Our CEO and Story.
Our Story
Hi! I’m Nick. I’ve been an educator for 21 years and am a proud National Board-Certified Math Teacher. Over the years, I’ve served as a Network Math Coach, Assistant Principal of Math, Curriculum Writer, and Professional Developer, working with math teachers across more than 20 states. In a former life, I was a left-handed, slow-arm college relief pitcher for four years.
Five years ago, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I took the leap and started a math education consulting business. It was the scariest thing I’d ever done professionally. With that, the journey taught me more about math instruction and humanity than I could have imagined—likely more than anyone learned from me.
In my work - I was observing, coaching, and leading professional development (PD) while educators were unfocused, anxious, and, frankly, not in the best place for professional growth. But it was easy to understand why. The kids were not alright. Some opted out of school entirely. Many of those who stayed were just going through the motions, struggling to focus, or finding it hard to grasp concepts taught on a screen. When students returned to classrooms, beyond the social-emotional challenges, there was a glaring issue in math education: gaps in learning. While learning gaps are not new, this time, they were larger and more widespread than ever before.
Reflecting on my experiences before, during, and after COVID in urban schools across the U.S., I witnessed schools doing their best with some of the brightest, most dedicated educators the world has ever seen. Despite this, kids were continuing to slide in math. Not enough days in lieu of absences. Enrollment struggles. More kids with limited literacy and in some spaces, limited English skills. It was and still is a lot.
While I provided both technical and adaptive support, I realized that even near-perfect Tier I math instruction—which is almost impossible—wasn’t enough. Somewhere along the way, I realized while solid classroom instruction is necessarily for kids to understand mathematics, it became clear that success required more than just good teaching.
Something else started to jump out as well. The most successful urban schools - the ones who had traditionally performed well and had the least amount of backslide immediately after COVID, seem to have one thing in common: strategic, high-dosage tutoring during the school day. Though the models varied, the core traits were consistent:
A clear goal and strategy informed by data.
Professional, knowledgeable, in-person tutors who connected with students.
Schools treated tutoring as a priority, with plans holding students accountable for their learning.
Tutors met students where they were and built on their skills.
I saw examples of success, like Wilders Preparatory Academy in Inglewood, CA, LAUSD Primary Promise, and Collegiate Charter High School, which provided valuable insights into effective tutoring. If before or after-school tutoring happens, it only worked with high levels of staff accountability. (teachers or admin in the room) However, I noticed a glaring lack of quality vendors in this space. Specifically - there seemed to be a lot of online tutoring vendors - which while better than nothing, is a lot of work for schools internally for accountability. To that end, nobody seeming to want to invest in the immense power of in-person support.
Armed with a business line of credit, some incredible contacts willing to take a chance on us, and a trusted partner, Sunny Min, we asked ourselves: Why not pilot a tutoring program? Why not create a business owned, run, and inspired by educators to serve educators and Black and Brown students?
Our pilot program launched, and within 12 weeks, the results spoke for themselves. From prior-year CAASPP data, students showed an average 39-point increase on SBAC-aligned assessments. The data validated our work—what we do works.
Through word of mouth, we now support over 20 sites, including 16 year-round programs. Scaling a business this quickly has been an incredible effort, requiring immense time and energy. However, seeing our amazing tutors connect with students inspires us to keep pushing forward. It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve students in this way.
We owe a deep debt of gratitude to so many people: former employers, Tier I partners, and friends who gave us glowing word-of-mouth testimonials.
Most of all, we’re grateful for our phenomenal team of tutors. They are professional, energetic, knowledgeable, and deeply passionate about students. They are a joy to work with every day.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way.
To our current partners - thank you!
To our potential partners, we look forward to the opportunity of serving your students and helping them learn math faster and more effectively.
To those visiting and curious - thanks for reading. Feel free to spread the good word.
Thanks everyone!
Be good to yourself,
Nick