PHOTOS: Inside FreedomPay’s New FMC Tower Headquarters

At FreedomPay’s new corporate headquarters. Courtesy photos.

It’s official: Financial technology company FreedomPay is all settled into its new FMC Tower headquarters  and the relocation tells two important stories for the company and for Philadelphia.

For one, FreedomPay uprooted its Radnor-based office and moved 150 employees to the new University City 25,000 square foot space. The company made the decision to go where its employers are as more and more workers were commuting from Philadelphia to the suburban town. Founder and CEO Thomas Durovsik told Philadelphia magazine that the company should’ve relocated sooner.

At the company’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mayor Jim Kenney told attendees that FreedomPay is one example of local business development that’s supported by the state’s Keystone Opportunity Zone. And, “There are many more factors than tax incentives that go into a company’s decision to open up in any city and here in Philadelphia,” Kenney said. “Public safety, quality of life, and affordability are part of the equation. Philly has a lot to offer in each.”

Plus, Kenney added that FreedomPay will have no problem fitting into the city. That’s because the company recently launched the Philadelphia Artist Series, an initiative to connect Philly’s art and tech communities.

With the help of local art consultants, FreedomPay commissioned area artists — Nate Harris, Meredith Sellers, and the True Hand Society — to create pieces already being displayed at the new headquarters.

“We wanted to create a space for our employees that not only provided the latest innovations and amenities, but also exposed them to the city’s rich artistic heritage,” said CEO Durovsik. “Both technology and the arts have the unique ability to inspire people and by making our office a forum for local artists to showcase their creativity, we believe we are creating an environment that talented individuals will want to be part of.”

Isabel Lederman, one of the art consultants on the project told Philadelphia magazine that each piece is conceptually driven with some kind of connection to the cloud and internet trends. “The end goal here is greater outreach to our community,” she said, “There’s an opportunity for other larger companies to connect with the art world, too.”

Here are some scenes from FreedomPay’s new corporate headquarters and ribbon-cutting ceremony:

FreedomPay exec team with Mayor image – (From L to R): Neal Halbe, Senior Vice President of Finance; Chris Kronenthal, Chief Technology Officer; Tom Durovsik, Founder and CEO; James Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia.

FreedomPay’s Chief Technology Officer, Chris Kronenthal, cutting the ribbon on the new offices.

FredomPay’s Welcome Desk. Courtesy photo.

FreedomPay conference room. Courtesy photo.

The view from FreedomPay’s new corporate HQ. Courtesy photo.

The Engineers by graphic artist Nate Harris displayed at FreedomPay. “Nate’s work depicts two forms, one male and one female, both shielding themselves to invoke the measures of security FreedomPay provides to its customers.” Courtesy photos.

Artist and writer Meredith Sellers stands by her piece Cloud. “Cloud Backdrop is part of a series of drawings of clouds I’ve been making for several years. Referencing the Romantic conception of the word “sublime” – an awe and terror found in the incredible beauty of the natural world – these drawings, synthesized from Google-sources internet images, ambiguously evoke both a foreboding cinematic drama and, conversely, a meditative stillness,” Sellers says. While an over reference to the natural, Cloud Backdrop assumes a new, synthetic edge; a metaphorical reference to the billions and billions of bits of information we store and the meaning we place in this data.

Scrum Room mural by Fishtown creative studio True Hand Society. “The heart and soul of FreedomPay, our Scrum and Sprint software methodology is responsible for our world class status and industry following. The mural by True Hand Society is an homage to our people, our partners and our integrity. Scrum Room is an interpretive piece intended to reveal the true nature of FreedomPay; exhaustive, relentless and most importantly, triumphant,” FreedomPay says.

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