Luis von Ahn was born and grew up in Guatemala City. At age 18, he migrated to the US to begin studying at Duke University, where he graduated with a BS in Mathematics. He later earned a PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University, where he remained a faculty member for many years. Luis is the co-inventor of CAPTCHA and founder of the company reCAPTCHA, which he sold to Google in 2009.

In 2011, together with his doctoral student Severin Hacker, Luis started Duolingo, where he now serves as CEO.

Values

The Foundation’s core values are:

• Our relationships are based on trust defined by integrity, reliability, and confidence in the leadership and visions of the organizations we provide funding to.
• Because no individual, organization, or movement can defeat injustice and inequality alone, we cultivate positive relationships and effective collaborations that are grounded in honesty, humility, curiosity and respect. We share the optimism that listening to one another and working together can help achieve our common goals.
• As a core value, intersectional feminism helps us understand and address how Guatemalans’ varied social identities impact the way they experience injustice and inequality, and how this shapes their lives.

Our grant-making ethos

We believe the best solutions come from the communities and individuals most affected by injustice and inequality.  As such, we hope to be equal partners with the organizations, individuals and collective initiatives we fund, through a trust-based philanthropic approach.

What can grantee partners expect from the Foundation?

Our grant-making is based on trust, transparency, and mutual accountability. We want visionary leaders to focus on changing Guatemala, not meeting narrow grant mandates or limiting themselves to easily measured results. Our role is to deeply listen to our grantee partners, be responsive to their feedback, and add value when we are aligned and uniquely equipped to do so.

We believe the process by which change is made is just as important as the results. We take the time to develop strong relationships that try to address the inherent power imbalance that exists between funders and grantee partners. In doing so, we are able to better understand the gaps in philanthropy, improve our approach, and nurture practices that align with our vision, mission, and values.

What does a great partnership look like for us?

• Partnership over paperwork. We believe that the best way to understand an organization, including their challenges and their impact, is by first-hand experience.  While some paperwork is unavoidable, we prefer to see the impact of our investment rather than read about it.  We want our partner organizations to focus their time and attention where it is needed most – on fulfilling their mission.
• Trust and transparency. The Foundation appreciates the value of flexibility and is open to funding the general operations of a partner organization.
• Share your successes and struggles. We are eager to hear about your learning journey and, whenever possible or relevant, to be a thought-partner for you.
• Support beyond financial resources. We hope to be a catalyst so that partners can also access our emerging network of like-focused organizations.
• Fluid and informal communication. When we enter into a partnership, we will provide you with a user-friendly platform to facilitate the exchange of information. We will also aim to have an occasional, informal conversation with you to stay abreast of progress.