Who we are and what we do
USAHello
USAHello is our founding body.
Since 2011, the year of its establishment, USAHello has developed and managed an online platform and produced information and training resources for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
In 2019, 822,320 users benefited from USAHello’s services available in over 10 different languages. USAHello is a member of the USA Refugee Council. It works in partnership with the public and private sector organizations and international organizations such as UNHCR.
USAHello’s staff and board of directors support and inspire our work in Italy.
USAHello Team
Liz is grateful to be a part of such a dedicated team. Her efforts prioritize creating easy-to-understand plain language resources for immigrants, particularly those who are underserved and may face greater barriers to accessing support. She works to ensure USAHello’s content is inclusive, accessible, and responsive. She is eager to explore ways of reaching newcomers across the USA. She values connection and engagement while also leveraging tools such as social media, digital marketing, and SEO. She believes in the importance of listening to our community and service providers’ needs. Our work should value your experiences and build upon your strengths. In a time of so much misinformation, it is crucial we provide practical and trustworthy information.
Katerina is originally from Prague, Czech Republic, where she obtained her Master’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Economics in Prague. Katerina is responsible for accounting and finance duties for USAHello. She brings with her several years of experience in corporate accounting as well as nonprofit experience with a resettlement agency in North Carolina.
Luis A. Garcia-Alvarez serves as Senior Advisor for Community Engagement. In his capacity he oversees the organization’s regional work in Houston, TX and contribute to the national strategy around community engagement, feedback and partnership development. Luis immigrated to the U.S. at the start of the century. Since 2008, he has been an advocate for immigrants, helping them achieve financial freedom and societal development. He holds a Master’s in Human Rights and International Law and a Bachelor’s in Industrial Design.
Ilsé Gutierrez joined USAHello in March 2024 as our Digital Content Manager. She is responsible for optimizing and creating content that can be utilized as a resource for the communities we serve. She is passionate about immigrant and refugee advocacy and strongly believes in equal opportunity for all, regardless of background. Ilsé loves documenting her life through fun videos, blogs, and photographs to share with loved ones. She is also learning Italian in hopes of becoming trilingual.
Sarah is the Executive Director of USAHello, leading the organization’s programs and operations since 2018. She is a long-time advocate for thriving, diverse communities. Before joining USAHello, Sarah served as director of a refugee resettlement and immigration legal services program in North Carolina and worked at the national level for CWS supporting a network of direct service programs. Sarah is dedicated to promoting language justice and ensuring all people have access to good information. As a non-profit leader, she is also passionate about enriching the individual and collective well-being of change makers. Originally from Vermont, Sarah now lives in Utah where she enjoys exploring the mountains with her family.
Giuliana is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Impact of USAHello, leading the strategic design, execution, and growth of core programmatic initiatives focused on regional hubs, digital literacy, and community resilience. Giuliana brings 15 years of experience in the global non-profit sector, implementing and evaluating complex multi-million dollar projects aimed at strengthening systems to improve the health and wellbeing of underserved communities. As a first-generation immigrant, Giuliana is deeply committed to connecting immigrant communities with essential multilingual information and support, grounded in cultural humility and language justice.
Kory Northrop is the Lead Developer for USAHello. He is responsible for building, maintaining, and envisioning USAHello’s online platforms. Kory works to leverage emerging technologies and standards in the industry to increase the reach and impact of USAHello’s services. Kory is passionate about community engagement, volunteerism, pushing the status quo, and moving around outside. Kory has a Masters in Environmental Studies.
At USAHello, Kim Rivera supports our digital community management and creates policy explainers in Spanish for social media. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in justice studies, a certificate in socio-legal studies, and a master’s degree in higher and post-secondary education. Kim works in international education and is passionate about advocating for immigrant communities by promoting equitable access to higher education.
Mariam Sayeed serves as part of the content and creation team at USAHello to ensure USAHello’s content is inclusive, accessible, and responsive. Prior to joining the team, Mariam served as Communications Manager for Refugee Council USA, advocating for migration policy through data analysis, community engagement, and coalition building. She began her work in this space with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), where she led accountability and reporting efforts for the resettlement of Afghan evacuees and documented the operations of the emergency response team under the United States Refugee Admissions Program. Mariam has a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, where she concentrated on migration policy and criminal justice reform.
Collin Stevens is the Director of Technology at USAHello. He oversees all aspects of the organization’s technology. This includes cloud infrastructure, development, maintenance, security, and analytics. He provides newcomers with a reliable and user-friendly experience when using USAHello’s resources. Collin enjoys meditation, backpacking, and exploring new cultures through travel. He strives to discover innovative ways to leverage technology to enhance people’s lives. Collin has a bachelor’s degree in international studies and Spanish and 20 years of experience in database and software development.
Mark Adiedo is the vice president for people and culture and the chief diversity officer at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Mr. Adiedo has more than 10 years of executive experience in nonprofit management, particularly in human resources strategic management and organizational development. He has worked and consulted for nonprofits that address issues of homelessness, sustainable development, displaced populations, and global humanitarian assistance. Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, a master’s degree in industrial sociology from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and a master’s degree in human resource management from The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy.
Amer is the Founder and CEO of Communications Essentials, a social enterprise promoting equitable access to quality language services in the community. Prior to launching his company, Amer worked for several years in the direct service sector for the CWS Immigration and Refugee Program in Lancaster, PA. A former refugee himself, originally from Iraq, Amer came to the US in 2010. Since then he has committed himself to serving his community in various roles within resettlement as well as volunteering for several years as part of USAHello’s advisory council. Amer holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Roehampton and a B.A. in Production Engineering from the University of Technology – Iraq.
Viraj Ayachit is a Cybersecurity, Technology Risk leader at PwC, one of the leading Fortune 50 companies in the world. Viraj has extensive experience in guiding Clients in their technology, strategy, and risk management domains. He has also contributed to various other non-profits solving for sustainability, education and published articles on causes like pay transparency. He has a Master’s degree in Information Technology and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science. As an immigrant in this country for over a decade he is passionate about helping all immigrants and giving them equal opportunity for a better life.
Paola is extremely passionate in the development of mechanisms that allow for the education and empowerment of marginalized communities of color in the hopes of creating agents of change to combat the cycles of violence, poverty, and exploitation. Paola has worked in the immigrant justice space in Houston since 2017 where she has been responsible for leading the strategy, operations and logistics of collaborative projects that streamline immigrant access to social and legal services; developing short- and long-term goals centered through a trauma informed lens; co-managing events, and mentoring professionals interested in working in non-traditional social work settings to provide holistic services. Paola Guzman holds a Master of Social Work degree specializing in Community Organizing, Planning, and Administration from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Spanish from Mount St. Mary’s University.
Paul Huynh is a global go-to-market strategist and technology leader who incubated, launched, and led sales, operations, and partnerships teams for Google, YouTube, and DoubleClick in the USA and Asia Pacific region. Prior to Google, Paul worked in communications planning with brands like P&G, Diageo, and H&M. Driven by the ambition to leverage tech as a force for good, Paul launched WinPact Consulting LLC, a social impact advisory firm, after leaving Google in 2018. He’s partnered with mission-led founders from around the world to tackle financial inclusion, disabilities inclusion, and climate change among many others. Paul holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Tulane University where he triple-majored in Marketing, Management, and Asian Studies. He also graduated with a Global Executive MBA from INSEAD as the class Valedictorian.
Monica Iyer is a human rights and civil rights lawyer currently working as a Senior Lecturing Fellow in the Duke Law International Human Rights Clinic. Her previous work includes serving as a human rights officer with the Migration and Climate Change and the Environment teams at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Monica is deeply committed to upholding the rights of all migrants in the United States and around the world. Monica holds degrees from the University of Chicago, NYU Law School, and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband and her beagle, Cooper.
Miranda Kaiser is co-chair of USAHello’s board of directors. Miranda joined the organization in 2016 as co-president with the founder. She led the organization’s expansion into Italy and ran day-to-day operations for ItaliaHello during its initial development. Today she provides overall strategic support for both programs. Miranda graduated from the Yale Law School and is admitted to the New York and Montana bars. Miranda has held several legal positions, including having worked as deputy counsel for the Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-For-Food Program. She is President of the board of trustees of the Rockefeller Family Fund and has served on the following boards of directors: the Center for Investigative Reporting (1996-2002); the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children (2005-2010); the Rockefeller Family Fund (2001-2013); the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (2006-2014); and the American Farmland Trust (2000-2010; Board Chair 2010-2014).
Laura Oppenheimer is a Product & Growth Leader for Early & Growth Stage Startups at Bubble. Bubble is the leading “no-code” software development platform that empowers people without programming skills to design, develop, and launch their own applications, tech products, or tools for solving their business problems. Prior to coming to Bubble, Laura completed a service term working to save our democracy with Tech for Campaigns and spent six years as a product and marketing leader at Quizlet, an edtech startup that helps millions of students around the world practice and master whatever they are learning. Her work in creating and marketing online learning products over the past decade spans both tiny startups and large publicly traded companies. Laura hails from Palo Alto, California and graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Political Science. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons.
Meaghan Robbins is a fundraising and management professional with over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Meaghan has lived and worked overseas with communities in rural Morocco and on the Thai-Burma border. She has served as a Peace Corps volunteer, at an experience-based outdoor learning & leadership school, and as the director of a refugee resettlement program in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. It was those years in welcoming newcomers that cemented her commitment to advancing equity and social justice. For the last decade, Meaghan has been with Sightline Institute, an independent progressive think-tank focused on environmental and economic sustainability policy in the Pacific Northwest.
Jen Smyers most recently served as the Deputy Director and Chief of Staff of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to ORR, Jen co-founded and directed Voice for Refuge Action Fund, a pioneering 501(c)4 organization that was the first of its kind to endorse refugees and pro-refugee candidates running for local, state, and national office. As Director of Policy and Advocacy for Church World Service’s Immigration and Refugee Program (CWS), Jen led CWS’s work connecting refugees with their elected officials, enacting pro-refugee policies, and transforming a DC-centric advocacy culture to center impacted voices and focus on community organizing. Jen holds a Masters degree in Public Policy with a concentration in International Development and Migration from American University and a dual Bachelors degree in Law & Society and Public Communication.
passionate about improving equity in health and economic opportunity. An “expert generalist,” she has worked in numerous disciplines: strategy consulting, access to medicines, reproductive health, microfinance, and clean energy. Andree currently serves as Global Lead for Market Development and Product Introduction at FHI 360, where she focuses on increasing access to family planning and HIV prevention products in low- and middle-income countries and serves as the Project Director of a four-year family planning project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Andree has led a start-up social enterprise distributing cookstoves in Sudan, served as a strategic advisor to the government of Rwanda, and led introduction efforts for a new contraceptive in seven African countries. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelors in Development Studies from Brown University. Andrée lives in San Francisco with her husband, two young children, and small soulful dog.
Lucia is a passionate advocate for information accessibility and community building. Born in China and raised in the U.S., Lucia is a strong believer in inclusivity and connecting cultures through learning and sharing experiences. She is a global leader with experience in brand marketing, business development, strategy, analytics and insights, and entrepreneurship. Lucia loves to explore cultures through art and food, enjoys bootcamp workouts, as well as meditation.