From Ukraine to Omie: A Journey Through Language Learning and Technology

My mom is the OG (original) language?lover.

She was my first language teacher in so many more ways than one.

When we left Ukraine to emigrate to the US (Kyiv to Brooklyn?—?stand up!), my parents, and really most likely my mom, insisted on bringing along HUGE VOLUMES of dictionaries?—?a very expensive conviction considering we had to sell most of our lives’ possessions just to make the trip. No one knew if we’d ever make it back. We were landing promptly into the welfare and food stamp system on arrival (I’ve paid back my fair share of taxes since). Who knows?—?maybe if we’d sold or left some of those book kgs behind, we would’ve had a bit more than $7 per day for all three of us to eat in those first few years. But then, I wouldn’t have these memories to reflect on or these stories to write.

Looking back, those heavy dictionaries were more than just books. They were a lifeline, a bridge between worlds, a stubborn refusal to let go of the past while stepping into an unknown future. They were also a testament to my mom’s deep-rooted belief in the power of language?—?how it connects us, empowers us, and shapes who we are.

Who knew I’d go on to start building a language learning app called Omie , or that I’d study languages throughout my adult life? The journey hasn’t been straightforward. My relationship with languages is deeply cultural and personal. It probably started with my connection to Ukrainian, which I’ve since lost. It was the first language I struggled to learn after starting school in Kyiv (we spoke Russian at home).Then there’s the more obscure Yiddish, which feels more like a long-lost cousin.

I even had to practically re-learn Russian?—?call it twice! I say re-learn because with languages, if you don’t use it, you lose it and I was not speaking Russian consistently enough to hold on to the progress I had made. Even if I felt like I was taking two steps forward and one step back, reconnecting with Russian has been a way to maintain and re-establish my roots and family ties. Other than my stoicism and proneness to melancholy, the fact that I still speak [flawed] Russian is probably the most Eastern European thing about me. That, and my entire biological family that’s from Ukraine and Russia, of course?;) Oh?—?and I guess also my Ukrainian?—?no scratch that, Soviet?—?birth certificate.

It’s funny how life comes full circle. The language dictionaries my mom treasured were about survival, identity, and connection. Today, Omie is about the same things, but with a modern twist. The technology we have today makes language learning more accessible, more intuitive, and dare I say, more fun than ever before.

Omie wasn’t just born out of a need to help others learn languages?—?it was born out of a personal need, a reflection of my own journey. When I struggled to find effective ways to practice speaking and listening Spanish and French without the pressure of real conversations or the cost of intensive classes, I knew there had to be a better way. Omar Mohammed , my co-creator, has his own version of this personal story that landed him in a very similar place. We also believe Omie can help us hold on to the progress we’ve made with whichever language we’re learning. So now, here we are, building Omie together.

Now instead of thick volumes of books for the promise of learning any language, you can have access to a conversation partner in many languages at the click of your finger?—?on demand, whenever and wherever you’re ready to learn or practice. Omar estimates that it would take just 1 minute to add another language to Omie (or 2 minutes for 10 of them!) and maybe another few days to fine-tune and do it well (as well as we’ve done for the first three, anyway). To my mom and her heavy dictionary volumes, this is just mind blowing! The next feat is to make it fun and actually help people get to a conversational level, unlike the apps out there today. We’re excited about where this journey will take us next!

The world of language learning has come so far in just one generation. From dusty dictionaries to AI-powered chatbots, it’s amazing to think about how we learn languages today and what’s possible for the future.

If you’re on your own language learning journey, whether you’re a beginner or have been at it for years, I invite you to try Omie . It’s a small part of my story, and maybe it can become part of yours too.