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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.

Mady is teaching ESOL to Spanish speakers at the Bok School in South Philadelphia. After many years as a dancer, choreographer and dance educator in the Dance Program at Bryn Mawr College, Mady has returned to teaching new English speakers.  Her methods include a hearty serving of movement and dance on the path to learning. She holds a BA from Barnard College and an MFA in dance from the University of Michigan.  

Karen Cervera is the program manager for the International Professionals Program (IPP) at The Welcoming Center, where she supports immigrant professionals who come to the USA with college degrees from their home countries to learn how to navigate the US job search process, upscale their careers and get full-time jobs in their respective fields of expertise.
Prior to joining The Welcoming Center, she co-founded and managed an organization called Let’s Talk Philly! Conversation Circles, where she supported immigrants in building community wellness and overcoming social, professional, and personal integration challenges by building language and leadership skills.
 
She is a lifelong learner passionate about building leadership, talent development, cross-cultural collaboration, and learning new languages. You can find Karen reading and enjoying a good cup of coffee in her free time.

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 works with program teams to create innovating solutions that prepare immigrants and refugees to connect with economic opportunities, fostering self-sufficiency and community engagement.  She oversees the design, implementation, and assessment of all programming.

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 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). You can reach Elizabeth at elizabeth@welcomingcenter.org.

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!

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.

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.
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 Leadership working to develop participatory strategies to build trust and long-term relationships with 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 30-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.
Andrea Pulido is the Employment Specialist and Intake Coordinator at The Welcoming Center, where she works with international professionals to support in building meaningful and fulfilling careers in the United States. She has previous experience working with refugee, immigrant, and youth populations, both as an educator and support services coordinator. She is drawn to working with newcomers and vulnerable populations, pulling from her own background as a child of Filipino immigrants and experiences living abroad in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Philippines, and Spain. She graduated with a degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and a certificate in Reproductive Justice from the University of Massachusetts and striving for social justice is at the heart of all of her interests. Andrea wholeheartedly believes that with support comes success and she’s excited to continue empowering the immigrant community in Philadelphia.

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 an Employer Partnership Coordinator at The Welcoming Center, dedicated to expanding the organization’s mission of creating clear pathways for immigrants to secure meaningful and sustainable careers in collaboration with employers. She holds a degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Strategic People Management, along with a Career Coaching Certification. For several years, Ana has focused on recruitment, talent management, learning and development, HR performance, workforce efficiency, and behavior assessments. Originally from Brazil, Ana moved to the USA with her family and needed to overcome barriers to reconnect with her career here. As a participant in The Welcoming Center, she found it to be a valuable resource, eventually leading her to work at TWC. Ana is convinced that the workforce has the power to transform how individuals engage with 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.

Max Tang is the part-time Intake Coordinator for the Business Planning Course and English for Entrepreneurship class at The Welcoming Center. As a licensed social worker, her passion for supporting immigrants and their families was born out of her own family’s story. Prior to moving to Philly, Max led the Transitional Housing Program at the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, advocated to improve immigrant survivors’ access to the affordable housing ecosystem, and wrote statewide FY24 mental health policy recommendations on behalf of the Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ+ Youth.
 
Max also works as an individual and group therapist at a local practice for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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 – Sustaining All Life

John Touey – Vice Chair – Trilogy Talent Advisors

Kristy Leong – Secretary – Forecast Labs

Anurag Jain – Treasurer – PrePay Nation

Maleda Berhane – AR Spruce LLC

Miya Choi – Past TWC Participant

Nina Chen – Universal Health Services

Carlton L. Johnson, Esq. – Archer & Grenier P.C.

Paula Pritchett – University of Pennsylvania

Daniel P. Bauder – Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

Erick Martinez – M&T Bank

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