From Refugee Camps to Healthcare Systems: Jennifer Gendron on Scaling Language Access with Tarjimly

What if the biggest barrier in healthcare wasn’t access to doctors—but the ability to understand them?In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Jennifer Gendron, an ex-Therapist turned “Tech for Good” growth leader, consultant, and speaker, to explore how she’s helping scale Tarjimly, a mission-driven platform transforming language access for patients and providers.Tarjimly began in 2018 when its founder saw how language barriers in refugee camps created life-threatening challenges. Today, the organization partners with healthcare systems to deliver high-quality interpretation and translation services, blending AI innovation with human expertise. Jennifer shares how she went from clinical work to leadership in growth-stage startups, and how Tarjimly is tackling an industry where language services have long been stagnant and commoditized.What You’ll Learn:How Jennifer transitioned from therapist to growth leader in mission driven techHow Tarjimly evolved from serving refugees to building B2B healthcare partnershipsWhy language access is often treated as a “checkbox” service in healthcare, and how Tarjimly is changing thatThe challenges of competing in a commoditized industry and why mid-size health systems are early adoptersHow AI + human interpreters together deliver better patient outcomesWhy startups must resist the “spray and pray” go-to-market approachThe importance of keeping marketing and client-facing teams gritty, nimble, and in-houseJennifer’s advice for founders: simplify your solution, focus on urgent problems, and measure real impact💡 Golden Nugget: “Healthcare is complicated. Your solution can’t be. Solve urgent problems with clarity and measurable outcomes—that’s how you scale impact.”Connect with Jennifer Gendron & Tarjimly LinkedIn: Jennifer Gendron Website: tarjimly.orgConnect with the Show:LinkedInWebsiteSpotifyAmazon MusiciHeartSubscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!