NWI Global provides premium translation, audio/visual, accessibility, and interpretation services. But we do much more than this. We facilitate rich, satisfying end-user experiences, so people can communicate freely and easily. The result is more rewarding interactions and optimal results.
Our Founding
NWI Global was founded in 1992 by Elena Lawler. After immigrating from Kazakhstan to the Pacific Northwest, Elena became a certified interpreter. When she recognized people in the local Eastern European community in which she lived needed help communicating in medical and social settings, she founded Northwest Interpreters, Inc. After initially operating as a sole proprietor, Elena incorporated the company in 1996.
Early Success
From 1996 until 2002, the company focused primarily on in-person interpreting in the Southwest Washington and Vancouver areas. However, Northwest Interpreters began to experience significant growth in 2003 when it landed a contract to provide in-person interpretation services for the Central Washington region of the Department of Social and Health Services. This played a key role in the company doubling its sales each year between 2003 and 2009.
Branching Out
In 2010, Northwest Interpreters made the strategic decision to expand beyond government contract work. It diversified by serving the private sector and by adding additional services such as translation and localization and sign language interpreting. In addition to providing more services to more industries, the company began to work with national and international clients.
Expanding Client Base and a New Name
In 2014, Founder Elena Lawler took a step back from daily operations to assume a new role as Strategic Advisor to the company. The executive leadership team of Karina Zaher and Vic Marcus took over full day-to-day operations of the company at this time. In addition, to reflect their expanding services and growing international presence, Northwest Interpreters officially rebranded itself as NWI Global.
Helping More People
Since its rebranding, NWI Global has successfully built an expanding network of credentialed language professionals. Through this network, NWI Global facilitates vital translation, interpreting, audio/visual and accessibility language solutions for organizations in numerous markets that include education, healthcare, banking, non-profits, legal, retail, human resources, marketing and advertising, and more.
The Road Ahead
The simple mission of helping to create a world where people from businesses and organizations around the globe can communicate freely remains the driving principle behind the success of NWI Global.
Although technology will play a role in the future of translation and language services, clear communication between people will always require human intervention. The emotion, subtleties, and nuance of language comes from the heart, not from an algorithm.
This is why NWI Global will continue to create and implement innovative language solutions that bring people together and lead to optimal results.
When language is easy to understand, it opens everyone to limitless opportunities.
Elena Lawler
Founder