Our Team
Lead Tutor & Co-founder
Braden Ellis
Braden is a 2024 Harvard graduate with concentrations in music and economics. He brings hands-on experience tutoring the SAT, ACT, economics, entrepreneurship, math, biology, writing, and music theory, and has taught middle and high school students across four continents, including Côte d'Ivoire, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. A Juilliard-trained bassist, he also plays piano and guitar and composes for film. This past year, one of his students earned admission to his alma mater.
Founder & Educational Consultant
Barbara Martin Ellis
Barbara holds a graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, with advanced study in writing and literacy, and served as an alumni interviewer for Penn. She has spent years helping students find their way to the colleges that fit them best, from Ivy League universities to HBCUs to top public schools across the country. A passionate advocate for student-led education, she homeschooled both of her sons, who are now Harvard graduates. She has taught private school students on Philadelphia's Main Line, facilitated AP and economics courses with homeschoolers, and directed a pre-law fellowship coaching applicants through law school admissions. Barbara is an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the leading professional organization for college admissions counselors, committed to ethics, excellence, and ongoing professional development.
Academic Researcher & Tutor
Jewel Cox
Jewel is a senior at Yale University studying Cognitive Science, with a focus on working memory and attention. She brings research experience from both the Yale Brain & Cognition Lab and the Yale Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, where she has conducted experiments, managed behavioral and clinical data, and collaborated with faculty and graduate students. Fluent in Korean and Spanish, she tutors writing, AP U.S. History, biology, and a range of other subjects, meeting students where they are regardless of learning style or background. Her academic rigor and genuine passion for making complex ideas accessible make her an exceptional resource for students with serious ambitions.
Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning Tutor
Peirce Ellis
Peirce is a 2025 Harvard graduate with a concentration in Applied Mathematics and a secondary in Psychology. He specializes in advanced mathematics and finance, working with students from lower school through high school. A Juilliard-trained violist and composer, he has also taught violin and viola privately.