The Biden Administration announced Thursday that the United States will accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians and other displaced people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates 4 million Ukrainians may be seeking refuge in Europe and around the world before the war is over. Refugees fleeing Ukraine have been met with care and humanitarian response that we would like to see become a standard. 

Even as the international community prioritizes immediate aid for Ukrainians, we must also build up systems to support differentiated workforce inclusion for refugees – allowing refugees and their families to regain agency and independence. Read our full statement and find out how you can help here.

Amazon - a major U.S. employer, launched its Welcome Door initiative, which will offer resources and support for refugee and humanitarian-based immigrant employees, including citizenship assistance, legal support, and mentorship. We are pleased to partner with organizations like Amazon and see them moving to make the American workforce more inclusive and welcoming.

Read more about the initiative in BusinessWire here: https://bwnews.pr/3uo50CR

What is Match Day? It's the day that thousands of applicants for medical residency learn if they have secured a residency position, a role required to become a practicing physician in the U.S. Every year, Upwardly Global supports foreign-trained doctors applying for residency. This process is especially challenging for immigrant and refugee doctors - only 50% of international medical graduates secure a spot in spite of their strong performance on all exams, compared to some 95% of American-educated people, a clear display of the systemic barriers they face. 

We are thrilled to share that we have already heard from 10 of our program participants who have matched, and will continue to share their experiences. Their stories are inspiring, like that of Seyna, a doctor from Turkey who gained a residency match and a chance at freedom.

Upwardly Global Lands Mundo Hispanico’s List of
Best Websites for Immigrant Job Seekers

In a recent article from Mundo Hispanico, “the number one Spanish-language digital media company in the United States that operates independently,” Upwardly Global was named one of the best websites for immigrant job seekers. Read more here.
 

Upwardly Global CEO Jina Krause-Vilmar Interviewed
for Cisco’s “Our Inclusive Future” Podcast

Listen to the latest "Our Inclusive Future" podcast featuring a discussion between Jina Krause-Vilmar, President & CEO of Upwardly Global, and host Scott Harrison, founder & CEO of Charity:Water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. Listen to the podcast on Apple here.

Upwardly Global has advanced the careers of over 4,000 women since our founding. This International Women’s Day, we celebrated courageous immigrant women as they strive to reestablish lives and livelihoods in their new homes using the hashtag #GlobalWomenThrive. These stories are a source of inspiration and hope, and they are also a powerful force for change through reframing of the immigrant narrative. Read more here: upwardlyglobal.org/2022-international-womens-day/

In her native Afghanistan, Kawser Amine didn’t let boundaries get in her way: she joined the Afghan national soccer team while in middle school and played for several years, often facing serious threats. Since moving to the United States with her husband and children in 2019, Kawser has overcome systemic barriers to achieve her dream of working to help other women from Afghanistan access higher education with the help of Upwardly Global.

Read her full story here.

Upwardly Global is excited to welcome our newest Board Member, Shaun E. Smith JD. Smith is Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at NewYork-Presbyterian, and has been an integral partner in the internship program for immigrant healthcare workers we launched with the hospital system last year. A senior human resources professional with a legal background and a proven track record in multiple industries, Smith has 20+ years of experience in Human Resources that has helped shape organizations’ success through people. Shaun possesses an excellent understanding of healthcare, business operations, budgets and key people management approaches in strengthening business through people. Read his full bio here.

Interested in working at Upwardly Global? It's a wonderful and deeply committed team and we are growing! Visit our career opportunities page here!