Oct 25, 2018
Meet Samantha Urban, CEO of Urban Translations and an all around inspiring founder in tech. Urban Translations, which translates paper menus into interactive experiences and languages.
Originally from Ventura County, Samantha grew up in the 80’s when tech was still a new thing, and seeing women in tech was rare. At the age of 10 she bought a computer running on Windows 3.1, the tech bug bit her, and she’s been chasing it ever since. After studying Computer Science, she worked in the U.S. Patent Office and MyYearbook.com, where she saw her first exit, and then with Stuzo before starting her own computer, Urban Translations.
So, how did she get into the hospitality industry? Much of her family works in hospitality so she has a unique perspective. But what really drove her to create her latest software, Urban Translations was a trip to Brazil. Listen in to hear the founding story.
Samantha finds that San Diegans are much more genuine and the culture fits how she wants to build her company and she’s been able to find her people. She’s a naturally fast-paced person and she appreciates the balance that the calmness and peacefulness of San Diego brings. Most people in San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are not born there. Each of these cities is very distinct and have their own culture, and it’s that culture that attracts the kind of people who fit in there. San Diego has her people.
So what’s next for Urban Translations? Samantha was thrilled to announce that they have been working with Samsung and are now working with Google. There is so much more that Urban Translation can do and Google and Samsung see this and want to collaborate on initiatives the hospitality industry hasn’t yet seen. Listen to the full podcast to hear more!
Best taco spot - This has been an easy answer for most guests, but surprisingly, Samantha doesn’t have one. Instead, she dropped a crazy cool announcement - HEAR IT HERE FIRST - Her desire is for everyone to have a good experience while dining out and for restaurants to make good money. We are what we eat and when we feed it good and organic products, we all become healthier. She learned this first-hand. Samantha has a passion for quality food and wants for restaurants to give us better food. Any restaurant with organic foods, good oils, etc. is eligible to get free software, service, and tablets if they serve better food. There will be a vetting process, and she wants to get at least one in 2018. If you know of a restaurant that could qualify, connect them with Samantha!
Eventually she wants to expand this offer to hotels and resorts all over.
And if you’re a San Diego company that offers healthy food, contact her for advertising opportunities within the Urban Translations platform.
Best beer - Although she doesn’t drink anymore, her favorite was Modern Times.
Best coffee- Modern Times as well. OB Garden Cafe, who are making good waves for organic options and also has outdoor/indoor seating and yoga on the roof.
You can find Samantha and Urban
Translations on Twitter, on Facebook, Instgram, and LinkedIn as Urban Translations.