Ludvig ’26 grew up with stories most people only read about in history books. His family survived the mass violence against Christian populations in Turkey beginning in 1915. As a child, his grandmother watched her family endure unspeakable atrocities as she hid to ensure her own survival.

For Ludvig, that history shaped what he would do when the company he started in his teens began generating revenue: sixty percent of its profits went directly to an orphanage in Syria. “My own family’s story wasn’t so very far from what is going on in Syria right now.” Long before he built a business, he had already decided what success would mean.

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Ludvig grew up surrounded by both opportunity and displacement. “My mother is a refugee from Turkey,” he said. “She fled when she was a small child due to the suppression of the Christian population.” These family stories of survival and loss have been threaded through his everyday life. 

His entrepreneurial journey began at 13 during an internship at a mobile service company, where he first learned the mechanics of sales. When he later launched his shower gel company, philanthropy was built into the model from the start.

The shower gel product began with a practical frustration. As a student athlete showering multiple times a day, Ludvig struggled with dry skin and started researching solutions with his chemistry teacher. Together, they developed a formula combining magnesium and zinc to hydrate while cleansing. What began as a classroom collaboration evolved into a case study at LAS and then into a growing company supplying hotels and gyms.

From the beginning, Ludvig committed the majority of his profits to a Syrian orphanage. The donations supported food, clothing, and education, and helped expand enrollment. The orphanage invested in remote learning infrastructure, including smart boards and digital classrooms that allowed teachers from outside the region to teach safely.

Asked how it feels to make that kind of impact, Ludvig shrugs off the scale of it. “It feels like it is something that I would always do. It feels natural to me.”

His decision to attend Leysin American School was pragmatic. “I wanted to study abroad because the Swedish curriculum wasn’t optimal for my college applications,” he said. Though he initially considered another Swiss boarding school, a close family friend encouraged him to visit LAS. He found a school that matched his drive. LAS offered tough academic standards and as well as the flexibility to pursue his entrepreneurial vision.

Before enrolling in LAS, he submitted his company as a case study to Can Gidding’s Entrepreneurship class, which pushed him to adjust his mindset. “When you have a company, it becomes your baby,” he said. Learning to accept criticism allowed him to strengthen his brand and launch new products, including a “Swedish Summer” soap that became a bestseller. Engaging with classmates from dozens of nationalities forced him to see his company from perspectives he would never have encountered at home.

Now, as a senior at LAS, Ludvig runs three active businesses. His next venture is a marketplace based in Georgia connecting users to jobs, services, and listings. Supported by mentors that include an American CEO and a Harvard Business School professor, he continues to think globally.

Yet for all his ambition, Ludvig measures success differently. “My heritage is very important. Family has always been important for me. So giving back is something that I just feel like is necessary.”

For Ludvig, philanthropy is not strategy. It is his philosophy.