Two Philadelphians made Chronicle of Philanthropy’s ’40 Under 40′

Chronicle of Philanthropy thinks its eponymous sector has been plagued with a “stuffy, formal field of conservative approaches.”

That’s why they’re honoring 40 folks working in philanthropy under age 40 who are putting innovation to practice. Two of the innovators on that roster just so happen to be Philadelphians: Springboard Collaborative founder Alejandro Gac-Artigas (27) and Ford Foundation program officer and technologist Michael Brennan (33).

This isn’t the first time Gac-Artigas has made an appearance on a list like this — he was on Forbes‘ “30 Under 30” in 2014. His literacy-gap summer school nonprofit reached 2,000 children in both Philadelphia and Oakland this past summer. The former first grade teacher’s approach doesn’t just target students — it targets families.

Brennan, a West Philly resident, joined the New York-based Ford Foundation this past August. According to the Chronicle, he “might be the first person with a Ph.D. in computer science to serve as a program officer at a top foundation,” and we think that’s super nifty.