Launch of Philadelphia’s 40th Anniversary Gala
Register Now!
Saturday, October 17th, 2026
Join us for a meaningful evening of cocktails, networking, dinner, awards, and an inspiring panel of thought leaders discussing opportunities for the next decade of —-Launching Futures: Building Pathways to Opportunity through Education, Workforce Development, Leadership and Community.
This milestone celebrates more than 100,000 lives impacted over the past four decades, along with the dedicated staff and partnerships that made it possible, and our shared commitment to a more equitable Greater Philadelphia.
Together, we’ll honor our shared legacy and a look ahead on continuing to create pathways to opportunity for youth, adults, and families in our community.
PROGRAM/PANELISTS

Moderator – Nyne Sellers
President & CEO, Launch of Philadelphia

Co-Host – Cheyenne Corin
6abc Reporter
Cheyenne Corin is an Emmy-nominated journalist and public speaker. Currently she is a reporter at 6abc in Philadelphia.
Previously, she was a reporter at Fox 29 and PHL17 in Philadelphia. Cheyenne also reported in the Nation’s Capital at DC News Now, and WTOP News. Additionally, Cheyenne was an Entertainment Correspondent for The Jasmine Brand interviewing celebrities from Bravo!’s Real Housewives franchise, OWN’s Love & Marriage, Wallo, Gillie, Master P, Stephanie Mills, Lil’ Mo, DJ Envy, and more.
She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, NAACP, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, former Lupus Foundation Ambassador, and Board Member of the Influencing Action Movement organization dedicated to mentoring students in Philadelphia. Additionally, she was an African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ, and DE “Impact 10” Leaders & Legacy honoree. The award recognizes exceptional professionals 35 and under in Arts, Sports, and Entertainment.
She also overcame a childhood speech impediment and spends much of her time speaking at community events motivating those who struggle to find their voice.

Marcus Allen
Executive Leader, Organizational Builder, and Strategic Innovator
Marcus Allen is a nationally recognized executive and builder with more than two decades of experience scaling mission-driven organizations, leading high-impact initiatives, and delivering measurable results across sectors. Marcus’s career combines operational excellence, strategic vision, and deep community credibility—skills he brings to every platform that seeks to drive growth, opportunity, and transformational impact.
Driven by a commitment to expanding access and unlocking human potential, Marcus has a proven track record of strengthening organizations and elevating their ability to serve more people, more effectively. As CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence (BBBSI), he reimagined a legacy institution for the modern era—expanding programs, establishing record revenue and reserves, launching new service lines, and driving organizational innovation that served more than 200,000 children and families across the Mid-Atlantic. Under his leadership, BBBSI became one of the top-performing affiliates in the 120-year national network, known for forging deep corporate partnerships and securing historic philanthropic support.
Marcus has raised in excess of $100 million in philanthropic and investment capital throughout his career, making him one of the most effective fundraisers and relationship builders in the region—an asset for organizations focused on long-term sustainability and scaling impact.
Beyond nonprofit leadership, Marcus’s operational expertise extends into high-growth organizational design, mergers and acquisitions, and multi-unit service delivery. As Chief Operating Officer of VisionQuest, he drove operational efficiency across multiple states, transformed performance outcomes, and led strategic expansions that strengthened programmatic reach and mission alignment.
Marcus’s leadership portfolio includes:
- Scaling teams and operations with a disciplined and mission-aligned approach • Navigating organizational transformation and strategic growth
- High-impact fundraising and stakeholder engagement across sectors
- Board governance experience with multi-million-dollar institutions
He currently serves on the boards of United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia’s Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), bringing deep insight into community systems and cross-sector collaboration.
A former U.S. Army National Guard soldier, Marcus approaches leadership with discipline, resilience, and mission focus. He also draws from his background as a professional athlete, having played basketball internationally, where he refined teamwork, perseverance, and performance under pressure.
Marcus’s work centers on empowering people and organizations to transcend barriers and seize opportunity—aligning directly with Launch of Philadelphia’s vision of launching Philadelphians to academic and career success.

Tara Loew
Director of PA’s Apprenticeship and Training Office,
PA Department of Labor & Industry
Tara Loew has served as Director of the PA Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry since November 2020. Under her leadership, Pennsylvania’s apprenticeship system has expanded significantly in scale, quality, and national standing.
Since 2020, the ATO has grown from three to 24 full-time staff and strengthened both system expansion and compliance operations. In 2025, Pennsylvania supported more than 20,400 active registered apprentices, a 2% increase over the prior year. New registered apprenticeship programs increased from 42 in 2024 to 58 in 2025, a 38% year-over-year increase, and program growth has risen 222% since 2022. Pennsylvania programs now support more than 1,400 occupations, including 15 new occupations registered in 2025, seven of which were first in the nation. The average journeyworker wage across the top 20 apprenticed occupations is $39.26 per hour.
Pre-apprenticeship has also grown substantially. In 2025, 35 new pre-apprenticeship programs were registered, a 150% increase year over year, bringing the statewide total to 148 programs serving more than 3,200 active pre-apprentices. A total of 113 registered apprenticeship programs are now formally aligned with pre-apprenticeship pipelines.
Under Loew’s leadership, the ATO has managed more than $60.9 million in apprenticeship grant funding since 2020, supporting the creation of 177 new apprenticeship programs, expansion of 216 existing programs, and nearly 6,000 participants. The office has also strengthened quality assurance, completing 42 Provisional Reviews and 26 Compliance Reviews in 2025 alone.
Pennsylvania now leads Federal Apprenticeship Region 2 in active apprentices, new registrations, and completions, and ranks among the top states nationally in apprenticeship outcomes. Throughout her tenure, Loew has prioritized expanding apprenticeship into new sectors, strengthening partnerships with education and workforce systems, advancing equity and equal opportunity standards, and embedding apprenticeship as a central workforce strategy for the Commonwealth.
Prior to this role, Tara served as Director of Operations at PA CareerLink® Lancaster County, where she expanded youth programming and launched a Re-Entry Services Department. She previously worked in nonprofit workforce programming and as a secondary educator, bringing a longstanding commitment to equitable career pathways and systems-building to her leadership.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Star Investor Sponsor
Star Mission Sponsor
Star Advocate Sponsor
In-Kind Sponsor
We invite businesses, partners, and community leaders to support this milestone through sponsorship opportunities that help sustain and expand our mission.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Renae Buono at Rbuono@launchphilly.org.












