The Numbers

• 70+ localization projects

• 7000+ contributors

• 200+ languages including: Khmer, Burmese, Azerbaijani, Basque, Shona, Chinese, Arabic, Thai, Ndebele and many more...

• 10+ collaborative localization sprints and events per year

The Outcomes

• Increased adoption of Internet freedom tools

• Diversity and representation in the Internet freedom space

• Open source technical glossaries

• Space for co-design and collaboration

• More local content online

Dragana Kaurin (SHE/HER)

Executive Director

Dragana Kaurin is the founder of Localization Lab, and has worked at the intersection of technology and human rights for over a decade. Before starting the organization in 2013, she was a program officer at the Open Technology Institute, and worked as a data analyst at Ushahidi. She advocates for equal access to information, diversity, and representation online, and increased local content on the Internet. She believes that making civic tech truly available for everyone requires designing with end-users and not for them. Before entering the Human Rights Program at Columbia University, where she did research on civic tech and refugee rights, she worked in Crisis Information Management and Communication For Development (C4D) at the UN and UNICEF.

Her research focus at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University is on data protection and digital rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and has presented this work at the 2019 Oxford Media Law & Policy Program.

Dragana speaks Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, French, and Spanish.

Dragana leads organizational growth and strategy at Localization Lab. She works with partner organizations to identify unmet needs, and coordinates user feedback and research.

dragana.kaurin [at] localizationlab [dot] org
t: @draganakaurin

ARIEL BARBOSA (HE/HIM)

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Ariel Barbosa has worked in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) for more than 20 years. Before joining Localization Lab as Operations Lead, he was Board Member of Colnodo, a civil society organization based in Colombia, where he acted as Director of Innovation and Digital Transformation, Director of Technology Projects and representative to the Council of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).

Since 2007, Ariel has worked on projects related to ICT appropriation and digital rights: Internet access for all, freedom of expression, data protection, freedom from surveillance and encryption. He is a promoter of free and open source software (FOSS), open technological standards, internet governance and internet neutrality.

His research has focused on communications surveillance and ICT & Gender Equality. He has also collaborated as researcher for the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto.

Ariel holds a Master of Design and Management of Technology Projects and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design.

Ariel speaks Spanish and English, some French and German, and has a particular interest in etymology and Indigenous languages.

Ariel directs administrative operations and is responsible for supervision and development of internal policies, systems and procedures, financial and human resources management, administration, and organizational development.

ariel [at] localizationlab [dot.] org
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t: @arielbarbosa

orla o’sullivan (SHE/Her)

RESEARCH MANAGER

Orla leads participatory research with communities to understand how to better localize and design tools, and she leads assessments to measure the impact of these tools. She brings experience leading research design and implementation in Latin America to advance information literacy and the right to nutrition. She advocates for quality, timely, inclusive, and sufficient public resources—information, services, and spaces—so that every person can thrive.

She holds a Master’s in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, where her research analyzed how a community of Russian citizens navigate the country’s epidemic of cancer mis- and disinformation using Telegram and YouTube. She holds a bachelor’s in Russian Language and Literature from Reed College, Portland, Oregon.

Orla speaks English, proficient Spanish and Russian, and basic French.

Orla leads research programs and project localization through participatory research and knowledge co-production, and she provides technical guidance across Localization Lab’s research portfolio.

orla [at] localizationlab [dot] org
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Chido Musodza (SHE/Her/THEY)

Program Associate (COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT)

Chido has been working in the media, digital rights advocacy, and youth activism communities for the last 11 years with 7 of those years as a digital security trainer, volunteer translator, and language activist.

Before joining Localization Lab, she was the online and social media consultant at the Media Institute of Southern Africa, a media, digital rights, and advocacy organization based in Southern Africa, and the Learning Consultant at Magamba Network, a youth activism and civic-tech organization based in Zimbabwe.

Her interests are in helping minority language communities better articulate emerging issues around localization and technology, equality, and the need for inclusive technology which is imperative for development.

Chido speaks ChiShona and English.

Chido supports project localization through community management, organizational partnership, communications strategy, and organizing localization sprints.

chido [at] localizationlab [dot] org
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MAJA MANOJLOVIĆ (SHE/HER)

PROGRAM ASSOCIATE (LOCALIZATION MANAGEMENT)

Maja has been working in the localization industry for the past 5 years – starting as a volunteer translator and then moving on to coordinating localization efforts of volunteer communities.

Before joining Localization Lab as a Program Associate, she worked for an educational tech charity in Cambridge, UK, where she focused on continuous localization of technical educational content and managing and engaging a community of volunteer translators.

Connecting and working with like-minded individuals from different backgrounds, she became passionate about making technology accessible to people around the world through localization. She strongly believes that breaking down language barriers by developing culturally relevant content and ensuring access to information in one’s native language is crucial in this day and age. She wants to contribute to making the world a more inclusive and accessible place for everyone. Maja holds a Master’s degree in English language and literature and Computing.

Maja is fluent in Croatian and English and hopes to add French and Korean to that list in the future.

Maja coordinates the localization of supported projects and assists in building community localization resources.

maja [at] localizationlab [dot] org
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ADRIANO GOMES (HE/HIM)

PROGRAM ASSOCIATE (LOCALIZATION MANAGEMENT)

Adriano has worked with Translation, Internationalization, Localization, and everything in between for almost 20 years. He believes in the power of words and stories, and that we should strive to preserve the world’s languages and cultures, learning something new every day to better communicate with each other. Before joining Localization Lab, he worked as a Localization Program Manager at Hotmart, one of the largest ed-tech companies in the world.

Adriano holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and is a Specialist in Translation, Internationalization, and Localization.

Adriano speaks Brazilian Portuguese, English, Spanish, and a bit of French. 

Adriano coordinates the localization of supported projects and assists in building community localization resources.

adriano [at] localizationlab [dot] org
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DIANNE OLIVAN (SHE/THEY)

PROGRAM ASSOCIATE (COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT)

Dianne works at the nexus of digital rights, social innovation, and community. Driven by accessibility, inclusion, and collective care, she believes in integrating play and pleasure into systems and processes. 

Before joining the organization, she was Gender Engagement and Policy Officer at the World Wide Web Foundation, where she coordinated the Foundation’s gender program and led the strategy for the Women’s Rights Online Network. Dianne was also previously a program officer at EngageMedia, where she served as the point person for the Coconet community, a network of digital rights activists across Asia-Pacific. 

Based in Manila, she holds a master’s degree in Innovation and Business from the Asian Institute of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Research from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Dianne speaks English, Filipino, and Hiligaynon.

Dianne supports project localization through community management, organizational partnership, communications strategy, and organizing localization sprints.

dianne [at] localizationlab [dot] org
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