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Duolingo (Nasdaq: DUOL) appoints Sallie Krawcheck to board and audit committee

(High)
(Neutral)
Form Type
8-K

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Duolingo, Inc. expanded its Board of Directors from nine to ten members and appointed Sallie Krawcheck as an independent Class I director, effective August 10, 2026. She will serve on the Board’s Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, with a term running until the 2028 annual stockholders’ meeting, subject to customary conditions.

Her compensation under Duolingo’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Program includes annual cash retainers of $45,000 for Board service and $10,000 for Audit Committee service, plus equity awards: an initial RSU grant valued at $450,000, a prorated annual RSU award valued at $180,000, and, subject to tenure conditions, ongoing annual RSU awards valued at $215,000, each converted into RSUs based on the closing price of Duolingo’s Class A common stock and vesting over one to three years with continued service.

Duolingo highlighted Ms. Krawcheck’s three decades of senior financial and operating experience, including founding Ellevest, which she led to $2.4 billion in assets under management, and prior roles as Chief Financial Officer of Citigroup and Chief Executive Officer of several major wealth management businesses.

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Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure Disclosure
Material non-public information disclosed under Regulation Fair Disclosure, often investor presentations or guidance.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Board cash retainer $45,000 per year Annual cash retainer for Sallie Krawcheck’s Board service, paid quarterly and prorated for 2026
Audit Committee retainer $10,000 per year Additional annual cash retainer for serving on the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee
Initial RSU award value $450,000 Initial RSU grant, converted using closing price on service commencement date and vesting over three years
Prorated annual RSU award value $180,000 Prorated RSU award granted at service commencement, vesting within about one year with continued service
Ongoing annual RSU award value $215,000 Annual RSU award granted at each annual meeting if tenure conditions are met, vesting within about one year
Ellevest assets under management $2.4 billion Assets under management reached under Sallie Krawcheck’s leadership at Ellevest
restricted stock units financial
"an initial award of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) equal to $450,000"
Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.
Non-Employee Director Compensation Program financial
"Ms. Krawcheck is eligible to participate in the Company’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Program"
Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee financial
"appointed Sallie Krawcheck ... as a member of its Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee"
indemnification agreement regulatory
"Ms. Krawcheck is expected to enter into the Company’s standard form indemnification agreement"
An indemnification agreement is a contract in which one party promises to cover losses, costs, or legal claims that another party might face, acting like a tailored safety net or private insurance policy. For investors, it matters because such agreements shift potential financial risk away from a company or its officers and onto the indemnifier, which can affect a company’s future liabilities, cash flow and how risky the investment appears during deal-making or litigation.
assets under management financial
"led its growth to $2.4 billion in assets under management"
Assets under management (AUM) is the total value of all the investments that a financial company or fund is responsible for overseeing on behalf of its clients. It’s like a big bucket that shows how much money the firm is managing for people or organizations. A higher AUM often indicates a larger, more trusted company, and it can influence how much money they earn and the services they can offer.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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FAQ

What did Duolingo (DUOL) announce regarding its Board of Directors?

Duolingo expanded its Board from nine to ten members and appointed Sallie Krawcheck as an independent Class I director, effective August 10, 2026, with a term running until the company’s 2028 annual meeting, subject to standard conditions.

What committee will Sallie Krawcheck join on Duolingo (DUOL)’s board?

Sallie Krawcheck will serve on Duolingo’s Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee. This role includes an additional annual cash retainer of $10,000, paid quarterly in arrears and prorated for her 2026 service.

How is Sallie Krawcheck compensated as a Duolingo (DUOL) director?

Her package includes a $45,000 annual Board cash retainer, a $10,000 Audit Committee retainer, an initial $450,000 RSU grant, a prorated $180,000 RSU award, and future annual $215,000 RSU grants, all vesting based on continued service.

What is notable about Sallie Krawcheck’s background highlighted by Duolingo (DUOL)?

Duolingo cites her more than three decades in senior financial and operating roles, founding Ellevest and leading it to $2.4 billion in assets under management, and serving as Chief Financial Officer of Citigroup and CEO of several major wealth firms.

How do Sallie Krawcheck’s RSU awards at Duolingo (DUOL) vest?

The initial $450,000 RSU grant vests 50% after one year, then 25% after each of the next two years. The prorated $180,000 and annual $215,000 RSU awards vest on the earlier of one year from grant or just before the next annual meeting, subject to continued service.
0001562088false00015620882026-08-102026-08-20

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 10, 2026
Duolingo, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware001-4065345-3055872
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
(Commission
File Number)
(IRS Employer
Identification Number)
5900 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (412) 567-6602

N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per shareDUOLThe Nasdaq Stock Market
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company  
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐




Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On August 10, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Duolingo, Inc. (the “Company”) increased the size of the Board from nine to ten directors and appointed Sallie Krawcheck to serve as a Class I director on the Company’s Board and as a member of its Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee ("Audit Committee"), in each case, effective immediately. Ms. Krawcheck will serve for a term expiring at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2028 and until her successor is duly elected and qualified or until her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal.

Ms. Krawcheck is eligible to participate in the Company’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Program. Her director compensation includes: (i) an annual cash retainer of $45,000 for serving on the Board, paid quarterly in arrears (prorated based on her service during the 2026 fiscal year); (ii) an annual cash retainer of $10,000 for serving on the Audit Committee, paid quarterly in arrears (prorated based on her service during the 2026 fiscal year), (iii) an initial award of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) equal to $450,000 divided by the closing price of the Company’s Class A common stock on the date Ms. Krawcheck commences service on the Board (the “Initial RSU Award”) which will vest as to 50% of the Initial RSU Award on the first anniversary of the grant date, 25% of the Initial RSU Award on the second anniversary of the grant date, and the remaining 25% on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to her continued service on the Board through each such vesting date; (iv) a prorated annual RSU award equal to $180,000 divided by the closing price of the Company’s Class A common stock on the date Ms. Krawcheck commences service on the Board which will vest on the earlier of the first anniversary of the grant date or immediately prior to the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders following the grant date, in either case, subject to her continued service on the Board through such vesting date and (v) an annual RSU award granted on the date of the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders, provided she has served on the Board for at least six months prior to such annual meeting and will continue serving following such meeting, in an amount equal to $215,000 divided by the closing price of the Company’s Class A common stock on the grant date which will vest in full on the earlier of the first anniversary of the grant date or immediately prior to the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders following the grant date, in either case, subject to her continued service on the Board through such vesting date.

Ms. Krawcheck is expected to enter into the Company’s standard form indemnification agreement in the form filed as Exhibit 10.12 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-257483) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 19, 2021.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On August 10, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Ms. Krawcheck. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated in this Item 7.01 by reference.

The information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K (including Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto) is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.



Exhibit No.Description
99.1
Press Release dated August 10, 2026
104Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document)



SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
DUOLINGO, INC.
Date: August 10, 2026By:/s/ Gillian Munson
Gillian Munson
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)


Duolingo Appoints Sallie Krawcheck to Board of Directors
Former Citigroup CFO and Ellevest Founder to join the Audit Committee

PITTSBURGH, August 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duolingo, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOL), the world's leading mobile learning platform, announced today that it has appointed Sallie Krawcheck as an independent board member, effective today. Ms. Krawcheck will serve as a member of the Board’s Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.

Ms. Krawcheck has spent more than three decades in senior financial and operating roles, as a chief executive, a chief financial officer, a founder, and a public company director. She founded Ellevest, a financial services firm dedicated to helping women and families build wealth with intention, and led its growth to $2.4 billion in assets under management. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Citigroup and as Chief Executive Officer of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Smith Barney, and Sanford Bernstein. She has extensive board experience across both public and private companies.

"As Duolingo continues to grow, we're focused on building a Board with the experience and perspective to help guide our next chapter," said Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder of Duolingo. "Sallie has an exceptional track record of building businesses, leading through change, and challenging conventional thinking. Her expertise in financial leadership, strategy, governance, and scaling global organizations will be invaluable, and I'm thrilled to welcome her to our Board."

"I believe there is no better investment a person can make than in learning,” said Ms. Krawcheck. “It is an investment that can compound: A language learned becomes a job, a move, a conversation, a child who grows up with more options than her parents had. I’ve long admired Duolingo’s mission - not only because it is rethinking how education can work, but because it is making high-quality learning more accessible to millions of people around the world. I’m thrilled to join the Board and support Duolingo as it continues to grow and expand its impact."

About Duolingo
Duolingo is the leading mobile learning platform globally. Its flagship app has organically become the world's most popular way to learn languages and the top-grossing app in the Education category on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. With technology at the core of everything it does, Duolingo has consistently invested to provide learners a fun, engaging, and effective learning experience while remaining committed to its mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available.

Contact Information

Investors:
Deborah Belevan, IRC, CPA
ir@duolingo.com

Media:
Michelle Scully
press@duolingo.com

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents