Upwardly Global Gala 2022 - Digital Program Book

UPWARDLY GLOBAL GALA 2022 EQUITY IN ACTION: BEYOND WELCOME

A Note from the Board Chair & Vice Chair

Tammi Ling & Steve Ostler

Supporting the genuine welcome and inclusion of immigrants and refugees has been our passion for decades. Upwardly Global highlights the lifechanging impact that is possible when we join forces and unite with a shared goal. The opportunity to work alongside our extraordinary board and staff, and with our community of immigrant and refugee professionals, on a shared vision has been our greatest inspiration.

This year, the world caught up with us. Never before has our work felt more relevant. Against the backdrop of so much reason for concern, we were on the pulse of positive change. Tonight, we are thrilled to celebrate the leaders that made this change possible, share some of the heroes of this change, and bring our community together in celebration and renewed resolve.

Along with Jina Krause-Vilmar, a bold and brilliant leader and our co-conspirator, we’ve strengthened Upwardly Global’s impact and influence.

Our board, Leadership Councils, employer partners, sponsors, and donors make this work possible. Thank you for caring.

UPWARDLY GLOBAL GALA 2022

Dr. Wendy Osefo Gala Host

An award-winning researcher, Dr. Wendy Osefo is a Nigerian-American television personality and progressive political commentator. She has been interviewed by and frequently provides commentary for CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, and TV-One, to name a few. She is a contributor to The Hill, the founder and CEO of the 1954 Equity Project, and an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University. Most recently, Dr. Osefo joined the cast of the hit Bravo TV show Real Housewives of Potomac.

Her current research examines the impact of the 2016 presidential election on Black and Brown communities and the role of inclusion and assetbased strategies in higher education. Wendy is the former director of Family and Community Development for the Obama Administration’s DC Promise Neighborhood. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Temple University, an M.A. in Government from The Johns Hopkins University, and an M.Sc. in Public Affairs from Rutgers University. Dr. Osefo made history when she became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Public Affairs-Community Development from Rutgers University.

Dr. Osefo is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and the National Urban League. She has received numerous awards over the years, but Wendy is most proud of being a recipient of the Johns Hopkins Diversity Recognition Award, a recipient of the Johns Hopkins University Outstanding Graduate Award, a 40 Under 40 Honoree, a 25 Women to Watch Honoree, and a Black Women in Media Honoree.

A Message from President & CEO

Jina Krause-Vilmar

Equity and action — those words bring us together, and they epitomize the year for me. A year of switch response and centering the ideology of belonging — this is what fostered our breakthroughs and achievements.

As we dealt with our health and faced the acute labor market shortages in key fields; as refugee work hit the news again with the horrific stories from Ukraine; and as companies conspired with us to disrupt traditional hiring practices and incorporate new talent — including immigrants and refugees — our work reached a fever pitch.

Working with allies gathered tonight, we’ve shaped policies to advance immigrant inclusion, created pathways for immigrants and refugees to contribute fully to our recovery, and removed barriers to allow immigrants

to work and thrive. We look at each of our partners and recognize leaders and eloquent voices putting equity in action, helping shape the narrative, and creating opportunities for foreign-trained immigrants and refugees.

Even as we face the challenges ahead, I can take a breath, appreciate our wonderful community, and feel the great privilege it is to be here.

As Gogol, perhaps Ukraine’s greatest writer, once said, “Everywhere across whatever sorrows of which our life is woven, some radiant joy will gaily flash past.”

Reimagining Opportunity in Healthcare

Together with NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the largest academic medical centers in the country, Upwardly Global has co-designed and launched a paid, mid-career internship program to on-ramp internationally trained immigrants into open roles in the healthcare sector. The model addresses staffing needs with a new, diverse pool of talent; equips our medical system to have a greater, more equitable impact on health access and outcomes in under-served communities; and offers alternative career pathways for immigrants with international credentials and experience.

Seismic or small, change is all around us

Accenture Ad

With technology and human ingenuity, we can make change work for you and your business.

Let there be change

“It is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it. ”

— N el son M a n de l a

Michael Kassan and the MediaLink team are proud to support the mission of and join them in honoring UPWARDLY GLOBAL for their dedication and commitment to embracing inherent diversity and eliminating employment barriers.

KRISHAN BHATIA STEVEN J. CORWIN KATRINA CUKAJ and ,

Dr. Steven J. Corwin

HONOREE

Dr. Steven J. Corwin is president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the nation’s largest, most comprehensive healthcare systems. NYP is ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the nation and has been the number-one hospital in New York for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Hospitals” list.

As president and CEO, Dr. Corwin has launched groundbreaking initiatives such as NYP OnDemand, a suite of digital health services that increases access to NewYork-Presbyterian’s expert care, and the installation of a single, integrated electronic medical record across the NYP enterprise. He has overseen development of stateof-the-art care facilities, including the NewYork-Presbyterian David H. Koch Center, an ambulatory care

facility; and the Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns at Weill Cornell Medicine, exclusively dedicated to the healthcare needs of pregnant women and their newborn babies.

In an era of racial reckoning across the country, Dr. Corwin positioned NYP to national leadership on addressing the root causes of health inequity by establishing the Dalio Center for Health Justice in late 2020. The center is committed to improving the health and well-being of NYP’s patients and communities through research, dialogue, and education; equity in its clinical operations; investment in communities; and advocacy. Dr. Corwin has championed a Respect Credo, and a Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Initiative that foster a culture of respect, inclusion, and belonging throughout NYP.

A cardiologist and internist, Dr. Corwin is past chairman of the Health Care Systems Council of the American Hospital Association. He is also a past chairman and current board member of the Healthcare Association of New York State, and the Greater New York Hospital Association, as well as an advisory board member at the New York Academy of Medicine. In addition, he is a member of the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York’s Corporate Advisory Council, the Association for a Better New York’s Census 2020 Committee, and the Mayor’s Fund Board of Advisors. In May 2021, Dr. Corwin was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Krishan Bhatia

HONOREE

Krishan Bhatia serves as president & chief business officer for NBCUniversal’s Advertising and Partnerships division, reporting to Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships.

Bhatia, with the help of his 500-person team, oversees digital and advanced advertising sales as well as the division’s One Platform Strategy, Partnerships, Product, Technology, Insights & Measurement and Operations functions — spanning a portfolio of TV, CTV/OTT and digital assets that reaches 230M U.S. adults every month, including the company’s ad-supported streaming platform, Peacock.

In 2021, Bhatia launched the company’s Enterprise Data unit with responsibility for developing a unified first-party data platform

that serves NBCUniversal’s portfolio of industry-leading consumer businesses — including the company’s TV & streaming properties, the NBC News Group, Universal Filmed Entertainment, and Universal Parks & Resorts.

Bhatia also manages the corporate partnerships with Comcast/Freewheel and Sky Media, as well NBCU’s advertising partnerships with Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube, Hulu, Roku, Snap, The Trade Desk, Twitter and others.

Bhatia took on his role at NBCUniversal after Comcast acquired the company in 2011 and led the integration of the two companies’ advertising businesses. He joined Comcast in 2005 as a founding executive team member of Comcast Interactive Media, where he played an instrumental role in creating and growing the digital media business for Comcast through acquisitions and partnerships.

Prior to Comcast, Bhatia was a principal with Booz Allen Hamilton’s Global Media & Entertainment Practice in New York, advising many of the world’s leading media and technology companies.

Bhatia serves as a board member of the IAB and OpenAP.

Katrina Cukaj

HONOREE

Katrina Cukaj is an advertising and media executive. Most recently, as the Executive Vice President of Ad Sales Strategy for WarnerMedia, she led strategic sales planning across the company’s linear networks, network partnerships, ad sales research, and marketplace image and experience. She oversaw the team’s collaboration with leaders across WarnerMedia’s premium portfolio of brands to develop a crossplatform sales strategy to bring to the marketplace.

Prior to her expanded role, Cukaj held a newly developed position, and redefined how the sales team goes to market from a portfolio standpoint. She also oversaw the company’s ad sales research across all brands, a new area for Cukaj at the time. One of her main initiatives was developing a unified sales plan for the company.

Cukaj joined CNN in 1999 as an account executive and continued to hold ascending positions in responsibility and title; she was named vice president in 2006 and senior vice president in 2008. As executive vice president of CNN Ad Sales, she was responsible for the creation and execution of multiplatform sales, sponsorship, and integration opportunities for CNN, HLN, CNN en Español U.S., CNN Airport Network, and Great Big Story. Driven by her leadership during the unprecedented 2016 presidential election, CNN achieved its most successful revenue year to date.

Cukaj holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Fordham University. She currently serves as a board member of MAKERS, as well as an active member of She Runs It, Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT), and the American Advertising Federation (AAF). Cukaj also is the NY Chair for Turner Women, an internal business resource group at WarnerMedia. Cukaj was honored as one of AWNY’s 2016 Advertising Working Mothers of the Year, as well as an Ad Age “Woman to Watch” in 2013. Cukaj resides in upstate New York with her husband and two sons.

Dr. Mohammad Sediq Hazratzai

HONOREE

Dr. Mohammad Sediq Hazratzai is the principal investigator/program director at the Public Health Institute. He has worked in research, healthcare, and humanitarian health programs for over a decade. As a visiting professor at the University of California Davis, Dr. Sediq teaches refugee health and comparative health systems focused on Afghanistan, Japan, and the United States.

Dr. Sediq is also a credentialed principal investigator/program Director (PI/PD) with the Public Health Institute (PHI). Dr. Sediq has worked with nonprofits, the United Nations Migration Agency, and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health in projects focused on the most vulnerable populations such as refugees, migrants, injecting drug users (IDUs), and HIV high-risk groups. Dr. Sediq

speaks fluent Dari/Farsi and Pashtu and is an active community member in the Greater Sacramento region, helping diverse refugee groups.He is a trainer with Lotus Project and a research associate with PHI’s HIPUP program.

Dr. Sediq is an Upwardly Global alumnus and Board member. He also mentors a group of up to 20 job seekers who are Afghan refugee physicians and public health practitioners to find employment in the United States. If he is not at his home office, Dr. Sediq spends most of his free time with his two children, aged eight and ten. Dr. Sediq is a big fan of nature and national parks.

b ui lding s t ro nger c o mmunities

Deloitte is committed to delivering measurable change by supporting refugee integration in our communities. Over the next three years, we plan to train 250 refugees for success and hire another 250 into our workforce. Our collaboration with a range of organizations helps accelerate this positive social impact to create a meaningful difference in the lives of refugees.

Deloitte is proud to work with Upwardly Global.

UPWARDLY GLOBAL GALA 2022

Gala Co-Chairs

Co-Chair

Ravi Chanmugam is senior managing director for Growth & Strategy and Health within Accenture Strategy. In this role, he focuses on advising companies and governments on issues related to business strategy, operating models, digital strategies and innovation, cost management, customer engagement, talent management, large-scale business transformation, and organizational change.

Ravi joined Accenture in 2001, and since then has held leadership roles in the health & public service, management consulting, and mergers & acquisitions practices within Accenture Strategy. Prior to joining Accenture, he was a cofounder of a financial-services eCommerce firm, and worked at McKinsey & Company and Goldman Sachs & Co.

Ravi holds a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College. He is based in New York City, United States.

Ravi Chanmugam

Co-Chair

Michael E. Kassan is the founder and CEO of MediaLink, a leading strategic advisory firm. Described as the “ultimate power broker,” he is a trusted advisor on speed dial with every major executive in the media, marketing, entertainment, and technology C-Suite. In 2019, Kassan was inducted into the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Fame, which is considered the highest honor in advertising.

Prior to founding MediaLink in 2003, Kassan was president/ COO and vice-chairman of Initiative Media Worldwide, growing billings from $1.5 billion to over $10 billion. Before that, he was president and COO of International Video Entertainment (Artisan Entertainment). He has been named one of the top media executives in America by Ad Age and in 2018 was honored on Adweek’s “Power 100” list and on Variety’s index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global entertainment industry. Michael has also been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Silicon Beach 25” list of the most powerful digital players in L.A.

In addition, Kassan has served on the board of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy, and the Cultural Affairs Commission – City of Los Angeles, and has been chairman of the State Senate Select Committee on the Entertainment Industry. Kassan is also a strong supporter of community and not-for-profit programs; he currently serves as chair of the UJA-New York Marketing Communications Committee and is a board member of the American Advertising Federation, the Ad Council, the Paley Center for Media, Project Healthy Minds, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, whose Greater Los Angeles division named him the 2021 Walt Disney Philanthropist of the Year.

Michael E. Kassan

Co-Chair

Tony Goncalves is the former executive vice president and chief revenue officer at Warner Media and the newest member of Upwardly Global’s board.

With parents who immigrated from Portugal when he was just four years old, Tony Goncalves grew up understanding what it meant to start from scratch in a new country and sacrifice for your children’s future. He is committed to opening more opportunities for immigrants and refugees today and works to ensure that we are a welcoming country, practicing kindness in his own life and work.

In his role at WarnerMedia, Tony Goncalves oversaw U.S. advertising sales, networks and HBO Max distribution, home entertainment, and content licensing. He was also responsible for Otter Media, a leader in fan-centric, digitalfirst entertainment with a portfolio of digital media brands including Rooster Teeth and Gunpowder & Sky. Tony Goncalves was named to this position in August 2020.

Previously, Tony Goncalves was serving in a dual role at WarnerMedia as CEO of Otter Media and overseeing the development of HBO Max. Before his role at WarnerMedia, he served as head of strategy and business development for AT&T, leading the company’s entry into OTT with DIRECTV NOW and overseeing the Otter Media relationship with The Chernin Group.

Tony Goncalves held a number of roles at DIRECTV before joining AT&T. He founded and led the company’s digital products division, reporting to CEO Mike White, and spearheaded the shift to mobile video and innovation outside the traditional content distribution space, including the launch of the NFL Sunday Ticket OTT product.

Tony Goncalves also serves on the advisory board of his alma mater, the Iona College Hagan School of Business.

Tony Goncalves

For Immigrants & Refugees. For America.

AFGHAN JOB SEEKERS

LEADING ON HEALTHCARE

Our inherent diversity is our greatest strength. Throughout the pandemic, immigrants’ contributions and innovations have played a critical part in helping us navigate uncertainty, playing front-line roles in healthcare and less visible but critical roles in supply chain, technology, and engineering.

Today, we can say that it was tough, but we are back. It took all of us to get here.

And as we emerge and look to the future, Upwardly Global is committed to building our community of activists and advocates to advance our vision of inclusion in our society and economy for immigrant and refugee professionals and for all of us.

Together, we can make it real.

165K

HEALTHCARE WORKERS =

SUPPORT & CARE FOR 30M UNDERSERVED AMERICANS

Upwardly Global helped doctors, nurses, dentists, lab technicians, and other critical workers relicense or find adjacent work in public health and healthcare administration; we issued dozens of relicensing guides for states to help immigrants navigate the complex processes; and we moved legislation in Illinois and other key states that promises to address exclusionary policies.

In the past year, when international events brought refugees to our shores, Upwardly Global responded to the call for support with immediate action. In doing so, we welcomed scores of Afghan refugees into the Upwardly Global program and are supporting a growing number of Ukrainian job seekers, as well as thousands of immigrants and asylees from across the world.

Together, we can make it real.

Upwardly Global has been leading the work of Afghan professional workforce inclusion — connecting with over 6,000 Afghan job seekers supporting training and placements. The goal of our work: to ensure that immigrants and refugees gain quality employment that pays family-supporting wages and that builds on their education and experience within their chosen career field. Upwardly Global has led this work nationally through our direct service career skills and coaching program, and by expanding Jobversity, our best-

practice training model — to support workforce programs, community colleges, and immigrant-andrefugee serving organizations across the country. In parallel, we are helping companies to shift recruitment and hiring practices so that they can recognize and integrate valuable in-demand skills and build a more diverse and equitable workforce. Together, we can make it real.

WORKING WITH EMPLOYERS

If companies supported and implemented equitable hiring initiatives that recognize the immense talent of immigrants and refugees, they could fill over 2.3 million mid- and high-skill job openings and allow newcomers a chance to access the American Dream.

Upwardly Global worked with 50 major companies on best practices for equitable hiring, supported direct recruitment from our pool of immigrant and refugee professionals, and issued guides to support

employment of Afghan and Ukrainian refugee professionals, and to build hiring practices for leading in-demand positions such as data analysis.

It’s Equity in Action — and we are so thrilled to build the community of those committed to realizing this vision for immigrants, refugees and our country.

We can make it real if we ACT, together, NOW!

At the top of our voice.

DLA Piper is proud to support the Upwardly Global Gala 2022, and we salute tonight’s honorees – Steven J. Corwin, MD, Katirina Cukaj, and Krishan Bhatia.

Sidney Burke

Attorney Advertising

dlapiper.com

Proud Sponsor of

Our connections are more important than ever. We are proud to support Upwardly Global’s mission for a more connected and inclusive world.

Board Members

Jane Leu, Trustee Emerita

Martha Gallo, Trustee Emerita

Todd A. Harding, Trustee Emeritus

Tammi Ling, Board Chair

Steve Ostler, Board Vice Chair

Joshua Winter, Secretary & Governance Committee Chair

Robert A. Garechana, Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair

Philipp Schumacher, Audit Committee Chair

Rosalyn Chen, Development Committee Chair

Winita Lau

Tony Goncalves

Au Nguyen

Heather Reilly

Kathy Taylor

Shaun E. Smith, JD

Lucy Walton Dr. Mohammad Sediq Hazratzai

Leadership Councils

Seattle New York Chicago

Susan Thornton Matthew Quinlan Dave Hill Farron McDonald Sarah Jacob Rumsha Siddiqui Rachid El Mourabit Jessica Hennessey Kristin Pankey Sophie Solomon Fiona Goodwillie

Washington, D.C.

Maria Little Derek Li Tori Travers

Sara Jackson-Han Emilie Hyams Susan Go Shorena Megrelishvili Maggie Yuan Yue Bob Bissen

Jamie McAuliffe Sonia Lin Amy Swers

Ishan Gurg Mike Diamond Yvonnie Phan Elizabeth Meyer Tej Mehta David Kim Yoga Acharya Linda Sun Olena Ostasheva Quesia McCambridge Biana Shilshtut

Jane Yang Karishma DeSouza Amrit Bedi Kendra Levine Melanie Levine Andy Gush Simone Gourguechon Maria Ptouchkina Koray Yesilli Peter Kim Ynah Parker Nitida Wongthipkongka Waqas Khan

Anj Danar

San Francisco

Brian Chang

Yvonne Ngo Hannah Pace Fiona Alfait

Tadios Belay Eva-Marie Costello Liza Dingle Sabrina Hodjati

rights

PwC is proud to support Upwardly Global as part of our commitment to building a culture of belonging.

Strengthening a culture of inclusion and equity

SPONSORS

DIVERSITY CHAMPION

Russell L. Carson

INCLUSION LUMINARY

Ravi Chanmugam & Christina Lucas Wendy Zimmermann & Steve Cutler

BRIDGE BUILDER

SPONSORS

Robert Garechana

Winita Lau & Kumar Kanisan Tammi Ling

Joshua Winter & Sandhya Rao Caio Zapata

Katrina Cukaj Krishan Bhatia David Javdan Steve Ostler

UPWARDLY GLOBAL GALA 2022

YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

Since 2000, Upwardly Global has empowered refugees and immigrants with the skills, coaching, and social capital needed to rebuild their lives and careers in the U.S. More than 9,000 individuals have restarted their careers thanks to direct contributions from people like you.

Please consider making an investment in equity tonight!

A gift of $5,000 funds the building of in-demand career pathways for healthcare workers and other critical professions. This helps immigrants and refugees obtain the skills and credentials they need to secure thriving wage jobs.

A gift of $1,000 funds the development of one new online course. These help jobseekers accelerate their learning of critical soft skills that every immigrant needs to succeed.

A gift of $250 sets up a job seeker with a mentor in their industry. These relationships are the foundation of a strong professional network and are critical in

THANK YOU to our honorees and co-chairs, national board, Leadership Councils, volunteers, Upwardly Global alumni, and staff for making tonight’s celebration possible. Your commitment and dedication to our mission make every story success possible. You are the true champions of the call for EQUITY IN ACTION!

And to our guests, thank you for coming out tonight. Your presence and gifts give us HOPE for the year ahead, and we hope to gather again to reflect and celebrate greater accomplishments.

AT NEXT YEAR’S GALA!

UPWARDLY GLOBAL GALA 2022

EQUITY IN ACTION: BEYOND WELCOME