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Silvia Zehn Founder and President silvia@interspeaktrans.com |
Silvia Zehn admits she speaks four languages: English, Spanish, French and music, so naturally she was drawn to interpreting. A native of Mar del Plata, Argentina, she grew up speaking both English and Spanish. After achieving a paralegal certificate from Baruch College, she found her way to New York State Criminal Court where she was hired as a Spanish interpreter. In 1981 she launched her own company, Interspeak Translations. Fast forward 30 years, even while running a successful business, she still makes time to go out in the field. As she genuinely said, “I started as an interpreter and I stopped doing it for a while to get Interspeak up and running. Now I’ve come full circle. I still go out on assignments because it’s mentally stimulating and a good challenge.”
Among her many talents, Silvia is a jazz pianist and composer. When asked about her inspiration to play, she cited Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words, and cannot remain silent,” is a sentiment she shares with Victor Hugo. She has performed in Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Lately, on most nights, she plays at an exclusive hotel in downtown Manhattan.
All the more, Silvia looks to mentoring new interpreters, and growing Interspeak’s network of language experts and client partnerships.
She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Jimmy, and their cat, Miles.
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Jessica Howard Managing Coordinator info@interspeaktrans.com |
Jessica Howard began at Interspeak as an office assistant/apprentice to the manager of translations and interpretations. Today, she is the Managing Coordinator, overseeing the day-to-day translation and interpretation activities of the company. Jessica is the principal liaison between our language experts and foremost clientele, as well as an editor, proofreader, and translator.
An avid linguist, Jessica studied French and German, and learned Spanish on the job and on the streets of New York. She has traveled to France, Spain, and throughout the U.S. Next, she plans to visit Puerto Rico. She holds a BFA in music and will soon graduate with a BS in psychology. Applying her new psychological education and eclectic philosophy to the workplace, offers the Spanish expression, “la gota de agua labra la piedra” (translated, “a drop of water carves the rock”), stressing individual thoughts and actions in contribution to one’s entire being.
Jessica lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter. She spends her free time investigating science, history, and culture, playing guitar, practicing martial arts, and laughing as much as possible.
