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About Us

The Welcoming Center promotes inclusive economic growth through immigrant integration.

The Welcoming Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia that promotes inclusive economic growth through immigrant integration.

Founded in 2003, TWC works to open doors of economic opportunity for immigrants of all education and skill levels and build immigrants’ individual and collective agency to address barriers to integration and wellbeing.

TWC collaborates with its participants, a broad spectrum of organizations, and public and private sector institutions to advance learning, shape policy, and grow the economy.

Meet Our Founder

A professional physical therapist from County Monaghan, Ireland, Anne O’Callaghan, founder of The Welcoming Center, came to the United States in 1970.

Anne aimed to build a career in Philadelphia, but she learned that because she was foreign trained, she could not take the Pennsylvania State Medical Examiners’ Physical Therapy licensing exam without which she could not practice in the state. It took three years for her to get her Pennsylvania Physical Therapy license at a time when Physical Therapists were very much needed in the State. Anne had a very satisfying career in community health and teaching physical therapy students at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2000 while volunteering for an immigrant resource center which primarily helped Irish-American immigrants, Anne encountered a woman from China, who spoke almost no English, but was seeking help finding an ESOL class for her son. Anne’s experience trying to find ESOL classes for this lady brought home to her how exponentially more difficult the integration experience is for immigrants with limited English-speaking abilities. Anne decided that she had to do something to create a centralized resource center for immigrants where they could easily access information about ESOL, jobs and establishing small businesses as they started their new lives in our region.

In 2003, Anne and her close network of friends and supporters opened the Pennsylvania Immigrant Resource Center, which ultimately became The Welcoming Center.

This organization has carried out her vision for over a decade. To date, The Welcoming Center has served over 17,000 people from over 150 countries around the world, promoting inclusive economic growth through immigrant integration, just as Anne envisioned.

Meet Our Team

Louise Bittout is the Communications Manager for The Welcoming Center. Contact Louise at louise@welcomingcenter.rog

Inez Bruce is the Student Support Coordinator at The Welcoming Center.

Karen Cervera is the IPP Program Manager.

Nina Chen joined The Welcoming Center in 2013 after a lengthy corporate career as an employee benefits lawyer at the Philadelphia law firm Montgomery McCracken; a recruiter with an executive search firm Salveson Stetson Group; and a partner at Mercer, a global human resource consulting firm.

As a child of Chinese immigrants who realized success after coming to the U.S., Nina is excited to be a part of a vibrant organization dedicated to helping other immigrant families realize the American Dream.

Sam Chanzi is our IT Support at The Welcoming Center.

Manuel Castillo Figueroa is the Cooperative Developer at The Welcoming Center.

Layla El Tannir is the Director of Entrepreneurship at The Welcoming Center. Prior to joining The Welcoming Center, Layla spent nine years at Reading Terminal Market, helping the non-profit and the merchant leadership navigate the competitive landscape, both digitally and physically. Her role focused on: community and corporate partnerships, commercial and temporary leasing, e-commerce, and supported marketing and public relations efforts. 
 
Layla graduated from Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality & Food Management with a degree in Hospitality Management and a focus on Business and Tourism. As part of her degree, Layla completed her co-op with Global Philadelphia Association, and continued to engage with the organization through the Emerging International Journalists Program. Most recently, Layla joined Global Philadelphia Association’s Board of Directors.  

Aliyah Gardner is an Administrative Support Specialist at The Welcoming Center.

While working for PNC Bank, Aliyah obtained over 16 years of banking, administrative, and management experience.

She attended Gordon Phillips Beauty in the year 2000 and studied to become a teacher of cosmetology. She also owns a business called Be-Love-Li Beauty where she makes and sells handmade cosmetics.

Aliyah’s heart is with helping individuals that live in poverty-stricken communities. Prior to the pandemic, she and her family would go to Love Park in Philadelphia and feed anyone that was hungry, while food supplies lasted. They called themselves, Mobile Blessings.

Someday soon Aliyah plans on going back to school to obtain a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a focus on public health. With this, she plans to open community centers and community gardens in poverty-stricken neighborhoods, upgrading the world in a positive way, one neighborhood at a time.

Anuj Gupta is the President and CEO of The Welcoming Center.

Cylia Hamma is the Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator

Megan “MJ” Johnson is the Development & Communications Coordinator at The Welcoming Center.

Elizabeth Jones oversees organizational impact and helps support a learning culture in pursuit of the mission and strategic planning goals. She is responsible for all aspects of monitoring, evaluation, and impact reporting.  She works with program directors to assess need and organizational capacity to deliver program outcomes which uphold the mission and support the relationships of all stakeholders who contribute to shaping the experience of Welcoming Center participants.

Before joining the staff, Elizabeth became familiar with the Welcoming Center by volunteer teaching ESL. For the previous 19 years, she was a founding partner in an architecture and urban planning firm where she worked extensively in community development. Through these experiences Elizabeth gained a keen understanding for the complexities of urban communities and overlapping priorities of various groups, and helped clients develop community-driven projects and sustainable methods for decision-making.

Elizabeth proudly serves on the board of East West InterKnit, a partnership ministry serving those in need around the world.  In her free time she works on writing projects, cooks, travels out of her comfort zone, creates playlists with her kids, learns French, and takes long walks in the city.

Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, a Master of Arts in Geography from Temple University, and a CELTA (Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults).

Napanan Kaewsri is an Employment Specialist at The Welcoming Center. Napanan has a professional background in HR recruitment, with extensive experience in both non-profit organizations and recruitment agencies. In her previous role as Senior Human Resources Officer at International Rescue Committee in Thailand, she led the recruitment process for a wide range of positions across the organization. Her expertise spans talent sourcing, interviewing, managing the full recruitment cycle, and overseeing onboarding.

She is now joining the IPP team as an Employment Specialist, where she coaches individual program participants to prepare for job applications and interviews.

Mariama Korka Diallo is the Administrative support specialist. She joined The Welcoming Center staff in April 2024
 
She is a passionate advocate for early childhood education and community service from Guinea, West Africa. With a law degree, she worked for six years in law firms before embarking on a career in human resources. After immigrating to the United States, Mariama continued to pursue her passion for helping others. She is fluent in Fulani, French, Sousou, and an intermediate level of English. 
 
 Mariama’s core values ​​revolve around the relationships she has with her friends, family, and community. She is driven by a dream to support those around her through personal relationships or broader community efforts. —rooted in her own life-changing experiences—fuels her mission to help others achieve their educational goals. She firmly believes that education can change mindsets, empower individuals, and create lasting change. I adhere to Victor Hugo’s adage, “He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”

Jessica A. Levy is the Director of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), responsible for English language development and digital literacy training activities across all program areas at The Welcoming Center.

For many years, Jessica has worked at the intersections of education, the arts, and civic engagement. With over twenty years in the nonprofit & public sectors, she has designed and implemented civic participation initiatives, arts-based community programs, and a variety of education, service, and advocacy events. She was a Founding Partner of The Blue Door Group, a Philadelphia-based consulting company focused on deepening learning and strengthening collaboration through interactive and participatory process design and facilitation.

Jessica’s work has included immigrant rights organizing, community education, and using drama-based approaches to learning and community-building. Jessica has taught graduate-level courses in experiential learning and arts-integrated education with the UPenn’s Graduate School of Education and ESOL and Citizenship classes at District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund. Her work in English language education has also included developing a curriculum for and co-teaching an Integrated Education and Training (IET) Home Health Aide training program for adult English Language Learners (ELLs). She also designed and taught drama-based ESOL classes for ELLs at Temple University’s Center for American Language and Culture. Jessica brings a strong interest in the role of creativity, arts, and design in learning; and in the role of education / training in supporting community, collaboration, and civic engagement.

You can email Jessica to get in touch with her!

Becca Levy (she/her) is an ESOL Instructor (English for Speakers of Other Languages).

She is a Jersey-born, pizza enthusiast, bookworm, adult literacy instructor, English language educator, and advocate for the immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA+ communities.  

Becca’s educational background includes two bachelor’s degrees from Brown University (International Relations & East Asian Studies), where she first learned to lesson plan in the cafeteria. She also earned her M.S.Ed. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Penn’s Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. She has designed language courses for various age groups in a wide range of educational institutions in Rhode Island, Japan, Taiwan, Washington State, and Pennsylvania. 

As a teacher, Becca prioritizes learner voice and agency. In her new position, Becca is humbled to support The Welcoming Center’s participants by combining the science of literacy and language development together with the art of equitable, humanistic, culturally-sustaining instructional practices. 

Becca lives with her beloved partner, dog, and cat in South Philly. She can be found volunteering at the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, swimming at the gym, stirring tomato sauce, or getting lost in CDs and records. 

Lourdes Monje (they/them) is a Digital Skills instructor at the Welcoming Center.
 
Lourdes was born in Peru and immigrated to the US as a child with their family in 2004. They attended Temple University in Philadelphia and earned their Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree. 
 
Lourdes is passionate about digital equity and enjoys being able to help others learn essential computer skills.
In their free time, Lourdes can be found thrifting, making art, and spending time with their family and their dog, Tofu.

Andrew Nguyen is the Senior Director of Work Readiness at The Welcoming Center, where he leads workforce development initiatives that create career advancement opportunities for immigrants and support employers in building pipelines to skilled talent. With over a decade of experience in employment programming and labor organizing, Andrew previously served as the Employment Program Manager at HIAS Pennsylvania, overseeing +$1.5 million in funding across five workforce programs. His expertise includes strategic planning, grant management, and labor relations, having represented thousands of employees in contract negotiations. He holds a strong commitment to advancing economic opportunities for underserved communities. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Brandeis University.

Manuel Portillo started in The Welcoming Center in 2014 as Director of the Immigrant Professionals Program to help unemployed and underemployed individuals to develop the skills necessary to access professional employment. He is currently the Director of Community Engagement working to develop participatory strategies to build trust and long-term relationships with participants and immigrant communities.

He is a seasoned non-profit leader who comes to The Welcoming Center after a substantive career in non-profit program development. Manuel is a 25-year Philadelphia resident who is originally from Guatemala and is well-traveled and experienced working with people of diverse cultural and language backgrounds. He is a long-time professional organizer working to address local issues while building immigrant social and economic inclusion.

He worked on developing The Welcoming Center’s Participant Advisory Council and a consultative structure to strengthen listening inside the organizations and sound collective decision making. He is currently leading the design and implementation of the Immigrant Leadership Institute, a program offered by The Welcoming Center where he works on strategic civic participation, innovative approaches to civic engagement, and building inclusive partnerships and policies.

He is currently a member of the Working Families Partnership, a project of AFL-CIO in Philadelphia.

Mamadou Pethe Balde is the Digital Skills Assistant Instructor at The Welcoming Center.

He was born in a little village called FATAKO located in Guinea (Conakry), in west Africa. He was raised in a large family of eight children. His tenacity and endurance come from helping his parents with farming and animal (cows) care when he was a tiny child.
 
Mamadou graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of General Lansana Conte of Sonfonia-Conakry. The Modern Professional Institute of Guinea awarded him a certificate in management and marketing. He completed the Immigrants Leadership Institute program and received a certificate from the Welcoming Center. He is a member of the thirteenth cohort.
 
Mamadou’s new role involves helping the instructor teach immigrants new digital skills.
 
In addition, Mamadou occasionally volunteers at the Lutheran Settlement House and Philadelphia Park and Recreation. He enjoys breeding cats as well. Mamadou speaks Fulani, French, English and has an intermediate level in Mandingo.

Ayesha Rahim joins The Welcoming Center as the Student Support and Intake Coordinator. She graduated from Brunel University London with a masters in Anthropology and International Development. She brings over 8 years of experience in international education and specializes in culturally sensitive education practices and community building. 
 
Prior to coming to the Welcoming Center, Ayesha has worked with non profit organizations to ensure immigrant and underserved communities had access to books and literacy resources. She has also taught ESL in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
 
Ayesha is well-traveled and experienced working with people of diverse cultural and language backgrounds. She enjoys hiking, baking and watching old westerns.

Rebecca Rathje joined The Welcoming Center in 2015. She earned her B.A. in Social Science from the University of Michigan and holds a Certificate in Fundraising from the Nonprofit Center at LaSalle University’s School of Business. Rebecca has over 25 years’ experience in non-profit fundraising and management.

Ana Riccomi is a Career Specialist for Workforce Development at The Welcoming Center, focused on helping immigrants reconnect with their professional careers and improve different areas of their life. She graduated with a master’s degree in Strategic People Management, with a Career Coaching certification. For years, Ana focused on recruitment, talent management and development, strategic HR performance, workforce efficiency, and behavior assessments. Ana is an immigrant from Brazil who moved to the USA with her husband and three children, overcoming many barriers to reconnect with her career here. As a participant, she found TWC to be a reliable place, which then became her workplace. She believes that everything is connected, and the workforce can change the way of being in the world.

Zachary Shapiro is the Grants Manager for The Welcoming Center (TWC). At TWC, Zachary is responsible for grant writing, reporting, funding research, and developing relationships with funders. He has experience in research, facilitation, community engagement, strategic planning, and funding development. Most of his professional work has focused on education, workforce development, housing, human trafficking, and harm reduction. Zachary is excited about grant writing at TWC because it’s an opportunity to tell the inspiring stories of both program participants and TWC staff.  

Zachary has a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Social Polices and Evaluation, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Western Michigan University. He is from the Detroit-metropolitan area and loves reading and writing. His interests include history, education, labor, social welfare, and international affairs.

Maureen Smith is Program Manager for the Immigrant Leadership Institute at The Welcoming Center.

Maureen is a committed community development professional with a commitment for supporting immigrants, refugees and the community through empowerment, social support, and friendship. She has worked in community assistance for refugee and unaccompanied refugee minors with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kenya and Botswana. She is knowledgeable in refugee foster care support and community resource development through her work at Bethany Christian Services and a fifiteen year background working with vulnerable communities in Kenya, Botswana and the U.S. through social assistance, support and training.

Bilingual in Swahili and English, Maureen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development and Psychology from Daystar University Kenya with an added creative passion for art and design. She is also a graduate of the second cohort of The Welcoming Center’s Immigrant Leadership Institute and has served on the Participant Advisory Council. Maureen is dedicated, with a heart of encouraging others to realize their potential, utilize their skills in working together towards making a desired difference in our community.

Linlin Wang (she/her/hers) is the manager of the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) & Digital Skills Training program. Dedicating to language education, Linlin has extensive teaching and administrative experience in programs serving diverse students of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Having worked in public, private, and higher education sectors, Linlin has always enjoyed the most supporting immigrants since she first came to the U.S. in 2014. Linlin has many personal interests such as arts and crafts, cooking, baking, wiffle ball, badminton, board games, (cute) video games, among others. Linlin is also a mom of two cats, one chinchilla, and two hamsters.

Meet Our Board

Hao-Li Loh – Chair

John Touey – Vice Chair

Salveson Stetson Group

Kristy Leong – Secretary

Anurag Jain – Treasurer

PrePay Nation

Miya Choi

Uva Coles

Spring Point Partners LLC

Diane George

La Colombe

Carlton L. Johnson, Esq.

Archer & Grenier P.C.


Paula Pritchett

University of Pennsylvania

Erick Martinez
M&T Bank

 

Daniel P. Bauder

Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

Anuj Gupta

President & CEO, The Welcoming Center

William A. Stock, Esq.

Klasko Immigration Law

Stephanie Sun

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Anne O’Callaghan – Emeritus

Founder, The Welcoming Center

Our Donors

The generosity of our individual donors, and corporate and foundation funders is what fuels The Welcoming Center’s mission. We’re grateful for their support and optimistic about what we can do together to build Pennsylvania’s economy by providing employment resources for immigrants.

Please contact us about becoming a funder for The Welcoming Center or make a tax-deductible donation.

To see all our Donors, Institutional Funders, and Partners – take a look at our Annual Report!

2023 Annual Report