Author: Live Love Delaware

Beebe Healthcare recently became the first healthcare system in Delaware to offer a Hospital at Home program for patients who meet the criteria.

Beebee Healthcare in the Comfort of Your Home

Beebe’s Hospital at Home Program allows patients to be treated for their medical condition in the comfort of their own home as a substitute for traditional inpatient, in-the-hospital care. 

“This is how Beebe is providing the best care right here in Sussex County – collaborative innovations that provides a patient with the personalized and empathetic care plan for their needs,” said David A. Tam, MD, MBA, FACHE, President & CEO, Beebe Healthcare. “I’m proud of the multi-disciplinary team from patient care to IT to make this secure and innovative service available to patients.” 

Beebe Healthcare physicians and nurses will provide the care needed. In addition, the patient’s care team may include nurse practitioners, social workers, care coordinators, physical therapists, or other care members.

“Patients find being cared for at home to be a more restful and convenient experience than the hospital,” said Lynne Voskamp, DNP, RN, CEN, Beebe Healthcare’s Vice President of Nursing Operations & Continuum of Care, Chief Nursing Officer, and Administrator of Home Care Services. “Our team provides the same excellent care at home as you would receive in the hospital. This includes services such as IV medication, lab tests, physical therapy services, and oxygen therapy – all at no additional cost to the patient.”

As part of the Hospital at Home program, care provided in the patient’s home includes:

• Transportation back home from the hospital
• Delivery and set up of any necessary equipment needed, including IV medications
• Computer tablet that allows patients to see and talk to their doctor or nurse from their home
• Daily visits from doctors or nurse practitioners (NPs) in person or through the computer tablet
• Two daily visits by a registered nurse
• Support from social workers and physical therapists
• Assistance in scheduling follow-up appointments.

 Patients will be provided the following equipment along with the computer tablet:

• Scale
• Pulse Oximeter
• Blood Pressure Monitor
• Thermometer.

To learn more about Beebe’s Hospital at Home program, visit beebehealthcare.org/services/hospital-medicine.

About Beebee Healthcare

Beebe Healthcare is a not-for-profit community healthcare system with a charitable mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health for the people who live in, work in, and visit the communities we serve. Beebe Healthcare has three campuses: the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus, which houses the medical center; the Rehoboth Health Campus; and the South Coastal Health Campus. Beebe Healthcare offers primary care as well as specialized services in the areas of cardiovascular, oncology, orthopaedics, general surgery, robotic surgery, and women’s health. Beebe also offers walk-in care, lab, imaging, and physical rehabilitation services at several locations throughout Sussex County, in addition to a home health program and a comprehensive community health program.

For more information about Beebe Healthcare, visit beebehealthcare.org. 

If Stephen Sye, CEO of Futures First Gaming, has his way, his company will have planted the seed that germinates the entire Delmarva region esports industry. Esports, or electronic sports, is a style of competitive sports played through the medium of video games – particularly multiplayer games played by professionals as individuals or part of a team.

“We’re a STEM.org Accredited™ esports and educational organization focused on growing and cultivating the esports community and industry in the region,” said Sye. “With the exception of the University of Delaware, the state itself has only a small underground scene right now as it relates to gaming culture – especially in comparison to other places like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York City.”

The organization, which launched last February, is taking several approaches to its mission simultaneously. Futures First Gaming’s business model rests on four pillars, said Sye. The first is to advocate growth in the state’s existing esports industry, the second is to personally host competitive and recreational events to create opportunities for involvement, the third is to hold educational programs focusing on workforce development and the fourth is to work with schools and universities to launch their own esports teams to engage in tournaments.

Though their goals are ambitious, Sye believes now, more than ever, is the time for this effort. Gaming has long suffered from a perception problem – but that’s on the cusp of changing in a big way, he says.

“For a long time, a good portion of the population has felt that playing video games is a waste of time, but this industry is growing by leaps and bounds, and the opportunities for lucrative careers and entrepreneurship are growing every year,” said Sye. “Look at it this way: There was a League of Legends Championship in 2018 that had more than 200 million viewers tune in. That was more viewership than the Super Bowl, NBA finals, and Major League Baseball game seven had that year combined. There are gaming events in this space that are selling out venues like the Staples Center in 12 minutes.”

Perhaps a function of changing tastes, it’s been long predicted that esports will supplant traditional sports in popularity. Sye says that ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the time window in which this was expected to happen has shortened.

“Viewership of esports was already expected to eclipse that of traditional sports by 2022 – but now with COVID limiting audiences and introducing a lot of unknowns in terms of schedule, esports has a huge advantage,” he said. “Esports is projected to be a $300 billion global industry by 2025. That’s huge. And it comes with an enormous amount of opportunity and career pathways.”

Gaming Camp

Hoping to nurture the next generation’s desire to enter the esports industry, Sye said, the company held its inaugural Futures First Camp this past summer.

“It was a virtual summer camp this year, but it was 100 hours total,” said Sye. “Our Futures First Program focuses on esports, coding, gamin, and entrepreneurship. Over four weeks, our team worked with students from 8th to 12th grade for five hours per day. Two hours were devoted to coding and game design – with the help of our partners Coderrific Academy and Code Differently. Then there was one hour for entrepreneurship where we covered things like starting a business, marketing, promoting, starting a website, esport monetization, and live streaming. Then, the last two hours were basically gameplay. Gamers worked on communication, teamwork, strategy, and gaming skills development.”

There were 10 graduating students in the first class over the summer. Sye said it was a great proof of concept. The class’s final project was evidence of that.

“Over the last two weeks, the campers were tasked with a hands-on collaborative project to produce and host their own online esports event,” he said. “They hosted a Brawlhalla tournament and ended up having great participation, and the event was flawless – it was an awesome learning experience.”

Futures First Gaming will be bringing the program back next summer and will shoot for an even larger class. But Sye hopes to push the program as a regular course in local high and middle schools to expose students to the available career paths.

“We’ll really be able to educate students on the possibilities if we can meet them where they are,” he said. “We have commitment from two Delaware school districts pending funding and have had conversations about our program with Departments of Education in several states.”

Equal Opportunity

Although not an exclusive organization, a fundamental goal of Futures First Gaming is to help expose minority students to the prospect of a career in the gaming industry, noted Sye.

“Looking at the landscape, 83% of Black teens game, but only about 9% of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) professionals are Black,” said Sye. “We really want to change that. We feel that the discrepancy exists because of a lack of awareness and opportunity. Our program works to correct this by reaching out to students through their interest in gaming but teaching them about the business side in the process. That way, they can imagine a future where they make a living doing what they love. In our concept of STEM, ‘E’ stands for entrepreneurship.”

To support this goal, Futures First Gaming has started to reach out to HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) to assist them in launching their own competitive esports teams. Sye is a strong believer that the opportunities in esports will continue to proliferate and offer opportunities to people of all kinds of backgrounds and interests.

“There really is a spiderweb of careers cropping up to support gaming,” he said. “For example, last year’s Fortnite world cup winner, a 16-year-old named Kyle Giersdorf, won $3 million. He’s a millionaire now. He’s going to need an esports-specific attorney. There are gaming companies that want to create game characters with his likeness and image, so he needs to negotiate that. He’ll need an accountant. He’ll even need a personal trainer to work on stamina and hand-eye coordination. The web of opportunity keeps spreading.”

“That’s why when students come to us, we can work on where their interests lie and steer them toward a great career opportunity.”

Tony Allen became president of Delaware State University on Jan. 1, 2020, after three years as the university’s provost. Before that, he spent nearly 14 years as Bank of America’s head of corporate reputation; president of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League; special assistant and speechwriter for then-U.S. Sen. Joe Biden for three years; and Delaware regional director of Public Allies for two years. More recently, Allen was named CEO of the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Biden’s inauguration.

Other recent news includes DSU’s receipt of a $20 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. According to Allen, the funding will go toward the University’s Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion and Civil Rights, its ongoing acquisition of Wesley college and the creation of an integrated College of Health and Behavioral Sciences and student scholarships via investment into the DSU endowment.

“I honestly believe in the impossible,” Allen says, “and what Delaware should be, and my ability to help us all get there.”

DPP: All your rankings by U.S. News improved for 2020, and DSU now ranks as the #3 public HBCU in America. But the big story is your “Social Mobility Index” score being in the top 1% for all U.S. schools. What does that mean to you?

TA: This is the one indicator that captures who we are and what a world-class HBCU does: we change the trajectory of our students’ lives. Delaware State – and our sister HBCU institutions – believe it’s critical that we make sure that the least financially advantaged students are matriculating and graduating on par with the broader student population. Half of our students are Pell-eligible, which is an income standard. Ninety-nine percent of them need financial aid, and some are homeless before they get to us. Traditionally, the extent to which universities are successful for these students has been something that got obscured in the details of the ratings. So when U.S. News put the social mobility indicator out there a few years ago, we knew that it would be important for us to check ourselves. I’m not surprised by the rating, but I am very pleased, not only by our achievement but about how many HBCUs made that top 100 list.

DPP: Is there a metric like increased number of inquiries or applications that will demonstrate the impact of this indicator?

TA: First-year retention is ultimately indicative of graduation success, and we started between about 58% and 61%, 10 years ago. Today we steadily retain our freshmen in the low to mid-70% range. To move that score, you really have to move that population that tends to struggle. And that means fighting to keep every single student you can, whether the issues are money, family or academics. Growth in this category is simply an indication that we are doing what we set out to do.

DPP: What does success look like for DSU?

TA: My priorities this year, when I took office in January, centered around building the financial health for the institution. And that had a lot to do with making sure we are managing our resources efficiently and also bringing new and more resources into the University — which we’ve done. The pandemic just focused the issue more clearly by reducing the margin for error.

Enhancing the culture of the University is also a big priority. I think of culture primarily as both how we interact with each other and our stakeholders, but it also relates to the notion of being more thoughtful as it relates to customer service. Our employees are now realizing that if an issue comes from another division, they need to jump in and help resolve it. Nobody ever says, “There’s a problem with Admissions or with Student Life.” They say, “There’s a problem with Delaware State University.” And we all have to own that.

That goes hand in hand with making sure that we’re creating a healthy and safe environment for our students, every single day, under every possible condition. COVID emphasized that for me. Every night one of the last questions to go through my mind is, “Have we have done our level best today to safeguard our students? If I can honestly answer, “Yes,” I sleep well. Most nights I do sleep well.

Finally, I made a priority of raising the university profile. One of the ways we thought that was important was to speak into the moment around issues that matter. We have been at the forefront as it relates to the pandemic and the disparities therein, and the civil unrest in America stemming from the systemic mistreatment of people of color by law enforcement.

That last one was crystallized for me when one young man — a student of almost limitless potential — said to me in a public forum about George Floyd’s death, “I am scared.” It is our collective responsibility, and Delaware State University’s special charge, to construct a world where talented young people do not have to be afraid of dying because of the color of their skin.

DPP: What’s been the biggest (non-COVID) surprise you’ve faced as president?

TA: It’s probably the great pride that the university community has in Delaware State University. I have said for years that Delaware State University is a hidden gem, and we have to change the “hidden” part of that. But I didn’t expect to feel the intensity so mightily as I have now. And it drives you to deliver. You don’t want to disappoint the students, staff, faculty and the alumni who every day are hoping that Delaware State University gets its just reward for what it’s been doing for 130 years.

DPP: You’ve always been known as a guy who believes that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” What are your thoughts on that nine months into your presidency?

TA: So we had a whole plan going into January 1 about the university and how we were going to position ourselves, and what our short-term wins would be, and what the long haul would look like. And that all changed overnight.

The first order of business was helping those students we know are from very vulnerable populations, whether they be homeless or in settings that we just wouldn’t want them returning to. So we made the decision to keep about 200 students on campus and make sure they had the resources they needed to be successful. That’s why we started our emergency relief fund and raised $1.5 million in eight weeks.

That was a very real moment where the faculty, staff and university stakeholders – particularly the alumni – stepped up. Our faculty transitioned 1,400 courses online in five days.

What I think about that as we move forward is if that’s the heart of who we are, it’s not about changing our culture, it’s about evolving it until we can do that more often for more people.

DPP: Is there a group of stakeholders or a group of constituents in particular that you think you need to focus on to achieve your goals?

TA: Probably the business community. If you want a quality, diverse talent pipeline for your institution or company, Delaware State University should be the first phone call you make. But historically it just has not been. I spend a lot of time discussing the civil unrest happening in the country with business leaders and making that case — that if you really are serious about these kinds of issues, there needs to be a bigger, broader, deeper relationship with Delaware State University.

DPP: What do you think differentiates Delaware from other states in terms of being able to attract companies or help the ones that are already here to grow and to either retain or attract college graduates?

TA: I’m originally from Jacksonville, Florida, but I grew up in New Castle. I just think Delaware is a great place to grow up and raise a family.

The second thing I’d say is the smallness of Delaware actually makes for easier partnerships and sort of a unity of focus when it matters most. Our entire congressional delegation is connected to the success of Delaware State University, and it’s rare that you find it’s just one without the others pushing along. I think that’s really important.

This is a place where you get to see your governor in the grocery store or pick up the phone and have a conversation with some of the highest folks in political office, and I think that matters. I think people and businesses want to come here because they see a really thoughtful talent pool that is loyal to the community they’re in and want to be successful.

DPP: What percentage of DSU students stay in Delaware after graduation?

TA: About 55% of our students are from Delaware. Those students, in large measure, stay local, and that’s good news for us. The number of out-of-state students who stay comes down to (1) what their experience was on campus and (2) the experience they were able to get off-campus in the broader community.

I go back to somebody like Cerron Cade, who’s from D.C. but got engaged in the political scene while on campus at Delaware State. Over the last 10 or 15 years, he connected with lots of people and spent time with then-Congressman John Carney. He worked on a couple of campaigns and showed what he could do. Now he is Delaware’s Secretary of Labor and has been nominated to serve as director of the state Office of Management and Budget.

I think that if you have experiential opportunities while you’re a student on campus, you’re going to find that you can have broader access of the folks you might not be able to get in other places. That can help build your career.

Delaware is a small state where you can make a big name for yourself, especially in chemistry — and LiveLoveDelaware and Delaware Prosperity Partnership are here to help you make it all happen. We’re a nonprofit state economic development agency that helps employers and in-demand talent (that’s you!) discover all the great reasons to live, work and play in Delaware.

Education and Healthcare in Delaware 

Delaware companies successfully partner with research and medical institutions to bring today’s top pharmaceutical breakthroughs and devices from idea to market. When you choose Delaware, you’ll join a top-tier workforce of professors, engineers, scientists, doctors and other STEM specialists driving innovations that impact lives both at home and across the world.

Entrepreneurs and Innovators Love Delaware

Have a great idea? Entrepreneurs and innovators will find all the tools they need to create, launch or grow a start-up in Delaware. Check out this innovative tool today.

Delaware is a powerhouse of medical, scientific and pharmaceutical research making it an ideal choice for innovators and bioscience start-ups, and we’re home to the Delaware Innovation Space, top-performing incubators, and ready-to-go lab space.

You may not be familiar yet with financing options, incentives and business development support needed to make your mark, but we are! Visit us today for everything you need to turn your idea into innovation.

Delaware Quality of Life

If you grew up in Delaware, you may think you need to move far away to make your mark on the world. But if you’re heading toward a career in chemistry, you’ll want to take another look. Opportunities are everywhere in Delaware — especially for chemists! Just ask Adesis Chemist Georgette Lang. She recently relocated to Delaware from the south and says “There’s always something really cool and interesting going in Delaware — especially for chemists!” Georgette’s favorite part: Delaware has all four seasons and all kinds of great things to do outdoors.

Delaware Creates a Diverse Tech Talent Pipeline 

Demand for tech talent has never been stronger and we’re working hard to make sure we have a diverse talent pipeline prepared to support every industry in Delaware. The accelerated digitization of our economy in the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the deployment of IT strategies in sectors like healthcare and education, manufacturing and agriculture. If you love science and technology, just imagine what you can accomplish in Delaware by combining those skills.

Want to know more about why you should choose Delaware for your career in chemistry? We’re here to help. Contact Noah Olson, Innovation Support Manager, at nolson@choosedelaware.com or Charles Madden, Director of Talent Services at cmadden@choosedelaware.com 

Delaware is a Hub for Innovation Especially in Life Sciences, Advanced Chemicals and IT 

Delaware continues to shine as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly for science, IT, and tech professionals. Offering the ideal environment for businesses and individuals to work, live and enjoy a vibrant life, Delaware is the perfect destination for anyone seeking to begin or develop their career in the STEM industry on the East Coast or Mid-Atlantic region. With its unique location, impressive talent pool, innovative climate, and diverse range of industry-leading STEM businesses, Delaware is where YOU need to be if you are a science or tech professional.

More Job Seekers Choose Delaware

Explore why more and more job seekers from every industry are discovering Delaware as a great place to work, live and play. From tourism to industry to lifestyle, the site will introduce you to successful scientists, artists, coders and chefs who wouldn’t live anywhere else — and you won’t either once you discover how great it is to LiveLoveDelaware. 

Innovation is nothing new to Delaware. But the Delaware Data Innovation Lab is new — brand new — and in just its first few weeks, a team of 22 “labsters” are already hard at work in the recently renovated CSC Station in Wilmington helping community partners use data analytics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality to “see” data and uncover solutions that will help Delaware, and the rest of the world, address COVID-19 and other pressing problems.

The Delaware Data Innovation Lab, or DDIL, was created in September through a $2M CARES Act Innovation grant from New Castle County to CompassRed, a Delaware-based data analytics and artificial intelligence company. Through DDIL, CompassRed will partner with universities, government, corporations and health care organizations to fast-forward research ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace.

Patrick Callahan, co-founder of CompassRed and the Delaware Data Innovation Lab, said County leaders wanted to use the funding to foster innovation and attract talent to the region. They also envisioned using technology to grow something with a long-term impact.

“When something as shocking as coronavirus shakes the world, there are opportunities that we could never have had before,” said Callahan. “With the support of New Castle County, our team went to work figuring out how to take advantage of this moment and tackle the issues that come from COVID.”

A board member for Delaware Prosperity Partnership, Callahan describes DDIL as a “collaborative, not competitive” nonprofit organization that uses objective data to combat COVID-19 and prepare for other issues we’ll face as a community and planet.

DDIL is already helping partners use data to pivot resources as they address such COVID-19 challenges as a significant drop in applications for federal financial aid by underserved, low-income students or helping the hospitality industry make customers feel safer using their services during a pandemic. The team is also using data to study home insecurity caused by the threat of housing evictions, and ways to predict future outbreaks, and plan for testing and vaccination sites based on wastewater testing.

“Crises create unique opportunities that can change the course of history,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. The Delaware Data Innovation Lab redirects thinking in both the private and public sectors for the long-term, said Meyer, and turns Delaware into a hub of data innovation and analytical thinking for the country and for the world.

“We’re going to put your work to use here in Delaware and learn from it to make better policy,” the County Executive told the DDIL labsters. “The way we’ll get out of COVID-19 is through innovation.”

Anne Clauss, who heads Strategy & Operations for DDIL, has already discovered that things happen faster here in Delaware than anywhere else in the world.

“There is no place like Delaware to test ideas,” said Clauss. “Delaware is where innovation gets real, and that’s why we’re here.”

If you love chemistry, there are so many reasons to consider living and working in Delaware. Whether your chemistry career leads you to get into pharmaceuticals, industrial and agricultural chemicals, forensics, or nanotechnology, Delaware’s STEM network is among the strongest in the nation. Our universities, employers, and investors are ready and willing to help you develop your talent and make a real difference in our world.

From the University of Delaware and its STAR Campus (Science, Technology and Advanced Research), the Center for Composite Materials and the Horn Entrepreneurship Program, which combines hands-on learning with potential venture capital investment; to Delaware State University’s Center for Neuroscience Research and NIIMBL biopharmaceutical training center; to community-focused organizations like Zip Code Wilmington Bootcamp, we’re all about educating the next generation of successful STEM innovators in Delaware.

Your Future Begins in the Chemistry Capital of the World

Once you have that solid STEM training under your belt,  there’s no better place to put your talent to work than right here in Delaware, the “Chemical Capital of the World.” Help discover the breakthroughs of tomorrow with one of our many up-and-coming biotechs. Or join a recognized leader like Adesis, Agilent, Chemours, Corteva Agriscience, DuPont, Incyte, Prelude Therapeutics or W.L. Gore & Associates — all headquartered here in Delaware. Their innovative solutions are protecting our planet and transforming lives through clean energy, medical breakthroughs and countless other wonders of chemistry, and they are always looking for the best and brightest scientific minds to help advance their work.

Whether you prefer life at the beach or vibrant city life, it’s here for you in Delaware, complete with great restaurants, brew pubs, and venues, plenty of room to explore the outdoors, and easy access to anywhere in the world from our convenient location. You may even know Delaware as home to the iconic Firefly musical festival — where the biggest names in live music take the stage each summer.

Delaware is a small state where you can make a big name for yourself — especially when pursuing a chemistry career — and Delaware Prosperity Partnership is here to help you make it all happen. We’re a nonprofit state economic development agency that helps employers and talent (that’s you!) discover all the great reasons to live, work and play in Delaware. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a lexicon of words and phrases that have quickly become commonplace. Consider “flatten the curve,” “mask up” and “shelter in place.” In business, companies receive kudos for their ability to “pivot.”

In reality, pivoting is another word for adapting, and even before the pandemic, it was the characteristic of a successful company. JPMorgan Chase is a prime example. The nation’s largest bank is also among Delaware’s largest employers, with close to 11,000 employees in the state.

Early on, JPMorgan Chase realized the value of Delaware’s strong financial services sector. In 2014, the company spent $44 million to buy a 58-acre parcel in Wilmington from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, including a four-story 203,602-square-foot structure and three-story 153,949-square-foot facility. In 2015, after investing $185 million in renovations, JPMorgan Chase christened its state-of-the-art Delaware Technology Center on the site, which is zoned to allow an additional 800,000 square feet of office space.

JPMorgan Chase contributes to the community as well as to Delaware’s economy. In April 2020, for instance, JPMorgan Chase’s Delaware Market Leadership team committed $100,000 in funding to target immediate and medium-term local needs related to COVID-19. In 2019, the firm announced a $4 million investment over three years with Equitable Wilmington so more residents can share in the rewards of a growing economy. The funding will support affordable housing development, small businesses and community facilities in neighborhoods surrounding Wilmington’s Central Business District.

Delaware Prosperity Partnership talked to Don Mell, Executive Director and Site Lead for JPMorgan Chase in Delaware, about the company’s continued growth in the state’s exploding fintech and financial services sector.

How challenging was it to adapt to the new normal during the pandemic?

We really pulled together as a team, our leadership and our entire employee base pulled together. I also give credit to Delaware. From day one, Governor John Carney recognized the importance of financial services in the state, and he made it easy for us to do our job safely.

The mayor of Wilmington, the New Castle County executive and the governor were all on the same page. People in this area feel confident and comfortable with their leadership. All three have provided clear, consistent and transparent decision-making and leadership as events unfolded over the course of the past year.

You’ve been hiring. What’s driving the growth?

If you think about it, this year has been so trying on people’s finances. Our customers need us now more than ever.

On the retail side, we’ve been expanding with new branches so people can do their banking, so we are continuously hiring for that. We’re strong in the digital space as well. For example, we recently hired 30-plus graduates from Zip Code Wilmington, a nonprofit software-development training program. In other words, pumping the brakes is not a possibility for us.

What attracts talent to Delaware?

The proximity to D.C., Philadelphia, New York and other cities on the East Coast is obvious. People are also re-evaluating the benefits as well as the downside that a large metropolitan lifestyle presents and are seeing the advantages that smaller cities and communities offer. If you look at the cost of living, the value you get in Delaware is equal to or better than almost anywhere else on the East Coast.

Anyone who can work from home can be in a family-friendly place and save money. It’s easier to get around here than in larger metropolitan areas. It’s easier to go out, and it’s easier to interact.

When it comes to talent, what do you need?

The need for us is still at all skill levels. We need entry-level, and we need executive-level. We have every line of business in this state, and the skillset for one might be quite different from the skillset for another.

Things are progressing rapidly on the technological front because the pandemic has forced them to. We need to address technology and infrastructure as a company and as a country. Both need to be a priority not only for the state but also for our industry — and other industries.

There’s a race to make sure there’s a tech talent pipeline and also to diversify that pipeline. We need to reskill and upskill people. We need to make sure higher education is doing its part, as well as nontraditional areas of learning, so we’re nimble.

What is the future of the workplace?

We’ve learned a lot of lessons over the past year. The things we assumed six months ago are not necessarily true today. The workplace a year from now will not look like the workplace of a year ago, but it won’t look like it does now. You’re going to see office redesigns. People will always want to interact with other folks. The meaning of interaction has changed throughout this pandemic, and whether it’ll be in-person or not, and how soon, remains to be seen. But whatever the case may be, we will need collaboration to do it well.

What is JPMorgan Chase’s approach to building community?

We’re very proud that per capita, we have as much volunteer engagement in this market as anywhere else in the country. We have a highly engaged employee base. We make an impact by thinking about people that aren’t as fortunate as we are. And, we know how important it is to be strategic in our investments in community development.

We think it may be because Delaware’s size is one of its strengths; its size seems to enable a deeper and stronger sense of community in this company.

Securing a personal loan once required an in-person visit to a bank, lots of paperwork and days spent waiting by the phone. No longer. Best Egg’s customers can use their computer or smartphone to apply for a personal loan and, if approved, receive the loan proceeds in as little as one business day.

Best Egg — which conjures images of a nest egg and fiscal responsibility — specializes in fixed-rate loans for various purposes, including debt consolidation, home improvement projects, significant purchases and credit card refinancing.

The cleverly named brand belongs to Marlette Funding LLC, which in many ways represents the past, present and future of financial services in Delaware.

Banking has a long history in corporate-friendly Delaware. Marlette Funding’s CEO, Jeffrey Meiler, previously worked for Barclays Bank and CitiGroup, longtime employers in the state.

Frank Borchert, the CAO and general counsel, has 20 years of financial services experience, including positions with JPMorgan Chase.

“Many of us have worked in traditional financial institutions at one point of our career,” Borchert says. “We believe that the movement of customers online is accelerating.”

Marlette Funding was founded in 2013, and Best Egg launched in 2014. At that time, many financial firms were mired in traditional approaches to technology and online services.

Marlette, however, embraced the public cloud and the latest engineering and design practices to serve customers better and maintain agility in an ever-changing market.

As a result, Best Egg created a seamless digital experience for customers who are financially sound but need to pay off debt, lower interest rates, decrease monthly payments or finance large purchases.

Online resource sites such as Credit Karma help drive traffic to Best Egg. The company has also placed Google ads and used direct mail.

Judging by the numbers, Marlette Funding is onto something. In the first five months of 2015, Best Egg exceeded 2014 loan originations of $383 million. In 2019, the company had a GAAP profit in the double-digit millions. Best Egg surpassed $11 billion in cumulative originations before the close of 2020.

That’s not to say the company eschews the need for bricks and mortar. In March 2020, Marlette Funding signed a long-term lease for 60,000 square feet of built-to-suit Class A office space in The Concord, a mixed-use community in the Wilmington suburbs.

Not surprisingly, the pandemic has affected the design. There will be room for social distancing, and Marlette Funding is paying particular attention to air quality.

The company currently has more than 200 employees in Delaware, and “we expect that number to continue to grow as we expand to serve our customers across the nation,” Borchert says.

Indeed, the deep talent pool is one reason why Marlette Funding is headquartered in the state, he notes. There is a wealth of people experienced in financial services, many of whom want to grow and develop.

Given that many West Coast fintech companies have opened Delaware locations, there is also an increasing number of people with skill sets specific to the sector. To further nurture Delaware’s tech talent, Marlette Funding has supported Zip Code Wilmington, a 12-week coding boot camp in Delaware that gives students technical, interpersonal and leadership skills.

Delaware also offers a high quality of life, particularly for families, he adds. The interest in the team’s welfare characterizes the lender. In 2020, Delaware’s News Journal newspaper named Marlette Funding the Top Workplace in Delaware for Midsize Companies.

Recently, the company received the Top Workplaces Award for ranking high in innovation and strong values. While employees have worked from home, they’ve participated in virtual cooking lessons, art projects and social hours led by senior leadership.

After gathering employee feedback on diversity, Marlette Funding remotely mobilized a cross-functional team to focus on education, awareness and action. The goal is to cultivate a diverse and inclusive atmosphere.

The company is also broadening its engagement to remain on top of customers’ needs. Ideally, Best Egg will expand through its consumer insights community, The Nest. The Nest enables Best Egg to connect with customers in a meaningful way and gain feedback and insights to improve and develop future products. A credit card is the newest addition to the toolbox.

“We want to make sure we are serving our customers,” Borchert says. “We believe we can continue to do so and grow in Delaware.”

When it comes to an affordable cost of living, Delaware consistently ranks among the top states on the eastern seaboard.  Not only are the ample job opportunities; the cost of living in Delaware is more affordable when compared with other areas in the MidAtlantic.

Here’s Why:

Delaware’s low cost of living is driven largely by affordable housing prices and low property taxes. Three-quarters of Delaware’s homeowners spend less than $2,000 per month on housing, and about 85% of renter households in Delaware spend less than $1,500 per month on housing. 

Low Property Taxes

Did you know that Delaware’s property taxes are notably lower than the rest of the region, ranking among the lowest across the United States? In fact, while New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country—and most northeastern states rank among the top 20 — Delaware has the sixth-lowest property taxes nationally, allowing residents to afford more square footage.

Household Income

Delaware residents enjoy a median household income that’s eight percent higher than the national average, high-wage job opportunities in lucrative industries, a diverse range of affordable housing, and a low tax burden without state-level property taxes and sales tax. 

Wilmington’s Cost of Living

The cost-of-living index for the Wilmington metro area is consistently lower than other urban markets on the East Coast, while the index for central and southern Delaware is consistently less than the U.S. average. 

Quick Facts

• No Sales Tax
• #2 Lowest Personal Tax Burden (WalletHub, 2020)
• #6 Lowest Property Taxes (WalletHub, 2021)
• #8 most affordable states (WalletHub, 2019)
• #5 state for homeownership (U.S. Census, 3Q2020)
  • 75% of Delaware households own their home
• #9 lowest gas prices in the U.S. (AAA, April 2021)
• Lowest residential electricity prices in the Northeast (U.S. Energy Information Administration, April 2021)
• Among the most affordable housing markets in the Northeast
  • Average home value of $285,000 according to Zillow
  • 17% lower than MD, 19% lower than NY (state), 25% lower than NJ
• Top 10 states for lowest home insurance (Insurance.com, 2021)

To learn more about living in Delaware and how the cost of living in places like Wilmington, Dover, or Sussex County compares to your current location, check out our Cost of Living calculator.