Ben News

RoseAnn Rosenthal Steps Down as CEO of Ben Franklin Tech Partners

June 24, 2020

For 25 years, RoseAnn Rosenthal has served as the president and chief executive officer of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin), the region’s largest tech investor. Last week, Rosenthal announced she will step down as CEO and transition into an emeritus role by January 2021. Ben Franklin’s former chief investment officer, Scott […]

Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ RoseAnn Rosenthal is Stepping Down After 25 Years

June 19, 2020

RoseAnn Rosenthal, the current president and CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, announced Thursday that she will begin transitioning out of her role after 25 years with the organization. Scott Nissenbaum, BFTP’s chief investment officer, will assume the title of president and chief operating officer beginning July 1. He will take the […]

RoseAnn Rosenthal Stepping Down as CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners

June 18, 2020

One of the most influential figures in Philadelphia’s venture capital world is stepping down from her day job. RoseAnn B. Rosenthal, the longtime president and CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, plans to leave her role at the prolific seed fund in early 2021. The leadership transition will begin on July 1, […]

Ben Franklin Backs Founders Fighting COVID-19 and its Effects

June 18, 2020

As part of the Save Our Startups initiative, made possible with support from the Department of Community and Economic Development, Ben Franklin has committed a total of $100,000 in grants to 15 early-stage companies for development of technologies related to fighting COVID-19, and mitigating its various effects on health and well-being. The grants will be […]

That Was Fast: Philly Startup Leaders Now Has up to $550K Committed to Fund Underrepresented Founders

June 17, 2020

As protests against systemic racism took over every state in the country, and in cities across the world in the last few weeks, talks of how race and diversity is handled within the tech community highlighted the fact that there’s often fewer funding opportunities for entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds. It’s not a new issue to […]

How Philly Startup Leaders Turned a Tweet Into $450K for Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

June 17, 2020

It started with an email, followed by a tweet, and led to almost half a million dollars in new grant funds for underrepresented entrepreneurs. On May 31, after protests against police brutality and systemic racism began spreading across the country, Philly Startup Leaders Executive Director Kiera Smalls sent an email to a list of roughly […]

How Philly Startup Leaders Turned a Tweet Into $450K for Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

June 16, 2020

Pa.’s Investments in Innovation Paying off in Fight Against COVID-19

May 21, 2020

Ben Franklin Technology Partners has long been focused on supporting revolutionary technological developments that improve the human condition and address critical challenges now and in the future. That mission takes on an entirely new meaning today as our state and nation come together to respond to this pandemic. With cases of COVID-19 confirmed in every […]

Innovation Ecosystems Remain PA’s Best Opportunity to Recover and Grow. We Must Invest Accordingly.

May 12, 2020

When most people think ecosystems, they imagine plants and animals sharing a physical environment like a forest or a lake. However, when Ben Franklin Technology Partners thinks of ecosystems, we think of environments that attract startups, foster innovation and drive entrepreneurial success. In other words, the work Ben Franklin conducts in all 67 Pennsylvania counties […]

SINK OR SWIM Inside the Covid-19 Impact on Philadelphia’s Startups, Investors

April 27, 2020

Running a startup is hard. Talk to any founder and they’ll have a story about hard-fought survival and how grit or a few strokes of luck meant the difference between shutting their company’s doors or raising that next round of cash. During the Covid-19 pandemic, their jobs – and the work of investors who back […]