Duolingo taps former Halo franchise head Bonnie Ross as board member 

Ex-Microsoft corporate VP and head of the Halo franchise Bonnie Ross has joined mobile learning platform Duolingo as an independent board member. 

In a statement, Duolingo CEO and co-founder Luis von Ahn said the core principle of the company was “make it fun” and it aims to tap Ross’ experience in games to bring that to its platform.

Ross has over 30 years of experience in the games industry. During her stint at Microsoft she worked on titles like Zoo Tycoon, Mass Effect, Gears of War and Halo. 

In 2019, she was inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame for her industry impact and advocacy for STEM and diversity, co-founding the Women in Gaming community. She also serves on the Dean’s Leadership Council at Colorado State University’s College of Natural Sciences.

Making it fun

“As an enthusiastic Duolingo user, I’m inspired by the platform’s ability to make learning entertaining and engaging," said Ross.

“It fosters a competitive and social learning environment and challenges me to keep making daily progress, particularly in my quest to impress Lily. I’m eager to contribute to Duolingo’s mission of making high-quality education fun and available to everyone."

Von Ahn added: “A core principle at Duolingo is ‘make it fun’, because learning shouldn’t be boring. Bonnie has deep experience in creating fun and innovative gaming experiences and building iconic global franchises. I couldn’t be happier to welcome her to our board.”