The lights of north broad2022-11-08T14:23:25-05:00

To partner with and help grow BIPOC-owned businesses in our hometown, Philly ad agency RTO+P is excited to announce in partnership with North Broad Renaissance, a new program in which marketing services will be offered free of charge to 2 BIPOC-owned Philadelphia businesses every year. RTO+P is an ad agency born and raised in Philly, around for almost 27 years, and they still get up every morning excited to help move businesses forward. They believe a big part of that excitement comes from being in Philly and the awesome mix of colors and cultures that make it so rich and inspiring. Lets keep that awesomeness growing and thriving. All interested BIPOC-owned businesses, please apply here.

Learn more about RTO+P at www.rtop.com

Apply Here

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Come shine with The Lights of North Broad.

Look up and see the lights. Lights in the people whose hearts are full and whose ambitions are bright. Lights in businesses blazing new trails. The Lights of North Broad are countless organizations, businesses and individuals along the North Broad Corridor that shine on a vibrant community full of promise and brimming with purpose. The Lights of North Broad will guide you up to a place we all know, but that has new stories to tell. Come join us and shine with The Lights of North Broad.

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BEYOND THE SEAMS

Beyond the Seams was established in 2018 by Yasin Abdelsalam and Idalia Adan as a “catch all” creative space. Their goal – to provide affordable services and be an all-inclusive, one-stop-shop for local creatives, entrepreneurs and small businesses; and specializing in apparel decoration – embroidery, screen-printing, vinyl, heat transfer, and direct to garment printing (DTG).

Their favorite part about their business is working with young creatives in the community; being a part of their aspirations and entrepreneurial endeavors.

Yasin will sit with aspiring clothing designers for as long as it takes to help them make their vision tangible. Walk in with an idea for a new clothing line and walk out with designs finalized, ready for apparel application. They proudly believe that they wouldn’t be who they are today without the beautiful people of the North Broad community sharing in their mission to make creative entrepreneurship more accessible.

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Yasin Abdelsalam and Idalia adan

Mr. Abdelsalam and Ms. Adan learned first-hand from being creatives, how competitive and expensive it can be for new artists to gain exposure. And that was the inspiration to create Beyond The Seams.

They both love being a part of the North Broad community and have felt nothing but love and support from the day they opened their doors. And from being a new business on the corridor to surviving the pandemic they feel like the community is an extension of family.

In this little sliver of time (lol) outside of work they primarily spend with friends and family. Plus they just welcomed their first baby so they spend A LOT of time getting to know the new little guy in their lives.

Founders

Benjamin franklin high school

Benjamin Franklin High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school where all students graduate in four years with a plan to enter one of four pathways upon graduation.

The four pathways are:

  1. Attend a four-year college or university
  2. Attend an accredited two-year technical program or trade school
  3. Pass the ASVAB exam and join the military
  4. Enter the workforce upon graduation

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Censeir Lambert and Nafis Smith

Aiesha Smith, the Athletic Director at BFHS says of Cinseir Lambert (’22) and Nafis Smith (’23), two student BFHS football players, “they are bonafide leaders competing with passion and encouraging everyone around them to be the best version of themselves.”

She continues, “Cinseir is a member of the Navy JROTC program and has participated in several Naval community service events, served as a manager for various sports teams, is a member of the senior committee and shows school spirit daily. Nafis Smith is a member of the culinary arts CTE program in addition to being the starting RB/QB and PG for Ben Franklin.

Finally, she adds this inspiring thought, “Both gentlemen give selflessly continuously to build school morale and restore pride back into the North Broad street community. These gentlemen are proof that there are amazing things and wonderful people still residing within this community.”

Electrons Football Team

bizzy bea bridal

At Bizzy Bea Bridal, they “Unveil” every bride, believing that whatever a bride prefers to wear on her special day is as unique to her as her fingerprint. Bizzy Bea was founded by Pamela Britt to honor her mother, Beatrice (Bea), a self-taught seamstress and fashion and interior design enthusiast. Ms. Britt wanted to honor her namesake by connecting her own creativity and love of fashion and design to bridal fashion.

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Pamela Britt

Ms. Britt founded Bizzy Bea Bridal. She loves fashion in all of its facets but has followed her true passion into bridal fashion. Her mother was her inspiration – a self-taught fashion designer, seamstress, artist, culinary artist and interior designer  – who was always “bizzy” creating with her hands.

When she’s not helping brides prepare for their big day, she enjoys spending time with her family especially, her two grandsons. She loves interior designing, cooking, baking, making homemade soap and creating. And…wait for it…she’s a daredevil, not afraid to try any scary extreme sport or amusement park ride.

Owner

Temple University Hospital

Temple University is an international powerhouse in higher education and a top-tier research institution with roughly 40,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

Their mission is: Opportunity. Engagement. Discovery.

Temple University educates a vibrant student body and creates new knowledge through innovative teaching, research and other creative endeavors. They open our doors to a diverse community of learners and scholars who strive to make the possible real.

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Hassan D. Moore

Hassan serves as the Manager of Supplier Diversity at Temple University – the first position of its kind at Temple. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the supplier diversity efforts across the university and increasing the participation of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs), Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs), and Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), through university procurement and contracting opportunities. In 2019 he was certified by the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) in Establishing an Impactful Supplier Diversity Program through the NAEP’s Supplier Diversity Institute.

Prior to his role at Temple, he served as a Marketing and Community Development Consultant at Aetna where he led all marketing and community development initiatives in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties for Aetna’s CHIP and Medicaid programs. Hassan has over 12 years of professional experience working in the healthcare industry with a focus on community advocacy and improvement. He has worked closely with community organizations, small businesses and nonprofits throughout his career, which led him to his current role at Temple.

Hassan is an active member of the African American, LGBT, Greater Hispanic and Asian American Chambers of Commerce. After transferring from Hampton University, he completed his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Temple University’s Fox School of Business. He also earned Construction Management Certification through Temple in 2016.

Hassan was born and raised in Philadelphia and spent much of his youth working for his father who is a small business owner. This experience ignited his passion to serve the needs of the communities in which he was raised. He was part of an organization called Fathers Matter, the goal of which is to help create positive relationships and memories with fathers or father figures in the lives of local youth.

Most recently, he served on the boards of The Food Trust Program and Get HYPE Philly. He has also worked with Philadelphia Network for Progress to donate toys, turkey dinners and other resources to residents in the Philadelphia community.

Temple Diversity Manager

Tropical smoothie cafe

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Philadelphia’s menu boasts bold, flavorful smoothies and other treats, all with a bit of tropical fun. All delish, all with a healthy appeal and all made to order with quality ingredients. Because they believe real fruits, veggies and juices just taste better.

Not just amazing smoothies, they also serve up mouthwatering toasted flatbreads, wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas and bowls, all made with quality meats, fresh produce and flavorful sauces.

Stop by and enjoy a fun, relaxing atmosphere and unparalleled hospitality. Feeling pressed for time and craving convenience? Order ahead and skip the line with the Tropical Rewards app. Need to please a crowd? Place your group or catering order on our website.

Come visit at 1600 North Broad Street or call us at (267) 758-6593 to place an order now!

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Luke Kirby and Rosalind Lindsey

Together Mr. Kirby and his sister-in-law, Ms. Lindsey, share ownership of the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Philadelphia. Mr. Kirby is also currently employed with the Department of Defense and Ms. Lindsey is a registered nurse at the V.A. hospital.

With big determination, some research and a lot of entrepreneurial spirit, the two proudly opened the doors to the first TSC in Philadelphia in 2014.

Mr. Kirby currently lives in Virginia but is originally from Germantown. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing ping pong, writing poetry and envisions becoming an author of a well read book.

Rosalind resides in Philadelphia. She also likes to spend time with family and friends, attending concerts and gearing up for the next Investment opportunity.

They both love the North Broad Street community because “the people are wonderful, its great diversity of local businesses all have that strong Philadelphia attitude to survive and thrive even in the hardest of times.”

Luke says he doesn’t have a favorite color but Rosalind claims she does and that  color is…pink.

Owners

Underground Concepts at the Divine Lorraine

A curated intersection of food, music and culture in the iconic, historically registered and first racially integrated hotel in America – the Divine Lorraine.  In June of 2017, it all grew from the spark of an idea between 3 perfect visionary collaborators – Natalie Maronski, DEL (Robert Del Femine) and the Divine’s owner Eric Blumenfeld’s (EBRM).  “underground concepts.” was officially formed in 2019 and Natalie and DEL partnered with a great team of local builders, designers, artists, strategists and others to execute their ambitious plans to help advance Eric’s vision of further stimulating the vibrant community around North Broad Street.

Come visit their four new food-music-culture venues (the daily., foundation., broad hall., and annex.) in a great Philly neighborhood. You’ll definitely find diverse, cool, and unique experiences worth visiting again and again.

Natalie Maronski

The daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant, Natalie is a culinary arts and business honors graduate of Drexel University.  She has extensive experience leading and opening acclaimed restaurants as well as consulting with restaurants across the Philadelphia area. Natalie was a very popular participant on Bravo TV’s Top Chef and is highly respected in the food community.  She grew up in Virginia but definitely calls Philly her city!  Natalie’s in love with her doggies, Wilma and Tucker and bikes, everywhere.

Managing Partner, Executive Chef

Underground Concepts at the Divine Lorraine

A curated intersection of food, music and culture in the iconic, historically registered and first racially integrated hotel in America – the Divine Lorraine.  In June of 2017, it all grew from the spark of an idea between 3 perfect visionary collaborators – Natalie Maronski, DEL (Robert Del Femine) and the Divine’s owner Eric Blumenfeld’s (EBRM).  “underground concepts.” was officially formed in 2019 and Natalie and DEL partnered with a great team of local builders, designers, artists, strategists and others to execute their ambitious plans to help advance Eric’s vision of further stimulating the vibrant community around North Broad Street.

Come visit their four new food-music-culture venues (the daily., foundation., broad hall., and annex.) in a great Philly neighborhood. You’ll definitely find diverse, cool, and unique experiences worth visiting again and again.

DEL (Robert Del Femine)

DEL is a life-long Philly OG and loves his city! He attended Central High school and proudly serves as a Vice President for its alumni board. DEL graduated from Penn State, worked at Hahnemann University Hospital, and had a long and successful career as a sales and marketing executive at Johnson & Johnson. Along the way, DEL has DJed here and abroad since 1978 and like Natalie, he loves to bike. He’s a connector, mentor, and simply – loves people and life!

Managing Partner
Chief entertainment officer

Temple University

Temple University is an international powerhouse in higher education and a top-tier research institution with roughly 40,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

Their mission is: Opportunity. Engagement. Discovery.

Temple University educates a vibrant student body and creates new knowledge through innovative teaching, research and other creative endeavors. They open our doors to a diverse community of learners and scholars who strive to make the possible real.

Link

Deraj Pugh

Ms. Pugh is a student at Temple University, studying Advertising and graduating in Spring 2022. She’s currently a Publisher Development intern at Philly agency, DMi Partners and she’s previously interned with HSN, Mattel and QVC.

Born and raised right here in Philly, she’s fascinated with the idea of being a polyglot. In elementary school, the first foreign language she learned was Italian. In high school, she learned Spanish and even attended a language immersion program through the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. A few years ago, she also took an Arabic course through Temple’s PASCEP. And she recently picked Spanish back up with a goal to become fluent.

She believes the North Broad Community is rich with art, entertainment and culture made by generations of families and individuals who have contributed to its vibrant tapestry.

Student and Temple Ad Club Member

Leon h. sullivan charitable trust

The Center was built and is owned by the Leon H. Sullivan Charitable Trust. For over 40 years, it has provided affordable accessible office space to providers of social and human services to the citizens of North Philadelphia and beyond.

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Mable E. Welborn

Ms. Welborn has served as Board Chair of the Leon H. Sullivan Charitable Trust since 2001 and is a volunteer at the Leon H. Sullivan Human Services Center.

She migrated to Philadelphia from Virginia 1955. Not many people know that she left a civil service position to join the Leon H. Sullivan Economic Empowerment Movement in 1966, as an Administrative Assistant. In 1976 she joined the National Liberty Corporation as the first African American Administrative Assistant on the corporate staff and became Manager of Human Resources and Administration. In 1991, she joined the Kintock Group as Director of HR and retired in 2010 as Vice President. In 1981 she was appointed Secretary Treasurer to the Trust by Dr. Sullivan, where she served with the late Elton Jolly and Alen Harberg and succeeded Hillary Holloway asBoard Chair in 2001. As Board Chair, Mable has devoted her time, talent and other resources to sustain the legacy of Dr. Sullivan through the work of the Trust and the Center on North Broad Street.

Outside of work she enjoys time with four generations of family, including 13 siblings, 3 children, 6 grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and a great aunt.

Board Chair

Temple University hospital

Temple University Hospital – Main Campus (TUH) is a nationally respected academic medical center that offers high-quality care, the latest technology and skilled staff – all on a safe, easy-to-reach campus.
As the chief clinical training site for the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, TUH is a teaching hospital where the latest procedures and techniques are pioneered and where students and other physicians come to learn. It is also a robust research center that is advancing the fight against disease, pushing the boundaries of medical science and altering the course of serious disease. All of this means that Temple physicians and staff are at the forefront of medical knowledge.

Oscar h. hankinson, jr

Mr. Hankinson is one of over fifteen hundred healthcare professionals at TUH helping to bring “tomorrow’s treatments to the bedside today.” All with great care and great compassion.

Registered Nurse

TWB cleaning contractors

Organized in November 2014 TWB Cleaning Contractors is a woman and minority certified firm. TWB provides professional commercial, construction and public space cleaning services. Their highly trained and customer-focused staff provides a team approach, professional service to retail stores, schools, professional offices, construction sites and public spaces. TWB has a dedicated and committed management team with over 20 years of combined industry experience that operates our company on its core beliefs of teamwork, dedication, and loyalty.

TWB believes that with dedication to its clients, community, and employees we will become the future leader in the professional commercial cleaning industry. We are “Building Business and putting People to work.”

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Trina Worrell-Benjamin

Ms. Worrell-Benjamin is President and 100% owner of TWB. She was educated in the Philadelphia Public School System and graduated from Chestnut Hill College with a BS in Criminal Justice. Having worked in the Healthcare Industry for ten years she has gained experience in managed care and medical policies and procedures. Her desire to become an entrepreneur and provide gainful employment for the under and unemployed people living in her community led her to team up with a colleague to form their own commercial cleaning business, named K.T.& T. Clean Sweep, LLC from 2008-2013, where she gained experience managing and operating a commercial cleaning company.

OWNER

North broad renissance

North Broad Renaissance is a non-profit supporting revitalization efforts along North Broad Street, from City Hall to Germantown Avenue. With the support, feedback and engagement of the community, the NBR is working to keep North Broad clean, green and safe, making local hiring a priority, and improving the overall quality of life for all who visit, live, work and play on and around the corridor. Collectively, the NBR is laying the foundation for inclusive business attraction, and inclusive economic development.

Shalimar Thomas

Ms.Thomas is Executive Director of North Broad Renaissance and in that role is responsible for helping the organization move forward its mission through community planning, community revitalization, business development and community education and engagement. Her results-oriented approach and ability to think strategically has played a pivotal role as the organization works to revitalize North Broad Street. In her first two years, Thomas lead efforts to create a solid foundation for strong economic development efforts, which included creating a cleaner and safer corridor, managing over 50 planters to improve the greenspace and walkability, and ensuring that the North Broad community and other stakeholders are updated on development along North Broad and its impact.

A graduate of Community College of Philadelphia, and Temple University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, Thomas currently serves as the Chairwoman for the Philadelphia Commission of Human Relations and a Board Member of The Merchants Fund and is an Advisory Board Member of Better Civics. She has been recognized a Power 100 by the Philadelphia Business Journal, a Women on the Move by the City of Philadelphia, a Philadelphia Business Journal 40 Under 40 awardee, an Influential African-American Leader by the Philadelphia Tribune, a Women of Substance and Style by Joan Shepp, an outstanding African-American Woman by PECO and WURD and one of the region’s most influential women in the non-profit sector by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown and Vivant Art Gallery.

Executive Director

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