In this View From The Top interview, Ayesha Karnik, MBA ’25, speaks with Luis Von Ahn, Co-Founder and CEO of Duolingo.

Luis shares his journey from growing up in Guatemala during a civil war to becoming a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon and pioneering inventions like CAPTCHA - before ultimately building one of the most beloved education platforms in the world. He reflects on bold leadership, the future of AI in learning, and why play might just be the most powerful force in education. Along the way, he also shares the quirks, principles, and people behind Duolingo’s rise.