By the Community

For the Community

Our Story

Nikolas Kelly arrived at the Rochester Institute of Technology / National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID) with a clear goal: to become a Supply Chain Manager. But daily communication barriers made that journey more difficult than it needed to be. Instead of settling, he saw an opportunity to create lasting change.

In 2021, Niko made a bold move—leaving his MBA program to build something that would transform how he and millions of others access information. He joined forces with two uniquely talented partners who believed in the mission just as deeply. Nicholas Wilkins, a machine learning expert and interpreter, brought a rare blend of technical expertise and human insight, leaving a high-paying position at Google to help turn the vision into reality.

Yamillet "Yami" Payano, a lifelong language enthusiast fluent in Spanish, English, Chinese, and ASL, brought a sharp eye for business, systems, and storytelling. She stepped away from a full-time role at a major financial firm and turned down a fully funded master's program to join the founding team.

Together, they created Sign-Speak to make the world's communication instantly accessible in sign language through pioneering AI.

Sign-Speak isn’t just a company—it’s a leap forward in how we connect.

Our Technology History:

Always Evolving