COO | Business Strategist | Cultural Communicator

Priya Morioka is a cross-sector leader with a global mindset and a passion for building businesses that bridge people, cultures, and communities. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Global Language Connections, a Minneapolis-based firm delivering interpretation, translation, and cultural consulting services in over 200 languages.

Priya’s professional background spans global brands and sectors — from General Mills and Caribou Coffee to Whirlpool and Schwan’s Foods. With progressive leadership roles in general management and marketing, she has built and scaled businesses across consumer goods, food service, and now language and communications. Her career has taken her across the U.S., Canada, and Asia, grounding her in both global operations and culturally intelligent leadership.

Born in India to a globally diverse family, Priya was immersed in the complexities of cross-cultural communication from a young age. Growing up in an immigrant community, she witnessed how language and culture often determined the success or failure of critical interactions. That experience laid the foundation for her dream of becoming an international businesswoman with a mission — a vision she now lives out through her work at Global Language Connections.

As a business leader, Priya connects the dots between workforce shortages, immigrant potential, and the power of culturally competent communication. Her work focuses on removing barriers and creating systems where both individuals and organizations can thrive across lines of language and identity.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business, and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where she was a William Davidson Fellow and served on the Admissions Committee.

Priya is also deeply committed to community and education. Her board service includes:

• Northside Achievement Zone – Friends of the Future Committee
  
• Harvest Network of Schools – Best Academy
  
• Governor Tim Walz Workforce Board
  
• AEON
  
• Agape Oasis Child Development
  

Through every chapter of her journey — from global boardrooms to immigrant communities — Priya Morioka brings a rare combination of strategic acumen, cultural fluency, and heart.