Our
Story
As the founder of Signs at Work, Jess Fogel brings a rich background of dedicated service and professional versatility. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in American Sign Language and English Interpretation from Columbia College Chicago and an Illinois Intermediate License (Yellow), they established Signs at Work Interpreting to address diverse needs in our communities. Their extensive history includes specialized experience serving government councils and major financial and art institutions. Notably, it is through consistent and extensive work that Jess has naturally emerged as the Chicago go-to person for Jewish interpreting work. They are trusted for their deep personal as well as academic knowledge of Jewish cultural and religious contexts. It is this broad operational expertise that ensures both Deaf and hearing Clients receive reliable, comprehensive, and expertly coordinated interpreting services.
Deaf Clients
By working directly with you, Signs at Work can identify and assign interpreters whose skills and background will provided unrestricted access to the dialogue. Our goal is to enable you to communicate your opinions and perspectives freely in a voice that feels authentic.
Interpreters
Signs at Work is not a conventional agency; we are an exclusive collective established by interpreters, for interpreters.​ We are founded upon the unique, lived experience of our interpreters who skillfully bridge diverse linguistic and cultural divides. This professional structure ensures a deeply supportive environment that fosters learning in a living, changing, language
Hearing Clients
Regardless of your experience with interpreters, Signs at Work is dedicated to offering both convenient, flexible remote interpreters and highly-qualified, local on-site interpreters, ensuring every client's unique needs are met.
"The interpreting industry is ever changing, especially as technology continues to grow. For the longest time my objective has been to address the systemic shortcomings in the client - agency - interpreter relationship by developing an alternative solution. Signs at Work is designed to transcend standard transactional relationships and instead prioritize fostering a process that feels authentic and personal while maximizing shared benefit across the entire interpreting ecosystem."
- Jess Fogel