Entrepreneurs' Forum of Greater Philadelphia

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down to discuss the long term vision for The Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia (EFGP) with the man largely responsible for that vision, Bob Leib, the Forums current President.

 After meeting at Bob’s office (he is the Founder and President of one of the country’s largest accounts receivable management company’s, Leib Solutions, LLC), we set out to talk over lunch.  Bob suggested we head to a classic Jewish deli and being originally from Brooklyn, New York, it brought back fond memories.  During our time together, Bob and I had a candid conversation about the history of the Forum, where it stands currently and his excitement over the Forum’s future.

“The Forum has been a key part of the entrepreneurial scene in the area since 1983.  It was founded in conjunction with MIT and has since gone on to be one of the cornerstones of the business community.  The Forum is a unique organization in the Philadelphia region.  The Forum receives no public funding.  Instead, it is supported by dedicated local businesses, entrepreneurs and educational institutions that deeply believe in giving back to community.  When you look around our area, you won’t find many organizations where entrepreneurs can get together to network with other people like themselves, to share ideas, as well as, have an opportunity to collaborate and drive their businesses growth.  The Entrepreneurs Forum is that place.”

We discussed Leib’s hopes for the Forum’s future and there was no hesitation in his response, nor was there any swaying of his convictions. “We want to provide an environment where successful entrepreneurs can come and learn.  We need to provide a “value-added” proposition in the lives of people whose time is both extremely valuable and limited.  By providing monthly content that is relative to our audience’s real life needs, we foster a more powerful business community with the Philadelphia region.”  Being powerful in business and providing leadership is something Bob Leib is used to.  For the last 20 years he has grown Leib Commercial Collections into a consistent growth machine by delivering value to its customers.  “We look to make a challenging and sometimes difficult job, collecting money, a comfortable, seamless and profitable scenario for our customers.”

His hope is the same for the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia.  “When I became President, I set out to bring a new and exciting energy to our Board, to our sponsors and to the friends of the Forum.  I believe that being an entrepreneur myself, allows me to understand first hand the issues our business community and audience faces.  We are getting back to our roots.  We are providing entrepreneurs with the tools, processes and people that can help them grow their businesses.  In turn, we hope that entrepreneurs within the region see the benefit of joining the Forum as a sponsor, enabling the Forum to strengthen its financial position.  This in turn allows us to provide the regions top executives and business owners with the additional resources they need to take their business to the next level.  It’s a win/win situation for everyone.”

Winning is something Bob Leib has done well over his career.  In possibly the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, he and his team have led Leib Commercial Collections to triple digit growth year after year.  He and his company have also been perennial Philly 100 winners.  He has brought that winning spirit to the EFGP.  I don’t know about you, but with a track record like that, I’m betting on Bob Leib and The Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia.