ETH Global Lecture Series: The Duolingo Journey
17 Dec 2024 - Join us as we explore?entrepreneurship, showcasing the journey of turning ideas into thriving companies. Alongside Severin Hacker, co-founder of Duolingo, we welcome Julia Carpenter and Nicole Kleger, co-founders of ETH spin-offs, to share their experiences. From challenges to successes, gain insights into the entrepreneurial mindset and learn how ETH Zurich fosters innovation and supports founders in navigating the startup ecosystem.
This ETH Global Lecture delves into the world of entrepreneurship, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of building a successful company from the ground up. Alongside Severin Hacker, co-founder and CTO of external page Duolingo, we are excited to welcome Julia Carpenter of external page Apheros and Nicole Kleger of external page sallea, both co-founders of innovative ETH spin-offs. They will share their unique journeys, shedding light on what it takes to turn groundbreaking ideas into thriving ventures. Join us to gain insights into the entrepreneurial mindset, learn from their triumphs and setbacks, and discover how ETH Zurich fosters innovation and supports founders in navigating the startup ecosystem.
Join us as it promises to be a great final ETH Global Lecture of the year.
The Duolingo Journey: An Odyssey in Entrepreneurship and Innovation with Severin Hacker, CTO of Duolingo
Tuesday, 17 December 2024
17.00 - 18.00 CET
HG F30 Audimax, door opens at 16.30
This lecture is in English. A reception will take place after the lecture
Registration is required external page here
Speakers
- external page Severin Hacker, co-founder and CTO of Duolingo and ETH Zurich Alumnus
- external page Julia Carpenter, co-founder of Apheros
- external page Nicole Kleger, co-founder and CTO of sallea
- Chris Luebkeman, leader of the Strategic Foresight Hub in the Office of the President at ETH Zurich (moderation)
Severin Hacker
Severin Hacker, Ph.D. is the co-founder and CTO of Duolingo (NASDAQ: DUOL). Duolingo is the leading mobile learning platform globally, offering 100 courses in 40 languages with approximately 97 million monthly active users. Its flagship app has organically become the world's most popular way to learn languages, and it is the top-grossing app in the education category on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. At Duolingo, Severin is in charge of the technology that powers Duolingo's mission to provide free access to education. He's the internal champion of innovation, ensuring that Duolingo leverages the latest advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence to scale and personalize language learning.
Severin received a BS in Computer Science from ETH Zurich in 2006, a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014, and was selected by the MIT Technology Review as one of the top young innovators of our time (TR35).
Julia Carpenter
Julia Carpenter, CEO and cofounder of Apheros, was recently named one of MIT Technology Review's "35 Innovators under 35". She invented Apheros’ patented process for metal foam production during her PhD in Materials Science at ETH Zurich. After her doctoral studies, she embarked on building Apheros and has won numerous awards and grants including the ETH Zürich Pioneer fellowship and the ESA Business Incubator grant in 2023, and the prestigious W.A. de Vigier Foundation Award in 2024.
Nicole Kleger
Nicole Kleger is a materials scientist and the Co-Founder and CTO of Sallea AG, an ETH Zürich spin-off revolutionizing food technology by enabling the production of cultivated whole cuts through advanced materials and manufacturing techniques. Nicole earned her PhD at ETH Zürich, specializing in 3D printing of porous materials, and has received numerous awards, including the ETH Medal and Willi Studer Prize.
At Sallea, she drives innovation and technology development, focusing on leveraging the unique advantages of 3D printing to transform today’s manufacturing processes. Her leadership ensures cutting-edge solutions that bridge scientific breakthroughs and industrial applications. With a track record of impactful patents and publications, Nicole has been recognized as "Female Innovator of the Year" and a "Woman in Tech to Follow," embodying the intersection of scientific excellence, entrepreneurship, and sustainable innovation.
Chris Luebkeman
Chris Luebkeman is Head of the Strategic Foresight Hub in the Office of the President at ETH Zurich. In all of his collaborations, he intertwines practical optimism, insatiable curiosity, and a profound commitment to the planet. Chris' career to date has spanned various professions and locations. His path led him to Vanderbilt, Cornell and ETH Zurich, among others. Prior to his role as Head of Foresight at ETH Zurich, he worked at the global engineering consultancy Arup in London, where he led the research and development group and later founded the foresight, innovation and incubation teams.