Quick to admit that she would rather blaze her own trail than stay on a path already explored by someone else, Amelia Rodriguez incorporates an inner fire that powers her entrepreneurial drive for client solution in the areas of connecting people through language. A Peruvian native pre-wired for innovation, Amelia is a rule breaker to the core, and a consummate believer that “no” really means “go”!

Her passion for adventure, travel and culture ultimately spawned Vocalink, a multilingual asset management company she’s owned and operated since 1995. Vocalink gives Amelia the freedom to do what she enjoys most: following her heart. With Vocalink, Amelia is able to create jobs for interpreters, translators and various other positions, not only in the community but all around the world.

Originally emigrating to the United States as a child along with her family, Amelia grew up knowing what it was like to be an outsider and not understand what others were saying.

A tireless extrovert with boundless energy, she was so sure of herself and her dreams that, at the early age of 13, she told her mom she would make linguistics her career. Amelia subsequently studied at Michigan State University, with an emphasis on the Spanish and French languages.

For over a decade now, Amelia has been a power with which to reckon in the language services industry—first as a freelance interpreter and now as the founder and CEO of Vocalink. It is Amelia’s achievements in the business world that have earned her the selection as a 2009 Women’s Business Enterprise Star representing the Ohio River Valley. In 2006, Amelia was recognized by DiversityBusiness.com as having one of the top 50 woman-owned businesses. Amelia also merited recognition by National City Bank as the Small Business Owner of the Month for November 2004.