ABOUT US
Like its brick and mortar counterparts, The Bridge exists to create connections and facilitate exchanges – in this case, between languages, cultures and most importantly different people. Founded by Ssunaina Vij, an interculturalist, linguist, and diversity and inclusion strategist based in India, The Bridge offers a gamut of professional services, which equip individuals and organisations with skills to understand the challenges of managing people, in both domestic and international markets. With a focus on modern day cutting-edge skills such as Cultural Intelligence, Cross-cultural communication, Team building, Collaboration, Managing unconscious bias and Building inclusive work space, The Bridge provides leaders tools and support for succeeding in today’s diverse and interconnected work space. While these structured services are the functional vanguards of our philosophy, our ultimate aim is to encourage deep cross-cultural understanding, promote diversity and values such as tolerance, openness and empathy to the point where the people of the world will know each other as one – and bridges will no longer be required.
SERVICES
CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE FACILITATION
How do you decide which member of your organization to nominate to a global team? Who should be sent on deputation to that particularly sensitive part of the world? Can you actually predict the performance of a multicultural team? Is it even possible to make an objective evaluation in such subjective areas? Yes, the solution lies in CQ (Cultural Quotient), an empirical measure of the ability to function in a variety of cultural contexts. It’s something you need to make those decisions and it happens to be one of our core competencies.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION MANAGING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS
As age old prejudices come into conflict with modern egalitarian values, diversity and inclusion become increasingly important within every organization. Sensitizing employees and associates to these principles and to any unconscious biases they may carry is the key to a healthy work environment for all. The Bridge offers comprehensive strategies on diversity & inclusion and on unconscious bias that can be further customized to your particular needs, our aim being to create a culture of harmony in the organization which is a win-win situation for everybody.
BRAND ADVISORY SERVICES
If you are a foreign brand which wants to establish itself in India or vice-versa, The Bridge can help you to understand the subtler communication nuances that affect the market for your product, navigate the vast and complex cultural landscape and guide you through the brand establishment pipeline.
TRAVEL ENHANCEMENT GUIDE
If you’re planning a trip, solo or with family and friends, The Bridge can create a rich, pre-travel, cultural background session for you. When you arrive at your destination, infused with this knowledge, the tapestry of a new land and a new culture become that much more fulfilling an experience.
LANGUAGE APPRECIATION
If you are a lover of world languages you must have definitely felt the yearning to grasp the authentic meaning of the subtle expressions and turns of phrase through which an author plies his trade. If so, then The Bridge offers you the opportunity to experience the true beauty and power of a foreign language , as it is written.
With specialised courses, you can customise your language program with content that relates to a specific industry, department, or job role. We can even create custom learning units based on projects, and documentation from your company.
CORPORATE CULTURAL IMMERSION
So the merger with the international company is on and your team is travelling to their headquarters abroad to sew up the final details. Make sure they understand the cultural issues they will face with a pre-travel corporate cultural boot camp.
SSUNAINA VIJ
Ssunaina Vij is a linguist, interculturalist and Diversity and Inclusion strategist.
As a certified Cultural Intelligence facilitator (CQ), Diversity and inclusion strategist and FLE (French as Foreign Language) specialist. She is associated with various international and domestic organizations, such as Standard Chartered Bank,TCP GROWTH, American School of Bombay, The Future Work Skills academy, Alliance Francaise de Bombay, and Delhi. She has also been associated with SIETAR Europa (Society for Intercultural Education Training Research) from 2019.
Ssunaina’s area of expertise includes global leadership development, managing diverse workforce, creating inclusive climate, cross-cultural communication, Cultural Intelligence facilitation for inclusive work practice and teaching French as foreign and second language. She was recognised by Women Entrepreneur India Magazine- Top 10 Women L&D consultants in 2021
Ssunaina’s academic credentials, include an Advance Diploma in French language, a Masters in French and Francophone literature and and a scholarship to be part of DAEFLE (Diploma in teaching French as a Foreign Language).
She currently lives in Mumbai with her spouse and son, but refreshes her long-running romance with France and Francophone countries through frequent visits.
