Think well.
Cultivate Success.
Think well.
Cultivate Success.
Think well. Cultivate Success.
We help young people become more self-aware, critical thinkers to thrive in school, workplace, and life.
We help young people become more self-aware, critical thinkers to thrive in school, workplace, and life.
We help young people become more self-aware, critical thinkers to thrive in school, workplace, and life.
Our beliefs
Our beliefs
Our beliefs
1
We honor young people and believe deeply in their capacity to address vexing information challenges.
We honor young people and believe deeply in their capacity to address vexing information challenges.
Young people today are bombarded with an unprecedented volume of information, much of it misleading or outright false. As we looked carefully at other approaches to deal with this problem — addition of verification badges to social media accounts, rise of fact-checking websites, prohibition of screen time — we grew more disheartened. None offered what we thought was a straightforward solution that actually empowered young people themselves. That’s why we created Twella, a play on “think well.” We wanted to make young people central to the solution.
So, what began two decades earlier as an elaborate web-based platform for teachers, has since evolved into a simple but robust mobile learning application that provides young people (ages 13-25+) with systematic practice of core self-awareness and critical thinking skills they need to navigate our complex information world. And there is no doubt they can and will develop these skills when given the opportunity and offered the support.
Young people today are bombarded with an unprecedented volume of information, much of it misleading or outright false. As we looked carefully at other approaches to deal with this problem — addition of verification badges to social media accounts, rise of fact-checking websites, prohibition of screen time — we grew more disheartened. None offered what we thought was a straightforward solution that actually empowered young people themselves. That’s why we created Twella, a play on “think well.” We wanted to make young people central to the solution.
So, what began two decades earlier as an elaborate web-based platform for teachers, has since evolved into a simple but robust mobile learning application that provides young people (ages 13-25+) with systematic practice of core self-awareness and critical thinking skills they need to navigate our complex information world. And there is no doubt they can and will develop these skills when given the opportunity and offered the support.
Young people today are bombarded with an unprecedented volume of information, much of it misleading or outright false. As we looked carefully at other approaches to deal with this problem — addition of verification badges to social media accounts, rise of fact-checking websites, prohibition of screen time — we grew more disheartened. None offered what we thought was a straightforward solution that actually empowered young people themselves. That’s why we created Twella, a play on “think well.” We wanted to make young people central to the solution.
So, what began two decades earlier as an elaborate web-based platform for teachers, has since evolved into a simple but robust mobile learning application that provides young people (ages 13-25+) with systematic practice of core self-awareness and critical thinking skills they need to navigate our complex information world. And there is no doubt they can and will develop these skills when given the opportunity and offered the support.
2
We build relationships with educators to make sure all their students thrive in in our rapidly changing world.
We build relationships with educators to make sure all their students thrive in in our rapidly changing world.
Information overload and distortion is not just a technological problem - it's a societal challenge that requires a deep commitment to collaboration and mutual learning. This is why at Twella, we believe that partnering with teachers, administrators, and other school or community leaders is crucial to creating lasting change. While the Twella learning application is student-driven, educators play a pivotal role tracking key performance, identifying trends and discerning insights, and providing timely guidance as needed.
Our commitment to collaboration also extends to the educational research and evaluation community, as we engage with experts in media literacy, cognitive science, and curriculum development to refine the Twella application and maximize impact. Through these collaborations, we're not just creating a product; we're cultivating a community dedicated to equipping young people with the skills they need to become informed, engaged citizens in an increasingly complex world.
Information overload and distortion is not just a technological problem - it's a societal challenge that requires a deep commitment to collaboration and mutual learning. This is why at Twella, we believe that partnering with teachers, administrators, and other school or community leaders is crucial to creating lasting change. While the Twella learning application is student-driven, educators play a pivotal role tracking key performance, identifying trends and discerning insights, and providing timely guidance as needed.
Our commitment to collaboration also extends to the educational research and evaluation community, as we engage with experts in media literacy, cognitive science, and curriculum development to refine the Twella application and maximize impact. Through these collaborations, we're not just creating a product; we're cultivating a community dedicated to equipping young people with the skills they need to become informed, engaged citizens in an increasingly complex world.
Information overload and distortion is not just a technological problem - it's a societal challenge that requires a deep commitment to collaboration and mutual learning. This is why at Twella, we believe that partnering with teachers, administrators, and other school or community leaders is crucial to creating lasting change. While the Twella learning application is student-driven, educators play a pivotal role tracking key performance, identifying trends and discerning insights, and providing timely guidance as needed.
Our commitment to collaboration also extends to the educational research and evaluation community, as we engage with experts in media literacy, cognitive science, and curriculum development to refine the Twella application and maximize impact. Through these collaborations, we're not just creating a product; we're cultivating a community dedicated to equipping young people with the skills they need to become informed, engaged citizens in an increasingly complex world.
Twella. Our story
Twella. Our story
Twella. Our story
The story of Twella mirrors the journeys of our two founders, James Damico and Yash Mittal. For James, a professor at Indiana University for over two decades, his mission has been to help students become more self-aware and capable independent thinkers.
Learning how to think, not what to think.
He has distilled some of what he’s learned along the way in three authored books, 50+ publications, presentations and workshops in the United States and around the world. While at IU, he led work on the Critical Web Reader (CWR), a web app that helped thousands of young people become more skilled readers of online information. James also co-founded Delve Learning to bring the CWR to Singapore.
In 2018, James and Yash joined forces to build CWR 2.0 (aka Delve App), a reimagined and interactive web app for teachers and students. During the redesign, they observed how misinformation online, particularly across social media, continued to escalate. Moreover, they noticed the mounting negative impact on young people's mental health, attention spans, and critical thinking skills. Something was amiss - the current generation wasn’t reading articles, was spending more time on social media and mobile was the primary medium of interaction. Recognizing the need for a different approach, they shelved the Delve web app for the foreseeable future.
Yash headed to Austin, TX to become part of thriving startup community there and build a fintech startup, as James took on remote teaching responsibilities and studied young people’s learning challenges accelerated by Covid. James and Yash stayed in touch - the two continuing to imagine how critical thinking could be introduced to young adults.
The story of Twella mirrors the journeys of our two founders, James Damico and Yash Mittal. For James, a professor at Indiana University for over two decades, his mission has been to help students become more self-aware and capable independent thinkers.
Learning how to think, not what to think.
He has distilled some of what he’s learned along the way in three authored books, 50+ publications, presentations and workshops in the United States and around the world. While at IU, he led work on the Critical Web Reader (CWR), a web app that helped thousands of young people become more skilled readers of online information. James also co-founded Delve Learning to bring the CWR to Singapore.
In 2018, James and Yash joined forces to build CWR 2.0 (aka Delve App), a reimagined and interactive web app for teachers and students. During the redesign, they observed how misinformation online, particularly across social media, continued to escalate. Moreover, they noticed the mounting negative impact on young people's mental health, attention spans, and critical thinking skills. Something was amiss - the current generation wasn’t reading articles, was spending more time on social media and mobile was the primary medium of interaction. Recognizing the need for a different approach, they shelved the Delve web app for the foreseeable future.
Yash headed to Austin, TX to become part of thriving startup community there and build a fintech startup, as James took on remote teaching responsibilities and studied young people’s learning challenges accelerated by Covid. James and Yash stayed in touch - the two continuing to imagine how critical thinking could be introduced to young adults.
The story of Twella mirrors the journeys of our two founders, James Damico and Yash Mittal. For James, a professor at Indiana University for over two decades, his mission has been to help students become more self-aware and capable independent thinkers.
Learning how to think, not what to think.
He has distilled some of what he’s learned along the way in three authored books, 50+ publications, presentations and workshops in the United States and around the world. While at IU, he led work on the Critical Web Reader (CWR), a web app that helped thousands of young people become more skilled readers of online information. James also co-founded Delve Learning to bring the CWR to Singapore.
In 2018, James and Yash joined forces to build CWR 2.0 (aka Delve App), a reimagined and interactive web app for teachers and students. During the redesign, they observed how misinformation online, particularly across social media, continued to escalate. Moreover, they noticed the mounting negative impact on young people's mental health, attention spans, and critical thinking skills. Something was amiss - the current generation wasn’t reading articles, was spending more time on social media and mobile was the primary medium of interaction. Recognizing the need for a different approach, they shelved the Delve web app for the foreseeable future.
Yash headed to Austin, TX to become part of thriving startup community there and build a fintech startup, as James took on remote teaching responsibilities and studied young people’s learning challenges accelerated by Covid. James and Yash stayed in touch - the two continuing to imagine how critical thinking could be introduced to young adults.
In the past, they had discussed shifting to mobile from a web app, even doing concept testing during the pandemic. In 2023, they decided to give it a shot. To best confront the challenges of living in an information-overloaded world, they would need a laser focus on 5 goals.
design and develop an interactive, easy-to-use mobile app
include social media posts as core content for the app such as Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube Shorts
target categories where misinformation seems most consequential such as health, finance, politics, environment, technology
keep unwavering focus on core self-awareness and critical thinking skills
make sure no additional burden is placed on educators
In the past, they had discussed shifting to mobile from a web app, even doing concept testing during the pandemic. In 2023, they decided to give it a shot. To best confront the challenges of living in an information-overloaded world, they would need a laser focus on 5 goals.
design and develop an interactive, easy-to-use mobile app
include social media posts as core content for the app such as Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube Shorts
target categories where misinformation seems most consequential such as health, finance, politics, environment, technology
keep unwavering focus on core self-awareness and critical thinking skills
make sure no additional burden is placed on educators
In the past, they had discussed shifting to mobile from a web app, even doing concept testing during the pandemic. In 2023, they decided to give it a shot. To best confront the challenges of living in an information-overloaded world, they would need a laser focus on 5 goals.
design and develop an interactive, easy-to-use mobile app
include social media posts as core content for the app such as Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube Shorts
target categories where misinformation seems most consequential such as health, finance, politics, environment, technology
keep unwavering focus on core self-awareness and critical thinking skills
make sure no additional burden is placed on educators
Fast forward to September 2024. We now have Twella, a mobile application designed to help young people aged 13-25+ become more self-aware critical thinkers in the social media age of misinformation.
Fast forward to September 2024. We now have Twella, a mobile application designed to help young people aged 13-25+ become more self-aware critical thinkers in the social media age of misinformation.
Fast forward to September 2024. We now have Twella, a mobile application designed to help young people aged 13-25+ become more self-aware critical thinkers in the social media age of misinformation.
Twella team
Twella team
Twella team
James Damico, PhD
Founder & CEO
“My driving passion for the past 32 years as an educator has been to help learners of all ages become more careful, critical, and successful readers of all different kinds of information. This passion is rooted in my experience as an elementary and middle school teacher in the 1990s (in the early days of the Internet) and continued to evolve and expand when I was a graduate student at Michigan State University and since becoming a professor at Indiana University in 2004. I am excited to bring Twella to everyone ready for a qualitatively different experience with online information across the digital spaces we inhabit.”
Yash Mittal
Co-founder & Product
Yash is a serial entrepreneur who builds first and foremost for impact. He looks forward to wicked problems and goes for bold bets. The drive to create products for positive change is what pulled him to work on Twella, taking a stab at decreasing societal polarization by enabling critical thinking in individuals. He has a wealth of experience building products and startups across industries such as Fintech, Edtech, Health tech and governance, working through different stages from 0-1, 1-10 and 10-100.
James Damico, PhD
Founder & CEO
“My driving passion for the past 32 years as an educator has been to help learners of all ages become more careful, critical, and successful readers of all different kinds of information. This passion is rooted in my experience as an elementary and middle school teacher in the 1990s (in the early days of the Internet) and continued to evolve and expand when I was a graduate student at Michigan State University and since becoming a professor at Indiana University in 2004. I am excited to bring Twella to everyone ready for a qualitatively different experience with online information across the digital spaces we inhabit.”
Yash Mittal
Co-founder & Product
Yash is a serial entrepreneur who builds first and foremost for impact. He looks forward to wicked problems and goes for bold bets. The drive to create products for positive change is what pulled him to work on Twella, taking a stab at decreasing societal polarization by enabling critical thinking in individuals. He has a wealth of experience building products and startups across industries such as Fintech, Edtech, Health tech and governance, working through different stages from 0-1, 1-10 and 10-100.
James Damico, PhD
Founder & CEO
“My driving passion for the past 32 years as an educator has been to help learners of all ages become more careful, critical, and successful readers of all different kinds of information. This passion is rooted in my experience as an elementary and middle school teacher in the 1990s (in the early days of the Internet) and continued to evolve and expand when I was a graduate student at Michigan State University and since becoming a professor at Indiana University in 2004. I am excited to bring Twella to everyone ready for a qualitatively different experience with online information across the digital spaces we inhabit.”
Yash Mittal
Co-founder & Product
Yash is a serial entrepreneur who builds first and foremost for impact. He looks forward to wicked problems and goes for bold bets. The drive to create products for positive change is what pulled him to work on Twella, taking a stab at decreasing societal polarization by enabling critical thinking in individuals. He has a wealth of experience building products and startups across industries such as Fintech, Edtech, Health tech and governance, working through different stages from 0-1, 1-10 and 10-100.