Welcome back to “The Voices Behind the Words: Member Spotlight” – our interview series shining a light on the diverse stories and experiences of our members.
Our next interview is with Ivana Bojčić, Chief Executive Officer from BoLingo. In this spotlight, Ivana reflects on building a boutique language company based on expertise, balance, and care for quality. From growing BoLingo from a kitchen-table start-up into a trusted partner for global brands, her story reflects an inspiring perspective on leadership in the language industry.
1. Please can you share three interesting facts about your company?
1. I’m proud of my company name – BoLingo.
I combined the first two letters of my last name with the root of the word lingua (meaning “language”), but to my surprise, bolingo actually means love in Lingala, an African language. On top of that, there’s a ’90s Eurodance classic by La Bouche called “BoLingo”–which I happen to love. So yes, everything came together perfectly. My little business baby has a name full of meaning and rhythm 😀
2. BoLingo’s first office? My kitchen.
While lunch was simmering on the stove, clients would come to pick up their translations. A bit awkward. These days, we’ve upgraded to a professionally designed, modern office space where we’ve been for seven years now. It’s very modern and nicely decorated. Although… We do miss the smell of home-cooked meals.
3. We also have tiny furry assistants.
Our office regularly features honorary team members: cats and dogs. They don’t translate much, but they’re excellent at boosting morale.
2. What aspect of your company do you believe sets it apart from others in the industry?
I’m the founder and owner, but also an interpreter and translator. That helps us really understand the industry and keep improving our work.
The BoLingo team includes 3 in-house translators and 8 amazing external collaborators we can count on anytime. This lets us offer a focused, but not overly broad, selection of Balkan languages. I personally believe moderation is a virtue, I don’t chase success at all costs, but aim for a good balance between work and free time.
So far, we’ve translated millions of words across various fields, mostly technical content—engineering, automotive, medical tech, production tech, automation, consumer products, and mobility in general. We do a lot of work with the car industry. I’m also proud to say we’re localizing a ton of content for some of the world’s leading consumer tech brands, the kind every Croat uses every day. It’s wild to know those are your translations!
And guess what? We’ve been doing it all successfully for 11 years now.
As a boutique company, we’ve earned the trust of some of the biggest names in the translation industry: precisely because we’re small. That means keeping clients happy is in our best interest, and we take due diligence (and QA 🙂) seriously. Always.
3. What is something about your role that people might be surprised to learn?
Like all business owners—I do everything and just try to stay sane. 😅
4. What’s your go-to karaoke song and why?
Wilson Phillips, Hold On. Applies to all areas of life and needs no further explanation. 😅
5. If you hadn’t pursued a career in the language industry, what alternative career path might you have taken?
I’d love to work in television or the film industry, maybe as a producer. Basically, anything related to cinematography and video creation would be right up my alley. Or maybe I’d dive into art history and work in a museum. I also love dancing. Honestly, there are so many things I enjoy doing—it’s hard to choose just one.
6. If you could change one thing about the language industry today, what would it be?
People. I’d like for my colleagues to be more outgoing and courageous, but primarily to fight for their rights as experts in humanistic sciences.
Company name: BoLingo
Name: Ivana Bojčić
Job title: Founder and owner, interpreter and translator
