Success Story: Need2Say

Need2Say Revolutionizes Workplace Safety for Multilingual Field Teams

Location: Southern California | Orange County | Irvine

Business Type: Multilingual safety & operations platform

Small Business Center: The Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics at Chapman University

Assistance Received: Business advising and access to capital

Visit Need2Say online

Need2Say founder Oscar Garcia was inspired by his father, a hardworking immigrant who spent decades laboring in the U.S. without ever learning English. As an ESL instructor, Oscar saw firsthand how inaccessible English education was for people like his dad. When he learned about the dangers facing Latino workers in construction (often due to language barriers) he created Need2Say to help improve safety, communication, and training access in high-risk industries. 

Starting a new venture is challenging, especially facing the post-pandemic economy and other regulatory delays. That’s when Oscar got connected with CalOSBA Accelerate California Inclusive Innovation Hub (IHub) partner The Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics at Chapman University. 

The Leatherby Center connected Oscar with expert mentors, helped refine his pitch deck, access technical feedback, and prepare to raise capital, which was essential to help scale the business. They were also able to secure an Accelerate California Inclusive Innovation grant through the program. The tier one grant in the amount of $50,000 is already being employed to help Need2Say build upon their momentum. 

“I had no idea a resource like the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship existed in Orange County. I felt lost until I found this incredible community,” said Oscar. “Now, we’re at the Leatherby Center almost every day. The mentorship, connections, and support we’ve received have truly transformed our company as we continue to grow and evolve.” 

Need2Say’s comprehensive platform unifies safety and operations for field teams through innovative technology solutions. At the heart of the platform are QR Safety Hubs, where safety managers post QR codes on-site to share critical safety information instantly. Workers can scan these codes without needing to download an app to access company safety manuals, site rules, toolbox talks, and OSHA rules and regulations in their language right at the point of need. 

The platform’s Safety Toolbox puts SOPs, JHAs, manuals, and site documents directly in workers’ hands for immediate reference, ensuring they have access to essential information when they need it most. Through bilingual chat and broadcast features, the system enables both 1:1 and 1-to-many updates that workers actually read, ensuring critical information reaches everyone on the team effectively. 

Real-time voice translation capabilities are built into the platform and QR-powered for on-the-spot communication, with no app required for scanning. The system provides comprehensive multilingual support that goes beyond just English and Spanish, making it purpose-built for today’s diverse crews across various industries. 

The platform provides robust compliance features that help organizations maintain detailed records and meet regulatory requirements. All alerts and announcements are automatically recorded with timestamps and read receipts or acknowledgments, creating a comprehensive audit trail. Chats, forms, and shared content are logged for audit and compliance purposes, ensuring organizations can demonstrate adherence to safety protocols and regulatory standards. 

Safety managers can upload and share safety videos across teams, making visual training materials easily accessible to all workers. The system includes worker location visibility for safety purposes, enabling effective emergency roll-calls and evacuations when needed. Digital forms integrated into the platform allow workers to complete essential documentation such as incident and near-miss reports, JSA sign-offs, and daily huddles directly through the system. 

Looking ahead, Need2Say is developing time tracking and inspection forms capabilities to better serve small general contractors and expand their operational support. 

In building the app and company, Oscar, a longtime ESL instructor and immigrant himself, leveraged his lived experience and assembled a great team to bring his inspiration to life. What started as a personal mission to help workers like his father, who spent decades in the U.S. without speaking English, has grown into a powerful tool that helps prevent workplace injuries and save lives. 

Ready to see Need2Say in action? Book a 10-minute demo at say@need2say.com. 

And, if you are an innovator interested in learning more about the resources offered in Southern California connect with the Leatherby Center | Chapman University From students to faculty, staff and community members, their aim is to support all who seek to innovate, launch and succeed in running their own business. Their resources include startup incubators and accelerators, workshops and events, a vibrant female founders network, one-on-one mentorship, a pitch competition and the student-run Chapman CEO Club. The Leatherby Center is your launchpad for entrepreneurship. 

September 2025