This event is part of our Growth by Design Series, focused on practical strategies creative businesses and entrepreneurs can use in their own work.

Six empty storefronts on Market Street. Affordable rent, real customers, and a few months to prove an idea. This summer, Meantime on Market has turned a stretch of one of Philly's most beleaguered corridors into a testing ground for local businesses — and for some, the pop-up is becoming a launchpad.

Join us for a conversation with the people building it. Brian Phillips, founder of Meantime, will share what it takes to turn a vacant storefront into a home for small business. Todd Cooke of Rarify, Alexa Colas of Clubfriends, and Melasia Divine of Almost Famous will talk about what it's actually like to run a business inside a pop-up — the wins, the constraints, and what they'd do differently. Cee Smith, entrepreneur, placemaker, and founder of Femme Fatale DC, will bring an outside perspective on what makes temporary space work as a growth strategy.