Photo credit: Duolingo
More people than ever before are looking to learn a second language. Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of language learning app Duolingo, has played a huge role and made that a lot easier. One of Guatemala’s leading tech entrepreneurs, he’s also made himself a name as a crowdsourcing pioneer in the process.
Von Ahn is making language learning accessible to Duolingo app’s more than 50 million daily users. More than that, the app actually makes learning easier because it presents lessons in gamified, bite-sized chunks that are personalized via AI to adapt to your current skill level—way better than the “le stylo est vert” stuff I had in high school French class.
Von Ahn has used Duolingo to team up with global literacy nonprofits to roll out tailored programs for low-literacy learners, and even launched special modules for displaced communities, helping them navigate new countries and cultures. In other words, he’s made it easier for people around the globe to get along—Worthy 100, indeed.
