Keeping it local: Penn’s partnerships with Philadelphia-based vendors boost local economy, neighborhood impact

A coffee roastery, a catering company, and a scientific equipment supplier—all based in Philadelphia—are united by a common thread: Each can trace part of their success to partnering with Penn. Their prosperity reflects one of several takeaways from the University’s latest Economic Impact Report: Penn’s fiscal footprint on the City of Philadelphia is linked in part to its substantial purchasing power with local vendors, a vital dynamic that provides mutual benefits for both Penn and neighboring businesses.

The analysis noted that Penn—Philadelphia’s largest private employer—supports one in seven jobs across the city, with expenditures on local procurement helping to boost the regional economy. During fiscal year 2024, the University spent $572 million on 5,000-plus local enterprises, with $186 million going to vendors based in West Philadelphia. This focus on buying close to home aligns with Penn’s strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, to deepen relationships with neighbors and grow opportunities that bring people together.

“Penn is such a big economic engine for the city,” says Mark Mills, chief procurement officer in the Division of Finance, of the ripple effect generated from Penn spending locally. “Sometimes, business decisions that seem small go on to have a larger impact both at Penn and beyond.”

“Engaging with the local business community, being welcoming to the local business community, and making sure we’re identifying suppliers that are close to Penn,” Mills explains, keeps Penn accountable to “our neighborhoods and economic development as we think about the goods and services that we buy for the University.”

Penn receives support in identifying and engaging nearby vendors through The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, University City District, and the Enterprise Center in West Philadelphia, among others. Procurement Services also coordinates a range of events, outreach initiatives, and showcases designed to promote local businesses. Both new and established Penn suppliers gain increased exposure and revenue opportunities. “We try to do as much as we can with events and general outreach to connect buyers at Penn with the rich market we have right here in Philadelphia,” Mills says.

“While this is good for the prospective vendors, Penn benefits immensely as well,” he adds. “First, we benefit from proximity, which shortens the distance for delivery of goods and services—but we also gain from having a thriving local economy around us.”

The Philadelphia-based vendors supported by Penn span varied industries. Three among thousands of examples are Win Win Coffee, 12th Street Catering, and EMSCO Scientific Enterprises, Inc.

Brewing local and broader impact

As a child, Nikisha Bailey watched her mother savor a cup of coffee each morning. Likewise, Matt Nam grew up helping his grandparents harvest their family farm. These meaningful early experiences shaped their shared desire to launch Win Win Coffee, a Black-owned, Philadelphia-based coffee supplier and Penn vendor driven by ethics, culture, and community.

“[Penn is] not only getting like the best of the best coffee there is—they’re also contributing to a supply chain that’s very equitable and serves the producer on the other side,” Bailey says. Win Win Coffee traces every part of their sourcing process, works to avoid third-party entities, procures high quality, single-origin coffee, and roasts their products locally.

The University’s partnership with Win Win Coffee reflects a priority to propagate small businesses with sustainable practices—which Penn students, faculty, staff, and departments may consider when spending.

“Knowing that you’re supporting the community by buying from a small business that also has a larger global impact on the world is definitely something that’s increasingly important to our [Penn] clients,” Bailey says.

View large image

Nam reports that in the past year, Win Win Coffee saw a 237% surge in revenue growth. He attributes part of this financial milestone to Penn amplifying their business. 

“The trust that Penn has built up in the system, in our community—we essentially inherit a little bit of that trust,” Nam says. “We have organic traffic coming to us, buying our products; different stores know about us before we even go in there, [and] they have our coffee on their shelves. I think [Penn’s] goodwill just travels along with us, and there’s a big ripple effect whenever you’re aligned with an organization that’s doing good.” 

Win Win Coffee has also engaged with the University’s resources dedicated to helping local businesses grow. They’ve spoken on multiple panels at Penn-sponsored events and have been involved with Penn’s Supplier Diversity Forum & Expo, which Bailey notes has “furthered our reach and our voice in the Pennsylvania region.” 

The results from such exposure have been transformative, enabling Win Win Coffee to forge new retail, event, and café partnerships, secure a contract with Penn, open a new facility in Kensington, and hire more Philadelphia residents. 

“Just having that word-of-mouth, even initially, we were able to see growth in our business,” Bailey says. “And I think the relationship is only going to grow stronger.” 

Catering company serves Penn communities 

When Michele Leff, founder of 12th Street Catering, began working with Penn in 1990, she could sense the new partnership would blossom into a fruitful collaboration. With the University’s schools and departments having unique needs and budgets, the company flourished by channeling their knack for customization. 

“Some [Penn] departments might call us and we determine that given their financial budgets and what they’re looking to accomplish, that we may be able to do that with a delivered catering,” says Leff. Her team of caterers produce a tailored experience for each Penn client, as well as in-person delivery to ensure a smooth set-up. 

Over the years, 12th Street Catering has established a strong foundation of trust with the University, which has proven helpful for their reputation and longevity. Leff notes much of the company’s strategy is modeled after the way Penn champions local vendors.

“We see [Penn] as a beacon of being a good leader—so we try and emulate what they do,” says Leff, noting that 12th Street Catering strives to hire people who live in West Philadelphia, where the business is based. “In the same way that [Penn] supports the community, we work really hard to hire from within the community and to give back.” 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 12th Street Catering faced profound financial difficulty. Just one week from potential closure, they innovated what Leff calls an “event in a box,” involving foods, beverages, and designs reflective of each Penn client’s department-based themes. This solution helped dozens of 12th Street Catering employees keep their jobs.

“We wouldn’t have survived the pandemic without the support of our neighbor Penn,” Leff says. “They leaned on us, they trusted us to deliver, and we did deliver—and we did it in a way that we were really proud of. Because of that commitment from Penn, we kept 125 people working.”

View large image

Leff looks forward to more decades of meaningful partnership with Penn. 

“I think that the University has a tremendous impact on this community, and they get it,” Leff says. “They know that if their community thrives, the school will thrive.” 

Local supplier empowers research momentum 

For nearly 38 years, EMSCO Scientific Enterprises, Inc. (EMSCO), a Black-owned, West Philadelphia-based lab supplies distributor, has played a key role in Penn’s robust system of medical research and health care practice. During the early 2010s, however, EMSCO faced some economic setbacks amid mergers and acquisitions in the life sciences market. CEO Lin Thomas recalls how Penn linked EMSCO with Thermo Fisher Scientific, a biotechnology company.

“The impact of that joint effort tremendously increased the capability of EMSCO as a local provider,” says Thomas, noting how this partnership with Fisher helped EMSCO hire more local employees, provide better training to their personnel, and build a new facility on Parkside Avenue. “Penn bringing EMSCO and Fisher together led to heightened revenue during a significant dip in revenue.”

EMSCO’s success is vital to Penn’s research operations. When Penn needs lab supplies, medical equipment, and scientific tools, EMSCO is often a go-to source—with the bonus of being just several blocks away.

As the University works to accelerate progress in areas like immunology, cancer research, and precision medicine, having EMSCO on speed dial keeps innovative advances on track.

“We intend to be right there providing our products that can help enhance some of the new methods of technology [and] the new methods of healing that Penn is developing on the cutting edge,” Thomas says.

Thomas also cites the notable increase in EMSCO’s brand exposure from routinely attending Penn’s supplier showcases, as well as staying active with their networking events. “We’ve benefitted by acquiring other universities as customers,” he notes.

“To have the University of Pennsylvania as a customer provides credibility to our company,” Thomas says. “It is an endorsement of quality services to have had such a long and positive relationship.”

Looking to the future

Going forward, Penn’s procurement team plans to continue building partnerships with businesses in West Philadelphia and across the city. The goals: contribute to a vibrant local economy, create more jobs for Philadelphians, and help neighborhoods grow and thrive.

“It’s part of what we say we’re going to do—we’re going to be a good neighbor,” Mills says. “It’s what our students expect of us; it’s what our staff expect of us; I think it’s a lot of what our faculty and even our alumni expect of us.”

Promoting a symbiotic relationship between the University and the greater Philadelphia region is at the heart of all Mills and colleagues do in support of neighboring businesses.

“We’re thinking about the environment that we live in, and we are engaging with local businesses so we have that connectedness with the neighborhoods—and it’s not just about Penn,” Mills says. “It’s about Penn and Philly.”