The Lost Abroad Story
On a mission to build an immersive language-learning world that is fun and effective at the same time.
Years ago, co-founder Brent was on a minibus in Hong Kong and noticed that other passengers never used the cord to alert the bus driver to stop, they just yelled up in Cantonese “Jau luk!” Wanting to fit in, he did the same when his destination was approaching, and the bus stopped! He continued learning through imitation and experimentation, but upon returning home couldn’t rely on this experience any longer.
“You need to immerse yourself!” is a frequent piece of advice to language learners around the world, but it’s been much easier said than done – until now. The goal of Lost Abroad is to allow anyone to learn a language not by translating it over and over, but by living it in the form of fun, practical, effective games.
The Team
Brent O.
Co-Founder | CEO
I’ve loved traveling since studying abroad in Hong Kong (where I learned a bit of Cantonese), but one of my most cherished traveling memories was my time in Cambodia. I worked for a brewery by day and taught swing dancing by night, and as I don’t speak Khmer it was truly a lesson in non-verbal communication!
Jack D.
Co-Founder | Principal Educator
I grew up in China but moved to New Zealand at 19, where I went to uni and became a researcher. I did various jobs including being the manager of the information center at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, before becoming a high school teacher in New Zealand. Being the first Chinese staff ever, I built a Mandarin Chinese program there from scratch and grew it 4x in 5 years. As an avid gamer, I dreamed of a future where all learning and assessment are done via gaming and this is what Lost Abroad is doing!
Siyi C.
Co-Founder | Strategy & Finance
When I went to Peru in 2018, I tried learning Spanish to prepare, since certain smaller towns there didn’t have as many English speakers. Even after using Duolingo for 6 months, I realized I didn’t learn the ability to actually navigate around! I did learn the words for “chicken” and “rice” though, so I basically ate chicken with rice the entire trip. This is why I am passionate about making a game that can actually help people learn practical things for traveling, because frankly I would benefit from it myself even!
Jack B.
Co-Founder | Strategy & Data
One of my favorite travel memories is of driving through the south of France for my honeymoon. My wife and I spent nearly a month drinking as much wine and olive oil as we possibly could while exploring all of the castles and cathedrals!
Christy T.
Marketing
A memorable moment during my travels in Sri Lanka: I was asked to practice English with 10 middle school students in the Peradeniya botanical garden. I learned about their aspirations, shared about my home country Taiwan, and discovered their dream travel destinations. It was a delightful encounter that I will always remember.
Nidhi B.
Product
I was getting beer in Munich, and the local store owner said "Pfand" with a smile. I thought he wanted more money, so I tried to explain I already paid. Another customer who overheard our conversation told me "Pfand" means a deposit, and I would get 15 cents back for the bottles. I felt like a rich tourist when I handed over my bottle!
Michelle W.
Product
Exploring local coffee shops is my favorite thing to do when I am traveling because it is a place where you can observe a slice of the culture and have an organic conversation with the locals. And running my own cute café is just the perfect practice I need for my next adventure!
