About TEST

Working together for all Pennsylvanians in public-private partnership, Team Pennsylvania accelerates the commonwealth’s long-term economic future.

A dynamic, non-profit organization, Team Pennsylvania is a statewide entity co-chaired by the Governor and a private sector leader. We are the state’s trusted neutral broker and convener, and we couple collaboration with strategic investment of public and private funds to accelerate Pennsylvania’s economy.

We convene cross-sector collaboratives on the most transformative economic opportunities in Pennsylvania: agriculture, energy, and manufacturing, with plans to launch a future collaboration in life sciences/biotech. Each collaborative includes the commonwealth’s top policy-makers and business leaders, as well as leaders of labor, academia, and nonprofits.

Together, we tackle the issues that no one sector can address alone to position Pennsylvania as a leader among states and a competitor among nations, maximizing impact for the commonwealth while creating equity and economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians.

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.

Core Values

Through our 2022-2023 strategic planning process, our staff and board adopted a set of core values that reflect our desire to be a more people-centric organization. These values represent the qualities and attributes that connect us to a shared commitment of who we are as individuals, in our work, and as ambassadors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

We work with integrity.

There’s a reason we’re trusted brokers. Our actions align with our values, full stop. We take a high level of personal responsibility in everything that we do.

 

We work strategically.

We work hard but we work smart, navigating complex systems and convening coalitions of the willing toward aspirational goals.

 

We are action-oriented.

We approach systems change with discipline and persistence, remaining focused on the long-term vision. As dynamic do-ers, we strive for excellence.

 

We work together.

We collaborate at all levels – internally and externally, with and among public and private partners – to unlock potential in ways that couldn’t be accomplished individually. We recognize the power of ‘we’ in the core of our beings.

 

We lead with humility.

The Governor. Presidents & CEOs. Secretaries of agencies. Leaders of business and industry. And yet all of us – from our staff, to our board, to our partners – come to the table ready and willing to roll up our sleeves with shared purpose, regardless of status or title.

 

We enjoy the journey.

It’s not just about enjoying our work, it’s about bringing our authentic selves to our work, finding joy in and out of the office.

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.