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2014 Forbes Under 30 Honoree Returns To Philly With Unique Education Initiative

By Melony Roy

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Forbes Under 30 Summit brings millennials from all over the world to Philadelphia to network and share ideas, but making the list brought one Philly native home to talk about a unique education initiative.

Philadelphia native Dan Berkowitz was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in education last year while he was living in L.A. working on a music education program for under-served youths.

"You saw the effects very quickly on both the students and their families and the communities on how music can really unite people," says Berkowitz, "give a sense of purpose and really be used as a tool for social change."

Berkowitz is now the director of collaborative learning for the Philadelphia Orchestra.

"I came to this conference and was speaking with Mayor Nutter on the social innovation tour and he said this is really interesting work you're doing and said why aren't you doing this in Philadelphia? As it turns out there's a job open at the Philadelphia Orchestra to lead the education and community initiative of the orchestra and here I am."

He says the power of networking is really exciting at the under 30 summit

"This conference brings together people who inspire in their own way, in their own communities and when you have this energy sorta aggregated it gets everyone energized to go back into their communities and continue either the small or in many cases exponential changes that was already happening so it's always exciting when you get a group like this in one place and I'm glad it's in Philadelphia."

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