“We feel a deep sense of responsibility and obligation to be partners with the community.” – Dr. Joshua Levine
The Wellness Empowerment Project Summit (WE Project Summit), co-hosted by the Wharton School and the Perelman School of Medicine’s Neurology Department, for its second year, provided a wide range of health and financial wellness resources to the Philadelphia community at Saunders Park Greene. The summit, which took place on Saturday, October 19th, 2024, from 10 AM to 2 PM, was made possible thanks to the support of many community partners who helped make the event a success.
Philabundance provided fresh produce to take home; Welgen One offered screenings and assessments for hormone balance, metabolic conditions, organ health, and more; Bridges to Wealth provided financial resources and invited community members to join their free financial literacy classes; and the Wharton Global Youth Program shared information about their business education programs for pre-collegiate students.
In partnership with WURD radio, we broadcasted live from Saunders Park, hosted by Temple University Professor Dr. Aaron Smith. Smith interviewed featured vendors, speakers and the event’s leadership team, including Dr. Joshua Levine from Penn Neurology and Wharton’s Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Renita Miller.
“Penn is in West Philly, and we feel a deep sense of responsibility and obligation to be partners with the community,” says Levine. “This shouldn’t be rare; this should be commonplace, and that’s what we’re working toward.”
Wharton’s emphasis on collaboration across disciplines and divides aligns with the summit’s mission of addressing health and financial disparities through meaningful partnerships within Wharton, across Penn, and with our broader community. “The WE Project brings the conversation and resources about health and financial wellness together, recognizing that these two areas are inextricably linked,” says Miller. “Our goal is to continue building bridges and creating sustainable opportunities to partner with the community on these important issues.”
Dr. Fareeda Griffith, Managing Director of Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity (CEO), shared that the work CEO is doing to close the wealth gap and advance health equity aligns with the goals of this summit. Drawing from her research on social determinants of health, she highlighted how education, environment, wealth, and health are deeply interconnected. While these challenges can feel daunting and overwhelming, she says to start small and “think about who is in your social network to see who is in need.”
Joann Mitchell, Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Penn’s first Chief Diversity Officer, recognized both the progress and the work still ahead. She spoke to Penn’s commitment to increasing representation in healthcare, stressing the importance of receiving “advice and treatment from professionals who understand their [patients’] lived experiences.”
Mitchell reflected on how the event’s focus on holistic health speaks to the ongoing efforts to build a healthier, more equitable future for all communities. “We may not solve all the world’s problems in this event, but we are making a step toward that.”
Continue the conversation by tuning into the Wharton Business Daily podcast episode, Wealth and Health: How Financial Stability Impacts Your Well-being, hosted by Dan Loney, featuring Miller and Levine.
Want to get involved with the WE Project? Reach out at diversity@wharton.upenn.edu.
Photos: Allie for Shira Yudkoff Photography