GainContact provides the tools, skills and resources to improve target lifestyle areas. Acting as an umbrella organization, Gain Contact Group is committed to developing the knowledge, competencies, and insights of individuals and organizations through learning solutions that promote global mindsets, personal development and educational fulfillment.
The word “GAIN” represents the concept of attainment and achievement, usually spurred by a desire to improve or advance know-how including a given skill, knowledge base, or competency area. On a daily basis, our human nature gives us the drive to constantly enhance what we have or know by moving in a forward direction towards improvement through increased knowledge and awareness as well as optimal resource utilization to achieve desired goal.
It is this understanding that led to the creation of Gain Contact, a company committed to providing the tools, skills and resources to spur the development of a given lifestyle area.
Acting as an umbrella organization, Gain Contact Group is committed to furthering the knowledge, competencies, and insights of individuals and organizations by expanding global alliances, enriching interactions and creating lucrative networks.
To this effect, each subsidiary brand will retain the word GAIN representing: Global, Alliances, Interactions, and Networks.
We are dedicated to delivering customized product and service offerings that leverage existing competencies while working with momentum to drive improvement and attainment of maximum potential.
Gain Contact Group holds a strong code of values, which is applied within its internal and external management operations. These include the following:
First-class quality of service to our customers, our partners and our community.
Providing on-time, relevant and up-to-date information.
Delivering customized product and service solutions.
Giving and instilling hope through clear cooperative positive thinking.
Untapped potential of every human being
Collectively gain advantage by bridging new horizons and reaching common ground
Working together with a global mindset towards sustainability.
To maximize one’s true potential, it is important to stand up and be counted.
Loyalty and consistency to purpose is the key to success.
Differences will not hinder us but only make us work harder to resolve them.
Our Philosophy Gain contact was a vision that became a reality when we realized that there was a need to leverage expertise, skill and need across countries, markets and cultures to create an interconnected knowledge base; a lifestyles and learning destination experience that can maximize potential for success for any individual or organization interested in gaining the necessary knowledge, competency or insight to move forward with focus and confidence in a chosen area.
Gain Contact Group is a U.S.-based lifestyles organization formed in 2005 providing comprehensive services in the areas of personal development and learning fulfillment through its three subsidiary brands.
Gain Contact Group’s major fields of operation are education, training and consulting. Education activities include global education, foreign languages, ESL, private tutoring, college placement, homework help and educational assessment. Training activities include workshops, cultural competence, and professional networking. Consulting activities include educational institutions and business consulting.
At Gain Contact we embrace a process called lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is a broad concept that focuses on the ongoing acquisition of knowledge or skills. It occurs where education is flexible, diverse and available at different times and places and is pursued throughout life. It is a continuum of the learning process that takes place at all levels – formal, non-formal and informal – utilizing various modalities such as distance learning and conventional learning. The idea is that learning can and does occur beyond the formal structure of an educational institution and occurs throughout one’s lifetime.
The concept of lifelong learning has been adopted by most developed and developing nations across the globe given the scale of current economic and social change and the rapid transition to a knowledge-based society. These along with the demographic pressures resulting from an ageing population in the Western hemisphere are all challenges which demand a new approach to education and training, within the framework of lifelong learning.
In the context of these challenges, lifelong learning is given a high priority at Gain Contactwhere it is defined as encompassing all learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence, within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective.
We truly embrace the notion of “If there’s a will, there’s a way” and adopt this concept within our GAIN company mantra. We believe that attainment and achievement, is usually spurred by a desire to improve and advance know-how within a given skill, knowledge base, or competency area. By employing proactive strategies, we aim to leverage expertise, skill and need across countries, markets and cultures. Our mission is to create an interconnected knowledge base; a lifestyles and learning destination experience that can maximize potential for success for any individual or organization.
GainVille programs include language immersion and cultural programs for children, youth and adults, provided in French, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, English, and Arabic.
GainLearning end-to-end educational services include assessments, placement and learner support spanning systematic assessment of learning needs to educational placement at colleges, universities, English Language programs, boarding schools and summer enrichment camps. Our learner support services specifically include home away from home coaching, evaluation and support as well as crisis intervention and management.
GainSelf educational solutions promote the attainment of personal and professional success through seminars, workshops and retreats, delivered in group sessions, as well as customized one-on-one coaching services.
Gain Contact Group”s team emphasizes market segmentation, competitive positioning, messaging and value delivery as a key competitive advantage and in so doing is committed to the company’s mission, brand affluence and service delivery . Its team consists of:
Nora Alarifi Pharaon, Ed.D, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Oversees the overall strategy of Gain Contact Group including the identification of areas that impact current and future business growth, as well as the definition of gaps and acquisition opportunities for all business-relevant pursuits including proficiency of knowledge, as well as research diffusion and codification. Nora’s background and professional experience complement Gain contact’s holistic approach to linking lifestyles and learning. Leveraging more than 30 years of experience in the field of human development and psychology, Nora also provides skills training and workforce development to promote individual growth and effect organizational transformation in global corporations.
Nora earned her doctorate and master’s degree in psychology at Columbia University and also holds a master’s degree in Education as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon .
Diala Pharaon, MBA, Co-Founder & Managing DirectorResponsible for the overall operations and business development strategy for Gain Contact Group. Overseas the website presence, content development and database-driven engine for the company and its subsidiary brands through Gain Contact’s umbrella website and other subsidiary brand sites. Brings 10 years of experience in business development, sales, marketing, client relationship management, and product/program development .Diala holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Babson College and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a minor in French Studies from Syracuse University.
Hannibal Pharaon, Manager, Multimedia & MarketingExperienced in marketing campaigns utilizing production tools used in interactive television and broadcast, print and online media. Ability to conceive, write and put together a wide range of image campaigns, on-air promotional spots and short-form programming.Specialty areas include strategic marketing, advertising and publicity; Web site analysis, production and enhancement. Hannibal holds an M.F.A. from Columbia University.
Suhail Pharaon, ControllerSuhail manages the day to day financial operations with oversight for deposits, receipts and accounts payable. He maintains bookkeeping records for Gain Contact Group broken down by its subsidiary brand offerings. Equipped with a background in business with a focus on finance and accounting, Suhail brings 30 combined years of import & export, entrepreneurship and account management.
Janet Brunda, Financial Analyst/HR & Benefits Janet Brunda is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP CD) in the United States and Canada and a member of the Association for Financial Professionals. She graduated from Ramapo College of NJ and HoHoKus Hackensack School of Business.Janet provides billing and account reconciliations, while ensuring that the company’s financial data records are maintained in online financial systems. Janet also provides client account support by communicating receipts for all transactions, as well as inputing time keeping records for staff and instructors.
Margarita E Casanga Barros, Outreach & Program Liaison and Spanish Language Instructor Originally from Chile, Maggie is a dedicated, organized, and energetic teaching professional who is committed to the social and academic development of every student having earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from Felician College. She is a NJ State Certified Elementary School teacher at heart having the ability to design and implement engaging curriculum, while strengthening students’ scores in varied subjects. Maggie’s educational background, business experience and Spanish language expertise enable her to design and implement engaging language curriculum while adapting lessons to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Maggie possesses exceptional interpersonal and communication skills that help her naturally develop excellent rapport within the GainVille school community.
Patricia Green-Douglas, Educational CounselorEquipped with a Master’s in Educational Technology, Patricia combines her passion for using technology with her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Teacher Education to provide quality educational counseling to international students through virtual communications. Patricia has a passion for working with students interested in applying to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs and an surpassed ability to stay on top of the educational placement process for each of her students using a systematic process of organization and follow-up. Originally from Jamaica, Patricia always has a smile and applies a positive ‘can do’ attitude in her daily endeavors.
Jessica Nowak, Chef, GainVille Cafe
Jessica cooks, bakes and prepares hot & cold beverages at GainVille Cafe. Jessica’s passion for global food with diverse flavors, pre-planning, presentation and ability to multi-task make her ideally suited as chef for GainVille Cafe. Her experience repertoire includes food prep, bartending and medical billing. Jessica’s attention to detail and cheerful attitude make her a very pleasant person to run into at GainVille Cafe.
Anyela Betancur holds a baccalaureate degree from her native country Colombia, with a major in modern languages and bilingual education. She also received an honors associates degree from the Borough of Manhattan Community College with a major in early childhood education. Anyela has over ten years of experience as a language teacher working with children and adults. Anyela teaches Spanish Immersion classes and provides Spanish storytimes at GainVille. She uses her charisma and professional experience to engage the students in interactive learning through rich materials, hands-on activities and didactic resources.
Pamela SalinasMs. Salina was born in Lima, Perú and raised in Passaic, New Jersey. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and certification in Spanish and Bilingual / Bicultural from Kean University.“I am proud to be part of the team at GainVille Learning Center, and am most excited to get to know all of my students, families. The journeys and explorations I take with my students at GainVille allow them to discover our ‘GainImmersion’ approach to learning Spanish that is both beneficial and rewarding to their educational development.”
Xu Han, Mandarin Chinese InstructorXu Han is a native Chinese speaker given a Mandarin Chinese background and knowledge of multiple cultures of China including 20 years experience acquired while living, studying and working in Beijing as well as 4 years college experience at East China University in Shanghai. Xu has experience teaching children in Beijing of China and tutoring college students at the City University of New York in the United States. Equipped with additional training through the Chinese Teacher Preparation Program at William Paterson University, Xu is dedicated and enthusiastic in teaching Mandarin Chinese. She aims to lead her students to acquire standard Mandarin Chinese dialect while gaining the knowledge of China’s native culture.Xu has been teaching Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion classes & Cultural workshops to children ages 3 to 8 at GainVille. She uses creative teaching methods to make the concepts in Mandarin and Chinese Culture easy for her students to absorb, understand and appreciate.
Roula Hanna Saliby, Arabic Instructor
Born in Syria and classically trained and fluent in versatile Levantine Arabic, Mrs. Saliby teaches Arabic to both adults and children. Her proclivity and tolerance towards all encompassing Arabic culture and art is both extensive and impressive. She first had her training back home where she taught teachers and was responsible for their training within a teaching academy environment over 3 years before she moved to the U.S. with her husband and started a family circa 1999.
ABOUT US
GainContact provides the tools, skills and resources to improve target lifestyle areas. Acting as an umbrella organization, Gain Contact Group is committed to developing the knowledge, competencies, and insights of individuals and organizations through learning solutions that promote global mindsets, personal development and educational fulfillment.
Name & Philosophy
NAME & PHILOSOPHY
What’s in a name?
The word “GAIN” represents the concept of attainment and achievement, usually spurred by a desire to improve or advance know-how including a given skill, knowledge base, or competency area. On a daily basis, our human nature gives us the drive to constantly enhance what we have or know by moving in a forward direction towards improvement through increased knowledge and awareness as well as optimal resource utilization to achieve desired goal.
It is this understanding that led to the creation of Gain Contact, a company committed to providing the tools, skills and resources to spur the development of a given lifestyle area.
Acting as an umbrella organization, Gain Contact Group is committed to furthering the knowledge, competencies, and insights of individuals and organizations by expanding global alliances, enriching interactions and creating lucrative networks.
To this effect, each subsidiary brand will retain the word GAIN representing: Global, Alliances, Interactions, and Networks.
We are dedicated to delivering customized product and service offerings that leverage existing competencies while working with momentum to drive improvement and attainment of maximum potential.
Values
VALUES
Our brand values
Gain Contact Group holds a strong code of values, which is applied within its internal and external management operations. These include the following:
Our Philosophy Gain contact was a vision that became a reality when we realized that there was a need to leverage expertise, skill and need across countries, markets and cultures to create an interconnected knowledge base; a lifestyles and learning destination experience that can maximize potential for success for any individual or organization interested in gaining the necessary knowledge, competency or insight to move forward with focus and confidence in a chosen area.
Company Background
COMPANY BACKGROUND
Gain Contact Group is a U.S.-based lifestyles organization formed in 2005 providing comprehensive services in the areas of personal development and learning fulfillment through its three subsidiary brands.
Gain Contact Group’s major fields of operation are education, training and consulting. Education activities include global education, foreign languages, ESL, private tutoring, college placement, homework help and educational assessment. Training activities include workshops, cultural competence, and professional networking. Consulting activities include educational institutions and business consulting.
At Gain Contact we embrace a process called lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is a broad concept that focuses on the ongoing acquisition of knowledge or skills. It occurs where education is flexible, diverse and available at different times and places and is pursued throughout life. It is a continuum of the learning process that takes place at all levels – formal, non-formal and informal – utilizing various modalities such as distance learning and conventional learning. The idea is that learning can and does occur beyond the formal structure of an educational institution and occurs throughout one’s lifetime.
The concept of lifelong learning has been adopted by most developed and developing nations across the globe given the scale of current economic and social change and the rapid transition to a knowledge-based society. These along with the demographic pressures resulting from an ageing population in the Western hemisphere are all challenges which demand a new approach to education and training, within the framework of lifelong learning.
In the context of these challenges, lifelong learning is given a high priority at Gain Contact where it is defined as encompassing all learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence, within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective.
We truly embrace the notion of “If there’s a will, there’s a way” and adopt this concept within our GAIN company mantra. We believe that attainment and achievement, is usually spurred by a desire to improve and advance know-how within a given skill, knowledge base, or competency area. By employing proactive strategies, we aim to leverage expertise, skill and need across countries, markets and cultures. Our mission is to create an interconnected knowledge base; a lifestyles and learning destination experience that can maximize potential for success for any individual or organization.
Brand
BRAND
Learn about our subsidiary brands:
Team
TEAM
Gain Contact Group”s team emphasizes market segmentation, competitive positioning, messaging and value delivery as a key competitive advantage and in so doing is committed to the company’s mission, brand affluence and service delivery . Its team consists of:
Nora Alarifi Pharaon, Ed.D, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Oversees the overall strategy of Gain Contact Group including the identification of areas that impact current and future business growth, as well as the definition of gaps and acquisition opportunities for all business-relevant pursuits including proficiency of knowledge, as well as research diffusion and codification. Nora’s background and professional experience complement Gain contact’s holistic approach to linking lifestyles and learning. Leveraging more than 30 years of experience in the field of human development and psychology, Nora also provides skills training and workforce development to promote individual growth and effect organizational transformation in global corporations.
Nora earned her doctorate and master’s degree in psychology at Columbia University and also holds a master’s degree in Education as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon .
Janet Brunda is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP CD) in the United States and Canada and a member of the Association for Financial Professionals. She graduated from Ramapo College of NJ and HoHoKus Hackensack School of Business.Janet provides billing and account reconciliations, while ensuring that the company’s financial data records are maintained in online financial systems. Janet also provides client account support by communicating receipts for all transactions, as well as inputing time keeping records for staff and instructors.
Originally from Chile, Maggie is a dedicated, organized, and energetic teaching professional who is committed to the social and academic development of every student having earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from Felician College. She is a NJ State Certified Elementary School teacher at heart having the ability to design and implement engaging curriculum, while strengthening students’ scores in varied subjects. Maggie’s educational background, business experience and Spanish language expertise enable her to design and implement engaging language curriculum while adapting lessons to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Maggie possesses exceptional interpersonal and communication skills that help her naturally develop excellent rapport within the GainVille school community.
Jessica Nowak, Chef, GainVille Cafe
Jessica cooks, bakes and prepares hot & cold beverages at GainVille Cafe. Jessica’s passion for global food with diverse flavors, pre-planning, presentation and ability to multi-task make her ideally suited as chef for GainVille Cafe. Her experience repertoire includes food prep, bartending and medical billing. Jessica’s attention to detail and cheerful attitude make her a very pleasant person to run into at GainVille Cafe.
Instructors
INSTRUCTORS
Anyela, Spanish Instructor
Anyela Betancur holds a baccalaureate degree from her native country Colombia, with a major in modern languages and bilingual education. She also received an honors associates degree from the Borough of Manhattan Community College with a major in early childhood education. Anyela has over ten years of experience as a language teacher working with children and adults. Anyela teaches Spanish Immersion classes and provides Spanish storytimes at GainVille. She uses her charisma and professional experience to engage the students in interactive learning through rich materials, hands-on activities and didactic resources.
Roula Hanna Saliby, Arabic Instructor