I grew up in a small East Coast town in the US that lived up to most small-town stereotypes. Exposure to other cultures and languages was rare — almost as foreign as the words themselves. Everything started to change when I moved to Washington, D.C., and later to the West Coast. Those moves cracked the door open to different cultures (and amazing foods that I never even heard of!).

The Job That Changed Everything

As an engineer in San Jose, I landed — almost by accident — on a team responsible for releasing language versions of some once-popular desktop applications (RIP, like so many others that couldn’t compete with MS Office!). That’s when the door flew wide open.

Suddenly, I was traveling internationally, meeting with colleagues, and experiencing other cultures firsthand. On my first trip, I’ll never forget dinner at a pub that lasted over five hours — completely foreign to me back then — where I sat with translation leads from Spain, Italy, Germany, and France. We talked about life, work, family, and the small things that make each culture unique. It was a revelation.

That dinner, and many like it, set the course for the rest of my career. I realized I didn’t just want to do engineering work — I wanted my work to help connect people across cultures and languages.

A Shift in Purpose

Fast-forward 30 years. I’ve been fortunate to work on the corporate side of the localization industry, helping global companies adapt their products and content for audiences around the world. But over time, I felt a deeper pull to focus on something more purpose-driven.

One motivation came from seeing the real challenges faced by at-risk and underserved communities — and wondering how my skills could help support organizations doing good things in the world.

The other inspiration came from home. My wife spent 25 years as a teacher, dedicated to making an impact on young lives. Our son is now about to graduate with a degree focused on environmental challenges. Watching them live out their values pushed me to re-evaluate mine. I wanted to use my experience in a way that supports not just today’s needs — but the needs of future generations.

Finding the Right Fit: Open Language Initiative

Timing is everything. Not long ago, I connected with an incredible group of people at the start of forming the Open Language Initiative (OLI) — a nonprofit with a mission to use language as a tool for global connection and social impact.

Through OLI, I’ve been able to take the lead on many of our technical strategies and localization best practices. We’re building a foundation to support the growing pool of organizations that need help bridging language gaps. I’m also starting to focus on how my experience can help address educational and environmental challenges — areas that have become increasingly important to me.

Full Circle — and Still Growing

Spending the latter part of my career in this space has been more fulfilling than I could’ve imagined. And I feel incredibly lucky to have more time now to travel with my family to some of the amazing places I once visited for work — this time, at a slower pace.

Of course, there’s still a regular dose of OLI initiatives, pick-up basketball games, and probably too many dinners out (some things don’t change). But I’m more energized than ever to keep learning, giving back, and staying curious about the world and the people in it.