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A Resource for Skilled Immigrants. An Opportunity for America.
Donate NowName: Paola
Country: Colombia
Profession: Resident – Family Medicine
A native Colombian, Paola was working at one of the Chile’s largest public hospitals. In 2007, she moved to the Windy City to start a new life. "For a long time I didn't do anything, because I didn't have the contacts or anything…” she says. Then Paola connected with Upwardly Global. “They really changed my life.”
"I feel very fortunate to be a member of Upwardly Global. Without them, I will certainly not be able to find my directions."
Name: Shuang Li
Country: Afghanistan
Profession: Analytics Consultant
Company: MSCI
Nikki Cicerani, Executive Director
Aaron Winters, Manager, Strategic Operations
Jennifer Brennan, Manager, Influence & Impact
Lievin Mwamba, Manager, Finance & HR
Tadd Wamester, Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Khalid Osman, System Administrator
CHICAGO OFFICE
Rebecca Tancredi, Managing Director
Allie Levinsky, Senior Associate, Employment Services
J.D. Van Slyke, Associate, Community Outreach
Aditi Srinivasan, Associate, Corporate Relations & Volunteer Services
Zoya Kolkin, Associate, Employment Services
SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE
Anne Kirwan, Managing Director
Anna Hughes, Associate, Employment Services
Camille Matson, Fellow, Employment Services & Development
Cecily Victor, Senior Associate, Outreach & Mentor Management
Emmanuel Imah, Senior Associate, Corporate Relations & Volunteer Services
Gretchen Vierstra, Senior Associate, Learning & Development
Karla Gregorio, Associate, Employment Services
Lindsey Coonan, Associate, Employment Services
Mary Voelbel, Program Manager
Stephanie Kim, Associate, Employment Services
Vanessa Chen, Fellow, Learning & Development
Yi Zhang, Associate, Employment Services
NEW YORK OFFICE
Sherazade Langlade, Managing Director
Cathy Hamilton, Senior Associate, Learning & Development
Colette Rameau, Associate, Administration
Debbie Wibowo, Senior Associate, Employment Services
Debra Means-West, Program Director
Laura Barrera-Vera, Senior Associate, Corporate Relations & Volunteer Services
Sarah Olson, Associate, Associate, Employment Services
Wanda Cruz, Associate, Employment Services
Nikki Cicerani, Executive Director
Nikki is the national Executive Director of Upwardly Global, having succeeded the organization’s founder, Jane Leu, in April of 2009. She joined Upwardly Global in January 2007 as New York Managing Director. Under her leadership, the organization has grown from placing fewer than 50 jobseekers annually to placing nearly 250, expanded to the Midwest, tripled its staff, and more than quadrupled its budget. And she will tell you that the Upwardly Global is just scratching the surface of the need for this work and potential of the organization.
Nikki is a 2004 graduate of Columbia Business School, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Policy Analysis from Cornell University. Prior to Upwardly Global, Nikki enjoyed tenures in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. She spent several years with Ernst & Young in the Economics Consulting Practice and then in the Office of the Chairman, and with Morgan Stanley in their Private Wealth Management group. Her passion however has always been leading social change and the work she is most proud of prior to Upwardly Global include her roles on the founding team at SEED Public Charter School in Washington DC and in innovative workforce development at the Women’s Venture Fund.
Contact Nikki at 212-219-8828 or nikki@upwardlyglobal.org
Aaron Winters, Manager, Strategic Operations
Aaron brings 10 years of programs and operations management experience to Upwardly Global. Aaron joined the organization in early 2009 as Employer Network Manager and built relationships with corporate and government partners to increase placements and funding in the Bay Area. Prior to joining Upwardly Global, Aaron led business development for AIESEC United States where he created and delivered international internship and training programs to companies, universities and governments across 64 countries. Aaron has also written on topics related to global human resources and has been published by the Society of Human Resource Management. Aaron graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from San Diego State University. Aaron has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and Latin America, and speaks fluent Spanish.
Contact Aaron at 415-834-9901 or aaron@upwardlyglobal.org
Jennifer Brennan, Manager, Influence & Impact
Jennifer has served since 2008 in a policy role at Upwardly Global, using diverse research, evaluation and outreach tools to assess barriers and best practices for the inclusion of skilled immigrants in the professional workforce. She helps increase the visibility of these issues among key government, employer and service sector partners - stakeholders capable of creating lasting change for the greatest number. Jennifer currently directs IMPRINT: Immigrant Professional Integration, a 5-nonprofit umbrella organization conducting this work on a national scale. She also led the creation of the Licensed Professions Guides for 10 in-demand licensed careers including engineering, medicine, and teaching. Prior to joining Upwardly Global, Jennifer held diverse positions in the fields of refugee resettlement, consulting (for small businesses and in public policy), teaching and translating. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of Quebec in Montreal and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. Jennifer has experienced immigration firsthand over nearly a decade of residence in the Dominican Republic and other countries. She speaks fluent French and Spanish.
Contact Jennifer at 312-431-1923 or jennifer@upwardlyglobal.org
Lievin Mwamba, Manager, Finance & HR
Lievin is originally from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where he worked for 16 years within International nonprofit organizations. Early in his profession, he worked for 4 years with the Peace Corps of the United States as a Trainer. He taught French and Congolese languages to American volunteers stationed in Central Africa, and helped them integrate into African culture. After that, he joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in DR Congo and worked as a Finance and Human Resources Manager. Because of his strong leadership and management skills in financial analysis and accounting, he was appointed as Director of Finance at the national level. He managed and supervised budget for 9 field offices, trained staff accountants and managed all daily accounting operations. Before joining Upwardly Global, he worked as Accountant and Data analyst at a non-profit organization: The First Tee of Oakland. He holds a MA in French Literature and a BA in African Linguistics from Institute of High Education in Teaching and Training in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Contact Lievin at 415-834-9901 or lievin@upwardlyglobal.org
Tadd Wamester, Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Tadd brings to Upwardly Global a wealth of training and educational experience. Tadd formerly worked as Lead Teacher at Sylvan Learning Centers and as Head Teacher at the GO Project where he was responsible for designing and delivering curricula to elementary school students, as well as mentoring volunteer tutors and teaching assistants. Tadd received his B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University, and an M.A. in Business Education from NYU Steinhardt, where he was awarded the Pi Lambda Theta Rho Leadership Award. He is a Peter L. Agnew Scholar, as well as being the first recipient of the recently endowed Adrienne Gloria Frosch Scholarship. Tadd is on the Board of Delta Pi Epsilon, Alpha Chapter, a national graduate honorary society.
Contact Tadd at: 212-219-8828 or tadd@upwardlyglobal.org
Khalid Osman, System Administrator
Khalid brings to Upwardly Global more than 11 years of IT infrastructure experience. Khalid formerly worked as an IT Service delivery manager for Shell Royal Dutch in Africa, where he actively participated in planning, delivering, and managing IT services and operations in the region. Prior joining Shell Khalid has had a teaching and educational experience in local universities in Sudan. Khalid holds a bachelors of Science in Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science from University of Khartoum, Sudan. Khalid is a former Upwardly Global job seeker.
Contact Khalid at 415-834-9901 or khalid@upwardlyglobal.org
Rebecca Trancredi, Managing Director
Rebecca joins Upwardly Global with a background in Human Resources and Staffing. As Director of Learning and Development with Research International, she managed global projects in performance management, talent development and training. While Director of Human Resources with Bowne Business Solutions and Willliams Lea, she led the HR and staffing functions which gives her a strong understanding of the recruiting and interviewing process from the employer's side. She graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree in Labor and Human Resources.
Contact Rebecca at 312-431-1923 or rebecca@upwardlyglobal.org
Allie Levinsky, Senior Associate, Employment Services
Allie brings a variety of social advocacy experience to Upwardly Global, including working one-on-one with individuals to reach their goals. Her work has included advocacy for reproductive rights, HIV/STI counseling and prevention, and most recently, the development of an Elder Self-Neglect pilot program for the State of Illinois. Allie earned a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Grinnell College and completed an internship with the Green Belt Movement while studying in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently completing a MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management from SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, VT.
Contact Allie at 312-431-1923 or allie@upwardlyglobal.org
J.D. Van Slyke, Associate, Community Outreach
Prior to starting his job at Upwardly Global J.D. studied International Relations and Nonprofit Administration at Western Kentucky University where he competed with the collegiate national and international championship speech and debate team. J.D. has experience working with variety of organizations including Texas Campaign for the Environment, Community Action, and United Way. Currently he is finishing his second term as an Americorps volunteer and Public Allies Fellow.
Contact J.D. at 312-431-1923 or jd@upwardlyglobal.org
Aditi Srinivasan, Associate, Corporate Relations & Volunteer Services
Aditi joins Upwardly Global with a background in non profit communications and event planning. She graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Psychology and International Studies. In her senior year, she conducted social psychology research into biculturalism, and wrote an honors thesis on bicultural identity in Asian-Americans. Aditi was born in Singapore, and with her interest in immigrant communities, feels a special passion for Upwardly Global's mission.
Contact Aditi at 312-431-1923 or aditi@upwardlyglobal.org
Zoya Kolkin, Associate, Employment Services
Zoya started her career with Upwardly Global as an intern San Francisco office, and after graduating from Northwestern University with a BS in Social Policy and a minor in Sociology, she joined the Chicago team in a full time role. In her last quarter as a student, she designed and taught a student-led seminar on genocide education. Zoya was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and moved to the US as a child, giving her a great understanding of Upwardly Global's mission. Zoya supports job seekers in regulated professions, assists them with their job search and licensing requirements, and works to link direct services with our policy work.
Contact Zoya at 312-431-1923 or zoya@upwardlyglobal.org
Anne Kirwan, Managing Director
A long-time Upwardly Global volunteer, Anne has had an international career on three continents as a journalist, entrepreneur, sales director and general manager. Born and educated in Ireland, Anne is an immigrant professional and identifies strongly with Upwardly Global's mission and vision.
A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, Anne worked as a journalist on regional and national newspapers in Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, often covering contentious immigration issues and policies. On her return to Ireland, she co-founded and managed a successful book and magazine publishing business. In the early 90s she moved to the IT sector where she held a series of senior sales management positions with leading Irish IT companies and consistently led sales teams to achieve aggressive revenue targets and organizational goals. Most recently Anne was the sales director for Dataway, a leading network security company with offices in San Francisco and Dublin, Ireland. Under her tenure, Dataway grew their US business from $2m to over $6m in 2007. Anne also has extensive leadership and professional coaching skills.
Contact Anne at 415-834-9901 or anne@upwardlyglobal.org
Anna Hughes, Associate, Employment Services
Anna began her career at Upwardly Global as an intern after graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Politics (concentrating in international politics) and a minor in Legal Studies. Her interest in human rights and international affairs was initially sparked through a semester she spent studying at the Centre for Conflict Studies at Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands. Living abroad gave her the chance to explore and learn about different perspectives and cultures, something she hopes to continue at Upwardly Global in her new role.
Contact Anna at 415-834-9901 or anna@upwardlyglobal.org
Camille Matson, Fellow, Employment Services & Development
Camille comes to Upwardly Global with a background in women’s rights and social justice. She is a recent graduate of the Monterey Institute of International Studies and holds a Masters Degree in International Policy and Development. As an active member of the nonprofit community in San Francisco, she worked as an intern with the Global Fund for Women, volunteers with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Career Development Committee, and is currently a Program Associate with Grantmakers without Borders. Camille is fluent in French and has lived abroad in Belgium and France.
Contact Camille at 415-834-9901 or camille@upwardlyglobal.org
Cecily Victor, Senior Associate, Outreach & Mentor Management
Cecily brings experience of working in India, Singapore and the U.S. to Upwardly Global. She completed a double Masters in English and Psychology from India, where she taught English and was a Career Guidance Counselor to students at a vocational training institute. Cecily also spent time in Singapore, working as a Teacher and School Counselor, before transitioning to a position as Community Development Officer with the Public Education Department. In the US, Cecily has worked and volunteered with organizations focused on improving communities in developing countries.
Contact Cecily at 415-834-9901 or cecily@upwardlyglobal.org
Emmanuel Imah, Senior Associate, Corporate Relations & Volunteer Services
Emmanuel is a business development, sales and customer service professional with over 20 years of experience in the non-profit, for-profit, government and technology industries. His experience in the technology sector includes managing web, wireless, and business intelligence application teams that built data management solutions and other technology applications. While with the Nigerian government, Emmanuel championed community economic development projects and social change programs. Before joining Upwardly Global, Emmanuel earned a certificate in renewable energy from Skyline College and worked with economically-vulnerable populations and immigrant communities in the Bay Area. He is passionate about the mission of Upwardly Global as he is an UpGlo alumnus and had volunteered over 2 years and served on the UpGlo Bay Area 2011 Leadership Council. Originally from Nigeria, Emmanuel holds an MBA from the University of Nigeria and a BA in Public Relations and Advertising.
Contact Emmanuel at 415-834-9901 or emmanuel@upwardlyglobal.org
Gretchen Vierstra, Senior Associate, Learning & Development
Gretchen brings a strong background in education and training to Upwardly Global. As an English teacher for ten years, she taught students in public schools and nonprofit programs in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. Gretchen has also led and coached teachers as a department chair and new teacher mentor. Originally from the East Coast, she received her B.A. in English from Smith College and her M.A. in Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College. Gretchen recently earned a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management. While completing her degree, she served on the board of the San Francisco Children’s Art Center and worked as policy coordinator for TAY SF, an initiative focused on disconnected young adults. Gretchen is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the honor society for Public Administration.
Contact Gretchen at 415-834-9901 or gretchen@upwardlyglobal.org
Karla Gregorio, Associate, Employment Services
Karla brings to Upwardly Global a diverse background in the non-profit sector, having worked in environmental services, education, and community development. She was most recently employed at the Career Center at U.C. Berkeley, where she facilitated relationships between job seekers and employers. In addition, she has also worked in recruitment and training services while employed with the Oakland Teaching Fellows. As an immigrant from the Philippines, she can relate to the struggles faced by Upwardly Global's jobseekers, and she is eager to dedicate herself towards helping them establish their careers in the US. Karla graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in Political Science (emphasis in International Relations).
Contact Karla at 415-834-9901 or karla@upwardlyglobal.org
Lindsey Coonan, Associate, Employment Services
Lindsey brings to Upwardly Global a background in the publishing and online marketing industries, having worked most recently as the editor of a popular online magazine. She was born and raised in San Francisco, and graduated with honors from the George Washington University in D.C. with a BA in English and a BA in Spanish Language and Literature. It was during a year spent studying at the University of Chile in Santiago, Chile, when Lindsey developed a passion for international cultural studies. Before moving into the Job Seeker Advisor role, Lindsey worked as the Operations and Training intern at Upwardly Global.
Contact Lindsey at 415-834-9901 or lindsey@upwardlyglobal.org
Mary Voelbel, Program Manager
Mary Voelbel has 7+ years of experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors, including several years as a Center Director with SCORE! Educational Centers in the Bay Area. As the Center Director, Mary managed the sales, customer retention, and overall growth of her Center as well as the outreach and development of community partnerships. Following her passion for travel and culture, Mary spent a year teaching English in Chile through the Ingles Abre Puertas program designed in collaboration by the United Nations and the Chilean Ministry of Education. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Argentina to continue her work in teaching, community outreach, and customer relations roles. Prior to joining Upwardly Global, Mary earned a Masters in Human Development & Psychology from Harvard Graduate School of Education to complement her BA in Psychology from The Colorado College.
Contact Mary at 415-834-9901 or mary@upwardlyglobal.org
Stephanie Kim, Associate, Employment Services
Contact Stephanie at 415-834-9901 or stephanie@upwardlyglobal.org
Vanessa Chen, Fellow, Learning & Development
Vanessa comes to Upwardly Global with a BS in Managerial Economics from UC Davis and a passion for the nonprofit industry. After completing the Diversity Leadership Development Program at UC Davis, she became interested in looking at how diversity can be effectively integrated into the workplace and its importance to the economy. Vanessa is a native San Franciscan and has interned abroad in Madrid, Spain. During her time as an undergraduate, she frequently volunteered and has mentored students with emotional disturbance, as well as with low-income families.
Contact Vanessa at 415-834-9901 or vanessa_chen@upglo.org
Yi Zhang, Associate, Employment Services
Yi brings to Upwardly Global a background in both career services and international development, having worked for 4 years at the Wellesley College career center as well as with various international organizations including the United Nations. She graduated with a BA in History (concentrating in the world's developing regions) from Wellesley and looks forward to increasing opportunities for foreign-trained professionals through expanding Upwardly Global’s employer network. Yi was born in China, has lived in Central America and West Africa, and speaks fluent Mandarin, advanced Spanish and intermediate Russian.
Contact Yi Zhang at 415-834-9901 or yi@upwardlyglobal.org
Sherazade Langlade, Managing Director
Sherazade brings to Upwardly Global experience in program management, corporate partnerships, training and organizational development. In her previous roles as Manager of the Nonprofit Leadership Development Institute at the United Way of New York City and as Director of Volunteer Programs for Habitat for Humanity, she created new programs focused on creating community value, individual impact and engaging the corporate and academic sector to partner in solving society's challenges. She is a skilled trainer and has developed and conducted training for various institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Boston Experience Corps, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Community Service Society, NYC. Sherazade received a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College and a Bachelor's Degree in Government and Politics, Cum Laude from St. Johns University. She was a National Urban Fellow, Class of 2005. Sherazade was born in Paris, France to parents of French and Algerian heritage. She moved to the United States in 1984. Sherazade's native language is French.
Contact Sherazade at 212-219-8828 or by email sherazade@upwardlyglobal.org
Cathy Hamilton, Senior Associate, Learning & Development
After earning a Bachelor degree in philosophy and environmental studies from St. Lawrence University, Cathy ("Cat") worked in publishing first at a Manhattan literary agency and then at a scholarly press focused on European Union, Latin American, and African Studies. She earned a Masters in Teaching from Columbia University and taught at a diverse and challenging Manhattan middle school. Prior to joining Upwardly Global, Cat volunteered as a mentor and assisted with fundraising. She is currently earning a Certificate in Global Studies from NYU as a foundation for a masters in non-profit management with an international focus.
Contact Cathy at: 212-219-8828 or cat@upwardlyglobal.org
Colette Rameau, Associate, Administration
Colette is an Upwardly Global program alumnus from Haiti. She joined the Upwardly Global team in 2010, as Office & Program Assistant. In her home country, Colette had a professional career as an Attorney at Law, and acted as Director of Recruitment for a large financial institution. She also founded and managed Pluri-Services, a multi-services office, where she provided a number of professional services including: legal, fiscal, administrative, translation and staff placement, among others. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Law from Faculte de Droit et des Sciences Economiques, Haiti.
Contact Colette at 212-219-8828 or colette@upwardlyglobal.org
Debbie Wibowo, Senior Associate, Employment Services
Debbie brings ten years of public relations experience to Upwardly Global, where she is responsible for supporting the organization’s communications and outreach efforts. Debbie has also worked on various high profile communications campaigns in her home country, Indonesia, assisting multinational companies to achieve their business goals. She received three international awards from the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), PR Week and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for a crisis communication campaign that she put together for Manulife Financial. Debbie holds a master’s degree from Queensland University of Technology in Australia and working to develop her photography skill in her free time.
Contact Debbie at 212-219-8828 or debbie@upwardlyglobal.org
Debra Means-West, Program Director
Debra is a specialist with experience in consulting, developing and delivering programs designed to raise awareness and promote the benefits of diversity in the workplace. Debra's focus has been on the development of innovative models and strategies that make companies stronger and more competitive through diversity and inclusion. Debra is an American citizen but has spent the last 6 years of her life living and working abroad in South Korea, Japan and Australia. Her experiences as an expatriate, a diversity consultant and learning and development specialist have provided her a firm understanding of the benefits to business of a diverse workforce as well as the skills needed to communicate these benefits to key stakeholders in the public, community and corporate sectors. Debra currently holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts, a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and is a Accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor from ORYGEN at Melbourne University.
Contact Debra at 212.219.8828 or debra@upwardlyglobal.org
Laura Barrera-Vera, Senior Associate, Corporate Relations & Volunteer Services
Laura has a strong background in media and communications. Prior to joining Upwardly Global, Laura worked as a TV production assistant. While in university, Laura served as the General Secretary of the Colombian Association of Students of Social Communication. She coordinated the XII Latin American Student Congress of Social Communication and worked with several South American media agencies to promote this event. Laura earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Communication from Universidad Javeriana in Bogota , Colombia. She is fluent in Spanish.
Contact Laura at 212.219.8828 or laura@upwardlyglobal.org
Sarah Olson, Associate, Employment Services
Sarah first came to Upwardly Global as a volunteer and mentor in 2008. Prior to joining the UpGlo staff in 2010, Sarah's professional experience included providing job search support to international scholars and helping to promote academic freedom at Scholars at Risk, and facilitating educational and cultural programs for the international student population at New York University. Additionally, Sarah worked for six years in book publishing and DVD marketing, and in 2009 received a M.A. in International Education from New York University.
Contact Sarah at 212-219-8828 or sarah@upwardlyglobal.org
Wanda Cruz, Associate, Employment Services
Wanda comes to Upwardly Global with 8 years of experience in corporate Human Resources Recruiting. Wanda’s professional experience included providing full cycle recruitment for the Financial, Media and Healthcare industries. Most recently she was Recruiting Manager at Ameriprise Financial Services. Prior to joining the Human Resources industry, Wanda worked five years as Director of Business Development for an international logistic company. She studied in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Contact: Wanda at 212-219-8828 or wanda@upwardlyglobal.org
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