Archna Sahay, an economic development superstar in Philadelphia who is known as the city’s “Best Connector,” is coming to Madison and MIlwaukee to talk about Philadelphia’s innovation scene. Sahay will also discuss strategies for building a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Philadelphia ranked 3rd among the country’s top startup cities in the most recent Innovation That Matters 2017 report, compiled by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Washington, D.C.-based incubator 1776. In 2015, Philly did not even rank in that study. Sahay will discuss what the city did to move up in those rankings.

Sahay will also discuss how Philly has made a name for itself as a center for innovation in health care and education, and has an emerging advanced manufacturing effort.

Sahay is a senior consultant at J. Nowak Strategy, a Philadelphia-based consulting company focused on economic development, inclusion strategies and civic planning. The firm was founded by Jeremy Nowak, who: was a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation; created The Reinvestment Fund, one of the largest community investment institutions in the United States; and chaired the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Read more about the event here.