The founder, creator, and educator of Latvia Connect is Abigail Koudinov. Abigail’s father was born in Riga, Latvia, and has immediate family members there today making Latvia as a whole one of her close communities. Abigail Koudinov is a first-generation American born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She currently lives in New Jersey and attends Northern Highlands Regional High School.

When Abigail was 14 she visited Latvia in the summer of 2022. This was during the peak of the Russian-Ukrainian war and she witnessed firsthand the repercussions this war had on neighboring countries caught in mass immigration from both Ukraine and Russia. She met numerous children who were forced to leave their home countries and immigrate to a new environment. With these children only knowing their native language and being integrated into Latvian society, she noticed the struggle these individuals have when immersed in a new culture and language. This was the time she realized she could make a meaningful contribution to one of her communities by giving her time and knowledge to teach English so Latvian children and immigrants can connect to one of the world’s most widely spoken languages which will inevitably increase their chances of opportunities.