Paul English, CEO and Co-Founder of Lola Travel and former CTO and Co-Founder of Kayak, has announced his commitment of at least 10% of his stake in Lola being set aside for giving back to communities locally and globally. Lola is a new kind of travel service that provides real human travel expertise on-demand through a smartphone app. Accel Partners and General Catalyst Partners recently led Lola’s $19.7M Series A round. Kayak was acquired by Priceline.com for $1.8B in 2012; a sale that served as a catalyst for English’s notable local and global philanthropic efforts.
“Joining Pledge 1% Boston was an easy choice for me personally. I have seen the impact giving back can have on communities around the world, and I hope to encourage other entrepreneurs and leaders in technology and related industries to make this pledge. Marc Benioff has done a stellar job sharing the Salesforce.com model with other companies and executives, and I am proud to be a voice for Pledge 1% here in the Greater Boston region and beyond,” English shares.
While Lola is an emerging company, English is not new to giving back. Paul co-founded and chairs Summits Education, a network of schools in Haiti that now reaches over 10,000 students in the central plateau region. English also serves on the boards of Partners in Health and Village Health Works. He is an active funder and mentor to emerging and established nonprofits as well.
“Paul English is one of the most notable and savvy entrepreneurs in our region. Having Paul make such a significant commitment to giving back is an example for how we can bridge our innovation economy with communities in need both here and around the world. We look forward to working with Paul and his team on these efforts. We are thrilled and proud to have Paul English as a member of Pledge 1% Boston” noted Paul Grogan, the Boston Foundation’s President & CEO.
English’s life and philanthropy are covered in Tracy Kidder’s A Truck Full of Money.
Originally posted: November 29, 2016
