Jill Kushner Bishop, PhD

Loves to travel

Renovates houses

Fosters puppies

Dr. Jill Kushner Bishop is Founder & CEO of Multilingual Connections. She received a Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of Spanish from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and her MA/PhD in Linguistic Anthropology from UCLA. It was during her junior year abroad in Barcelona that she first encountered Judeo-Spanish – an obsolescing language spoken by descendants of the Jews who were exiled from Spain in 1492 – and was inspired to do her graduate research on efforts to keep the language from disappearing. Her dissertation, More than a language, a travel agency: ideology and performance in the Israeli Judeo-Spanish revitalization movement, was dedicated to her Yiddish-speaking grandparents.

After working as a corporate anthropologist and then overseeing language and culture programs for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Jill launched Multilingual Connections in 2005. The business has pivoted over the years, but its focus on helping clients create connections across languages and cultures has always been at the core. Jill is passionate about creating a great work environment for her team and is proud of the impact their work has out in the world.

When she’s not working, Jill loves spending time with her husband and teen son, renovating houses, traveling around the world, and going for long walks around Evanston.