Jarina Hasi Partner and Managing Director at Active Languages

Jarina Hasi has gained more than 20 years of experience in language training for B2B clients. Jarina is very creative with a natural sense for high touch service delivery. A passionate entrepreneur, she is proud about her business, which she started in 1997, while raising her three children. Jarina believes in work life balance and the pursuit of interests that bring meaning to life. Educated in New York, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Fashion Institute of Technolo-gy (FIT), a college of art, business, design, mass communication and technology connected to the fashion industry. Addi-tionally, Jarina holds an associate degree in Marketing. She’s a previous CWF committee member.

Jarina Hasi, who are you in 3 words?
Passionate – Entrepreneur – Perfectionist.

What would you do differently if you could travel back in time?
Nothing…I had responsibilities at a young age. I got married and had kids while I was still at UNI, then started my company, so I wouldn’t change any of that; it made me who I am today.

What advice do you give to a new generation of women entering the job market ?
Find your passion and your strengths, then target that energy into the right field, making sure that that field will still exist in the future as artificial intelligence is changing the work place in a big way.

A skill you would like to have?
I wish I felt more comfortable with math and finances. And, I would have liked to possess the skill of
“Doing one thing at a time”.

Do you have a particular skill?
I am very creative, positive, and I
have lots of energy. This has helped me through different situations in my life, personal and professional.

What is your perception about net-working?
If the purpose is business connec-tions then it’s necessary, but it does need to be targeted to the audience you want to meet. There are a lot of networking events, so we really do need to pick and choose the right ones, otherwise it’s a waste of valua-ble time.

What do you suggest to change at the CWF?
I think it’s a great association. If I would suggest something, then it would be to increase the participa-tion of younger women.

Which book, hobby or experience would you suggest we should read/try?
I think we all need to have a passion or a hobby of some sort. Something to look forward to. Something that refocuses the mind. I find myself even more creative when practicing a passion.
I believe balance in life is extremely important. Spirituality is very im-portant to me as it keeps me grounded and reminds me of all my blessings.

What are the challenges and opportunities for the CWF?
With the “internet of things” com-munication across borders is easier than ever, I think this could be an opportunity to tap into. We could have more interaction with women in different countries to exchange best practices and ideas. The chal-lenges are the economy, job markets are more and more demanding, de-partments are being replaced by robotic technology, so we need to anticipate the future and be pre-pared for it.

A final message?
I like this Quote: “Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded “.