Sneha Shah, head of new business ventures for SEI Investments, believes there is a bright future for Philadelphia’s startup scene, writes Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

People “outside of Philadelphia don’t understand how powerful this [startup ecosystem] could be,” she said.

Shah used to be one of those people. Her career took her around the globe before she joined SEI’s Oaks campus last year, but despite being in similar fields, she did not have a chance to know Philadelphia’s innovation economy.

The biggest reason for that is that Philadelphia keeps underselling its assets. While the region boasts an envious number of universities, research centers, and a mix of industries that are all advantages for the region’s ecosystem, not enough people know about them.

“What I think could be done more is the branding of it,” said Shah. “Trying to make sure people understand what’s really here is going to be important.”

Also, Shah believes that it is necessary to find a way to scale up the existing startup energy in the region.

“How do we actually get more partnerships with corporates?” she said. “How do we get more people who are longer-term investors here?”

Read more about Sneha Shah in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

How to design your next chapter and find your purpose | Sneha Shah, Business Executive