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Dear WorldBoston Community,
Next week, WorldBoston will be in Washington, D.C. for the annual Global Ties U.S. National Meeting, convening nearly 90 World Affairs Councils and Global Ties organizations from across the country. Global Ties U.S. is the national organization that enables WorldBoston and the national network to implement U.S. Department of State programs such as the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The process for hosting IVLP delegations is highly competitive, and we are proud to report our nearly ten-year legacy of hosting more delegations and more visitors annually than any other Global Ties affiliate nationwide, which is an achievement that speaks to both our operational excellence and the trust placed in us by our federal partners.
This year’s conference theme, America 250, is one Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to bring to life. With our unmatched collection of historic landmarks and civic institutions, WorldBoston plays a central role in interpreting America’s founding ideals for international audiences. As we celebrate our national 250th anniversary, we invite our community to reach out if you know of under-the-radar or distinctive “250” sites, stories, or perspectives that would resonate with international delegations visiting Eastern Massachusetts.
The conference will also place a strong emphasis on Sports Diplomacy, particularly in light of the upcoming World Cup. As an early leader in this space, WorldBoston has been invited to deliver the closing session of the national Sports Diplomacy plenary — an honor that reflects both our leadership in developing innovative programming as well as our legacy and commitment to openly sharing what we learn with our peers across the country. We see this not as a spotlight moment, but as an opportunity to help strengthen our field of sub-national diplomacy as a whole and to ensure that communities nationwide are prepared to leverage sport as a powerful tool for cultural exchange and civic connection. We are deeply proud to be a leading member of this national network and to contribute to the work of welcoming the world, city by city, community by community.
Over the past decade, WorldBoston has hosted an average of nearly 100 international delegations per year, welcoming approximately 1,000 high-profile international leaders annually to Eastern Massachusetts. In 2025 alone, this work generated more than $3.75 million in direct economic impact for local hotels and vendors, alongside significantly greater indirect economic activity and enduring cultural and educational value. That same level of trust, scale, and operational excellence is available well beyond federally funded programs. WorldBoston works with private, academic, civic, and corporate partners to support high-demand international visits, often with complex logistics and tight timelines.
If you — or someone you know — are expecting international guests to Massachusetts in this year of sports and 250th national anniversary, we want to hear from you! Reach out to explore how WorldBoston can serve as a trusted partner in delivering a seamless, high-impact visit.
We hope to see you soon,
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Sarah Sibley
President & COO
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We are delighted to share several team updates as WorldBoston continues to build momentum in 2026.
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Justin Dynia has been promoted to Director of Citizen Diplomacy Programs.
Justin’s passion for international affairs (and languages), diligent project management, and commitment to our mission have been evident to our leadership, staff, board, clients, and community partners alike. His energy is infectious and his work ethic exemplary. In this expanded role, Justin will be central to WorldBoston’s efforts to deliver our signature delegation services to an increasingly diverse set of partners and clients, while maintaining the high standards that define our international visitor programming.
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Mary Yntema completed her three-month term at the end of January as President Emerita.
The entire organization extends its sincere gratitude to Mary for her assistance during the leadership transition period, following her 11-year tenure at the helm of WorldBoston. We are grateful for her support and we wish her fair winds. As Mary likes to say: “The Mission Persists!”
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We are pleased to welcome Cody Damon as WorldBoston’s inaugural Sports Envoy.
Cody is a highly accomplished media, communications, and sports-for-impact professional who is partnering with WorldBoston in a strategic, advisory capacity as we launch and grow our Sports Diplomacy initiatives. We are thrilled to benefit from his expertise, creativity, and network as we design programming that uses sport as a powerful vehicle for connection, healing, and international exchange—particularly as Boston prepares to host major global sporting events in 2026.
Learn more about Cody's work here, and read more about how he is going to collaborate with WorldBoston here.
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Finally, we are excited to introduce two new interns focused on NextGen programming.
Julianna Lee of Yale University and Roberto Carmona of Harvard University have joined the WorldBoston team to support initiatives aimed at engaging high school students in international affairs. They will initially focus on our flagship youth program, Academic WorldQuest, and will play an important role in strengthening our pipeline of future globally minded leaders.
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Julianna is a first-year student at Yale University, intending to double major in Global Affairs and Religious Studies with a concentration in Korean. On campus, Julianna volunteers with the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, serves as Advocacy Director of Yale UNICEF, and is a part of the Model UN Team and Yale Policy Institute. Julianna’s interest in international relations stems from her curiosity for understanding the experiences of others as well as the political structures that dictate those experiences. Having interviewed Christian and Muslim Albanians to publish a book on their intersecting stories Julianna hopes to continue seeking out these living stories within the topic of diplomacy through her work with WorldBoston.
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Roberto Carmona immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 2020 and learned English in the span of 1 year. His passion for international relations and diplomacy was sparked after competing in the 2022 Academic WorldQuest Competition, a journey that later led him to intern with the World Affairs Council of Miami in 2025. Now a first-year at Harvard College, Roberto is pursuing a concentration in Government with a secondary in Arabic with the goal of becoming a key contributor to the future of democratization in his home country.
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Chat & Chowder with Paul Knott | The Accidental Diplomat
Wednesday, February 11th
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Law Offices of Foley & Lardner LLP
Join us for this installment of our popular Chat & Chowder series, featuring former British Foreign Service Officer and author of “The Accidental Diplomat,” Paul Knott. This Chat & Chowder program will focus on the professional and personal realities of diplomatic life — navigating unfamiliar environments, building trust across cultures, and doing the day-to-day work of diplomacy that often goes unseen.
Chat & Chowder programs are an excellent opportunity to engage with expert speakers and to network with other globally-oriented participants in an informal environment. Each event features an expert speaker, audience Q&A, dedicated time for networking, and (of course!) a selection of chowders and beverages.
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Disclaimer: WorldBoston is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, non-advocacy, educational organization dedicated to fostering civil discourse on international affairs. Our speakers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WorldBoston, our affiliates, or our community.
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- Academic WorldQuest is the World Affairs Councils of America flagship youth education program.
- It is a fun, fast-paced team competition for high school students that challenges students to think globally about critical issues facing the U.S. and the world, testing players' knowledge of current international politics, geography, global economics, history, and world cultures.
- The winning team will compete at the National Academic WorldQuest competition in Washington D.C. on April 27-28 and will represent the entire state of Massachusetts.
- Lodging, travel, and registration for the national competition for four students plus one chaperone will be paid for by WorldBoston.
- And participation is completely free!
This year’s Massachusetts-wide competition will take place at Bridgewater State University on March 21st. Participating schools may send up to 2 teams to the local competition of four students plus two alternates. In 2026, we are working to expand this state-wide competition, reaching more schools and students than ever before. Academic WorldQuest is a great way for students to build their resumes and their knowledge base, and participating schools in Academic WorldQuest have access to more of WorldBoston’s amazing NextGen programs, such as our Diplomacy Simulations and our Global Affairs In Frame classroom activities.
If your school is interested in participating in Academic WorldQuest this year please fill out our interest form, the link for which can be found below.
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This month, we are hosting our first International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) group of the year! Six visitors from Bosnia, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey are coming to Boston from February 11th-14th to learn about Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development. This group will be meeting with our local resources to discuss the themes of business incubators for youth; federal, state and local government support for small businesses; and advocacy support groups for small businesses.
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Looking for support on the logistical elements of hosting visiting delegations? WorldBoston has welcomed nearly 1,000 delegations and more than 8,000 international visitors over the past decade alone and manages close to 100 delegations annually. Many of these high-level delegations are composed of senior government officials, political leaders, business executives, academic experts, civil society innovators, and others.
WorldBoston is a premier partner for luxury, Class A hotels with sterling reputations in central locations. Our decades-long relationships with local vendors enables us to book reservations and room blocks at preferred rates. Partnering with WorldBoston on logistics maximizes the value of your visitors’ stay and enhances their visit to our community with our team’s hassle-free support and management.
For all types of visiting delegations, WorldBoston can provide end-to-end delegation management, including arrival-to-departure logistics at Logan Airport, hotel block coordination, ground transportation, arranging meetings with key leaders in multiple sectors, and enhancing itineraries with cultural activities. This core service allows your visitors to focus on substance and outcomes while WorldBoston manages execution.
For anyone seeking to bring international visitors or domestic clients and colleagues to the Greater Boston area, please reach out to Justin Dynia, Director of Citizen Diplomacy Programs at jdynia@worldboston.org
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We welcome your thoughts and ideas for in-person visitors programming. If you have suggestions, please contact WorldBoston's President & COO, Sarah Sibley.
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Now more than ever, WorldBoston relies on the support of our community to fulfill our mission. Donors who contribute $25 – $999 are proudly recognized on our website as Community Supporters. (Donors of $1,000 and above are Sponsors and enjoy year-round benefits; learn more here!)
You can also donate to WorldBoston through a Donor Advised Fund!
Shout out to our newest Community Supporters: Thomas Graney, Andrea Capachietti, and Mary Yntema.
We encourage you to contribute to WorldBoston to become a 2026 Community Supporter. Donors will receive this year's special pin to recognize their support!
Thank you all for donating to WorldBoston and helping make our mission possible!
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Asterisks indicate first-time sponsors to WorldBoston.
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