“I love Philadelphia. I love every inch of it,” said Alba Martínez — Philadelphia’s first Latina and LGBTQ+ director of commerce — when she was first appointed to the role as one of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s first choices in December 2023.
“While of course this is a city-wide role, I do recognize the significance of representation and inclusion,” said Martinez, who is a lesbian. “The LGBTQ community plays a really critical role in the economic narrative of our city, and I want to make sure that it gets the visibility, the recognition and the support it deserves.”
The administration just announced that Martínez will be stepping down from her role with the city on May 1 — but she’s moving into an opportunity that will continue to celebrate visibility.
Her love for Philadelphia will be on full display as she pursues “La Guagua 47” — an original musical she’s producing which will premiere in 2026. The project started as a salsa song turned short film — a love letter to the energy of the city’s Latinx community that both welcomed her and continued to feed her life here.
The show follows a young Latina migrant who is new to Philadelphia as she takes the SEPTA 47 bus route through the city and discovers a sense of community along her journey. It’s based on her own experience, written to honor one summer day in 1985 when Martínez, who is Puerto Rican, discovered the city’s Caribbean community — and a feeling of home — when she stepped off the 47 bus.
“It changed my life. When I got off at 5th and Lehigh, there was a combo playing in front of el Centro Musical, the music coming through the windows of the bus, a lot of color, a lot of people hugging, greeting each other, a lot of energy,” she told WHYY when she first released the song. “And there began my contact with my people that led to many relationships, both work and friendship, as well as music — it is my life in Philadelphia.”
Martínez became someone who empowered Philadelphians both in her service to the community and as a role model. She was one of few openly LGBTQ+ business leaders who agreed to talk to the Philadelphia Inquirer about authenticity in the workplace in 2008.
“You can’t be in leadership and not be who you are,” she said at the time. “You lead by example. Leaders have to be truthful and open. I couldn’t live any other way.”
She’s worked as an executive with Vanguard, was the president and CEO of the local chapter of United Way, and was the commissioner of Philadelphia’s Department of Health and Human Services.
When appointed to be the city’s director of commerce, she told PGN that she hoped to use the position to connect people with the resources and networks that will help them grow and succeed.
“What I find in communities that are more economically marginalized is that often the talent is there, the drive is there, the passion is there, the capacity is there,” she said. “What they lack is information and access to folks who can open doors.”
And she’s accomplished that goal.
Martínez recently launched the Philadelphia Small Business Catalyst Fund — a $5 million investment designed to grow the city’s high-potential small businesses and entrepreneurs by connecting them to education, mentorship, capital and strategic guidance.
She also launched the Business Action Team — a concierge service providing personalized assistance in multiple languages to entrepreneurs in Philadelphia — and partnered with the mayor to expand PHL Taking Care of Business programs, which provides work opportunities and improves cleanliness in commercial corridors.
“Serving as Mayor Parker’s director of commerce has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” she said. “I am proud of the foundation we’ve built together…”
“I look forward to staying involved as a member of the city’s business community and a champion of Mayor Parker’s agenda to build a more equitable and prosperous One Philly for all,” she continued.“Alba Martínez has been a true partner in driving our economic opportunity agenda in Philadelphia. Her dedication and creativity have laid a strong foundation for inclusive growth throughout our city and its many neighborhoods,” said Mayor Parker. “I have known and worked with Alba for a long time, and I am confident she will continue to be a passionate advocate for our vision of a Philadelphia that is inclusive, energetic and open for business every day.”
