Voice Translation App NEED2SAY Breaks Language Barriers to Improve Construction Job Site Safety and Save Lives
The Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics, part of Chapman University’s Argyros College of Business and Economics, is a hub for innovation and impact in Southern California.
Its resources and support have helped launch businesses that are not only changing industries—but also saving lives. One such startup is NEED2SAY, an AI-powered voice translation platform founded by Oscar Garcia, a former ESL instructor turned tech entrepreneur.
Garcia launched NEED2SAY with a mission to reduce workplace injuries by solving a life-threatening problem: miscommunication on job sites. In high-risk industries like construction, logistics, and healthcare, workers often speak different languages—and a single misunderstood instruction can have devastating consequences. With help from the Leatherby Center, Garcia and his team created a real-time, voice translation platform specifically designed for fast-paced, multilingual environments.
“The Leatherby Center changed everything for us,” said Garcia. “All of these amazing resources are open to anyone in Orange County who wants to start a business.” Garcia, who works from the Leatherby Center nearly every day, discovered a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that helped him recruit Chapman students, connect with mentors and investors, and scale his company.
The inspiration behind NEED2SAY is deeply personal. Garcia grew up in Mexico and watched his father work in the U.S. for over three decades without ever learning English. The language barrier made already dangerous jobs even riskier. Later, as an English instructor, Garcia realized that traditional language tools they're not cutting it. “Workers didn’t need grammar rules,” he said. “They needed to say things like ‘watch out,’ ‘this machine is dangerous,’ or ‘move to safety’—right away.”
That realization led to the creation of NEED2SAY. Since 2019, the company has focused on the construction industry, where over 70% of workers are Latino and where safety incidents remain alarmingly high. Many managers relied on costly interpreters or unreliable translation apps. Garcia’s platform offered a smarter solution: patented, Bluetooth-enabled voice translation that understands regional accents, dialects, and even job site slang. It also records every exchange, offering legal protection and OSHA compliance.
Since launching its first pilot in 2022, NEED2SAY has grown entirely through word of mouth—without spending a dollar on marketing. “Companies are coming to them because they see how dangerous the communication gap really is,” said Garcia. Now operating with a seven-person team, including two Chapman students, NEED2SAY is working toward SOC 2 compliance and preparing for its first major funding round.
The startup is also expanding into industries like manufacturing, food processing, and healthcare—where clear communication is equally critical. Garcia now mentors fellow founders and champions Orange County’s growing startup ecosystem. “Don’t wait five years like I did,” he said. “The resources are here if you’re a founder in Orange County.”