Who we are

For over a decade, Sharp Copy Transcription has brought the richness of language to life through human listening and the nuanced expertise of a multicultural team. Our transcripts help academics, historians, and other professionals generate written, actionable insights from thought-provoking conversations in a way that is intentional, accurate, and culturally respectful. 

Our Mission

We specialize in audio and video transcription services that capture the unique nuances of speech. Our customizable formats and human transcribers ensure accuracy, especially with accents, dialects, and technical terms. With integrity, collaboration, and fine-tuned detail, we preserve the authenticity of every speaker's story. Through our work, we're dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing important narratives. 

Sara Baum, Owner and Founder

Sara Baum’s career before full-time transcription spanned academia, urban planning, non-profit, and women’s health, but there was always a common thread: intentionally listening to and amplifying voices, recognizing that everyone has a story to be told. 

Sara transcribed her first recording in 1999 while she was a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she went on to earn a Master's Degree in Urban Planning and Policy, with a focus on Disability and Human Development. 

Her education led her to become the Assistant Director at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Disability and Learning Resource Center, and she also held positions at the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Voorhees Center on Neighborhood & Community Improvement.

Following chapter one of her career, Sara’s passion for helping people and her keen listening ability inspired her to work in women’s health and launch a doula business in the Washington, DC area. During her 10 years as a doula, Sara was present for the arrival of over 100 babies, but she also honed her eye and ear for detail, empathetic approach, and the ability to stay calm under pressure — all skills that translate directly to her work as a transcriber.

Throughout her early career, Sara worked freelance as a transcriber, and, when she left the doula world in 2015, she launched Sharp Copy Transcription full-time.

When she’s not busy transcribing, Sara can be found staying up late reading books, exploring Chicago (especially the restaurants), and spending time with her family.

Sara lives in Oak Park, Illinois.

Meet The Team

We believe who is behind the transcription matters. Our team brings together diverse backgrounds and deep knowledge of language, dialects, accents, cultures, and subject matters to their work. 

Brooke

Brooke joined Sharp Copy Transcription in 2019, but her journey into transcription began during childhood when she would write down song lyrics as she listened to the radio, so she could sing along to her favorite tunes. This initial hobby evolved into a valuable skill that she now uses to accurately transcribe interviews, podcasts, and various other audio and video recordings. 

Originally from Australia, Brooke now lives in Portugal, where she enjoys hiking, camping, and wild swimming.

Brad

Brad has worked in transcription for over a decade, doing everything from PBS shows to investigations for NASA, police interrogations to oral histories for prestigious educators. As a writer, he considers hearing different perspectives, voices, slang, and stories is one of the perks of the job, and he loves helping advance the cause of a given project in any way he can, whether it's providing archival material or empowering others by providing transcripts of audio. In his free time, he plays hockey and hangs out with his wife and pups.

Destiny

Destiny B. Crawford is an Oral History transcriptionist for Sharp Copy Transcription. She is a graduate of Claflin University,  the oldest HBCU in the state of South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelors in African and African American Studies. At Claflin the focus of her research was Race and Advertising. Fueled by her passion to make history accessible to others she earned her MA from Grand Canyon University in History with an Emphasis in Education and working with Adult Learners. While at GCU she conducted research on thriving African American communities in the Early 1900s. When she is not transcribing she works full-time in Higher Education and Workforce Development as a Student Success Coach at Central Piedmont Community College. A historian at heart, she is also a part time adjunct faculty member in the History Department at the college.

Brent

Tech-savvy tutor with a love for STEM education. After law school, I traveled the US before using my data skills to supervise a data-entry team in health services. Now, I tutor students, grades 4-12, in SW FL. I'm also learning to use Python to build educational games and animations to make learning fun and engaging. Outside of tutoring, I love to code, play soccer, read, volunteer at science fairs, and play pop songs on the piano... badly. My main passion in life is hanging out with my cat and wondering what she’s thinking.

Lakshmi

I am a dedicated transcriptionist committed to delivering accurate, clean, readable transcripts with short TATs of 6-24 hours. I have more than 8 years of experience in the field, and I specialize in transcription across a wide range of industries, including business, academic, insurance, technical, general, and medical transcription. I have good expertise in transcribing different accents and dialects across multi-speaker audio files. I do extensive research of industry-specific jargon and terminology to ensure the delivered transcripts are accurate, easy to understand and read through. I'm always passionate about the English language and love to spend time honing my vocabulary and also writing technical design docs.

Mandy

I have a degree in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies from the University of Vermont, as well as a master's in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. I was a grassroots field organizer on many candidate and issue campaigns including those of Obama and Gore. After teaching sixth-grade in Kansas City through Teach for America for two years, I taught middle school in St. Louis Public Schools and East Baton Rouge Parish. After teaching, I transitioned to a research assistant at The Racial Equity in Addiction across the Lifespan Collaborative at the University of Missouri—St. Louis. Presently, I'm engaged in transcribing diverse content with Sharp Copy in Chicago, where I continue to foster my love for lifelong learning and advocacy for social justice.