Our mission
is to make bilingualism a
vibrant part of every child's life!
Our story
Five years ago, when Lelu Founder and CEO, Ana Leyva, became a mom, she realized she’d have to get really creative and work really hard if she wanted her kids to grow up as thriving bilinguals in the US.
“My husband and I knew that bilingualism was a must for our kids. We were living in LA and shocked that even there we couldn’t find the resources to support our bilingualism. The books and tools lacked depth and range of language, and so we started creating our own tools to support our bilingual home - we wrote our own books, created our own at-home aides and other families started asking us for support and guidance. That was really the beginning of Lelu. I realized this problem extended far beyond our home as American parents are increasingly seeing the enormous benefits of bilingualism.”
What happened next?
This pivotal realization led Ana to pursue master’s degrees at Stanford Graduate School of Education and Stanford Graduate school of Business. Ana is a huge fan of multidisciplinary learning, and has had a transformative educational trajectory-- this #mompreneur is also the first in her family to go to college (Princeton University) and to get Master's degrees!
Founded at Stanford University
Take a look at our founder's LOWkeynote at the Graduate School of Business
Our team
is on the mission to make bilingualism a vibrant part of every child's life!
Check out our favorite thing about being bilinguals!
Ana Leyva
Founder & CEO
Sooooo many, but one of the tops is being able to understand amazing cumbia and salsa songs (and all of Selena’s music)!
Schools:
• Princeton University (AB)
• Stanford University (M.Ed and MBA)
Jordan Howcroft
Design Specialist
Being able to enjoy movies, music, and more in another language
Schools:
• University of Michigan (B.S.)
Marielos Sansón
Lead Digital Experience Designer
The opportunities that come with it! I have been able to study in countries with 3 different official languages thanks to my bilingualism. It also makes traveling easier and much more fun!
Schools:
• Stanford University (BS & MS)
• IESE (MBA)
As seen on Univision's Despierta América!
Our language ideologies
We have intentionally designed our programs to incorporate the best language acquisition practices according to research.
STEAM
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math content exposes kids to a depth of language through subjects that they're already interested in.
Immersive & Hands-on
The best way to acquire a language is to live it. Experience hands-on programs driven by kids’ natural curiosities that make the language come to life!
Thematic Learning
A new theme every month, allowing your family to dive deep into topics kids love and create special memories for the best language retention.
Daily Practice
Language learning requires consistent exposure and practice. Lelu provides daily opportunities for long-lasting and meaningful language immersion.
