Philip Murphy Wants to Accelerate New Jersey’s Middleclass
Imagine moving more than 3,000 miles away from home to live in a different country and learning to make a new place feel like home. For some, this might be an exhilarating thought. But for others, it may seem nerve wracking. For Philip Murphy and his family, this wasn’t just a thought, it was an exciting opportunity. Philip was appointed as the Ambassador to Germany by President Barack Obama in 2009. He, his wife Tammy, and their four children lived there until 2013.
Before Philip became Ambassador to Germany, he led a successful career in business. He worked at Goldman Sachs for more than 20 years. Throughout his life, Philip has worked with various charitable organizations. Today, he is a co-founder and chairman of New Start New Jersey. His wife, Tammy, is also a co-founder for the organization. New Start New Jersey is an organization with the underlying goal to serve New Jersey’s middle class by accelerating the state’s economy.
Philip’s talk for TEDxNavesink 2015: Accelerators will be along the same lines. His talk, “A New Start for New Jersey,” will highlight ways to maximize New Jersey’s current assets and rethink existing plans to give the middleclass a new start.
Philip now lives in Middletown with his family, but he grew up outside of Boston. He came from a working class family and was the youngest of four. After graduating from Harvard University and receiving his Master’s Degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he landed a summer associates position with Goldman Sachs and launched the beginning of his long career working with the company. He held various positions there, including senior positions in Frankfurt, New York and Hong Kong. After retiring from Goldman Sachs, Philip served as National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2006-2009. Before his nomination as Ambassador, he focused on his company, Murphy Endeavors LLC, a consultant company.
When Philip became Ambassador, his main goal was to educate the youth of Germany using exchange programs, town hall meetings, and social media. He and his family enjoyed representing the U.S. soccer team since the Murphys are all avid soccer fans. Philip was involved in creating a professional women’s soccer franchise for New Jersey, Sky Blue FC. He also served on the board for the U.S. Soccer Foundation and U.S. Soccer Federation World Cup Bid Committee
Philip has devoted a lot of his time to a variety of charitable organizations, especially New Jersey-based organizations. He and Tammy founded 2nd Floor, a hotline for troubled teens. He served as the board president for 180 Turning Lives around, an organization for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. But these are just a few of the organizations Philip has devoted his time to. He has also chaired numerous organizations in and outside of New Jersey.
One of the reasons Philip is passionate about working for the middleclass and New Start New Jersey, is because he came from a middleclass family. He remembers living in a community that valued its middleclass and fought to ensure the wellbeing of these families. He feels this mindset made New Jersey and the U.S. what is today, but believes this attitude has been waning lately.
Philip is passionate about civil rights, education, progressive and pragmatic public policy, urban development, and the importance of these things were instilled in him at young age. His passions can be seen in the work he puts into all the organizations he has been involved with, including Local Initiatives Support Corporation, NAACP Special Contribution Fund, Center for American Progress, Prosperity New Jersey, New Jersey Benefits Task Force — just to name a few.
Today, Philip focuses on his family and working for the middleclass through his work with New Start New Jersey.
Want to learn more about Philip’s ideas on how to accelerate New Jersey’s middleclass? Get your ticket to TEDxNavesink Accelerators: 2015 by clicking here. TEDxNavesink Accelerators: 2015 is on Saturday, April 11 at Monmouth University and will feature a wide variety of speakers who will discuss innovative ideas and cutting edge thought.
Audrey Ardine graduated from Douglass Residential College at Rutgers University in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is currently working for a trade association in Monmouth County. She resides in Red Bank and has lived there for most of her life.
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