Philadelphia has both a digital divide and an entrepreneurship divide. Two new initiatives supported by telecommunications giant Verizon are the latest efforts from inside city government to shrink both.

Keyspot Innovation and Technology Centers, or KIT Centers, will be upgraded versions of the City of Philadelphia’s Keyspots, a network of around 50 public-access computer centers across the city. These centers are located in public, private and nonprofit organizations, including rec centers and Free Library of Philadelphia branches. Starting with eight locations, the KIT Centers will offer faster internet (300 Mbps), more programming and updated devices for use.

The Philadelphia Fund for Leadership, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, or Philadelphia FLIE, will create opportunities for collaboration, programming and funding for minority entrepreneurs. This initiative’s “organizing principle” is to create an externally focused fund to complement the City’s existing Innovation Fund, which makes grants to support technical projects within local government, said a spokesperson for the City’s Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT).

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