Meet Our Team
Behind DuolingoGuides.com is a passionate team of language experts, educators, and tech enthusiasts dedicated to enhancing your learning experience.
Priya Wallingford
(Born June 12, 1985)
Founder and CEO, DuolingoGuides.com
A true visionary in the language learning space, Priya Wallingford has been driven by a passion for bridging cultures through multilingualism from a young age. Born and raised in Seattle to Indian immigrants, she was immersed in multiple languages and recognized the power of communication across linguistic barriers early on.
Priya’s entrepreneurial journey began at the University of Washington, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics in 2007. Her studies cemented her love for the intricacies of human language and the science behind second language acquisition.
After graduation, Priya spent several years teaching English abroad in Japan, Thailand, and Argentina. This allowed her to experience first-hand the challenges language learners face, as well as exposed her to diverse cultural contexts. Priya became determined to revolutionize how languages are taught through more engaging, personalized methods.
In 2012, she turned her long-held dream into reality by founding DuolingoGuides.com – a comprehensive online platform providing innovative language learning resources, curricula, and educational technology tools. What started as a passion project born out of a small Seattle apartment has grown into a pioneering edtech company impacting millions globally.
As CEO, Priya leads the company’s overall vision, strategy and educational initiatives. She has assembled a diverse, mission-driven team spanning language experts, instructional designers, developers and marketers. Under her guidance, DuolingoGuides.com is at the forefront of leveraging technologies like AI, speech recognition, VR/AR, gamification and more to create immersive, personalized language learning experiences.
Priya’s deep passion for democratizing language education has made her a highly sought-after thought leader and influencer. She frequently speaks at major industry conferences, has been featured in numerous publications, and maintains an active social media presence with over 500k engaged followers across platforms.
In her limited spare time, Priya can be found exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest through hiking adventures, capturing the landscape through her photography lens, or energizing herself through salsa dance classes.
Priya’s ultimate vision is fostering a world united through language, where people across cultures can directly connect and express themselves. She continues driving DuolingoGuides.com to break down language barriers and shape more multilingual, empathetic global citizens.
Esme Caldwell
(Born September 23, 1990)
Lead Curriculum Writer
As a born-and-raised Seattleite, Esme Caldwell was drawn to the world of languages from an early age. Growing up surrounded by the region’s cultural diversity sparked her curiosity about different cultures and modes of expression. Esme’s passion truly ignited when she began studying Spanish and French in middle school.
Esme pursued her love for languages and education at Seattle University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature in 2012. Driven to turn her passion into a career, she continued her studies to receive a Master’s in Language Pedagogy in 2014.
Upon graduating, Esme spent four years honing her teaching skills as a high school Spanish and French instructor in the Seattle public school system. This invaluable experience allowed her to develop effective curricula, understand diverse learning needs, and create engaging lesson plans to inspire language students from all backgrounds.
In 2016, the opportunity to apply her expertise on a larger scale presented itself when Esme joined the DuolingoGuides.com team as their Lead Curriculum Writer. In this role, she has authored the majority of the comprehensive language learning guides, textbooks, and multimedia curricula available through the platform.
Esme’s responsibilities include conducting in-depth research into proven pedagogical methods, developing skills-based curricula from beginner to advanced levels, incorporating authentic cultural elements, and ensuring all content aligns with the latest best practices. Her specialties include designing effective lesson plans, engaging exercises, assessments and educational games.
A lifelong learner herself, Esme is constantly exploring new language teaching techniques. She is passionate about creating resources that not only build linguistic skills, but foster cross-cultural understanding, communication skills, and empathy across diverse communities.
When not immersed in her writing projects, Esme can be found discovering new reads at her local book club, perfecting her latest culinary creation in the kitchen, or enjoying the outdoors on Seattle’s volleyball courts or hiking trails.
Jovie Duvall
(Born November 7, 1987)
Language Product Manager
For Jovie Duvall, the intersection of technology and language learning has been a driving force throughout her unique career journey. Born in Seattle to parents who prioritized multilingualism, Jovie grew up speaking English, Korean and taking Chinese lessons from a young age. This early exposure to multiple languages sparked her lifelong fascination with communication and human expression across diverse cultures.
Jovie opted to combine her passions by pursuing Computer Science at the University of Washington, earning her bachelor’s degree in 2009. However, her interests also extended to linguistics, education and multimedia design. She complemented her technical training by studying instructional design, UI/UX principles, online learning theory and language education best practices.
After graduating, Jovie joined a rapidly growing educational technology startup in Seattle. For six years, she served as a product manager leading the development of innovative online learning platforms, digital curricula and mobile apps aimed at enhancing classroom education through technology integration.
Her diverse background made Jovie a natural fit for the DuolingoGuides.com team, which she joined in 2015 as the Language Product Manager. In this multifaceted role, she oversees the creation of the company’s web-based and mobile products, including comprehensive online courses, interactive learning apps, educational games and supplemental digital resources.
Jovie employs her skills in product design, multimedia development, UI design and instructional technology to build powerful, user-friendly tools that engage today’s learners while adhering to proven pedagogical principles. She works closely with linguists, curriculum designers, voice artists and engineers to produce high-quality language products enhanced by the latest technologies like speech recognition, virtual tutors, AI-driven personalized learning and more.
An evangelist for the transformative potential of language learning through immersive edtech, Jovie frequently speaks at conferences and shares her insights through industry publications and blogs. She is fluent in Spanish, French and German, with Korean as her native tongue.
Outside of her innovative product work, Jovie’s hobbies include rock climbing, composing music, and exploring the vineyards and wineries of the Pacific Northwest with her friends.
Abram Ravenna
(Born April 18, 1993)
Content Marketing Lead
For Abram Ravenna, the journey toward becoming a polyglot and language education ambassador began in an unlikely place – the basketball courts of Seattle Pacific University. It was there that he first connected with international students who opened doors for him to new cultures, foods, traditions and most impactfully, new languages.
Born and raised in Seattle, Abram’s initial academic interests were in the fields of communications, marketing and business. He pursued his Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Marketing at SPU, graduating in 2015 with strong foundations in digital marketing, content creation, branding and public relations.
However, Abram’s experiences befriending students from around the world sparked an insatiable desire to learn languages himself. Not only did he gain proficiency in Spanish through directed study, but he started using his cross-cultural connections to self-teach basics of Portuguese, Italian, Mandarin, Korean and American Sign Language.
Abram’s passion for language learning reached new heights during his junior year abroad, when he had the opportunity to live and study in Spain. Being fully immersed in the local culture cemented his love for navigating different linguistic and cultural contexts.
Upon returning to Seattle, Abram became an active participant in the city’s vibrant community of language enthusiasts, attending meetup groups, conversational practice sessions and events. Through these communities, he was exposed to innovative language learning methods, technologies and educational companies – including DuolingoGuides.com.
Abram joined the DuolingoGuides.com team in 2018 as their Content Marketing Lead, where his unique background in communications, intercultural experiences and passion for languages intersected perfectly. In this multifaceted role, Abram is responsible for the content strategy, audience growth through SEO and social media marketing, as well as creation of blogs, videos and other multimedia resources for language learners worldwide.
An experienced and enthusiastic polyglot himself, Abram can easily connect with and understand the needs of DuolingoGuides.com’s diverse global audience. He is proficient in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, with working knowledge of several other languages.
When not immersed in his content creation projects, you can find Abram traveling to expand his cultural experiences, attending local meet-ups to practice languages, or writing creatively about his language learning adventures. His personal goal is to become a multilingual citizen of the world, embracing our beautifully diverse planet through communication across all barriers.
Bode Denny
(Born February 2, 1988)
Language Learning Community Manager
For Bode Denny, the path to becoming an advocate for cross-cultural connections through language immersion was shaped by his innate curiosity about the diversity of human experiences. Born in Seattle to educators, Bode was raised with a deep appreciation for exploring different cultures, perspectives and modes of expression from an early age.
Bode’s intellectual passions led him to the University of Washington, where he pursued his Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and graduated in 2010. His studies opened his eyes to the richness of cultural traditions across the globe and how language plays a central role in shaping identity, worldviews and interpersonal dynamics.
It was during his time at UW that Bode had his first immersive experiences learning foreign languages. He became intrigued by how adopting new linguistic modes of communication could open doors to entirely new ways of thinking and being. What started as requirements for his anthropology courses soon blossomed into a lifelong love for the ongoing practice of language learning.
After graduating, Bode spent several years traveling internationally with a focus on pursuing intensive language studies in different local contexts. From studying Spanish through homestays in Guatemala to engaging with Mandarin tutors in Taiwan, he embraced the challenging yet rewarding process of second language acquisition at the source.
These transformative experiences made Bode a passionate believer that language education should go beyond just grammar and vocabulary – it must facilitate deeper cross-cultural understanding, empathy and human connection across communities. When he returned to his hometown roots in Seattle, he sought opportunities to share these perspectives with fellow language enthusiasts.
In 2015, Bode joined the team at DuolingoGuides.com, where he could finally merge his anthropological insights with his passion for language learning as the Community Manager. In this role, Bode oversees the company’s online communities, social media presence and engagement with its global audience of learners.
He works directly with users to understand their needs, provide study support and ensure DuolingoGuides.com’s offerings resonate across diverse cultural contexts. Additionally, Bode coordinates real-world events like meetups and conversation groups to foster language connections beyond the virtual realm.
A naturally curious and sociable soul, Bode is himself a constantly practicing polyglot who has gained varying proficiencies in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, American Sign Language and even lesser-known indigenous languages encountered through his travels. He loves sharing language-related insights through his personal travel blog.
When not absorbed in language communities online or in person, you can find Bode exploring Seattle’s lively arts and improv comedy scene as a performer himself. He is also an avid lover of the great outdoors, frequently taking to the hiking trails of the Pacific Northwest with an appreciation for nature’s subtle nuances across contexts – a fitting pastime for someone facilitating human connections through language.