We've established an affiliate across the pond! Led by a long-time collaborator, Mari Vihervuori-Akkanen heads up Devign Europe, where she is charged with developing business throughout the continent. Learn more about this strategic alliance.
Karen's interest
in languages and other cultures goes back decades. The intrigue
of another land and its people led her to participate
in national and international academic and cultural exchanges.
Karen has since turned this curiosity into a professional pursuit. Thriving on first-hand interaction with the locals, she is credible
and comfortable in non-English arenas.
Karen has spent most of her career in
multi-lingual, multi-cultural environments. In addition to putting many of her languages to work in the business world, she also lectures college-level Spanish.
As the third major world language in terms of
native speakers, Spanish is fast becoming more prevalent throughout
the United States. In 2002, there were 37.4 million Latinos in the
civilian non-institutional population of the United States, representing
13.3% of the total*. 34.4% of Hispanics were under 18, and a majority
over the age of 5 spoke Spanish at home.
According to the Census 2000, there were 7.4 million Hispanic or Latino families with a
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real median income of $33,455 per household, the highest ever recorded. Within our own nation's borders, the rising disposable income and purchasing power of this lingua franca cannot be overlooked. In reality, this one language represents many different markets; relatively recent immigration patterns mean most still identify with the cultural mores of their own homeland, debunking the "one-size-fits-all" marketing myth.
In light of this, and in keeping with her
personal interests, Karen is well positioned to develop strategic branding solutions specific to the particular needs of this diverse yet growing economic force.
For more about Karen's extensive Spanish teaching and tutoring experience, please visit espany'all.
*excluding Puerto Rico
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
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