Luis von Ahn is familiar with the idea that education is a great equalizer, but the reality he’s observed is different. More often than not, the opportunity for an exceptional education is available only to the wealthy – and it makes them even wealthier.
So what can be done about it?
Von Ahn was born in Guatemala, where much of the population is poor. So after he struck it rich selling a company to Google, he decided to build technology that really does address the wealth gap, by targeting one type of education that does make a difference: language.
That was the genesis of Duolingo. Today, it has touched 300 million users, and has both ad-supported and subscription versions.
27 - Citrix CEO Kirill Tatarinov: Solitary Genius Is Not Enough
26 - Michael Dell, Dell CEO: Starting a Business and Keeping it Going
25 - Alexandra Lebenthal, Lebenthal & Co. CEO: Taking On Wall Street's Boys' Club
24 - Mark Fields, Ford CEO: Be Sure the Sleeves Match the Cuffs
23 - Ajit Pai, FCC chairman: The Most Influential Man on the Internet
22 - Jeff Lawson, Twilio CEO: First Get Started, Then Get Smarter
21 - Bracken Darrell, Logitech CEO: Innovation From Spotting Details & Asking Questions
20 - Katie Jacobs Stanton, Color CMO: Be the Exception to the Rule
19 - Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP CEO: How To Make Your Second Act An Empire
18 - Tom Steyer, investor and activist: A Billionaire's Surprising Rules of Winning
17 - Michael Phelps, Olympic champion: The Toughest Battle Is in Your Mind
16 - Sue Decker, Raftr founder: The Woman Who Advised Steve Jobs & Warren Buffett
15 - Bayard Winthrop, American Giant founder: Clothes Made in the U.S.A.
14 - Gene Simmons, KISS: How to Future-Proof Your Brand
13 - Darren Walker, Ford Foundation president: What It Will Take to Heal the Culture
12 - Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, Charles Schwab Foundation president: Empowering Women to Invest with Confidence
11 - John Legere, T-Mobile USA CEO: CEOs Can't Say That
10 - Drew Powell, actor, Gotham: Chasing Down Your Dream
9 - Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO: The Boss's Favorite Mistake
8 - Rory O'Malley, actor, Hamilton and The Book of Mormon: The Show Must Go On
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer
American Greed Podcast
CNBC’s ”Fast Money”
Squawk on the Street
CNBC’s ”The Suze Orman Show”- Full Show