Ad Astra, Inc., 8701 Georgia Avenue Suite 808, Silver Spring, MD (2026)

05/29/2026

AI is freeing humans from the busywork.

🎙️ In this episode of Connected Conversations, hosted by Elena Petrova, Masha Sharma, VP of Merchant Experience at Groupon, breaks down what AI-assisted workflows look like for the small-business owners and immigrant merchants her team serves every day: people from all kinds of cultures, speaking different languages, who work hard on their businesses and can't possibly perform every role.

🔺 The most valuable thing a human brings to the table is judgment. And the information needs to arrive just in time to help them scale.

👉 Masha Sharma is the VP of Merchant Experience at Groupon, leading product and experience for over 1 million merchants at a company serving 16 million customers that has publicly declared itself "AI-first." With over 20 years across marketplaces, integrations, and SaaS, she co-founded multiple startups and contributed to building Avenue One into a billion-dollar unicorn, and led product at RealAtom, a marketplace that processed $14B+ in commercial real estate loans. She is a Forbes Technology Council member, a contributor to UkrainianHelpHub, and holds a Master's in Information Systems Management from The George Washington University School of Business.

We discuss:
💥 Why Masha calls AI-native a fundamental shift in how we deliver work — not a faster way to do the same things
💥 The cookie-cutter problem: how AI is starting to make every small-business campaign sound the same — and the variance-testing trick Masha uses to fix it
💥 What "governance" really means before you let an agent loose with your data
💥 Why AI agreeing with you is the most dangerous thing it does — and how to build a "council of skeptics" instead
💥 Elena and Masha on the Tower of Babel, the Arrival movie, and what we may be losing as language barriers disappear
💥 The question Masha wants every parent and every educator to be sitting with right now

Tune in to the full episode with Masha Sharma:
🔴 YouTube: https://youtu.be/0_s4UZeKwZg
🟢 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/6u0OS
⚫ Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/Xbxez
🔵 Amazon Music: https://shorturl.at/ZsNLd

05/28/2026

Localization starts with strategy, not translation.

The HSBC case remains one of the clearest examples of what happens when cultural nuance is overlooked. Their global slogan, “Assume Nothing,” was translated in several markets as “Do Nothing.”

The result? A reported $10 million rebrand across multiple countries.

Translation converts words. Transcreation adapts meaning, emotion, and intent. Because what works in one market does not always work in another. Humor, emotion, tone, symbolism, and even spacing can completely change how a message is received.

If international growth is part of your strategy, communication should be too.
👉 Get a quote: ad-astrainc.com (Link in bio)

AdAstraConnects

05/27/2026

Your job is changing. But do you know into what?

🎙Elena Petrova sat down with Masha Sharma for a conversation about what humans are for in a world run by agents.

✨️ Masha Sharma is the VP of Merchant Experience at Groupon, leading product and experience for over 1 million merchants at a company serving 16 million customers that has publicly declared itself "AI-first." With over 20 years across marketplaces, integrations, and SaaS, she co-founded multiple startups and contributed to building Avenue One into a billion-dollar unicorn, and led product at RealAtom, a marketplace that processed $14B+ in commercial real estate loans. She is a Forbes Technology Council member, a contributor to UkrainianHelpHub, and holds a Master's in Information Systems Management from The George Washington University School of Business.

At Groupon, every team is building agents now. Not just engineering. Product, sales, marketing, operations. And what Masha is seeing is relief. Agents take the tedious work off your plate. What's left is the work that requires you. This episode is about what that shift looks like from the inside.

In this episode, we discuss:
🔸️ Why Masha calls AI-native a fundamental shift in how we deliver work — not a faster way to do the same things
🔸️ The cookie-cutter problem: how AI is starting to make every small-business campaign sound the same — and the variance-testing trick Masha uses to fix it
🔸️ What "governance" really means before you let an agent loose with your data
🔸️ Why AI agreeing with you is the most dangerous thing it does — and how to build a "council of skeptics" instead
🔸️ Elena and Masha on the Tower of Babel, the Arrival movie, and what we may be losing as language barriers disappear
🔸️ The question Masha wants every parent and every educator to be sitting with right now

Tune in to the full episode with Masha Sharma:
🔴 YouTube: https://youtu.be/0_s4UZeKwZg
🟢 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/6u0OS
⚫ Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/Xbxez
🔵 Amazon Music: https://shorturl.at/ZsNLd

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is a moment to pause and reflect on the lives behind the legacy.

It's a reminder that the freedoms and values we hold, care, inclusion, and purpose, were fought for and protected by those who gave everything.

Today, we honor their courage and sacrifice. And we commit to honoring their memory not just with words, but by living those values every day, for each other and for the communities we serve.

05/22/2026

‼️ We are currently seeking Spanish Interpreters based in or near Frostburg, MD, for on-site assignments at a juvenile facility located in Swanton, MD.

👉🏽 This is a high-impact role offering 12-hour structured shifts, where you are compensated for your full availability, even during periods without active interpretation.

Why This Role Stands Out:
✅ Consistent, long shifts — higher earning potential
✅ Paid for availability, not just minutes worked
✅ Priority scheduling and steady workflow
✅ Meaningful work supporting underserved communities
✅ Exposure to government/legal environments
✅ Ideal for interpreters who prefer fewer, longer workdays and more predictable income

Important Details:
📍 Preferred Candidate Area: Frostburg, MD, and nearby areas
📅 Schedule: 12-hour shifts (8:00 AM – 8:00 PM)
🔸 Must remain available and attentive during the full shift
🔺 Personal device use may be restricted due to facility policies

New to Interpreting?
📚 We offer free orientation sessions for candidates entering the field.

🔸 Apply Now: https://adastra.worksuite.com/job-openings/w2j51/?key=lqdkz1hr
🔸 Or send your resume to [email protected]

05/21/2026

🔺 Your learner will not always come to you. Sometimes you have to meet them in their language.

🎙️ In the latest episode of Connected Conversations, Elena Petrova sat down with Bryan Chicas, Program Engagement Specialist at ISTE+ASCD (ISTE), for a conversation about what it takes to meet learners where they are.

Bryan has spent his career designing professional learning for educators, and the pattern he keeps encountering is the same one: communities on the outside of content, certifications, and programs that were never built with them in mind. Because no one built the bridge.

When his team started offering their educator certification in Spanish, it was an act of recognition. The learners were already there. The gap was never on their side. That is what meeting someone across differences requires: a genuine willingness to show up where they already are.

💥 Connected Conversations is the show about the art and science of human connection — how we reach each other through language, culture, body, and technology, and why the communities we build around us shape who we become. And this episode is a reminder that the tools we build are only as powerful as the human intention behind them.

🎧 Tune in to the full episode with Bryan Chicas:
🔴 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFxUsVaMB_s
🟢 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/VMVLZ
⚫ Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/EV2zx
🔵 Amazon Music: https://shorturl.at/MhR27

05/20/2026

We are seeking court-certified interpreters for ongoing in-person assignments in New York to support legal and court-related settings.

We are actively recruiting qualified professionals in the following languages:
🔸 Spanish
🔸 Korean
🔸 Arabic
🔸 Mandarin

👉 What You'll Do:
💥 Provide accurate, real-time interpretation during court proceedings, legal appointments, and related assignments
💥 Facilitate communication between individuals with limited English proficiency and legal professionals
💥 Maintain professionalism, confidentiality, impartiality, and cultural sensitivity at all times
💥 Follow court protocols and professional interpreting standards
💥 Travel locally within New York for scheduled assignments

This is an ideal opportunity for experienced interpreters seeking flexible, project-based assignments with consistent demand in legal environments.
🔸 Apply now: https://adastra.worksuite.com/job-openings/a69nt/?key=31ulwv88
🔸 Or send your resume to [email protected]

05/19/2026

💥 We are seeking court-certified ASL interpreters for ongoing in-person assignments in New York to support legal and court-related settings requiring American Sign Language interpretation services.

What You’ll Do:
🔺 Provide accurate, real-time ASL interpretation during court proceedings, legal appointments, and related assignments
🔺Facilitate effective communication between Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals and legal professionals
🔺Maintain professionalism, confidentiality, impartiality, and cultural sensitivity at all times
🔺Follow court protocols and professional interpreting standards
Travel locally within New York for scheduled assignments

👉 This is an ideal opportunity for experienced interpreters seeking flexible, project-based assignments with consistent demand in legal environments.

🔸Apply now: https://adastra.worksuite.com/job-openings/y5o6h/?key=883ani6a

🔸 Or send your resume to [email protected]

05/19/2026

Technology as infrastructure for human connection

Access gets people in the door. Inclusion is what keeps them there. And in a world where AI and digital tools are reshaping how students learn and communicate, the question is: Are we using it to connect?

The organizations and educators who are making an impact are the ones using technology intentionally to build community, foster human connection, and make people feel seen, heard, and included.

Elena Petrova, we sat down with Bryan Chicas, Program Engagement Specialist at ISTE+ASCD (ISTE), for a conversation that challenges how we think about technology as the infrastructure for something far more important.

Bryan designs professional learning for educators in technology, digital citizenship, and instructional innovation. He has seen both sides of this line. And the difference between access and inclusion is not a small one.

This episode is a reminder that the tools we build are only as powerful as the human intention behind them.
Tune in to the full episode with Bryan Chicas:
🔴 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFxUsVaMB_s
🟢 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/VMVLZ
⚫ Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/EV2zx
🔵 Amazon Music: https://shorturl.at/MhR27

05/18/2026

‼️ We are seeking qualified American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters to provide professional interpreting services in Warm Springs, Georgia, and surrounding areas.

✅ Interpreters will facilitate effective communication between Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals and hearing participants in a variety of settings, including community, medical, educational, and business environments.

Qualifications:
🔺 RID certification preferred
🔺State licensure or eligibility to work as an interpreter in Georgia
🔺Experience interpreting in community, medical, or educational settings is a plus
🔺Strong knowledge of Deaf culture and professional interpreting standards
🔺Reliable transportation to assignments in and around Warm Springs, GA

👉 Qualified interpreters are encouraged to apply by submitting their resume and certification details here: https://adastra.worksuite.com/job-openings/usi7h/?key=t6evqwfa

🔸 Or send your resume to [email protected]

Ad Astra, Inc.

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