Profile
Gary Kalaci on thinking like a lawyer and building like an entrepreneur
How a career spanning language, law and technology led to an early bet on AI and an enduring belief in professional expertise
Gary Kalaci has built his career at the intersection of language, law and technology. His path from interpreter to lawyer to entrepreneur ultimately led him to found Apertera (formerly Alexa Translations), a company that specializes in translation for legal, financial and corporate clients. For more than two decades, he has combined specialized expertise with emerging translation technology. Along the way, he has developed a unique perspective on AI, based on years of putting it to work in high-stakes environments, well before it was popular in the current hype cycle.
How did your early experience as an interpreter shape your path into law and entrepreneurship?
My first experience as an interpreter was during the Kosovo crisis in 1999, when I was living in Albania and volunteered to help as refugees arrived in the country. I later worked with UNICEF and Save the Children, and after moving to Canada, became a court interpreter. It was while doing that work that I began to see an opportunity to build something that could serve law firms, government institutions and other organizations with complex language needs. What started with interpretation eventually grew into translation, technology and, ultimately, the business we have today.
How do you see AI changing the legal profession?
AI is quickly becoming table stakes. The bigger shift will come when lawyers move beyond simply adding AI tools to existing processes and start changing how they work. That can create significant gains in productivity, but it doesn’t diminish the importance of professional expertise. In high-stakes work, context, judgment and accountability still matter. The most effective AI should amplify that expertise, not try to replace it. At the same time, workflows have to evolve, and AI has to become part of how the work gets done. It’s no longer optional.
How has your perspective on the legal profession shaped what you’re building at Apertera?
My experience in law taught me that high-stakes work requires more than speed. Responsiveness matters, and so does a people-first approach. Those principles have shaped both our professional services and our technology. They’ve also influenced how we built the business and why we started investing in AI years before it became mainstream. At Apertera, we’re combining AI with professional expertise and the context of each organization, so the technology becomes increasingly aligned with its terminology, standards and preferences over time.
What advice would you give a lawyer at the start of their career?
Stay curious and don’t be afraid to specialize. Early in my career, I learned that trying to be everything to everyone makes it harder to become truly great at something. Find an area where you can develop deep expertise, learn from the people around you and pay attention to where your industry is going, not just where it is today. Also be sure to embrace technology and make it part of your day to day, and start building your network early. Investing in your social capital is one of the most valuable things you can do throughout your career.
What’s your favourite quote, and why?
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” It’s a quote attributed to Henry Ford, and I like the reminder that mindset matters in what we set out to accomplish.
Gary Kalaci is always open to making new connections across the legal community and exchanging ideas.
Connect with him today
Apertera (formerly Alexa Translations)
Apertera is leading the evolution of language solutions for high-stakes content. We partner with enterprises as an extension of their teams, combining professional expertise with Adaptive AI technology that is continuously refined by client context. For more than twenty years, Apertera has set the bar for legal, financial, and regulatory translation, serving the most rigorous buyers, including over 75 percent of major national Canadian law firms, all major banks, and leading securities regulators.