Ana Atach operates three interconnected Philadelphia-based businesses, each rooted in her mission to create  “exponential impact” through language education. As a Spanish language coach for adults, a professional development trainer for early childhood educators across Pennsylvania, and the creator of the beloved Canticuentos program, Ana draws from her own immigrant experience to inspire thousands.. While raising two bilingual children and staying closely connected to her family, she volunteers her expertise to build cultural bridges throughout our community.

Ana Atach is a 2025 Philadelphia Family Women of Influence Award Winner

Philadelphia Family’s Women of Influence Awards celebrate exceptional women making significant impacts in our community. Ana was nominated by her sister, Jeanette Atach, and selected based on her achievements and dedication to creating positive change in her community. Each Women of Influence Award Winner has committed to support Family Focus Media’s core values. Together, we are committed to foster a sense of belonging and empowerment for all for all families. All backgrounds, races, genders, and sexual orientations are welcome and safe with us.

Beyond the awards, our Women of Influence Luncheons and Speed Networking Night attendees come together as our Women of Influence Network, a community fostering connections, collaboration, and mutual support. 

Three Businesses, One Mission

Ana’s work spans three distinct but deeply connected enterprises. For over a decade, she has coached adults in private Spanish sessions, taking students from basic vocabulary to reading full novels together. Some students have been with her for ten years, and she now leads immersion trips to Mérida, Mexico. “I’ve taken them all the way from just learning a few words to reading full novels with me,” Ana explains, noting the deep satisfaction of watching students use their skills in real-world situations.

Her second business grew from a realization that her impact could multiply through teacher training. After working in public schools and witnessing the high demand placed on a single bilingual educator, Ana shifted focus. “I realized that by working with teachers and teaching them what they needed to learn and know, I would be able to have a greater impact,” she says. Now a certified PQAS instructor with six state certifications, Ana provides professional development to over 100 early childhood centers across Pennsylvania each year.

Her third component, Canticuentos: Spanish Stories & Songs, was born during the pandemic, when children’s programming disappeared. Starting with small gatherings in a park with her own young children, Ana created a 30-minute immersive Spanish program featuring props, costumes, and original songs. Today, Canticuentos is featured at venues like the Philadelphia Library System, Barnes Foundation, and Please Touch Museum.

Building Confidence Through Immersion

Ana’s approach to language learning reflects her own immigrant experience. Working with healthcare professionals—nurses from Penn Healthcare, a researcher from Princeton University, a veterinarian, and a South Philadelphia chef—she focuses on building confidence as much as vocabulary. “Many of them came in with little confidence, afraid of making mistakes or feeling ‘too old’ to learn,” she observes. Through patient, personalized coaching, Ana helps them move beyond self-doubt to achieve meaningful communication with their Spanish-speaking patients and customers.

Ana’s Canticuentos performances are fully immersive, designed to expose children to Spanish in a natural, engaging way. “I give my three rules in English and then after that we go straight to Spanish,” Ana explains. One key rule: no translating for your child. “they’ll get what they get and that’s okay.” This bold approach, refined over several years, creates authentic opportunities for language acquisition through songs, stories, and play.

From Scholarship Student to Community Builder

Ana’s journey began with extraordinary courage and opportunity, as she left her hometown in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At 17, she earned a full scholarship to Dickinson College and arrived in the United States at 18, knowing no one. “When I think about it, it just gives me goosebumps to think that I did that,” she reflects. Navigating a new culture, language, and country as a teenager continues to shape her deeply empathetic approach to teaching.

Her first job coordinated tutoring and after-school programs for Latino students and Hmong refugees in Madison, Wisconsin. “The people that are there for you throughout your development as you become a person are very important individuals, and they can make a significant impact,” Ana notes. That early experience solidified her path towards education and her belief in meeting students where they are—regardless of background—with understanding and care.

Creating Cultural Connections

Canticuentos performances are theatrical experiences designed to foster cultural appreciation alongside language exposure. Ana incorporates costumes featuring artwork created by her daughter during the pandemic, uses playful props like a friendly bear, and teaches dances from various Spanish-speaking regions. “Even when I do the dances, I teach them about the rhythm, what type of style this music is, where you hear it,” she explains.

The growing popularity has even surprised Ana. “The weirdest thing that has happened to me recently is being recognized by families—I’m on a walk and kids approach me like ‘Oh, you are the lady from Canticuentos,'” she laughs. The Barnes Foundation, after years of her outreach attempts, eventually contacted her instead. Moments like these affirm Ana’s mission to create joyful, meaningful cultural experiences for young children.

Exponential Impact Philosophy

Ana’s business model is built on the principle of multiplying impact. Rather than working with 30 students directly, training 30 teachers allows her to impact hundreds of children. Her professional development sessions are intensely practical—participants leave with tools they can implement immediately. “Whatever they learn today, they can start applying tomorrow,” she emphasizes.

This exponential thinking extends to her work with adults. Many of her students serve Spanish-speaking communities, multiplying Ana’s impact through their enhanced communication abilities. “Each of those students are interacting with different people throughout their day and are in consequence assisting and helping others,” she notes.

Family Values and Cultural Preservation

Ana’s commitment to cultural preservation runs deep in her personal life. She and her husband prioritize Spanish language and Latino culture for their children, including month-long summer trips to Spanish-speaking countries where the children attend camps. “Personally, language is such an important component of our lives that we purposely place our children in camps in different Spanish speaking countries,” she explains.

Ana’s dedication is rooted in her deep understanding of the importance of identity. Working with struggling high school students, she observed that many “lacked a sense of identity and belonging.” Her own strong family connections—meeting her husband at 19 and embracing his family as her American family—reinforce her belief in community and cultural grounding.

Addressing Early Language Learning

Ana advocates strongly for early Spanish exposure, countering common misconceptions. “Some parents think, ‘Oh, but if they’re not reading, if they’re not writing, why would I talk to them in Spanish?” she describes. Her professional experience taught her to combat the damaging belief that speaking Spanish at home hinders English learning. “That’s absolutely not true—it’s a transferable skill, just like if you teach a kid to play baseball, it’s going to help them play basketball.”

Her advice to parents is straightforward: start early, stay consistent, and view bilingualism as expanding their child’s toolbox. “You never know what life will bring—it’s another toolbox that you don’t want to deprive your children from having that could open doors you may not have ever imagined in the future.”

Sustainable Growth

Despite her friends’ suggestions to be “the Miss Rachel in Spanish,” Ana remains committed to local, personal impact. “Bigger is not necessarily better,” she reflects. “It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.” Her vision for Canticuentos involves reaching more children and venues within her community rather than franchising or expanding beyond Philadelphia.

This philosophy reflects Ana’s belief that meaningful relationships drive true success. Her adult students often stay with her for years, early childhood centers become loyal repeat clients, and Canticuentos families return for multiple performances. For Ana, Quality connections create a lasting impact far more powerful  than rapid growth alone.

Looking Forward

Ana’s work tackles a vital modern challenge: loneliness and the lack of belonging. “Many people are filled with material stuff but have no real relationships and no people that care for them,” she observes. Through her programs, she creates spaces for authentic connection—whether through shared language learning experiences or cultural celebration.

Her 18-year-old self, arriving alone in America, likely never imagined the community she would one day build. Today, Ana fosters the belonging and cultural bridges she once sought, ensuring other families experience the joy and connection that comes from embracing language and culture together.

Ana Atach’s influence extends far beyond individual lessons or performances. Through her three interconnected businesses, she has crafted a powerful model for cultural preservation and community building that honors diversity while fostering genuine connection. By transforming personal challenges into meaningful solutions, Ana stands as a true Woman of Influence—one whose impact continues shaping how Philadelphia families experience language, culture, and belonging.

Connect with Ana Atach on LinkedIn.

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