About Sarah B. Ottow
Lead with clarity. Communicate with purpose.
I’m an educator-turned-entrepreneur, a bilingual leader, and a strategist for changemakers across education, corporate, and nonprofit sectors.
Consultant, Founder, Advisor.
Sarah B. Ottow
Whether you're leading a school, a nonprofit, or a corporate team, how you use language shapes how your team performs, connects, and grows.
20K+
“Sarah is a true champion for change; a champion for ALL learners. With her guidance, we’ve learned how to reflect on our own practice and adapt our approach to ensure our work is culturally and linguistically relevant.”
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400+
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— Leadership Team, Salem Public Schools, MA
Countries — Professionals Supported
Orgs & Schools Served Across US & Internationally
Professionals Guided & Supported
Trusted Advisor for Leaders Navigating Real Change
Years Guiding, Coaching & Training
Real Impact. Across Sectors, Across Teams.
Picture this: A new educator, eager to reach every learner—especially those navigating a new language.
HOW I GOT HERE
I quickly realized that good intentions weren’t enough. I tried everything—tweaking lessons, testing strategies, searching for what worked. I felt the pressure to get it right, without knowing if I was.
Spoiler alert: I found my way—through plenty of missteps, doubts, and lessons learned.
featured in:
My Story
Where I Am Now:
Fast forward to today, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with over 20,000 professionals and leaders across education and beyond—helping them replace uncertainty with clarity and drive lasting impact for multilingual learners, and, in turn, ALL learners.
Through Confianza and my Language Lens® framework, I equip teams with practical, time-saving tools to strengthen communication, instruction, and leadership. I’m also honored to be invited to speak and share this work nationally and internationally, guiding others to lead with clarity, confidence, and a deep commitment to every learner’s success.
How It All Started:
As a first generation college graduate, I stepped into a classroom filled with students from all backgrounds—many learning English as a new language. I had more heart than strategy. I juggled lesson plans, diverse needs and that sinking feeling I was missing something critical. Every day, I wondered: Every day, I wondered: Am I doing enough to truly reach them?
Long before that, I had already seen what it meant to navigate systems that didn’t always work for every child. Growing up alongside my sister with extreme special needs, I learned early on how much it matters to be seen, valued and supported—especially when the path isn’t clear. That’s where my commitment to ensuring every individual feels seen, valued, and supported truly began.
Over time, I realized success wasn’t about having all the answers—it was about knowing how to bring people together to grapple with them. My curiosity turned into confidence and others noticed.
I was tapped by leadership to guide adult learning and lead professional development—helping them navigate the same challenges I had faced. I saw that when educators worked collaboratively to support both language and content learning, especially for multilingual learners, students made real gains. And when leaders championed that kind of growth across their schools? Everything changed.
The Turning Point:
What I Stand For
When it comes to leadership and learning, I take a different approach.
Building trust through language and listening—because transformation happens when we lift each other up.
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Opportunity
Inquiry
Respect
Confidence
I believe that when leaders communicate with clarity and lead with confidence, they create a ripple effect that transforms teams, systems, and outcomes.
In every engagement—whether with a school, a district, or an organization—I start with language. Because when people feel understood, they’re empowered to grow, connect, and lead with impact. My values are the throughline in all of my work, guiding not only what I teach, but how I serve.
Helping leaders grow confidence so it flows outward—elevating others to believe in themselves, too.
Centering language and inclusion in every initiative—because when barriers are removed, doors open for everyone.
Fueling growth through curiosity and reflection—because learning should energize, not drain.
Empowering Leaders. Supporting Teams.
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Sarah B. Ottow
Consultant. Founder. Advisor.
Sarah has been invited to speak, consult, and contribute her expertise to institutions and organizations such as Harvard, Princeton, WIDA, EdWeek and dozens of other groups and higher education programs for educator development and best practices for language access and leadership.
She has led key initiatives with state agencies, national nonprofits, publishers, and global partners—including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts and the Center for Applied Linguistics. Her work has shaped national conversations on instructional innovation and equity through featured media, podcasts, and advisory boards—including efforts to improve civics education for bilingual learners with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor.
Sarah’s consulting work spans Latin America, Europe, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Central Asia—while her Confianza network supports professionals in dozens of countries worldwide. As Founder & CEO of Confianza, Sarah was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration with a nomination for Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year in the Boston Area.
Her consulting and training have helped thousands of professionals implement real-world strategies for inclusive leadership and measurable success.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re a leader ready to move beyond uncertainty and lead with clarity, I’m here to help you take that next step.
Together, we’ll strengthen your confidence, expand your leadership capacity, and create meaningful change—for your team, your organization, and your future.
Let's Hop on a Call & Chat!
