This month YPN encourages you to:

• Join YPN and create opportunities for the city’s youth through Working Solutions.
• Recap YPN's networking event at Di Bruno Brothers
• Volunteer at McClure Elementary for Career Day.
• Save the Date for YPN’s Signature Event, Success in the City.

Join YPN and create opportunities for the city’s youth through Working Solutions

The Young Professionals Network encourages all of its members to support Philadelphia high school youth through Working Solutions. Working Solutions is a program to provide students aged 16 – 21 with summer paid internships. Last summer, the program provided jobs to 1,049 Philadelphia youth with participation from 143 companies. This represented a more than 100% increase in the number of jobs provided from 2006. Mayor Michael Nutter has challenged the business community to again increase the number of summer internships available to students.

Young professionals can get involved in more than one way. Providing a job for a Philadelphia high school student is one opportunity, if your company can accommodate that. If this is not possible for you or your company, donating money to support a student at a non-profit is another way to help. In order to support a student for 20 hours a week at $8.00 an hour, it is a $1600 investment. Any amount you can give creates opportunity.

To provide an internship, make a donation, or for more information, please visit the Working Solutions website.

Recap YPN’s networking event at Di Bruno Brothers

Submitted by Allison Bean, AIG

YPN members had the pleasure of attending a monthly networking event on March 27, 2008 at Di Bruno Brothers on 17th and Chestnut Street. Bill Mignucci, Jr., President of Di Bruno Brothers, was the keynote speaker and focused his address on the rich history of Di Bruno Brothers, their strong commitment to the community and their exciting opportunities to grow in the future. Most notably, Di Bruno Brothers will be opening a store in the Comcast Tower in 2008; a great compliment to their popular Chestnut Street location and their flagship store at the original location in the Italian market. Also of note, the appetizers, pasta and carving stations were delicious and affirmed Di Bruno Brothers’ commitment to quality and taste.

Volunteer at McClure Elementary for Education and Career Day

Tuesday, March 25, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

McClure Elementary School
600 W. Hunting Park Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19140

The Young Professionals Network is hosting an Education and Career Day at McClure Elementary School to recognize the importance of the student’s upcoming PSSA examinations. The day will begin with a pep rally and a poster contest judged by the YPN volunteers. Volunteers will be paired and matched with a third or fourth grade class to talk about their careers. The day will wrap up with an early lunch.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email Jacob Rozran at ypn@greaterphilachamber.com.

Save the Date for YPN’s Signature Event, Success in the City

Monday, May 12, 2008
6:00 – 9:00pm

Pyramid Club
1735 Market Street
52nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103

The Young Professionals Network has been a leading professional development and networking organization in Greater Philadelphia for the past 10 years. During that time, Philadelphia evolved into a vibrant destination through establishing hip boutiques, stylish condos, award-winning eateries, a trendy bar scene and numerous arts and cultural venues.

This urban renaissance put the region back on the map for large corporations, developers, television and film producers, and college graduates as an exciting place to live, work and play.

Join us for the 2nd Annual Success in the City event hosted by YPN at the Pyramid Club. This event will focus on exciting companies that got their start in Greater Philadelphia and now have a national presence in the business community, and will look ahead at future development plans. Key players will highlight the impacts that these businesses have had on transforming the region and the face of business.

This event will be a YPN Members-only event.

Are you a New Member of YPN?

Want to meet other new members and get an overview of the organization? Join YPN Board members Casimer Thomas and Allison Bean this month at the Chamber for YPN New Member Orientation. Allison Bean is currently a Business Development Manager at AIG where she is responsible for the management of a select group of independent brokers in the greater Philadelphia region. A native of Buffalo, NY, Allison attended Boston College as a Political Science and History major and St. Joseph's University where she completed her MBA in May of 2007. Prior to AIG, Allison worked in business development at Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen along with The Chubb Group of Insurance companies. Cas Thomas, from Holland, PA, graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 2002 with a major in Government and Minor in French. Previously employed by Chubb Insurance Group as a Senior Underwriter and Marketing specialist. He currently works as a personal insurance broker for Johnson, Kendall & Johnson's Private Client Group.

The next YPN New Member Orientation will be on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at 5:30PM. The orientations will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce located at 200 S. Broad Street (Broad & Walnut) on the 7th floor. Please confirm your attendance by emailing your contact information to Jacob Rozran at ypn@greaterphilachamber.com.