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About Us

We welcome immigrants as neighbors and leaders. Together, we create pathways to economic growth and strengthen the fabric of our communities.

The Welcoming Center (TWC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia that welcomes immigrants as neighbors and leaders. Founded in 2003, TWC creates pathways to economic growth and strengthens communities by opening doors of opportunity for immigrants of all backgrounds, education, and skill levels. Through four core programs: English and Digital Skills, Work Readiness, Entrepreneurship, and Community Leadership, TWC helps immigrants build skills, confidence, and agency to overcome barriers and achieve economic mobility.

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

Rachel Aistrop is the Curriculum Designer and Instructor for the GSUPP program. She holds an MA in Global Migration and Policy and over ten years of teaching adult English language learners. Rachel has previously served in teaching and managing capacities in various refugee/immigrant service providers, including HIAS Pennsylvania and NGOs abroad. Her drive comes from her strong belief in equal access to opportunity and a deep respect for the resilience of anyone calling a new place home. 
Shariq Ali Pradhan is the Digital Skills Program Manager at The Welcoming Center.
 
Shariq is an educator and advocate with a passion for digital equity and immigrant empowerment. He has worked extensively in education, mentorship, and program development, supporting immigrant communities in navigating academic, professional, and digital spaces. Before joining The Welcoming Center, he served as  an educational consultant at HelloCollege, guiding students—many from immigrant backgrounds—through the college application process. He also helped develop curriculum and mentorship programs for immigrant youth at HIAS Pennsylvania and led a national educational coaching initiative for immigrant parents through AKEB USA.
 
Shariq holds an M.S.Ed. in Intercultural Communication from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in International & Global Studies and Policy Studies from Elon University. With a deep interest in language, culture, and technology, he is committed to making digital skills education accessible and impactful for immigrant communities.

Louise Bittout is the Communications Manager for The Welcoming Center. For press and media inquiries, contact Louise at louise@welcomingcenter.org

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.

Isabelle Concepcion is the Regional Employment Specialist at The Welcoming Center, where she supports IPP participants in their job search and career development process. She has previous experience working with immigrants and refugees as an ESL program director in Northeast Philadelphia. She is passionate about helping people reach their goals through education and community-building. Isabelle is thrilled to support IPP’s expansion into Chester and Montgomery Counties.

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.

Sarah Godner is the Program Manager of the Global Skills Union Pathways Project (GSUPP) program. GSUPP is a 16-week program in collaboration with The Welcoming Center, the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, and the Hanwha Philly Shipyard that prepares immigrant participants for the Shipyard’s paid apprenticeship program. 
 
Born and raised in New Mexico, Sarah graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Before moving to Philadelphia, she worked and volunteered at various nonprofits in Austin, including a legal organization for immigrant workers and a consumer advocacy nonprofit. Sarah is TESOL certified and has been a volunteer ESL teacher in several different cities.
 
Sarah received a Master’s in Education from Penn’s Graduate School of Education. She taught elementary school here in Philadelphia before returning to work in the non-profit and education sectors.
 
Sarah has worked previously at The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children. At the Chamber, she coordinated various programs at the intersection of education, talent, economic growth and advocacy. She also ran the Chamber’s Future Ready program, which partnered with labor unions and a range of other employer partners on a middle school career exploration program. Most recently, she was the project manager at the Philadelphia Education Fund of the Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE), a network of STEM education stakeholders in Pennsylvania.  
 
Sarah’s grandparents and great grandparents were immigrants from Eastern Europe – their participation in and value of immigrant aid organizations was passed down through her family. Sarah is very excited to be working on the GSUPP program, and she is passionate about the program’s goals – inclusive workforce development in the unionized skilled trades and providing economic opportunities for immigrants to our country.

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). She currently speaks French at a B2 level. You can reach Elizabeth at elizabeth@welcomingcenter.org.

Napanan Kaewsri is an Employment Specialist and Intake Coordinator 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.”

Ben Kemper is the Employment Support Aide, working with the Global Skills Union Pathways Project Program (GSUPP). GSUPP is a 21-week program in collaboration with The Welcoming Center, the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, and the Hanwha Philly Shipyard that prepares immigrant participants for the Shipyard’s paid apprenticeship program. 

Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Ben received degrees in Political Science in Spanish from Saint Louis University. He has experience working as an ESL teacher with programs thatfacilitated immigrant learning in St. Louis, which instilled in him a passion for working with migrant and refugee communities.

Ben is also interested in Politics and Policy and has worked and organized political campaigns both in St. Louis and Cincinnati. Additionally, Ben’s experience working with custodians and maintenance staff at SEIU Local 1 in St. Louis, MO helped him realize the importance of organizing labor to respect the dignity of work.

Ben is excited to combine these interests in his role as the Employment Support Aide with the GSUPP program. He looks forward to working with GSUPP partners and building relationships with participants.

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!

Johann is the Entrepreneurship Program Manager at The Welcoming Center. His day-to-day responsibilities include managing business planning courses, technical assistance, and providing support to immigrant entrepreneurs throughout Philadelphia. He’s previously co-founded a startup, worked in the startup community from Chicago to San Francisco, and helped immigrant founders throughout California. As a civic entrepreneur and advocate, he focuses on the intersection of social and economic issues affecting immigrants from all walks of life. 

Seth Myers serves as the Project Coordinator for the Breaking Bread Breaking Barriers Project at The Welcoming Center. Before joining The Welcoming Center, Seth worked in community engagement for the City of Philadelphia and as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Germany. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and a B.A. from Kenyon College.

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.

Imelda Lorenzo Martinez is a Classroom Assistant at The Welcoming Center.

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 an Employment Specialist & Program Engagement 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.
Ala’a Quniebi, is a Civic Action Support Specialist in the ILI program. She joined the Welcoming center in 2025, having graduated from the ILI program in 2024.
 
Ala’a has a passion and commitment to supporting immigrant and refugee communities thrive in their new environment in the US. She has expertise in understanding the challenge faced by refugees and immigrants,  through her several years of experience working with large organizations such as Save the Children and Action against hunger, in her home country of Jordan, supporting Syrian refugees.
 
Ala’a is Tri-lingual, fluent in Arabic, English and Spanish, having majored in English and Spanish language and strives to constantly be learning and improving. 

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.

Katie Ryan is an ESOL Instructor at The Welcoming Center, with nearly 20 years of experience helping adult learners strengthen their English and build confidence to reach academic, personal, and career goals. She has taught English and college readiness skills at the Community College of Philadelphia; English for business, entrepreneurship, law, dentistry, and more at the University of Pennsylvania; and science outreach communication to international researchers across the U.S. Katie also worked in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of English Language Programs, where she developed resources and online training for educators worldwide. She holds an MA in TESOL from American University and a BA in Communication from Loyola University Maryland. Beyond her professional work, Katie enjoys exploring new hiking trails with her partner and young child, reading short stories, and discovering new music.

Ana Riccomi is the Employer Partnership Coordinator at The Welcoming Center, where she drives the mission to create clear, sustainable career pathways for immigrants in collaboration with employers. With a bachelor’s in Psychology, a master’s in Strategic People Management, and Career Coaching Certification, Ana brings a strong educational foundation.
Over several years, she has leveraged her expertise in recruitment, talent management, learning & development, HR performance, workforce efficiency, and behavioral assessments. Originally from Brazil, Ana personally navigated and overcame the challenges of restarting her career in the U.S. — an experience that brought her to The Welcoming Center initially as a participant, and later as a staff member.
Ana believes deeply in the transformative power of work—and is passionate about equipping both individuals and employers to meaningfully engage with the labor market. In her role, she builds strategic employer partnerships that support immigrant communities and foster inclusive hiring practices.

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.

Taj is the Project Manager for Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers, an initiative that aims to bridge native-born and foreign-born Philadelphians through the power of food and culinary exchange, while fostering deeper connection to their communities. Prior to joining The Welcoming Center, Taj served as the Refugee Resettlement Program Manager at HIAS Pennsylvania, overseeing the resettlement of 800+ refugees in the greater Philadelphia region. A Texan at heart, Taj received her Master of Social Work with a focus in administrative and policy practice from the University of Texas at Austin and also brings over a decade of experience working in various legislative capacities, including the Sunset Advisory Commission and Department of State Health Services. Her expertise includes program evaluation, policy analysis, and nonprofit management. In her free time, Taj can be found reading on a sunny patio or checking out the latest addition to the diverse Philly food scene (of which there are many!) She is proud is to serve the immigrant community in the greater Philadelphia area.

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.

Kara Thomany is the Participant Support & Intake Coordinator at The Welcoming Center.

Linlin Wang (she/her/hers) is the Program Manager of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program. Dedicated 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

Shirin Karsan

Doaa Fahmy – Just Born, Inc.

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!

2025 Annual Report