The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia has a new CEO and a vision to grow

The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia welcomed a new CEO in 2023, and a year into the job he’s busy preparing for 2026.

Thomas Young, who previously worked at Bellevue Strategies, a lobbying firm based in Philadelphia, stepped into his new role as president and CEO of the organization in August 2023. He took over from Linda Conlin, who led the center for 13 years until her retirement.

“I just believe in the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, the opportunity to be the vehicle that can help drive our local economy, to help increase job opportunities, to help increase business capacities,” said Young. “I’m a kid that likes to dream big.”

Young has a new vision for the organization, with hopes to double its small staff and increase the nonprofit’s annual operating budget estimated at $2 million to around $4 million by 2026. The hope is that the center will have more capacity, as it brings in business to the region, and helps grow local companies. Young also wants to help more minority businesses participate in international opportunities. In order to achieve this growth, he’s looking to raise funds from private and public sources as well as through increasing the center’s membership base.

“2026 will be the launching pad for companies coming to Philadelphia where if I want to do business in New York, but I don’t want to pay New York prices, or if I want to do business in D.C., or if I want to do business in Chicago, or anywhere else that’s in the region, then Philadelphia is where you want to be,” he said.

The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia was founded in 2002, and helps companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey grow their businesses through market research, counseling, and other support. The group functions as a nonprofit and is one of over 300 similar World Trade Centers in over 90 countries, according to its website. In 2023, the local branch of Greater Philadelphia worked with 145 companies, generating more than $90 million in export sales, according to a statement from the organization.

One of the first milestones Young is preparing for in his new role is 2026, a year that is expected to draw a significant influx of tourists to the city. Not only will Philadelphia be hosting FIFA World Cup games and the MLB All-Star Game, and marking the country’s semiquincentennial, but the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia also has its own event.

Around late March of 2026, the organization will host the annual Global Business Forum for the World Trade Centers Association, which brings together some 300 World Trade Centers for networking and business opportunities. Young estimates that the weeklong forum will bring between 500 and 1,000 attendees to Philadelphia.

“Every year we get together in one city to highlight that city for business, but to also bring businesses from our respective regions to that host city to do business,” he said.

The location of the forum has not yet been confirmed, but it will most likely be in Center City and at a hotel, he said. It’s the first time Philadelphia is hosting the event, which took place in Bengaluru, India, in March, and will be in Marseille, France, in 2025. The last time it took place in the United States was in 2017 in Las Vegas, according to Young.

“This is huge for Philadelphia to host this,” he said. “This is actually the white whale that I was trying to capture when I originally got appointed to the position.”

Employees of the organization currently work out of One Penn Center in Center City, and are in the office at least three days a week, according to Young. He hopes to increase the organization workforce from seven employees to around 14 by 2026, with a particular interest in growing international trade developer positions, as well as adding a programming team. He confirmed that the role of senior adviser for strategic initiatives was recently eliminated.

There have been efforts in past years to build a dedicated World Trade Center building, first in Philadelphia, which didn’t pan out because of zoning board height restrictions, and then across the river in Camden, at the site of the former Riverfront State Prison.

Young says he will look into a permanent site after 2026.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s in my immediate focus, but I will tell you that by the time that we’re leaving 2026 that will be my main focus,” he said. “With the vision that we have in place, with the opportunity to bring more businesses here and investment, and to have our local businesses increase their capacities and opportunities, I think that us having a building [after] our Global Business Forum would be another great notch in the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia’s belt in terms of international trade.”