Colasante receives honor
South Philly native Dom Colasante, CEO and co-founder of 2X, was recently recognized by EY as a Greater Philadelphia Entrepreneur of the Year. The award honors select leaders who demonstrate the value of entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.
Colasante was selected by an independent judging panel composed of previous award winners, leading CEOs and other business leaders. Candidates were evaluated based on their ability to create long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to their purpose and demonstrating growth and substantial impact, among other key indicators.
“Thank you to our partners at JP Morgan for trusting my vision when I was just starting 2X. My deepest gratitude also extends to our investors at Recognize, our private equity firm, who support us every day and believe in what we do,” said Colasante. “My thanks also go out to the nearly 1,000 team members globally. Everyone at 2X, from writers, designers, data analysts and marketing technologists to AI professionals, show up at their best because they share the same passion as I do — helping CMOs generate greater impact and produce more results.”
Colasante is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 National Awards. The National Award winners, including the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced in November.
SEPTA to increase fines, penalties for quality-of-life offenses
SEPTA announced the return of an enforcement program for quality-of-life violations as part of an effort to discourage incidents, focus on repeat offenders and enhance the customer experience.
SEPTA Transit Police will issue Code Violation Notices for some of those low-level crimes, including alcohol consumption, public urination, smoking and littering. Under this policy, Transit Police will issue a ticket to the offender and forward a copy of the ticket to the city Office of Administrative Review. Fines will range from $25 to $150.
Offenders will have the option to pay the fine or request a court date. OAR will track unpaid fines, and chronic offenders will be banned from entering SEPTA property.
“The shift to Code Violation Notices demonstrates our commitment to stepping up enforcement of quality-of-life offenses,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie Richards. “These violations are often the subject of customer complaints and can be associated with more serious crimes. Our customers and employees deserve to feel safe when they are traveling on SEPTA.”
Since 2019, SEPTA Transit Police have issued Administrative Enforcement Notices for quality-of-life violations. AENs carry a fine, but are not court-enforced. An evaluation of the AEN program determined that it is not effective in deterring anti-social behaviors that negatively impact SEPTA customers.
“Code Violation Notices are legal instruments backed by the courts,” said SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson. “With this change, SEPTA is sending a clear message to would-be offenders: If you commit an offense on SEPTA property, you will be held accountable.”
Students in school choice schools outperforming peers
Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, an education nonprofit providing families with financial access to K-8th-grade tuition-based schools, released a report detailing evidence that city students who utilize private school choice outperform their public school peers in both math and reading on standardized tests.
The CSFP family median household income is lower than Philadelphia’s, and 70% of CSFP scholarship recipients live in Philadelphia’s lowest-achieving public school neighborhoods. CSFP has 150-plus partner schools, and their median annual tuition is $4,950.
The report shows that CSFP students are more likely to be at or above proficiency in both math and reading the longer they are enrolled at a CSFP partner school and are more likely to score at or above proficient on their standardized exams compared to peers attending public school.
Among seventh-graders, 54% of CSFP students score at or above proficiency in math, compared to 19% of School District of Philadelphia students. In reading, 61% of CSFP students score at or above proficiency in reading compared to 38 percent in the school district.
Among fourth-graders, 47% of students score at or above proficiency in math compared to 23% in the school district. In reading, 59% of CSFP students score at or above proficiency compared to 30% in the school district.
“This is the first time we’ve answered the question: Do CSFP students and CSFP partner schools outperform both district counterparts and public schools within the same neighborhood? The answer, based on this report, is a resounding yes,” said Keisha Jordan, president and CEO, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia. “We recognize standardized test scores are just one indicator of academic success, but this report provides an important perspective on how tuition-based schools are serving students from under-resourced households. It shows that CSFP scholarships change lives and private school choice provides an opportunity to set students on a pathway to long-term success.” ••
Become a block captain
The city welcomes new block captains to organize cleanups and block parties, plant flowers and trees and remind neighbors of trash and recycling collection days and guidelines.
To learn about becoming a block captain, go to phila.gov, click “Services,” then “Trash, recycling & city upkeep” and “Become a block captain.”
A resident must circulate a petition among neighbors to be elected a block captain. You need 51% of the residents on the block to sign the petition. You can collect only one adult signature per household.
For more information or to find out if you already have a block captain, call the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee at 215-685-3971. ••
Military author events
There will be three upcoming book discussions and signings by military historian John Siegfried and Gold Star father Charles Strange.
Siegfried wrote No Greater Love, a report on the heroic actions of Philadelphia Medal of Honor awardee Michael Crescenz during the Vietnam War, and The New Agent Orange, which compares dioxin exposure in Vietnam to Gulf War syndromes and sicknesses.
Strange wrote Relentless, a report on his pursuit of answers and the truth surrounding the death of his son, Michael, and 30 other SEAL Team 6 members in Afghanistan in 2011.
The events are free and open to the public. The schedule is July 18, 6 p.m., at Crescenz VFW, 6850 Martins Mill Road; July 20, 1 p.m., at Cheltenham American Legion, 8035 Jenkintown Road, Cheltenham; and July 21, 1 p.m., at VFW Post 8051, 828 S. Front St.
All events are free and open to the public. ••
Hero Thrill Show is Sept. 21
The 69th annual Hero Thrill Show will take place on Saturday, Sept. 21, from noon to 5 p.m., at the Wells Fargo Center.
Tickets are $15 for individuals and $35 for a family (up to five).
Proceeds pay for the college tuition of Philadelphia police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
For more information, go to herothrillshow.org. ••
Entertainment at Parx
Parx Casino is offering the following upcoming entertainment:
July 13: Clay Walker
July 19: Debbie Gibson
July 26: Kameron Marlowe
Aug. 3: Tyler Henry, The Hollywood Medium
Aug. 23: The Marshall Tucker Band
Sept. 7: Australian Pink Floyd
Sept. 21: Dustin Lynch
Oct. 4: Heather McDonald
Oct. 18: Straight No Chaser
Oct. 19: Giggly Squad Live
Oct. 25: Michael Blaustein
Nov. 9: Air Supply
Nov. 21: Aaron Lewis
Nov. 23: Steve Trevino
Dec. 7: Kathleen Madigan ••
VFW looking for members
Bustleton-Somerton/CTR1 Michael J. Strange VFW Post 6617 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at American Legion Post 810, 9151 Old Newtown Road.
Meetings start at 7:30 p.m.
If you are a military veteran who served in a designated combat zone, you are eligible to join the VFW.
Call Commander Israel Wolmark at 215-725-0630 if you would like to join the post. ••
Trip to Northern Europe
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is presenting a Northern Europe: Iceland, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and London cruise, July 25 to Aug. 4, aboard the new “Norwegian Prima.”
Rates per person are $6,261 and $6,495, which include roundtrip airfare from Philadelphia.
Deposit of $350 per person double occupancy is required when booking.
Call 215-788-9408. ••
Party for West Catholic girls class of ‘69
West Catholic Girls Class of 1969 will have its 55th anniversary party on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Anthony’s Ristorante, 865 W. Springfield Road, Springfield. The cost for the luncheon is $65. Call Hannah at 610-764-3249. ••
Ukrainian Folk Festival in August
The Ukrainian Folk Festival will take place on Sunday, Aug. 25, from noon to 8 p.m., at the Ukrainian American Sport Center — Tryzub, County Line and Lower State roads, Horsham.
There will be Ukrainian folk art, music, dance, crafts and historical reenactments, a variety of food and refreshments and a vendors grove. Admission is $15, and a portion will be donated to relief of war victims in Ukraine. Kids under 15 will be admitted free. Parking is free. Call 267-664-3857, email info@tryzub.org or visit www.tryzub.org. ••
