SUNNYVALE, California, USA, November 6, 2023. Women in Localization (W.L.), the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry, celebrated its 15th Anniversary as a global community dedicated to the advancement of women in the localization industry.
Members, supporters, sponsors, partners, and volunteers gathered together Thursday, October 12, 2023 at The Glasshouse in San Jose, California, to celebrate this milestone anniversary and the remarkable accomplishments of the Women in Localization worldwide community.
Women in Localization 2023 President Carrie Fischer is proud to be a part of W.L.’s mission. “Many local Chapters celebrated this milestone in their cities and countries, and 300 people joined us in the largest celebration we’ve ever seen at the Glass House in San Jose in early October,” Fischer said.
The event featured a panel moderated by W.L. co-founder Anna Schlegel and special guests Dr. Alicia Castillo and Theresa Strickland. They discussed topics like financial literacy, women on boards, and the importance of psychological safety. After the panel, Minette Norman presented her book “Boldly Inclusive Leader”, which examines how corporate leaders can grow and transform the workplace to foster a sense of belonging and be more inclusive, diverse, and equitable.
“Organizing our 15th-anniversary celebration was no small feat, and I’m deeply grateful to our event team for their dedication and effort. Seeing 300 attendees unite in celebration speaks volumes about our community’s spirit and collaborative nature. A big thank you to everyone who played a part in making this event a standout success” said Silvia Avary, W.L. co-Founder and Treasurer.
W.L. Vice-President and Technology Board sponsor Olga Beregovaya described how TechWomen was selected to be a partner for the gala celebration.
“From the onset of planning our Gala Anniversary party, we decided to follow our 10th anniversary’s tradition by donating part of the proceeds to a nonprofit,” said Beregovaya. “We sought organizations championing global innovation, tech awareness, and women’s professional growth worldwide. TechWomen was the obvious pick.”
The partnership between Women in Localization and TechWomen brings together two organizations that share a common goal of uplifting women around the world. The mission of TechWomen is to empower, connect, and support the next generation of women leaders in STEM from underdeveloped countries.
A portion of the ticket sales for the 15th Anniversary gala went to support TechWomen, with Women in Localization making a donation of $2,000.00. This donation will make a meaningful difference in the lives of women from Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, assisting them in continuing their professional and social impact goals as well as the partnerships they formed during their month-long visit to Silicon Valley and Chicago.
“Mentoring these women is a natural fit for people with localization experience since we share an interest in language and culture across many STEM disciplines and industries,” said TechWomen program mentor and long-time W.L. member Melissa Biggs.
TechWomen program mentor and long-time W.L. member Mimi Hills agrees.
“For those of us in the localization industry who are mentors and coaches in the TechWomen program, it brings together our two communities in a wonderful cross-pollination,” Hills said. “I am so grateful to Women in Localization for the donation supporting the TechWomen Emerging Leaders and Fellows.”
The gala celebration was generously sponsored by various localization services and technology companies, with Intento leading the way as a Diamond sponsor and TBO Talent and MemoQ as Platinum sponsors. Smartling, Lionbridge, Welocalize, and Bureau Works were gold sponsors, Latamways, Argos Multilingual, ALPHA CRC SARL, FACIT Group, and Phrase were silver sponsors and Multilingual was a media sponsor.
“We’re deeply grateful to our sponsors for making the event shine with 300 guests in San Jose,” said Maria Kania, Global Sponsorship Board member. “Intento’s Photo Booth was a great hit among our guests!”
Women in Localization will also be marking its 15th Anniversary with a refreshed website. Once launched, the site will make it easier for members and volunteers to quickly find the information they are interested in, like the job board and upcoming events.
“We’re so happy to make a difference in people’s lives by providing mentorship, friendship, community, and outreach to help our members thrive and move forward,” Fischer said. “I’ve told this story many times, but joining Women in Localization has changed my life for the better and I can’t thank our volunteers enough for their pursuit in making our organization the best it can be.”
About Women in Localization
Women in Localization (W.L.) was founded in 2008 by Silvia Avary-Silveira, Eva Klaudinyova, and Anna N. Schlegel, and is the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry with over 9,000 members globally. Its mission is to foster a global community for the advancement of women and the localization industry. It aims to provide an open, collaborative forum where women can share expertise and experience and help each other move forward in their careers. Started in the San Francisco Bay Area, W.L. has expanded its membership to include women across the globe, encouraging members to meet in other local geographies. To learn more, visit www.womeninlocalization.com. You can also follow W.L. on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.