May 2023
News + Updates
Highlights
We are Hiring!
We are currently inviting candidates to check out our open positions and apply today. Please don't hesitate to direct those who might be a good fit as well. We'd love to work with you!

Positions include:

  • Administrative Associate
  • Analyst
  • Associate Director
  • Center for the Future of Cities Fellow
  • Director
  • Geospatial Research Assistant
  • Regulatory Research Assistant
  • Senior Analyst
  • Transportation Analyst
The Cost of Doing Nothing: Federal and State Impacts of Insufficient Retirement Savings
ESI was engaged by the Pew Charitable Trusts to explore the potential economic and fiscal costs of existing trends in retirement savings. As the elderly population of the United States continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important that households plan appropriately to maintain their living standards in their retirement years. This study quantifies the potential magnitude of national and state retirement savings shortfalls from 2020-2040 if current trends continue, defines the costs of these potential shortfalls to the U.S. and each state and its residents, and addresses the potential benefits of addressing the savings gap and helping future retirees enhance their financial resiliency. 
The Economic Impact of The Discovery Labs and Innovation Sector Evaluation
The Discovery Labs is an enterprise-level life sciences and technology hub, developed by MLP Ventures to be the largest scale innovation campus of its kind in the Greater Philadelphia region. With the life sciences industry at the forefront and the cell and gene therapy sector a crucial part of this ecosystem in Southeastern Pennsylvania, MLP Ventures sought ESI’s in-depth experience to quantify the potential economic impacts of the proposed development project for their communications with stakeholders.
ESI Hosts SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards at LAI Event
On April 20, ESI hosted LAI Philadelphia's event with SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards. LAI Philly President and ESI Vice President moderated the discussion.
Events
So far, we've hosted 7 of 8 webinars in the series: Critical Issues Facing the Higher Education Sector, examining topics like HBCUs in economic development, organizational leadership in uncertain times, and sustainability.

All sessions will be moderated by Lee Huang, Lead Principal for the firm’s Universities and Hospitals practice.

Our last event in the series will take place May 23 and focus on energy efficiency.

Register here.
Senior Vice President and Principal Ethan Conner-Ross will serve as panelist on 'The Fiscal Cost of a Population Unprepared for Retirement' part of NCSL-Pew Retirement Savings Roundtable, happening May 19 - 20 in Denver, CO.

The roundtable will bring together lawmakers from across the country to discuss retirement savings initiatives for private sector workers who do not have workplace retirement benefits. We’ll share the latest research on the scale and cost of retirement insecurity in the states and explore the feasibility of legislative solutions, including state-facilitated savings programs managed by private financial services providers. 
President and Principal Lee Huang will present at the 2023 Penn Supplier Diversity Forum & Expo taking place on May 31 from 10:30 am - 2:30 pm. The event will be held on Penn's campus at the Annenberg Center for the Performing arts.
Staff and Senior Advisor Updates
‌
President and Principal Lee Huang was listed on City and State PA's AAPI Power 100 list.

Read the article here.
ESI welcomes Dr. Mark Robinson to the firm as a director. Dr. Robinson recently earned his Ph.D. in economics from Temple University. While at Temple, he taught courses on the American economy and issues in public policy.
Principal Steve Mullin moderated a panel titled Business and Economic Competitiveness, examining the future of Philadelphia. Panelists included Craig Carnaroli, Senior Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania, Jerry Sweeney, President & CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust.
Vice President Frank Robinson and Senior Advisor Bernadine Hawes presented at the Coppin State University 2023 Economic Inclusion Conference. Their keynote panel was titled, The Entrepreneurial University: Anchoring the Innovation Network.
Senior Advisor Blane F. Stoddart was recently highlighted by Capital Analytics Associates. In the interview, he discusses a shift in the market from vertical construction to infrastructure, the demerits of remote work, and the slowdown in single-family housing alongside the affordable housing crisis.
Senior Advisor Stephen Tang will serve as keynote speaker at the Annual Global Business Conference happening May 22, from 7:45 AM to 12 PM. With each registration, attendees will receive a copy of Dr. Tang's book, A Test for Our Time: Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal.
Director Sam Sklar represented ESI at the 2023 National Shared Mobility Summit in Chicago, IL. The Shared-Use Mobility Center is a public-interest organization dedicated to achieving universal, affordable, and sustainable mobility in urban and metropolitan regions of the US through the efficient sharing of transportation assets.
Senior Advisor Anne Bovaird Nevins, Bruce Katz, and Milena Dovali co-authored a recent article titled Data Deficit: Flying Blind on Small Business which emphasizes the importance of having accurate data on small, diverse businesses and using tools such as the Small Business Equity Toolkit to track and interpret data that can account for dynamic and changing environments.
Senior Advisor Joel Naroff authored a post for the Philadelphia Inquirer on the status of the economy and the future of Federal Reserve interest rates. Read it here.
We are thrilled to announce Carol de Fries has joined ESI's board of senior advisors. Carol brings experience in higher education, public-private partnerships, and business and economic development.
‌
Last week, we interviewed Gina Lavery, Senior Vice President and Principal of Econsult Solutions and the new head of ESI Center for the Future of Cities. In this conversation, she talks about the opportunities cities have related to transportation, technology advances, and more! Get to know Gina and more about ESI Center for the Future of Cities through the Q&A .


U.S. - China Research
The Three Levels of Decoupling with China: Governments, Businesses, Market

Since American media first used the term "decoupling" to describe the trend of U.S.-China relations in 2019, "decoupling with China" has become a shadowy and uncertain line in the development of the world's political and economic fields.

Present Value
Coalitions of colleges and universities often find it helpful to speak as a group, expressing the multitude of benefits they provide to a community and region, both economically and socially. ESI has recently completed several studies for associations of colleges and universities. Learn more about them in this post.
At the halfway point of our higher education webinar series, we looked back on the first four events, covering issues like supplier diversity, alumni engagement, innovation systems, and more.

ESI Senior Advisor Elmore Alexander examines two differing perspectives on the value of a college degree and offers important insight into this topical issue.
Client Spotlight
Sixty-six students at the Community College of Philadelphia were recently honored for being the first graduating class of Octavius Catto scholars. The students all received full scholarships to attend the two-year school and received associate degrees.                
Jaindl Land Co. has been awarded $3.6 million in state grants for its plan to convert the former Mary Immaculate Center seminary property in Lehigh Township into a resort and spa. The Redevelopment Assistance Capital (RACP) grants had the support of County Executive Lamont McClure and county council.
Spark Therapeutics signs 63K SF lease at King of Prussia's Discovery Labs, adding a suburban outpost to its life sciences footprint.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Check out these events and activities in Philly.
Connect with us.