Samantha Swerdloff | Product Development Director at Safe-Hub Philadelphia, AMANDLA Social Enterprises
Expert Panel Member
As a nonprofit leader, urban planner, and youth & community development professional, Samantha has focused her research and practice on social justice through youth development, public health, and & environmental sustainability. She approaches her work through a lens of equity and brings an understanding of systems and power dynamics. An advocate for the 'triple bottom line' in development, Samantha is eager to help facilitate a more equitable distribution of resources and equal access to the benefits of urban life.
She is particularly drawn to work that addresses the health disparities that disproportionately afflict low-wealth urban populations by contributing to enlightened city planning, rich and robust programming, as well as improved public policy. Samantha is especially interested in exploring processes that leverage community assets, local knowledge, and productive partnerships to improve opportunities.
As a former collegiate and semi-pro athlete, Samantha has used sport as a vehicle for engaging young people, building connections, teaching life skills, and developing leadership capabilities. She believes deeply in the power of play to bring people from different backgrounds together and the transformative potential of young people as changemakers.
Throughout her career, she has centered her work on addressing health disparities and gaps in social services, executing outreach and education programs, coalition-building, and facilitating collaborative deliberation. In addition, she has extensive experience working with youth as an instructor, coach, and mentor.
She hails from the great state of New Jersey (north) by way of the Bay area and has worked in sports-based youth development in Philadelphia for the last 14 years. She currently oversees methodology and implementation as the Director of Program Development at Safe-Hub in Kensington.