The 2022 Philadelphia Forty Under 40
The next generation of rising stars in Philadelphia.
In this year’s edition of City & State’s Forty Under 40, you may notice a few motifs: For one, each honoree is from Philadelphia and there are a number of immigrants and first-generation Americans. Spending time working for the City of Philadelphia is a line on many of our honorees’ résumés. And contrary to national trends, this group has done precious little job-hopping – a sign, perhaps, of their self-confidence in the direction their careers and lives are taking.
One other thing the people assembled on these pages have in common: a love for the city. Time and again during interviews, we heard about how happy someone was to move here, or to come back home after moving away, or to be able to give back – and give some love back to The City That Loves You Back.
These rising stars bring purpose, passion and professionalism to their work on everything from politics to finance to advocacy. The following profiles were written by City & State staff and freelance writer Hilary Danailova.
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Katie Nash
Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy, University City Science Center
Katie Nash, who oversees public policy and government affairs at the University City Science Center, realized many local children had never knowingly met a scientist. So she partnered with external researchers and secured a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund a fledgling mentorship program that pairs Philly scientists with students from local schools.
Building relationships around science and research is Nash’s goal at the University City Science Center, a nonprofit whose shareholders include 31 research institutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Nash works closely with city and state governments, overseeing advocacy and fundraising.
The State College native started her career in an Americorps-sponsored program, Philly Fellows, that cultivated nonprofit leadership in Philadelphia. Nash has also worked in communications at the University of Pennsylvania, the New York Lottery, the Pennsylvania State Treasury – where she helped launch the Keystone Scholars education savings program – and on several political campaigns.
“I learned early that I really enjoyed communications, marketing and mission-driven work,” Nash recalled. “It’s an investment in my community, and it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.”
