About Us
Team Pennsylvania is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1997 to connect private and public sector leaders to achieve and sustain progress for Pennsylvania. Strong relationships between business and industry are necessary to facilitate partnerships for the betterment of our Commonwealth.
Mission
Team Pennsylvania is a dynamic, public-private partnership that initiates and supports innovative programs to improve Pennsylvania’s competitiveness and economic prosperity.
Through a strategic planning process undertaken in 2022, Team Pennsylvania affirmed our core purpose as an organization: “Working together for all Pennsylvanians in public-private partnership, we accelerate the commonwealth’s long-term economic future.”
With an Executive Order signed by the Governor of Pennsylvania, we are able to continue our work of improving the commonwealth’s economic competitiveness and strengthening of its workforce.
Organizational Commitment
There have been many economic and political changes since our founding in 1997. Despite these changes, we have never wavered from our commitment to the experience our partners have when working with Team Pennsylvania::
We are collaborative
Our ability to convene a diverse group of leaders and inspire partnership directly and positively affects our state’s economy and citizens. By bringing partners who represent all of Pennsylvania – present and future – and utilizing their unique strengths, we are able to be more successful than any one partner could be independently.
We are entrepreneurial
We were founded and act on the ideals of working together to promote government innovation. We take an entrepreneurial approach by bringing new ideas from diverse perspectives, applying private sector thought to address public sector challenges.
We are open and transparent
As vital stewards of the valuable public and private dollars invested in our work, we are proactive, data-driven and solution-oriented, exhibiting how the private and public sectors can work together to promote economic vitality across the Commonwealth. We maintain the highest levels of transparency in our financial reporting and decision-making processes.
We are non-partisan
We partner with the highest levels of Commonwealth leadership regardless of party affiliation to achieve economic vitality for all Pennsylvanians. We are committed to remaining a credible and independent resource to advance economic and workforce development through long-term thinking and collaborative approaches that are practical and inclusive of diverse voices.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access
Since 2018, Team Pennsylvania has taken steps towards addressing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA), internally with staff and the Board of Directors, and externally through partnerships and programs. As an organization that focuses on long-term systems change, this work has been embedded across every component of Team Pennsylvania, with the recognition that one-off “initiatives” do not effectively address long-standing disparities or align with organizational goals.
By 2020, that commitment required professional expertise, which led to a formal engagement with Social Contract to assess the organization and make recommendations accordingly. Team Pennsylvania continues to put those recommendations into action through an ongoing and intentional process, with a vision of economic vitality for all in this commonwealth.
History
In 1996, Governor Tom Ridge and key cabinet members approached the business community to discuss the creation of a public-private partnership that would work towards a more prosperous future for Pennsylvania. The result of these discussions was the establishment of Team Pennsylvania in 1997. Read more about our history here.
Leadership
Our Board of Directors is composed of executive-level members of the private and public sector in Pennsylvania. The Governor of the commonwealth and a private sector CEO serve as the co-chairs. This unique relationship between state government and industry gives Pennsylvania businesses the opportunity to partner with the public sector to spur greater economic and policy development in Pennsylvania. View our Board of Directors here.
Staff
We are driven by the belief that Pennsylvania can be a better place to live, learn, and thrive. In our work, there is no room for ego or personal agenda. We awake each day to help us move forward – public & private, left & right, industry & academia, from Main Street to Market Street. Team Pennsylvania keeps Pennsylvania working. Together. Learn more about Team Pennsylvania’s staff here.
Financial Information
Team Pennsylvania is a prudent steward of funds entrusted to us by our investors and public sector partners. We encourage you to view our most recent audited financial statements and our IRS Form 990 to learn more about our organization and how invested dollars are used.