How SW BIO CARE is Advancing Philadelphia’s Life Science Ecosystem
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by Rachel Hazzard December 15, 2025
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SW BIO CARE — a commercial real estate development venture based in Southwest Philadelphia that was recently featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal — came about when Dr. Tia Lyles-Williams, Goffman Bougard, Inc.’s CEO, decided to enter the commercial real estate space.
Dr. Lyles-Williams is the first African American queer woman to own and lead a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company. She’s built a 22+ year career in biotechnology and biopharma, with experience at the National Institutes of Health, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Amgen, Inc., Baxter BioScience (now Takeda), Lonza, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and GSK.
Founded in 2022, SW BIO CARE is a joint venture between Goffman Bougard, Inc., a financial holdings company investing in commercial real estate and STEM manufacturing to drive economic growth, and Urbane Development, a New York City–based community development firm and certified MBE.
How it all began
Although Dr. Lyles-Williams had vast experience in working collaboratively to build biomanufacturing facilities, she knew she needed a strategic partner like Urbane to help guide her commercial real estate development efforts. When asked about collaborating with Urbane, Dr. Tia said “Urbane not only has commercial real estate development experience, but more importantly has experience in building ecosystems within underrepresented neighborhoods for underrepresented-owned small businesses [and] start-ups.”
Founded in 2008, Urbane cultivates innovative solutions to build dynamic neighborhoods and positively impact underserved communities. Led by Principal and CEO James Johnson Piett, Urbane brought a deep understanding of commercial real estate to the table.
“My journey to commercial real estate development started here in Philadelphia back in the early 2000s as a program manager for the PA Fresh Food Financing Initiative,” said Piett. In that role, he worked with many small, minority-owned retailers who owned their properties, requiring him to blend small business expertise with real estate development to successfully close deals.
“When I started Urbane, I saw that blend of investment as a critical gap in the journey to asset building for the communities I cared about. So, I slowly built up a practice that would focus on developing real assets with business and economic development as the drivers for success within historically disinvested communities,” added Piett.
Cultivating the new development partnership
SW BIO CARE is developing a mixed-use campus centered on Life Sciences in the Lower Schuylkill area of Southwest Philadelphia. The campus will be anchored by a Bio-Manufacturing Hub led by LucasPye BIO—a CDMO start-up and Goffman Bougard, Inc. subsidiary dedicated to lowering the cost of biotherapeutic drugs and creating high-quality job opportunities. The broader campus will also include light industrial, retail, and commercial space, along with housing.
SW BIO CARE has raised roughly $3.2M for the commercial real estate project from various sources, including the Commonwealth’s RACP program.
PIDC has also supported SW BIO CARE by funding Phase I and Phase II environmental reports for the properties envisioned for the mixed-use campus through PAID’s Environmental Impact Program, funded by a U.S. EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant.
Environmental Reports
Phase 1
Review property history, including maps, photographs, historical records, etc
Explore government databases
Perform a visual assessment
Meet with property stakeholders and former employees
Phase 2
Identify potential site contaminants
Test soil, groundwater, and other environmental samples
Review test results and examine sites flagged for issues
The Environmental Impact Program, launched in 2023, helps PIDC clients navigate the environmental assessments required as part of property acquisition. Before a project can be considered for EPA funding, PIDC builds the case for its value—demonstrating how it will strengthen Philadelphia through family-sustaining jobs, improved quality of life, community benefits, and broader economic impact.
“Assessments can be prohibitively expensive, especially for small businesses,” said Julia Cohen, Analyst and Project Manager at PIDC. “By providing this funding, we can help businesses move forward with buying a property, especially since assessments can sometimes uncover major problems. Supporting businesses that haven’t historically had access to capital is at the heart of PIDC’s work, driving growth and opportunity across Philadelphia.”
8
Clients supported by PAID’s Environmental Impact Program
$200K~
in funds distributed to environmental assessments since 2023
PIDC currently has a request for proposals open for environmental engineering firms interested in conducting environment assessments under a 2025 Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment Grant.
What’s next?
The SW BIO CARE team is now collaborating with Fifteen Architecture & Engineering to develop a comprehensive pre-construction strategy and engage the Southwest Philadelphia community.
SW BIO CARE’s focus on collaboration and community-centered development aligns with the approach PIDC has taken in its redevelopment efforts in Southwest Philadelphia since the adoption of the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan in 2013. The team works closely with the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth to ensure that projects support entrepreneurship, workforce development, and resilient community autonomy. They also prioritize engaging the voices of the local community and the Philadelphia Life Science ecosystem to guide their decisions. As Dr. Lyles-Williams explains, “We’re able to stay innovative by prioritizing collaboration with the ‘voice’ of our customers…and community members of Southwest Philadelphia.”
When asked about memorable moments in her business journey, Dr. Lyles-Williams highlighted several achievements she’s particularly proud of, including being invited to The White House via LucasPye BIO to represent the State of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia.
Reflecting on her experiences, Dr. Lyles-Williams offers this advice to other Black women looking to start or grow a business in Philadelphia: “Stick to your core and be loyal to your mission. These attributes provide sustainability for your company’s innovation and ensure visibility to garner support from your customers and strategic partners.” Her words serve as a guiding principle for building businesses that are both impactful and enduring.
Financing You Need to Succeed
Learn more about PIDC’s financing opportunities for businesses.”
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