Harry Hayman

Last week, I had the privilege of hearing from Penn Medicine CEO Kevin Mahoney at the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia Board meeting, hosted at the historic Pennsylvania Hospital.

The insights were outstanding.
The candor was refreshing.
The vision was inspiring.

Kevin made one thing clear: healthcare is bigger than healthcare.

It is workforce development.
It is economic development.
It is education.
It is research.
It is innovation.
It is neighborhood stability.
It is creating hope and opportunity for people who may never step foot inside a boardroom.

When Penn succeeds, Philadelphia succeeds.

And Kevin understands that in a way that very few leaders at his level actually do.

So many of us spend our days trying to solve problems from the outside.

Kevin Mahoney is one of the people actually solving them from the inside.

Can we talk about how ridiculously fortunate Philadelphia is to have him?

Philadelphia often does not give itself enough credit for the extraordinary leaders we have quietly doing world-class work every single day.

Kevin Mahoney is at the top of that list.

Thank you for your leadership, Kevin.
Thank you for your commitment to this city.
Thank you for your partnership.
And thank you for taking the time to share your perspective with all of us at the Economy League.

Philadelphia is stronger because of it.

Every year, I go. I can't remember the last year I didn't at least drive by. I remember seeing the story on the news when I was younger.

Every year, I leave inspired.

And every year, I am reminded that one little, brave, courageous, incredible girl changed the world (and continues to).

The event is Alex's "Original" Lemonade Stand, and if you've never been, put it on your list.

For those who don't know, what started as a child wanting to help other kids with cancer has become one of the most powerful examples of love, hope, service, and impact I have ever witnessed.
Think about that for a second.

A little girl started a lemonade stand. That's it.

And yet today, millions of dollars have been raised, countless lives have been touched, groundbreaking research has been funded, and children and families all over the world have been given hope (and lives saved) because of her vision. Grief is brutal. I struggle with it every single day. Which is why I have endless admiration for Jay and Liz Scott and what they have created in Alex's honor. It helps sooth the pain.
Even in death, Alex continues to create so much life.

That is a legacy. You can't make this s**t up.

Huge, huge props to two of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever met, Jay and Liz Scott.

What they have built in Alex's honor is nothing short of remarkable. They have transformed unimaginable loss into purpose, action, community, and hope for families everywhere.

The event itself is incredible. Families. Kids. Volunteers. Survivors. Supporters. Smiles. Tears. Inspiration. Humanity at its absolute best.

If you're looking for a reminder that one person can make a difference, this is it.

If you're looking for proof that love is the most powerful force in the world and will survive and outlive us all, this is it.

And if you're looking for a reason to believe that ordinary people (including you) can do extraordinary things, this is definitely it.

Thank you, Alex.

Thank you, Jay.

Thank you, Liz.

And thank you to everyone who continues to carry this mission forward. I was honored to be there.

One American dies from heart disease every 33 seconds.

Not every few minutes. Every 33 seconds. Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in this country for decades. 683,000 people in 2024 alone. The American Heart Association reports that more than 72% of American adults carry an unhealthy weight. More than half have diabetes or prediabetes.

Most of the risk factors driving these numbers are preventable.

So the question worth sitting with is this: how did the food environment get built this way?

In 1985, Philip Morris, the to***co company, purchased General Foods for $5.6 billion. In 1988, they acquired Kraft for $12.9 billion. R.J. Reynolds had already bought Nabisco. Cigarette companies now controlled a significant portion of the American food supply.

What followed was not a coincidence.

The scientists who had spent careers engineering ni****ne addiction were redirected toward food. Same researchers. Same understanding of the brain's reward system. Research has documented that foods owned by to***co companies were 80% more likely to be formulated for what the industry called hyper-palatability. The technical term for designing something nearly impossible to stop consuming.

Today, 60% of the calories in the American diet come from ultra-processed foods.

This is not a personal failure story. It is a systems story. And you cannot build a better food system without understanding how the current one was constructed.

One American dies from heart disease every 33 seconds.

The food was built to win. Knowing that changes what the work has to look like.