Carla Itzkowich M&A, AI, and the Future of Language Companies

What happens when two conference panelists compare notes on the state of the language industry? You get an unfiltered, energetic conversation that covers everything from blockbuster deals to Blockbuster's downfall. In this episode: • Why CLIA WorldSpeak went virtual — and what worked (and didn't) about the format • Renato Beninatto's "peace of mind" reframe: LSPs are no longer selling translation, they're selling confidence • M&A as a growth strategy — not just an exit plan — and the persistent gap between buyer and seller expectations • AI's real limits in localization: bad data, Unicode blind spots, and why human-in-the-loop isn't optional Carla Itzkowich founded International Contact in 1982 and built it into a full-service, multilingual agency over 40 years before selling in 2022. She now advises language company owners on mergers, acquisitions, and exit strategy as Senior Advisor at Foresight Consulting LLC. Carla is a longtime active member of the Association of Language Companies (ALC) and a recognized voice on M&A in the language industry. Connect with Carla Itzkowich: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlai Website: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe: https://localization-fireside-chat.simplecast.com/ CreditsHost: Robin Ayoub, Founder, Localization Fireside ChatConnect and watch moreWebsite: www.L10NFiresideChat.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5OoURgc29R31XPGzOWL9iXBe a guest: https://calendly.com/robin-ayoub/localization-fireside-chat-podcast-recordingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinayoub/Support the showShare the episode with a friend. Subscribe on YouTube and Spotify. Leave a short review.DisclaimerViews are for education and discussion. Apply judgment in your own context.Tags#L10NFiresideChat #localization #hiring #recruiting #leadership #ai Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.