WHO WE ARE & HOW WE WORK
Language Justice Solutions is a WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVE rooted in Berkshire County. We are part of the solidarity economy, a movement that prioritizes collective ownership, mutual support, and community well-being over profit. The majority of our members are multilingual, bicultural individuals and English language learners from historically marginalized communities; people who have directly navigated exclusion and inequity and who now lead the work of bridging systemic gaps between institutions and the communities they serve. We advance language access as a fundamental right, creating spaces where people can fully participate in their own languages. We work alongside communities, organizations, and institutions to transform practices; building systems that are not only more inclusive and accessible, but truly equitable and responsive. We believe in the power of communities and in knowledge without borders. We create environments where voices are not only heard, but recognized as essential to shaping the systems that impact our collective lives.
Why Partner with us?
Language Justice at the Core
We center language justice in everything we do, ensuring access, equity,
and meaningful participation for all.
High-Quality Professional Services
Our work goes beyond delivering high-quality services. Our team brings together professional expertise and lived experience—from trained interpreters and translators to educators, consultants, and community leaders. We understand the languages, cultures, and communities we serve because we are part of them.
Community-Centered Approach
We partner with organizations seeking to deepen their understanding of language justice and strengthen how they engage with linguistically diverse communities, creating solutions grounded in the real experiences of the communities they serve.
Flexible and Context-Driven
Our services adapt to different settings, audiences, and needs—from community spaces and public institutions to museums and non profits. Whether developing curricula, creating multilingual audio guides, providing language services, or working directly with the public, we tailor our approach to the context and the people it is meant to reach.
Impact Beyond Communication
We go beyond translation and interpretation to create spaces where language is not a barrier, communication flows across sectors, and every voice is valued. We promote multilingualism as an asset and encourage a practical, inclusive approach to linguistic diversity.
Impact Beyond Communication
We go beyond translation and interpretation to create spaces where language is not a barrier, communication flows across sectors, and every voice is valued. We bring human judgment, cultural understanding, and attention to context and nuance, striving for the highest level of accuracy and clarity across interpretation, translation, transcreation, and every service we provide
Meet our team
María Elisa Fuller: Founder Worker - Owner
Maria Elisa Fuller’s journey with language began at a young age in Ecuador, where, at just 12 years old, she would translate the lyrics of the English songs her father loved to listen to using her still-developing English skills. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong appreciation for the beauty, power, and connection that language can create. By the age of 17, she was already teaching basic English to middle school students in her home country, beginning a path rooted in education, communication, and cultural understanding.
After moving to the United States in 2001, Maria Elisa experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating a new culture and language environment. Although she was fluent in English, the cultural shock was so profound that she often found herself struggling to speak with confidence. That experience shaped her understanding of language as something far deeper than vocabulary or grammar—it is deeply connected to identity, dignity, confidence, and belonging.
Her personal and professional journey eventually led her to work with social service agencies across Berkshire County, where she witnessed how language barriers can affect a person’s ability to feel safe, connected, heard, and fully engaged within their community. These experiences continue to guide her commitment to language justice and to creating inclusive spaces where individuals and families can fully participate, build meaningful connections, and feel a true sense of belonging in the communities they now call home.
Alex Valdivieso: Worker - Owner
Alex Valdivieso is a bilingual, bicultural professional from Ecuador with a diverse background in banking, interpretation, translation, and community engagement. Currently working in the banking industry, he is recognized for his strong multitasking abilities, leadership skills, and passion for helping others succeed.
Driven by a deep commitment to language justice and inclusive communication, Alex has helped create accessible spaces through interpretation, translation, training, and community-focused initiatives. He is passionate about celebrating language diversity and empowering individuals through effective communication and understanding.
One of Alex’s greatest strengths is his ability to share knowledge in a way that inspires growth and development. He enjoys mentoring others, helping people recognize their potential, and guiding them toward personal and professional progress
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Beyond his professional accomplishments, Alex is a dedicated family person who values love, support, meaningful connections, and the importance of building strong communities.
Estervina Davis Worker - Owner
For more than 15 years, she worked as an administrative assistant in her home country, the Dominican Republic, where she was consistently committed to helping people and serving her community with dedication, empathy, and attention to detail.
Upon arriving in the United States, she faced the significant challenge of not speaking English, an experience that gave her firsthand insight into the barriers many families encounter when trying to access essential services in a language they do not fully understand.
That experience strengthened her conviction that access to one’s native language is essential for providing dignified, clear, and compassionate care. She firmly believes that when people can communicate in their own language, they feel heard, understood, and more confident when navigating important systems and seeking support.
With this perspective, she continues to build on her administrative experience, communication skills, and deep commitment to community service. Her goal is to support and guide individuals and families with respect, clarity, and cultural sensitivity, helping to bridge language gaps and make services more accessible to those who need them most
Melanie Martínez Worker - Owner
Melanie is a multilingual professional with over 20 years of experience in sales, business development, leadership across international markets.
Throughout her career, she has led and managed large-scale businesses while developing international training and development projects for sales teams in different countries across Latin America, adapting content and strategies to diverse cultural and market contexts.
Born in Ecuador into a multicultural family, Melanie is the daughter of a Chilean father, an Ecuadorian mother, and the granddaughter of a Spanish grandfather. Brazil is also a very special part of her story.
Her husband and youngest son are Brazilian, while her eldest son is Ecuadorian. In her home, Ecuadorian and Brazilian cultures come together naturally every day through stories, traditions, languages, as well as different ways of seeing the world. Living this cultural richness within her own family has given her a firsthand understanding of how language can bring people closer, strengthen relationships, and help create a true sense of belonging.
Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, Melanie brings this multicultural experience to her work in training, consulting, and translation.
She believes in the importance of ensuring that information can move clearly, accurately, and accessibly across languages and cultures, preserving not only the words, but also the meaning, context, and intent behind the message.
Her experience as a translation facilitator at UIA2021RIO, (the 27th World Congress of Architects) further strengthened her commitment to language justice and to creating more inclusive spaces where everyone can understand, participate, and be heard.
Lillian Volat: Worker - Owner
Lilian was born and grew up in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and is fluent in English, Spanish, and Arabic (Levantine dialect). She has over five years of experience working as an interpreter and translator in the immigration field, along with more than ten years of experience in business development serving Spanish- and Arabic-speaking communities.
She has also worked as a cooperative developer in different countries, as well as in Berkshire County, where she has seen how bridging language barriers plays a critical role in people’s success, especially in cross-cultural and economic development contexts.
For Lilian, languages are a portal into other worlds, and she views language learning as essential in today’s globalized society. This belief drives her commitment to offering ESL and Spanish language classes to diverse communities throughout Berkshire County.
Derly Toloza: Worker - Owner
As a native Spanish speaker and immigrant from Colombia, she understands how challenging it can be to arrive in a country where you do not speak the language and feel unable to express yourself confidently, especially during important moments.
This experience sparked her interest in communication, human connection, and the importance of helping people feel heard and understood. In addition to her experience in medical interpretation, she has a background in education, where she has supported the facilitation of financial literacy curricula in Berkshire County. This work has helped her develop strong skills in empathy, patience, and the ability to teach, motivate, and connect with people from diverse backgrounds.
She enjoys creating spaces where people feel comfortable, supported, and more confident when communicating and navigating essential life skills.
Ana Michalak: Worker - Owner
Ana is a native Spanish/English speaker who grew up between Cuenca, Ecuador, and the Berkshires, developing a strong connection to both cultures and a unique understanding of how language shapes identity and belonging.
At age five, Ana moved with her family from the United States to Ecuador. Having been raised primarily in English, she found herself learning Spanish in order to communicate, connect, and adapt to her new environment. At age ten, her family returned to Berkshire County, and Ana faced the transition once again—this time navigating school while rebuilding confidence in an English that no longer felt as natural as it once had.
Moving between languages, countries, and cultures shaped Ana’s understanding of language as much more than a tool for communication. For her, language is deeply connected to identity, culture, relationships, and the feeling of belonging.
When someone asks Ana which language is her native language, her answer reflects that experience: “It depends on where I am and what I’m doing. For school and work, it’s English. For family and exploring my spirituality, it’s Spanish.”
Ana brings this perspective to her work with Language Justice Solutions, where her connection to language access is rooted in understanding how a sense of belonging can empower young people to grow into their fullest selves—and how the absence of that belonging can limit their ability to recognize and explore their true potential.
Ana’s lived experience reminds us that language is not always a simple choice between one language or another. It can shift with place, purpose, family, community, and identity—and creating spaces where people can bring all parts of themselves is at the heart of language justice.