A while back, someone asked me what I was passionate about. My answer was this: I love facilitating spaces where people can grow into themselves, where learning feels like fun rather than a chore, and where professional development still leaves room for personal connection and mutual support.

I’ve been around languages all my life, choosing German and French in school at age 13 back in Ireland, and then studying German and economics at uni. Then I moved to Germany and became an English coach, translator and interpreter. In 1999 I founded my agency. In recent years, I’ve become very interested in supporting and mentoring others in their personal and professional paths.

OLI gives me the chance to do just that. CEO Andrew Morris invited me to design and develop a free training programme for the organisation’s volunteers. We both had the same instinct that this shouldn’t just be another training programme on an online platform. It needed to feel like something more – something alive, responsive, personal and supportive.

That’s how Elevate was born, OLI’s free continuous training programme for volunteer translators, and I’ve had the pleasure of co-designing it from the ground up with my partner in crime Sherif Abuzid. We offer live workshops – short, focused sessions on topics like cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, the future of translation in the age of AI, and managing money as a freelancer. We are currently adding a six-week blended course as well as a growing library of self-paced learning. It’s a joy to see the programme grow.

What makes Elevate different is the tone. It’s less about “Here’s what you need to know”, and more like “Let’s explore how we can grow together”. It’s not a top-down approach – just a group of smart, generous people trying to build meaningful careers while contributing to something they care about.

The management team, the volunteers and the authenticity are what motivate me most at OLI. The willingness to talk about CAT tools and specialisation, and also about self-doubt, imposter syndrome, boundaries, and burnout. It’s real life, translated into a learning space and a great organisation.

As my background is in business, languages, education and psychology – plus a fair bit of figuring things out as I go along, OLI gives me room to bring it all together. Not in some polished, perfect way, but in a way that feels real and useful.

So yes, I joined OLI because I believe in its mission. But I also joined because I relate to its way, which is collaborative, kind, and quietly radical. If that sounds like something you’d like to be part of, we’d love to have you.