spokhand: A Committed Team Changing the Future of the Deaf

spokhand was born from a simple but powerful conviction: the daily experiences of Deaf people at school, at work, and in everyday life must be fully accessible. We know these realities intimately. The majority of our team grew up in the Deaf world, some at the crossroads of Deaf and hearing cultures. We have lived in both worlds, felt the differences, and that is what drives us to act. Today, 90% of our team is Deaf.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, spokhand is committed to transforming these experiences into concrete solutions. With more than 20 years of combined expertise in technology, advocacy, and community work, we understand the challenges faced by the Deaf community and we are convinced that technology can play a decisive role in improving accessibility.

A Complementary Team

• David Ohana — Chief of Experience

  A CODA, David is the co-founder of Keia, a French start-up launched in 2020 and a pioneer in automatic French Sign Language translation, generating more than 52,000 phrases. Growing up interpreting for his parents, he quickly understood the importance of direct access to information for Deaf people. At Keia, he worked on projects for major companies such as the French government, Macif, Airbus, and Française des Jeux. Through this experience, he realized the biggest challenge: databases. Convinced that progress in France is possible but too slow, he joined spokhand to accelerate development internationally, relying on the richness of ASL (American Sign Language) and the strong U.S. research ecosystem.

• Patrick Boudreault — Head of Data

  A researcher and professor of American Sign Language linguistics at Gallaudet University, Patrick is a recognized expert. For several decades, he has published numerous research articles and led projects on subtitling, sign language translation, and accessibility. His deep knowledge of sign linguistics and the U.S. Deaf community makes him the scientific and academic cornerstone of spokhand.

• Arthur Devillers — Head of International Affairs

  An engaged entrepreneur, Arthur is the founder of Furahaa, a vegan fast-food network launched ten years ago, employing a majority of Deaf staff. An innovator and builder, he has opened restaurants in several countries, forging connections with Deaf communities around the world. His ability to connect people and build inclusive projects makes him the international ambassador of spokhand.

• Dawnena Key — Head of AI Engineering

  A full-stack engineer and AI specialist, Dawnena previously worked at Amazon (AWS) before joining spokhand. She brings expertise in web development and artificial intelligence applied to Sign Language Recognition (SLR). Her role is central: developing prototypes and MVPs that will make the database scalable, qualitative, and impactful for the long term.

• Florian Méloux — Head of Business & Communication

  An entrepreneur, Florian knows both the Deaf and hearing worlds. With strong business experience, he works at Keia with major corporations such as Airbus, Thales, TotalEnergies, and Caisse d’Épargne. His expertise in digital communication and his closeness to the Deaf community especially through social media allow spokhand to grow its influence and visibility.

A Shared Ambition

spokhand is a diverse, complementary, and passionate team united by one ambition: to change the future of the Deaf community, to make sign language accessible to everyone, and to preserve it for generations to come.

Our Board of Directors, currently serving on a voluntary basis, brings together high-level profiles from the nonprofit sector, the Deaf community, and technology. Their backgrounds will be revealed in an upcoming article.

Conclusion

spokhand is not just a technological project. It is a mission carried by those who know the Deaf world from the inside. It is the meeting point of life experiences, expertise, and one shared conviction: accessibility must not be a privilege, but a universal right.

And this is only the beginning.