Konbit 2025

Konbit 2025

Date: October 22–23 Time: 10:15-12:00 EST

As part of International Creole Language and Culture Month, Konbit 2025 is a two-day virtual global gathering celebrating the richness and impact of Haitian language and culture. The program will feature keynote talks, panel discussions, lectures, and performances, with voices from across disciplines highlighting the power of Haitian Creole in global dialogue, technology, and the arts.

Streamed worldwide on Multilingual Media’s platforms, Konbit 2025 invites participants to join insightful conversations, experience cultural performances, and engage with changemakers dedicated to amplifying Creole voices.

William L. Balan-Gaubert

William L. Balan-Gaubert is Haitian-born independent scholar, historian, and public intellectual. His interests include Haitian history, political thought, the role of Vodou in Haitian culture, decolonial critique, and cultural history. He has studied in Haiti, France, and the United States. He has served as scholar-in-residence and lecturer at the University of Chicago. He also occasionally lectures at other universities. His writings address issues such as empire, ideology, cultural memory, and the intersection of spiritual/ethical life (particularly Vodou) with political life. He has accompanied Haitian spiritual leaders (for instance, the late Ati Gesner Max Beauvoir) in both Haiti and the United States, with the goal of dispelling misconceptions about Haitian spiritual traditions. He frames part of his mission as decolonizing mentalities and reclaiming human dignity.

Marleen Julien Souverain

Marleen Julien Souverain is Founder & CEO of Creole Solutions. She holds a Master’s in International Development from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), a Certificate in English–Haitian Creole Translation, and is a longtime member of the American Translators Association (ATA). Her career spans roles at the Consulate of Haiti in Chicago, the United Nations, and a major translation agency, where she served as translator, interpreter, and lead tester. A recognized expert in Haitian Creole, she trains translators and publishes educational resources. She authored Nan Jaden Amoni, promoting literacy and cultural pride. In 2025, Multilingual Magazine named her a Language Industry Influencer.

Métiskacao

Amos Coulanges and Kecita Clénard

Amos Coulanges and Kecita Clénard unite two powerful voices of Haitian music—Coulanges, an award-winning classical guitarist, composer, and educator whose works draw from Haiti’s rich heritage and global influences, and Clénard, a soulful vocalist known for blending traditional rhythms with contemporary expression. Together, they offer audiences an unforgettable journey into the beauty, authenticity, and passion of Haitian music, honoring its roots while sharing its power with the world.

Constance Leys

Constance Leys is the Founder and Executive Director of CreolePro, a boutique provider of Haitian Creole language services staffed by native professionals and serving sectors such as healthcare, education, law, business, and community organizations. She also leads CreoleMT, an innovation launched by CreolePro that is currently in beta and evolving into a comprehensive Language Solutions Integrator.

Schooled in Haiti, her passion for language began when she translated letters from fostered children for Plan International and later worked as a photojournalist documenting marginalized communities. These early experiences shaped her lifelong commitment to language access and justice.

After moving to the U.S., she trained under under renowned linguist linguist Philippe Dumoulin and earned a program certificate from the University of Georgia in translating and interpreting in educational settings. Today, alongside her leadership at CreolePro and CreoleMT, Constance serves as a Language Coach with NAETISL, mentoring aspiring interpreters and advancing the visibility of Creole languages on the global stage.

Jean-Marc Julien

Jean-Marc Julien is a software engineer and educator specializing in artificial intelligence, automation, and digital transformation. He has worked across industries including healthcare and manufacturing and holds a Computer Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He has authored three Pluralsight courses in data engineering and software development, reaching thousands of learners worldwide.

As a Lead Enterprise Instructor with Galvanize and UST Global, Jean-Marc has helped design large-scale training programs that build talent pipelines for organizations such as the U.S. Air Force, USAA, Vanguard, and T-Mobile. He also holds AWS Cloud Practitioner, IBM Blockchain, and AWS AI Practitioner (Early Adopter) certifications, being among the first to earn the latter.

Beyond enterprise work, Jean-Marc partners with businesses like Creole Solutions to develop software solutions and integrate AI into their workflows. A dedicated volunteer trainer, he introduces young people in the U.S. and Haiti to software development advancing his mission to make technology approachable, inclusive, and empowering.

Eddie Arrieta

Eddie Arrieta is the CEO of Multilingual Media. He began his journey selling chocolates and helping with his family’s business in Sincelejo, Colombia. Scholarships took him to the UK and U.S., and he has led humanitarian projects worldwide. Today, he works remotely helping companies globalize and localize through media consulting at Multilingual Magazine. Passionate about technology and equal opportunity, Eddie also supports ProSincelejo, a local non-profit fostering investment and international growth.

Marc-Kensen Curvinglines

Marc-Kensen Curvinglines, known as Nèg Sèvèl la, is a multilingual educator and writer with a Master’s in Math Education and a deep passion for Haitian Creole as a tool for learning and empowerment.A strong maternal language activist, he actively promotes the use of Creole in academic and intellectual spaces through his writing, translation, and public debates. For Marc-Kensen, Creole is a unifying force that must be fully integrated into Haiti’s educational system to truly reach and uplift the nation’s youth.

Moi

Lorraine Sanchez

Lorraine Sanchez was born and raised on the beautiful Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico. She began her career at UBS PR, where she worked in the Operations department and served as Captain of both the Emergency Response Team and the Volunteer Team, roles that reflected her deep commitment to helping others. After relocating to Florida, Lorraine pursued a career change and accepted dual roles in accounting and human resources at a company in Miami. Her passion for HR quickly emerged, especially when she encountered challenges understanding employee benefits. Determined to bridge that gap, she began researching benefit terminology and policies, which sparked a deeper interest in the field. Lorraine later joined an international company, where she administered benefits across 11 countries and launched a successful Wellness Fair initiative.

At John Knox Village, she brought her global experience and a strong sense of purpose, implementing meaningful changes to Improve employee engagement and communication. She revised the benefits guide language, earning recognition from the audit firm. Introduced the one-on-one benefits orientations, including translation support for Creole speaking employees. Lorraine believes employees are a company’s greatest asset and is dedicated to ensuring they feel heard, respected, and supported.

Our Story: A Decade of Impact (2015-2025)

Now celebrating 10 years, Creole Solutions partners nationwide to facilitate communication, create jobs, and elevate Haitian Creole—because language should never be a barrier to safety, healthcare, or opportunity. We deliver translation, interpretation, QA, voice-over, training, terminology, plain-language consulting, and cultural advising, and we work alongside the community through mentorship and public gatherings that amplify Creole voices. The result: information that’s accurate, usable, and culturally grounded—so Haitian Creole is not just understood, it’s valued.

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