Organizers
Richard Simcott
Founder and Lead Organizer
Richard Simcott is a British polyglot, who has studied over 50 languages. HarperCollins described him as one of the most multilingual people in the United Kingdom, and the Goethe Institute gave him the title Ambassador for Multilingualism.
He has many years of consulting experience using languages with diverse clients and offering his expertise on multilingual and multinational projects.
He is the original founder of the Polyglot Conference and The Language Event and manages a popular Facebook page called Speaking Fluently.
Ana Beaven
Programme Coordinator
Ana has been an English language teacher at the University of Bologna language centre for over 30 years. She has always had a keen interest in languages, and her areas of interest and research are Intercultural Language Education, Intercomprehension, and the use of technology in language learning and teaching.
She has taken part in many European projects involving languages and cultures, physical and virtual exchanges, and is a trained dialogue facilitator.
Judy Um
Diversity and Inclusion Manager
Judy Um is a polyglot, language specialist and language teacher based in Seoul, South Korea. She hopes to promote cultural and linguistic diversity among speakers and participants at the polyglot conference.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Seoul National University with a B.A. in French and Hispanic literature and language and has studied at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation. She is also an associate member of the American Translators Association and the International Association of Hyperpolyglots. She has also spoken at various polyglot events such as the Polyglot Gathering, Polyglot Conference, Poliglotar and Women in Language.
Having grown up in both Seoul and Vancouver, she has always had an interest in cultural diversity and languages. She speaks Korean, English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Italian, and Portuguese at different levels, with a couple more languages in progress.
Languages are her true passion, love, and life. As a person who cannot imagine her life without languages, she has made it her life-long mission to perfect her language skills and share her passion with people around the world.
Find out more about her at: https://www.judylinguist.com/
Anja Spilker
Language Business Retreat Co-Lead
Anja Spilker is an international entrepreneur, startup investor, business mentor, and the founder of the award-winning language platform ZALOA Languages. Over the past nine years, she has built a language empire serving both B2C and B2B sectors connecting language learners from Latin America with companies to address the skilled workforce shortage in Europe. In 2024, she was recognized as one of the “Top 10 Female CEOs in Mexico” and has doubled the size of her company.
Hyunwoo Sun
Language Business Retreat Co-Lead
Hyunwoo Sun is an educator-entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Talk To Me In Korean, a leading Korean-learning brand followed by millions of learners worldwide. Since launching TTMIK in 2009, he has built a sustainable education business spanning online lessons, books, and video content, and he works with learners and organisations globally to improve access to Korean language education.