group met at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Parkway Central branch, a fitting backdrop for learning and collaboration. Along the way, teams not only refined their projects but also built skills they can take back to their day-to-day work.
Why This Matters
The Idea Accelerator is about more than just one set of projects. It’s about creating a culture where creativity is celebrated, collaboration is encouraged, and good ideas don’t stop at the brainstorming stage.
By investing in the people who serve Philadelphia every day, we’re investing in the future of our city.
What’s Next?
On October 9, the teams presented their final proposals to the advisory group, a panel of City employees who helped select the projects. Now the ideas will move forward into implementation with City support and funding.
Stay tuned for updates — we can’t wait to share what our first Idea Accelerator teams are building for Philadelphia!
