We are excited to announce the 2026 Pennovati

For many veterans, the hardest part of transitioning out of service isn't the discipline, the work ethic, or the resilience, it's knowing where to start in a civilian tech landscape that doesn't always speak the same language. On March 24th, the Vets in Tech Greater Philadelphia Chapter tackled that challenge head-on with Pathways into Tech, their first event of the year and a milestone moment for a chapter that's quickly becoming a vital hub for the region's veteran tech community.

What happens when you clear away the slide decks, ditch the long pitches, and put founders face-to-face with investors on an open demo floor? You get the Philly Startup Expo — and in March, Code & Coffee Philadelphia and OneSixOne Ventures brought that energy to Pennovation Center for one of the most hands-on, high-signal events the Philly startup ecosystem has seen in recent memory.

AI tools are getting smarter by the day. But are we? That was the main question behind Philly AI Connect's March event, The Human Edge in the Age of AI, held at Pennovation Center. And it set the tone for one of our most thought-provoking evenings yet.

Former Penguin Random House executive and industry veteran Brendan Cahill has launched Navigator Books, a Philadelphia-based publisher focused on history, biography, memoir, and historical fiction. The company plans to publish three titles this year, beginning in July, with plans to expand to six in 2027.

Cahill emphasized that the company's model centers on cultivating long-term relationships with authors, working with them to develop ideas and establish careers.

AgriGates has been awarded a 2026 grant from the Pennsylvania Center for Poultry and Livestock Excellence (CPLE) to support the establishment of the Data, Analytics, and Technology for Artificial Intelligence in Livestock Animal Behavior Laboratory (DAT-AI-LAB) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

This year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show celebrated America’s 250th anniversary with the theme “Growing a Nation.” 

Over the course of the show, which is the nation’s biggest indoor agricultural exposition, Penn Vet faculty, staff, and leadership met with young people interested in becoming veterinarians, staffed the ‘Calving Corner’ exhibit, and showed off the expertise of the animals at Penn Vet’s Working Dog Center.

Studies suggest that between one-third and one-half of all dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime. 

Hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive, malignant cancer of blood vessel cells, is especially devastating and described as a “silent killer.” Currently, there are no diagnostic measures or tools to detect it early, and the prognosis once diagnosed is poor.

Some of the most important members of our workforce have four legs. At the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's Working Dog Center (WDC) — located right here at Pennovation Works — a landmark gift is set to deepen the science behind keeping those workers healthy, capable, and on the job.

Congratulations to Polyhedral Structures Laboratory on winning this year's European Cultural Centre (ECC) award in the Design Project Category for their collaborative project Diamanti!

Diamanti structure is an industry-academic collaborative research that showcases a high-performing, sustainable modular spanning funicular system developed using a comprehensive design method considering new and existing fabrication and construction technologies.

Learn more about Diamanti at ECC: https://bit.ly/3M3s2LI