Lena Petrova Toolsie leads Ad Astra, Inc., a full-service language services company with expertise in over 200 spoken languages and American Sign Language. Before launching Ad Astra, Lena started her career in linguistics as a teacher and curriculum developer in St. Petersburg, Russia. She moved to Moscow and became an interpreter for high-profile political figures in in Russia including Vladimir Putin. She also worked for various European and American media organizations including The Washington Times – Moscow Bureau, Insight Magazine, and The Guardian.