Our Story

Syntaxis was founded at the end of the last century by Brandt Johnson and Ellen Jovin. The firm’s name comes from the Late Latin for the word “syntax,” which has to do with the way words are put together into ideas.

The word “syntax” also means a harmonious or orderly arrangement of parts—an idea important to the work Brandt and Ellen continue to do today as they train professionals in oral and written communication skills. They are the firm’s only employees, so when you work with Syntaxis, you work with them directly.

Brandt and Ellen happen to be married to each other—in fact, they were married two months before the firm was incorporated—and their professional training lives are influenced by their extensive creative work with words outside Syntaxis.

Brandt is a playwright, actor, and filmmaker, and Ellen is a bestselling author and polyglot with a traveling pop-up grammar advice stand (yes, you read that right!) that has received national and international press.

They are passionate about the power and beauty of well-wrought, well-delivered language. Should you choose to work with Syntaxis, you will see this passion in the work they do for your organization and your employees.

Thank you for considering Syntaxis for your training needs!