City Counsel

City Counsel Session

Thu, Aug 13 · 4:30 PM EDT

uCity Square, 3675 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, US

## Rebooting OpenAccessPHL at uCity Square

We're rebooting OpenAccessPHL on August 13th at 4:30 PM at uCity Square, 3675 Market Street.

City Counsel is the next iteration of OpenAccessPHL: a convening designed for people who move across sectors, stitch networks together, connect the dots and believe Philadelphia gets smarter, faster and better when we learn from past, present, and future dreamers and doers and figure out ways to collaborate and support each other.

This first session manifests a simple concept: go new places, learn old things, and meet the people who shaped the civic infrastructure Philadelphia is still building on.
It’s a cross‑generational, cross‑sector conversation - part reunion, part discovery, part “oh wow, I didn’t know you were the one who did that.”

Grateful to our host Kiersten Mailler at uCity Square. uCity Square exists at the intersection of world-class universities, research institutions, academic medical centers, and dynamic neighborhoods. Their mission is to facilitate collaboration that stimulates breakthroughs, drives inclusive economic growth, and expands our diverse and vibrant community.

Speakers: Alex Hillman leader of Indy Hall (e.g. invented co-working in the City plus so much more); Archna Sahay, formerly the City of Philadelphia’s Director of Entrepreneurial Investment who has maintained a formidable presence in the tech and innovation space; and Andrew Buss, architect of much of the City's internal innovation infrastructure.

Organizers are Jeff Friedman, Kelsey Hubbell, Cat McManus, Ed.D. and Eryn Santamoor.

Speaker Bios:

Andrew Buss worked in government for over 28 years. After beginning his public sector career with the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Housing and Community Development, he moved to the Office of Innovation & Technology where he focused primarily on public interest technology and the development of an innovation infrastructure within municipal government. Andrew was fortunate to lead or be a part of collaborative teams that were responsible for several founding programs: a citywide network of public computer centers in nonprofit organizations and City facilities, a governance structure and strategy for the City’s early Open Data efforts, and a coordinated portfolio of initiatives to establish and sustain municipal capacity for innovation.

Andrew earned his graduate degree in geography from Temple University and has been teaching graduate and undergraduate students for many years. He now teaches public management and government innovation courses in Temple’s MPP and the University of Pennsylvania’s MPA programs.

Alex Hillman has nearly two decades of experience with helping people start and grow independent businesses that give them more freedom and control over their work.

As the founder of Indy Hall, he's seen firsthand how community and collaboration help entrepreneurs succeed.

Through Stacking the Bricks and 30x500, he's taught thousands of solopreneurs how to find customers, build trust, and create businesses that support their lives - not the other way around.

His book, The Tiny MBA, distills hard-won lessons about business and independence into mental prompts to help entrepreneurs re-center their focus.

And with the 10k Independents project, he's working to help even more people break free from traditional employment.

Alex believes that success isn't about scale, but about independence, and that the most valuable resource for any business isn't funding - it's the relationships you build along the way.

Archna Sahay is a banking executive, venture capital operator, and community builder with more than 20 years of experience spanning venture capital, strategy and economic development.
As a Vice President in innovation banking, Archna partners with venture-backed technology and life sciences companies and the investors who back them, helping founders access the capital, strategic relationships, and financial solutions they need to scale. Her work spans venture debt, relationship management, and strengthening connections across the innovation ecosystem.
Previously, Archna served as Head of Platform for a $200 million corporate venture capital fund investing in early stage fintech and insurtech startups, where she led strategic partnerships, enterprise engagement, and founder support that accelerated growth across the fund's portfolio.
Earlier in her career, Archna held a senior business development and innovation role in the City of Philadelphia's Commerce Department under Mayor Michael Nutter and Mayor Jim Kenney, where she managed the StartupPHL program comprised of various community grant initiatives and a $6 million early stage fund. She helped shape the city's technology and startup strategy, leading business development initiatives for the technology sector to strengthen Philadelphia's position as a nationally recognized innovation ecosystem.
Archna is committed to expanding access to entrepreneurship and investment through community-building and strategic convening. She is a frequent speaker on venture capital, innovation ecosystems, startup growth, and the future of entrepreneurship, bringing together perspectives from finance, government, and the founder community.