Accent Reduction Institute adds big name clients, adds staff

The Accent Reduction Institute recently hired an intern that graduated from the University of Michigan, a relatively new practice that is paying off quickly for the downtown Ann Arbor-based firm.The 6-year-old company that helps people reduce their accents started its intern program three years ago, and has since hired two of its participants. That new talent pipeline has helped the company grow and round out its staff to 14 people.”It’s not just that they know the material and how to teach it,” says Judy Ravin, president of the Accent Reduction Institute. “We know they have that passion to help people eliminate language barriers and maintain their cultural identity.”The Accent Reduction Institute, which calls Kerrytown home, has watched its revenue jump substantially over the last year. It has also added some big-name clients, including NATO and Hewlett Packard, among others. Its existing customers, such as Ernst & Young, have also heavily increased their workload.Part of what is making that growth possible is the establishment of new technology such as a software system that works a lot like Facebook, Ravin says. “We are developing these learning communities online.”Source: Judy Ravin, president of the Accent Reduction InstituteWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.