CO-FOUNDER, AUTHOR, COMPOSER, LYRICIST
Patti Lozano has written 35 books in five languages, all based on the idea that languages are best learned through the arts, specifically through singing, acting, storytelling, games, and activities. Some of her most popular titles include Mighty Mini-Plays (for the Spanish, French, German, and ESL classrooms), Skinny Skits, and other resource books such as Get Them Talking and Let’s Chat, all of which feature fun, creative activities that emphasize face-to-face communication.
CO-FOUNDER
Renate Donovan (1927-2015) was a highly admired speaker, teacher, and administrator of foreign languages. Born in Vienna, Austria, she spent 6 years of her adolescence in Rio de Janiero, Brazil before moving to the United States in 1944. By the time she was an adult, she was fluent in German, Portuguese, and English; over the course of her life, she also came to speak Spanish and French.
FRENCH SPECIALIST
Marilyn Sable is a master teacher of French language and literature. She holds degrees from La Sorbonne (Université de Paris), the City University of New York Graduate Center, and Brooklyn College, as well as advanced foreign language teaching certificates from l’Université de Savoie (France), Columbia University, and the Bank Street College of Education. She has taught all levels of French from kindergarten to graduate school and has worked as an instructor and creator of new curricula in a variety of educational settings including The City University of New York Graduate Center, Brooklyn College, New York School of Interior Design, The Cathedral School in New York, and the Bank Street School for Children, as well as in several public school systems in Westchester County, NY.
GERMAN SPECIALIST
Christine Schenk is an English and German teacher born in Vienna, Austria, where she still resides. She received her Master’s degrees in English and German language and literature from Vienna University in 1982. Additionally, Christine studied classical guitar at Konservatorium der Gemeinde Wien, earning a teaching certificate in 1977.
SPANISH CONSULTANT
Vicky Suarez is a graphic designer and Spanish tutor based in Houston, Texas. Originally from Venezuela, and with parents from Galicia, Spain, she is quite familiar with the nuances of, and differences between, Castilian and Latin American Spanish.
FILMMAKER
Ursula Echeverria is a Guatemalan digital filmmaker and a recent graduate of CalArts (BFA in Character Animation). She also has a BFA in Graphic Design and Communications from Galileo University. Her film credits include: “Burbujillo” (2020), “Mia and the Lost Rock” (2019), “What Really Matters” (2018), “Miau…” (2017), and “The Little Turtle” (2015). Her films have been presented in many countries around the world, including Guatemala, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Italy, and the United States. Her short film "Mia and the Lost Rock" won "Best Central American Short Animation" in Festival ícaro 2019 and "Best International Animation" in Fenaci 2019.