That kind of work aligns with Duolingo’s mission to make quality education more accessible, Ross continued. “Honestly, society can only be transformed by all of us coming to the table.” Ross wants Duolingo to be seen as a good neighbor in Pittsburgh, and eventually, as a symbol of the city itself. “Although I admire a lot of the work that people are doing, a lot of the work of nonprofits is only as impactful as its cross-sector collaborations and partnerships,” she said, adding that means corporations, local governments and other stakeholders need to each do their part to create social impact.

“By creating this role and hiring Kendra to lead our social impact efforts, it allows us to better plan and operationalize our efforts with greater intention and scalability.”īringing experience in the nonprofit world and academia, Ross said she realized community engagement needs to come from all parts of society, even growing corporations like Duolingo. “Pittsburgh has been a key part of Duolingo’s success, and we want that to translate back into success for our local community,” said Luis von Ahn, cofounder and CEO of Duolingo, in a statement. Prior to that, Ross spent almost 20 years in a corporate role in the music industry, and even worked as a performer herself. She was also a partner at Act3 Consulting Partners - an arts, community and technology-focused firm she founded with two others - where she frequently worked with nonprofits and other local organizations. from Point Park University in community engagement and working as an assistant professor there. Ross takes on the new position after earning her Ph.D. While Duolingo has already participated in social impact in Pittsburgh through a community arts fund, organization sponsorships, donations and more, Ross’ role will create a full-time position dedicated to continuing and amplifying those efforts even further as the company continues to grow.

With a new hire, Duolingo is looking to lead in social impact and local community engagement.Ī press release issued Wendesday announced that Kendra Ross will be the Pittsburgh-based language learning company’s first head of social impact - a new role focused on strengthening the company’s mission in giving back to the surrounding community.

Duolingo address in pittsburgh office