Women in Localization’s STAR Volunteer Award recognizes volunteers who demonstrate exceptional dedication, leadership, and positive impact within our community. STAR stands for
Service
Teamwork
Ambassadorship and
Reliability
and is awarded to individuals who embody these values through consistent, meaningful contributions that help our global community thrive.
This year, the 2025 STAR Award goes to Nadja Ruhl, whose energy, vision, and innovation have significantly shaped the evolution of Women in Localization’s global programs.
Nadja joined the WL community in 2022 as part of the Dutch Chapter.
In 2023, she became the Mentorship & Education Manager for the Dutch chapter and expanded her involvement to the Global Mentorship Program. That same year, she moved to the Global Events Team and under her execution, the team launched the #BookBuzz series (read a blog about it here), creating a new space for learning and meaningful conversations across time zones.
In 2025, Nadja stepped into one of the most impactful roles in the organization – Global Community Program Director, leading and supporting the Events, Job Board and Talent Pool, Mentorship, Membership, Education and Content, and Mental Health & Wellness teams within the Global Community.
Nadja holds a PhD in Language Science from the University of Udine &Trieste (Italy). After completing her postdoc, she transitioned into IT and the language industry, joining the Google Shopping expansion project in Poland. She is currently based in the Netherlands, serving as a Program Manager at a SaaS B2B PropTech company, where she supports their mission to serve tenant communities globally in 17+ languages.
We asked Nadja to share her reflections on the award, her journey, and what inspires her work within our community.
Q: How did you feel when you found out you had won the 2025 STAR Award?
Nadja: To be completely honest, this award came as a total surprise. Of course, I knew that only those who had previously received the 2025 KUDOS Award were eligible for the STAR Award, but it ultimately depends on the community voting for you and I had some very strong peers nominated alongside me. I truly wasn’t expecting to win.
I also don’t see this award as a personal achievement. I’m simply the person who is physically holding the trophy on behalf of the Global Community. So, the trophy is in my hands only because we can’t send one to every single volunteer and every member worldwide. There are thousands of us!
This is really a celebration of all of us.
Q: Did you prepare a speech for the ceremony?
Nadja: A speech? Like an Oscar acceptance speech? “Thank you to my parents, thank you to God”? haha Well, if I had to prepare one, it would go something like this:
Thank you to the founding mothers of Women in Localization – Silvia Avary-Silveira, Eva Klaudinyova, and Anna Navarro i Descals (Schlegel).
Thank you to my personal guardian angels – Madhu Sundaramurthy and Mila Golovine.
Thank you to all the team leads whose work forms the backbone of the Global Community, to our Program Directors who contribute endlessly to the organization’s growth, and to our incredible Wellness Ambassadors.
And of course, thank you to every single member of Women in Localization. Without you, WL simply wouldn’t exist. And thank you for voting for me! Your trust means a great deal to me. I’m also very aware of the responsibility that comes with this – to be your representative and to do everything in my power to serve your best interests.
Q: Out of all the volunteer organizations out there, why did you choose Women in Localization?
Nadja: I wrote about this briefly for a WL blog and also on my LinkedIn page, but I’ll add something from a different angle.
You may have heard that we are entering what thinkers like Harris Eyre call the Brain Economy – a paradigm where brain capital = brain health + brain skills.
It’s no longer enough to simply know how to write prompts for AI.
Some of the essential skills in this new era include:
– stress management
– emotional regulation
– psychological safety
– empathy
– collaboration
– setting boundaries
– self-care
These are not skills most of us were ever formally taught at university.
But when these elements are nurtured, both individuals and communities thrive:
more innovation, less burnout, stronger leadership.
So the question becomes: What role should industry associations play in preparing their members for this new era? One that requires not only skills, but resilience, adaptability, and self-motivation?
Research consistently shows that without rest and support, creativity declines, relationships suffer, and the quality of our work deteriorates.
At Women in Localization, we believe investing in our members’ mental health and wellness is not “nice to have” – it is essential.
This is why we recently launched our Well-Being Program (read our Manifesto in the blog).
To my knowledge, WL is currently the only organization in the language industry offering such a holistic approach. One that sees the human being behind the titles, metrics, and skill lists.
And that is the kind of organization I want to be part of.
Q: As tradition, we ask all STAR Award recipients this question – do you have any advice for women who feel hesitant about stepping into leadership or volunteer-leading roles?
Stepping into leadership can feel intimidating, but that feeling is actually a healthy sign. It means you’re taking the responsibility seriously. Leadership isn’t about titles or ego; it’s about how you show up for others.
Something I learned during the time I spent collaborating with Google is that a leader is only as strong as their team. Your team gives you the privilege to support them and it’s that service, not the job title, that becomes the foundation of real leadership.
And if we zoom out for a moment, history gives us countless examples of what leadership without empathy can do. Entire societies built on fear, control, trauma, and domination. That era of leadership is fading. We are entering a time when true leadership belongs to those with emotional intelligence, compassion, and the ability to sense the needs of their teams and communities.
Women in Localization is an NGO, a non-profit, a volunteer-led organization, a real leadership sandbox. It’s a safe space where you can learn, experiment, grow, and develop your own leadership style without the pressures of corporate hierarchy. Here, no one will say, “We pay your salary, so do as I say.”
WL teaches you to lead with heart, not with fear, not with authority, but with intention and humanity.
If you feel hesitant, that’s okay. Start small. Stay curious. And let leadership grow naturally through service.