The history of SOSi is a classic American story. The company was founded by Sosi Setian in 1989, an Armenian immigrant from Bulgaria, who arrived to the United States at the age of 17.
Our Story
Sosi’s two biggest passions in life were family and country. Having watched everything taken from her family behind the iron curtain, she developed a profound feeling of gratitude and strived to give back to the country that provided her the opportunity to thrive personally and professionally.
Within one year of her arrival to the United States, Sosi learned enough English to enroll in a community college and eventually transfer to the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). After becoming a U.S. citizen and earning her bachelor’s degree, Sosi went on to receive master’s degrees in French Studies and Applied Linguistics from the Sorbonne in France and American University in Cairo (AUC) and enroll in a Ph.D. program in Ethnomusicology at Columbia University in New York.
Sosi dedicated her life to learning languages, bridging cultural divides, and helping others. She taught at universities around the world, eventually landing at Columbia University where she worked as the Dean of Foreign Student Affairs and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid. She simultaneously taught English to foreign undergraduate students at the City University of New York (CUNY) and worked as a federal court interpreter to earn a little extra income for her and her family.
Through her work in the Federal Courts, Sosi quickly realized there was a growing shortage of fluent foreign language speakers in the Federal Government. She saw an opportunity to field qualified translators and interpreters to various U.S. Government agencies and, over time, with determination and grit, established her business.
In 1994, Sosi was joined by her son Julian, who after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University committed also to filling this critical government gap and exploring other ways to advance critical government missions. Seeing the same opportunity and being equally passionate about the company’s mission, Julian quickly became consumed with the business.
9/11 was a turning point for SOSi and the Setian Family. The intelligence gaps that made the attacks possible were largely caused by a shortage of foreign language speakers in the U.S. Intelligence Community. The Government did not have enough foreign language expertise to process the vast amount of information it collected. SOSi rapidly grew from a niche contractor to one of the largest providers of critical services to the Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies overseas. Julian assumed the CEO role in 2001 and, over the following two decades, grew the business one hundredfold, using its expertise in foreign language processing and analytics as a steppingstone toward building the diversified business SOSi is today.
None of SOSi’s successes would have been possible without the personal sacrifices and investments made by Sosi Setian. The principles and values upon which the company was founded are still very much alive within the company.
Our Vision
To make technology smarter, communication faster and more secure, and our nation safer and stronger.
Our Mission
To empower our employees to develop solutions that break through barriers, and to be an inspiring, innovative, and resilient organization that our employees love, customers trust, and partners value.
Our Values
EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at everything we do.
INTEGRITY: We are committed to the highest ethical standards.
PERSEVERANCE: We approach every challenge with resolve.
DIVERSITY: We value and embrace individual talents and perspectives.
COLLABORATION: We work as a team to promote innovation and ownership.
