Empowering Connections Through Excellence in Accessibility
At Dovetail, we believe...
Quality ASL interpreting can make a difference.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are an incredibly important bridge between the Deaf community and hearing community. Talented, motivated ASL interpreters can accurately convey all the different emotions and nuances of a conversation, and their interpreting can bring life to theatrical productions, conferences, talks, workshops, and college classes. When ASL interpreters don’t have the skills—or the right mindset—to do a great job, they can have a huge negative impact on the people they serve. At Dovetail, our goal is to provide qualified, experienced, motivated interpreters who will make everyone in the conversation feel connected and understood.
Better communication is good for everyone.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses and government entities to provide accommodations to enable effective communication with people who are deaf and hard of hearing. But the benefits of effective communication go far beyond fulfilling a legal requirement. When everyone can share ideas, learn together, and work together, the world is a better place because of that connection.
Kristi Kallina, Founder & CEO
As a child of two Deaf parents (a CODA—child of deaf adult), Kristi is a native ASL signer. Throughout her childhood in New Orleans, Kristi regularly acted as an interpreter for both parents. Her mother had significant medical problems, and Kristi regularly accompanied her to her medical appointments to interpret.
At age 19, Kristi became one of fewer than 20 certified ASL interpreters in Louisiana. In her 20s, she worked extensively as an interpreter in a variety of settings, including higher education. (Throughout her career, Kristi has worked as an interpreter at a variety of colleges and universities, including Tulane University, Louisiana State University, the University of New Orleans, the University of Louisville, Texas State University, the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor University, Austin Community College, and the University of Texas at San Antonio).
With two of her own children having been identified as Deaf, Kristi moved from New Orleans to Austin in 2005 so her children could attend the Texas School for the Deaf. Kristi has travelled extensively throughout every region of Texas working as a courtroom and legal interpreter.
In Texas, Kristi earned certifications as a Court Interpreter and as a Master Interpreter through the Texas Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI). In addition to these certifications, Kristi has also earned her BEI-Level 5 certification, her RID Certificate of Interpretation, her RID Certificate of Translation, and her NIC Advanced certificate.
Starting in 2014, Kristi began producing ASL translations of English written documents, which were then recorded in video format. Kristi produced these translations for a wide variety of documents, ranging from K-12 standardized testing to company policies and employee handbooks. Kristi was instrumental in developing a multi-step process (now the gold standard across the industry) for producing guaranteed-accurate English to ASL translations.
In 2019, Kristi founded Dovetail with the goal of providing high quality ASL interpreting and translating services. Since then, she has built a team of qualified, talented ASL interpreters and translators who can handle a wide variety of different assignments and projects.
Kristi is a proud mother and grandmother; her first grandchild (who has hearing parents) knew over 150 signs at 20 months old! Kristi lives in the Austin area with her husband (who is also a CODA) and their cat, Zuko. She loves to travel, and she’s an avid fan of Austin FC, rarely missing a game.
Elida Craven, CFO
Krystal Moncada, Director of Services
Krystal is an experienced ASL interpreter who has worked in the Austin area since 2004. Here at Dovetail, Krystal managers the interpreter scheduling and the communication with prospective and existing clients.
Like Kristi, Krystal is also a CODA and a native ASL signer. She earned her certification as an ASL interpreter straight out of high school, and she began working as an interpreter at Austin Community College. Since then, she has also worked as an interpreter at the Texas School for the Deaf as well as Texas State University.
Krystal lives in the Austin area with her husband (who is also a CODA), their three children, and their two dogs, Teddy and Derk. Krystal enjoys spending time with her family, going to church, camping, and vacationing at the beach.
Katie Murch, Director of Operations
Katie is a visionary leader with an MBA and a background in management, marketing, and strategy. Throughout her diverse career, Katie has excelled in business leadership, strategic planning, and personal empowerment. She is also a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI), using her skills to bridge communication and foster inclusivity.
Katie’s leadership journey has been recognized with accolades such as Miss Deaf Texas and runner-up for Miss Deaf America, and her work has spanned influential organizations like The Aspen Institute, SXSW, and the National Association of the Deaf. Across industries, Katie has implemented transformative strategies and inspired teams to achieve success.
At Dovetail, Katie brings her strategic mindset and passion for inclusivity to support the company’s mission of providing high-quality ASL interpretation services. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her Pomeranian, RIgel, under the Austin night sky.
Laura Diller, Director of Accounting
As Director of Accounting, Laura brings a strong background in accounting operations, financial reporting, and process improvement. She is known for her detail‑oriented approach and commitment to maintaining accurate, timely financial records that support sound decision‑making.
Laura works closely with executive leadership to strengthen internal controls, streamline accounting workflows, and ensure consistency with established accounting standards. With a collaborative and solutions‑focused mindset, she helps build efficient, scalable accounting practices that support the organization’s growth and day‑to‑day financial clarity.
Hannah Haile, Service Coordinator
Hannah brings warmth, efficiency, and a wealth of real-world experience to her role at DCG. As part of our Support team, she helps keep things running smoothly: coordinating schedules, supporting our contractors, assisting customers, and making sure critical administrative needs are handled.
Her professional journey has taken her through many paths: managing a store, working in rehabilitation, serving customers in hospitality, and even interpreting for several years. These diverse experiences give her a unique perspective and a natural ability to adapt, problem-solve, and connect with people from all walks of life.
Hannah has been connected to the Deaf community since childhood, when she became best friends with a Deaf neighbor at the age of five. That early bond sparked her lifelong use of sign language and deepened her appreciation for accessibility and inclusion.
Outside of work, Hannah is a proud mom of three. She also loves relaxing at the beach and enjoying meaningful moments with good company.
Trent Mora, Operations Coordinator
Trent joins Dovetail as Operations Coordinator with several years of hands-on operations experience across the Deaf community. He got his start with the founders of KinTrans, an inclusive-tech venture, leading partner research, serving as national point of contact, and managing data collection across 20+ participants. He then supported Purple VRS headquarters as a Service Delivery Technician, managed inventory, and ran CRM caseloads.
That operational grounding scaled up when he took on two terms as Student Body President at Gallaudet University, rebuilding a struggling organization, reviving long-dormant institutions, building contracts, risk-management, and operational procedures from scratch, and leading a large executive board through years of sustained success.
A Deaf Gallaudet graduate and Texas School for the Deaf alum, Trent brings firsthand understanding of the Deaf community Dovetail serves, and brings that understanding to the operational side of the business.
Outside of work, Trent can be found rock climbing, cycling, or lounging at Barton Springs.
our interpreters
We have over 200 highly qualified, experienced interpreters who come from wide range of backgrounds and bring a wide range of expertise and certifications to the table. Our goal is to provide the best interpreting experience in any situation, and we do this by carefully vetting our interpreters and selecting the right interpreter (with the right skills and experience) for the job. At Dovetail, 66% of our interpreters have earned either a BEI Advanced, BEI Master, or RID National Certification. These certifications represent some of the highest levels of professional mastery as an ASL interpreter—and we take great pride in having cultivated a team of interpreters with this industry-leading level of certification!
Our interpreters are flexible, and they know how to communicate with clients who have different education levels as well as different linguistic needs and preferences (for example, people who are deaf-blind). They have interpreted at Fortune 500 companies, at DHS detention centers, and at Broadway shows. They have worked with victims of major natural disasters, and they have worked with students earning advanced degrees. No matter your ASL needs, our interpreters have you covered.
