Join us on Friday, November 20th to hear from guest speaker Anuj Gupta, President and CEO of the Welcoming Center to explore new research on the economic impact of immigrants in Philadelphia! PCCP is excited to welcome Anuj Gupta, President and CEO of the Welcoming Center, as our speaker at our next luncheon on Thursday, November 20th. Anuj will share insights from his recently released research on the economic impact of immigrants in Philadelphia and beyond at McCormick & Schmick's (1 South Broad Street). Anuj Gupta has been Philadelphia's Welcoming Center President & CEO since 2023 and is a proven thought leader and doer across Philadelphia's government, nonprofit, and private sectors, with a professional track record of delivering impactful results. He will discuss his just-released data and policy analysis on the impact of immigrants in Philadelphia and beyond. His study has found that immigrants have an outsized economic impact on the workforce, business and job creation, innovation, spending, and the attraction of foreign investment. Come hear Anuj break it down and address the elephant in the room. Full circle, Anuj helped jump-start The Welcoming Center with his graduate school research in 2003. Anuj is now responsible for leading execution of the organization’s strategic plan focused on building pathways to upward economic mobility for Greater Philadelphia’s immigrant communities. Prior to this, Anuj served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03). In this role, he oversaw the Congressman’s legislative and policy agenda, the communications strategy, constituent service delivery, and staff in the Philadelphia and Washington offices. Anuj led successful legislative strategies towards passage, including the $1B Reconnecting Communities fund in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. Anuj Gupta also previously served as the General Manager of the historic Reading Terminal Market for five years. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of the nearly 80-merchant market’s day-to-day operations, including leasing, marketing, special events, as well as guiding the non-profit corporation’s strategic direction. Prior to this role, Anuj served as Executive Director of Mt. Airy, USA. Under his direction, Mt. Airy USA undertook the redevelopment of one of the largest Transit Oriented Development sites in Philadelphia, which in 2014 became a second campus for the acclaimed K-8 Wissahickon Charter School, invested over $1 million in redeveloping blighted sections of Germantown Avenue, launched a new business association and destination website for Mt. Airy, and expanded the organization’s housing counseling capacity to serve nearly 600 people annually. Prior to this position, he served for three years (2008- 2010) in Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s administration in a number of roles including Chief of Staff of the Department of Licenses & Inspections, and Deputy to the Managing Director. Anuj was an attorney at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, where he practiced in the firm’s real estate/affordable housing group from 2004-2007. Anuj also opened a fast-casual Indian restaurant in Philadelphia’s Mt. Airy neighborhood in 2013, called Jyoti Indian Bistro, using his family’s traditional recipes. Anuj is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., 2003), the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government (M.G.A., 2003), and Carnegie Mellon University (B.S., 1996). He is currently a board member of the Reading Terminal Market Corporation, Independence Public Media Foundation, Victor’s Homes, Regional Housing Legal Services, and Mt. Airy Baseball.