President & CEO | Global Language Connections

Khadija Ali is a leader, changemaker, and bridge-builder. As the President and CEO of Global Language Connections, she heads a Minneapolis-based firm delivering interpretation, translation, and cultural consulting services in over 200 languages. Her work ensures that language is never a barrier to access — in healthcare, education, legal systems, or civic life.

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Khadija’s life was shaped early by displacement and resilience. After fleeing civil war and navigating a harrowing journey through Kenya, she resettled in the United States in 1996. Those formative experiences — particularly witnessing the consequences of language barriers in critical services — inspired her life’s work.

Over the past 13+ years, Khadija has founded and grown two successful language service companies. Her first venture brought together over 900 interpreters across 100+ languages. In 2015, she launched Global Language Connections, which now serves a wide range of clients across public and private sectors.

Her leadership extends well beyond business. Khadija actively serves on the boards of the Minneapolis Foundation, Global Minnesota, and the Citizens League, contributing her insight to shape a more inclusive civic landscape. In 2017, she was selected for Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program, a national recognition of her cross-sector impact.

Khadija has received several awards honoring her contributions, including the International Immigrant Achievement Award (2013) and the UNESCO Center for Peace’s Nelson Mandela Award (2018), naming her a Cross Cultural Ambassador.

At the heart of Khadija’s journey is a deep belief: that language access is not just a service — it is a right, a bridge to equity, and a powerful tool for creating belonging.