Opportunity 

For the last decade, Philadelphia has ranked last out of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties on health outcomes, and health disparities are pervasive. Penn Medicine is part of a city-wide initiative, Accelerate Health Equity (AHE), that brings together health systems, payors, and community organizations to address health equity and racism through various programs. 

Intervention 

The Well City Challenge (WCC) is a social impact competition designed to generate and support ideas aimed at improving health and wellness in Philadelphia, particularly in Black and brown communities. WCC solicits proposals from local innovators and provides expertise and funding to foster their progression. 

AHE began partnering with the Economy League of Philadelphia, which organizes the WCC, in 2023 for the competition’s second iteration. As part of AHE, CHTI staff contributed to: 

• Challenge design, including community engagement strategy and incorporation of health equity themes; 
• Applicant review and evaluation; 
• Pitch support for the 15 finalists; and 
• Mentoring support to individual teams. 

Challenge participants pitched their ideas at an event in May, and six teams – three selected by a panel of judges and three chosen by the public – advanced into an accelerator program and secured funding and coaching to refine their ideas.

Impact 

The 2023 WCC grand prize was awarded to That Could Be Me (TCBMe), a wellness platform that empowers Black and brown youth by offering access to creative technologies and collaborative skill development services. For winning the challenge, TCBMe received $50,000 and the opportunity to pilot their program with an implementation partner.