Talia Baruch, Founder of GlobalSaké and LocLearn, joins Robin Ayoub to challenge the way companies think about global expansion. With 20+ years at Google, LinkedIn, and SurveyMonkey, Talia argues that going global is not a translation problem, it is a systems problem. She unpacks what global-first product design looks like in practice, why sovereign AI infrastructure is now a procurement requirement, and what India's BHASHINI platform is teaching the world about multilingual AI at population scale. She also previews the GlobalSaké Global-First Roundtable, happening April 30, 2026 at Adobe HQ in San Francisco.
In this episode of the Localization Fireside Chat, host Robin Ayoub sits down with Talia Baruch, Founder and CEO of GlobalSaké and LocLearn, and a veteran global growth executive with senior roles at Google, LinkedIn, and SurveyMonkey.
Talia founded GlobalSaké in 2017 as a cross-functional community of 3,000+ tech leaders driving international expansion. In 2023 she launched LocLearn, a professional upskill school offering certificate courses in International Product Management. She is also an adjunct professor who has taught at Hult International Business School, San Francisco State University, and Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
In this conversation, Talia and Robin cover:
Why most companies fail at global expansion despite the best intentions
The difference between localizing a product and building one global-first
How AI is reshaping the multilingual product landscape and where human judgment remains irreplaceable
Why sovereign AI infrastructure is moving from a regulatory checkbox to a strategic requirement
What India's BHASHINI platform reveals about designing for the hardest constraints at population scale
The skills gap in global product and what LocLearn is doing to close it
The GlobalSaké Global-First Roundtable: who it is for, what attendees will walk away with, and how to register
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4MHa3deJPOo
Connect with Talia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taliabaruch/
GlobalSaké: https://www.globalsakegrowth.com
Global-First Roundtable (April 30, Adobe SF): https://www.globalsakegrowth.com/globalsake-2026
Book a coffee with Robin: https://calendly.com/robin-ayoub/30min
Be a guest on LFC: https://calendly.com/robin-ayoub/localization-fireside-chat-podcast-recording