Alumni Spotlight: Baraka Kasongo of Volatia
Volatia founder Baraka Kasongo knows firsthand the challenges of navigating a new language in a new community. When he immigrated to the U.S. in 2001, he did not speak English. His experience of struggling with language barriers galvanized him to create a solution that would ease language barriers and provide better access to healthcare, education, and community.
Today, there are more than 300 different languages being spoken in the United States. What’s more, at least 1 in 5 households speak a language other than English at home. The world is growing ever more connected, creating a need for responsive language solutions that builds collaboration and equity. Volatia meets that need with proprietary technology that connects people to a vast network of capable interpreters for effective communication.
We were delighted to speak with Baraka to learn more about his path to entrepreneurship, his experience in RAMP, and his company Volatia.
Tell us the origin story of your company. What inspired you?
I came to the United States as a refugee from Rwanda and did not speak English when my family and I arrived. My family experienced firsthand the many systemic disparities that prevent immigrants from participating meaningfully in their communities. We faced challenges in healthcare, education, government, and every public and private organization we interacted with. As soon as I could speak English, I wanted to help other families have a better experience than my own. My goal was to create a reliable network of interpreters and translators to improve language access both in my community and worldwide.
Describe a typical client and the reach of your product?
Volatia’s ideal clients are healthcare systems, government entities like cities, counties, state and federal agencies, school systems, non-profits, law firms, court systems, and general businesses. Our reach is global. If there is a language barrier preventing you from serving people, Volatia can help.
How did you choose RAMP as your accelerator?
I heard about the program from Samantha Steidle (Radford University), and based on her knowledge of regional resources, I applied.
What has it meant for your company to have participated in RAMP?
RAMP helped me look beyond my core clients, who were mainly concentrated in Virginia. This shift in focus contributed to our tremendous growth, and we now serve all 50 states.
What piece of advice would you give early-stage tech/biotech entrepreneurs?
There is always a way, and often it is simple and not expensive. Find it, and if it doesn’t exist, create it!
What else would you like us to know?
My team is the bedrock of everything I’ve achieved as an entrepreneur. They are each a giant in their own right. Every team member, even those without management responsibilities, is integral to our success. I value their trust and faith in my leadership and work hard to earn them with every interaction.
As I look toward future projects, we are working hard to fulfill our vision of creating a world without language barriers. This includes building and training AI models that will be central to our technology innovations for the next decade.
RAMP and RBTC are part of the Verge alliance, established to grow the region’s innovation economy, technology and life sciences sectors, and the supporting professional communities. It aligns the strengths and programming efforts of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) and the Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program (RAMP). Verge serves GO Virginia Region 2 and works to form collaborations with government, business, academia, and other organizations to advance the region and grow a thriving innovation economy.