LanguageSpeak

Annette Taddeo is Founder and CEO of LanguageSpeak, a comprehensive language services company that offers translations, conference interpretation, and private tutoring in over 100 languages to a blue chip roster of clients. LanguageSpeak was named as a 2008 Top-100 small business in Florida and Top-500 small businesses in the US by DiversityBusiness.com

Annette believes in giving back and has served on Miami-Dade County’s Safe Neighborhood Park’s Oversight Committee, and serves on the Advisory Board of Hands on Miami. She is the Past-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Coalition of Dade-County Chambers of Commerce (a coalition of 22 separate Chambers of Commerce), as well as Past Chairman of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County.

Taddeo is a member of the exclusive Committee of 200, the Belizean Grove’s TARA’s (Today’s Already Rising Achievers) and Women Corporate Directors (WCD).She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Executive Committee of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of the Beacon Council. Annette has served as the immediate-past Chair of the Women’s Enterprise National Council’s Leadership Forum. She is also a national founding partner and serves on the Executive Board of WIPP (Women Impacting Public Policy) and is a member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners).

Recently Business Leader Magazine honored Taddeo with the 2009 South Florida Movers & Shakers Award. Taddeo was bestowed with the “Latina Excellence Award” from Hispanic Magazine, which also named her as one of the “Top Latina Entrepreneurs in the US.” She has been named “Businesswoman of the Year” by Camacol, the South Florida Business Journal, Office Depot, Women in International Trade and the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Business Advisory Council. Taddeo was selected by the Small Business Administration as the 2005 Minority Business Champion of the Year.

During the 2008 election cycle, Annette Taddeo raised more than $1.3 million dollars in eight months as the Democratic nominee for Congress in South Florida’s 18th District. Taddeo received more than 100,000 votes, a record for a Democrat against 19-year incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The only Latina challenger in a federal race in 2008, Taddeo earned endorsements from a broad cross-section of groups, including the DCCC Red to Blue Program, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s BOLDPAC, the AFL-CIO, EMILY’s List, HILLPAC, netroots giants Orange to Blue and Blue America, PODER PAC, the National Jewish Democratic Council, NAWBO, and more.

Today Taddeo is considered a rising Hispanic figure in Florida politics and she is a regular guest for Hispanic radio & TV shows. She is currently running for the open seat of Miami-Dade County Commissioner (Dist. 8). Miami Dade County is one of the largest County governments in the southeast United States with a $7.5 billion budget, 30,000 employees and more than 50 departments which serve a County population of more than 2.4 million residents.

Annette Taddeo received a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of North Alabama and completed two Executive Education programs at the Tuck school of Business at Dartmouth. Ms. Taddeo is married to Dr. Eric Goldstein, a Clinical Psychologist & Motivational Speaker. She has twin 19-year old step-daughters and a 4 year old daughter. Taddeo and her husband belong to Beth Am Congregation.