Starting a technology company is no easy feat for most young entrepreneurs. But Hanna Golota’s launch of her tech startup, Globalme, was even tougher than most, entailing as it did setting up shop in a new country, whose official language was not her first.
Before immigrating to Canada, Golota had left her native Poland for an opportunity to go to school in the U.S. She remained in the U.S. for four years while she completed her master’s degree.
During that time she got the idea for Globalme. With help from her husband, Golota began developing her business in the United States. But they ran into a roadblock because their immigration status prevented them from being self-employed in the U.S. Once again Golota had to set out to a new land in search of opportunity, and she and her husband decided to look north of the 49th parallel.
While Canada would provide the chance for Golota to continue with her business goals, she was faced with another constraint – money. She figured she had six months to get Globalme off the ground or she’d have to search for other work in Canada.
As it turned out, she never had to resort to Plan B. Globalme, which pioneered software to help businesses expand globally through data collection, localization and testing, became a success.
The company allows clients to tailor their products and online presence to the unique linguistic, technical and cultural needs of different markets across the globe.
“When the translation industry was transforming from paper into digital, there was a lack of resources in North America that could do that localization QA [quality assurance] testing,” said Golota. “And that’s how we started.”
While it was important for Golota to make her business idea a success, her overarching dream was to work at a place that made her excited to get out of bed in the morning. She decided to create it herself in Globalme, a space where she is surrounded by people who inspire each other to be their best, she said.
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Where you live now: Downtown Vancouver
Highest level of education: MBA
Currently reading: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
Currently listening to: Health podcasts
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Singer
Profession you would most like to try: Human resources
Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding what the next step for Globalme is
Advice you would give the younger you: Treat your life like a project. Plan it and set milestones. Learn new skills every year. In 10 years, you will have 10 new skills
What’s left to do: Create an organization that helps people get an education in North America
Join us to celebrate the 2019 Forty under 40 Awards on January 30, 2020, at the Westin Bayshore. For tickets and event information visit https://www.biv.com/forty-under-40
