Meet The Team
 

Fran is one of our teachers as well as the founder of Learners' Lounge. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Bionegineering from UCSD and an MBA from the University of Washington and UCI. Her favorite subject to teach is Precalculus. Her dream subject to teach is Finance as she believes it is critical for all people to learn this life skill. She likes cafes, traveling, and listening to good stories such as ones on The Moth. Oh, and she absolutely loves cute things!

Alexis is a humanities, social studies, history, and electives teacher at a local private school. 
He has 12-plus years of teaching experience in both tutoring and traditional school settings and works well with middle and high schoolers. He is trained in counseling psychology in addition to his subject expertise; he extrapolates techniques from this skillset to ensure students' mental health is never overlooked.​​ Alexis has many hobbies including DJ and music production (20-plus years), volunteering for community causes and events, vinyl record collecting, and mixed media art in photography and graphic design.

Meet Hagar—a passionate educator with a strong foundation in STEMM. Her journey began as
a high school peer tutor with the Boys & Girls Club of Venice, where she discovered the joy of
helping others learn. She pursued Chemistry and Accounting at UC Berkeley where her love for
teaching only grew stronger.
She spent two years as an assistant teacher in elementary classrooms through Teach for America,
and later joined CALTeach during her senior year. When the pandemic hit, she transitioned to
online tutoring for middle and high school STEMM subjects, a role she continues to enjoy today.
Math and Chemistry are her specialties, and she's excited to expand into college counseling. She is
also a native Arabic speaker—so if you’re looking for support in Arabic, she'd be happy to help!
Outside all this, she enjoys volunteering, cycling, and visiting National Parks :)
She looks forward to learning together!

Meet Mbithe! She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, a Master of Science in Molecular Diagnostic Science, an MBA, and has completed doctoral-level coursework in Neuroscience. She currently works in the life sciences and biotechnology, bringing real-world experience into her teaching.
Mbithe tutors Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and English to middle and high school, college, and
adult learners. She enjoys helping students develop strong academic skills, from critical thinking to
writing and literary analysis, and supports them in preparing school, internship, and scholarship
applications. As a multilingual educator, Mbithe believes that strong English skills support success
across all subjects. She especially enjoys challenging students to reach higher and helping them grow in confidence as learners. In her free time, Mbithe enjoys pencil drawing and all things fitness and health.

​Tadei's passion for math, physics, and biology began in high school and led him to pursue Structural Engineering through both undergraduate and graduate studies. Today, he works as a professional engineer in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sectors. Tadei loves helping students move beyond memorization to truly grasping the core concepts of how our physical universe works—whether through Calculus, Physics, or Trigonometry. When he's not at the office or tutoring, you can find him rock climbing, at the pottery wheel, or cooking a great meal for friends and family.

Meet Ana. Ana holds a degree in Architecture and the humanities and is a native Spanish speaker with a strong passion for language instruction and cultural education. Ana is excited to inspire students to develop fluency and an appreciation for the Spanish-speaking world. With over eight years of teaching experience in classrooms and one-on-one settings, Ana is confident in her teaching abilities for a wide age range from elementary school to college level students. Throughout her career, Ana has focused on creating engaging lesson plans that balance language acquisition with cultural exploration. Her approach combines immersive language techniques, interactive activities, and the integration of technology to foster a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.

Meet Claire! Claire graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in Psychology and a BFA in Dance along with a minor in English! Her favorite subject to tutor is English Language, Literature, and Fantasy English Literature! In her spare time, Claire enjoys surfing, running, spending time outdoors, cooking, reading, and dancing!

Samantha holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. She has experience teaching college-level engineering courses as a Graduate Student Instructor and has work experience in both research and industry settings. She enjoys helping students build confidence in subjects like algebra, calculus, and biology. She loves taking workout classes, trying new restaurants, baking cakes, and hanging out with her friends’ dogs!  

Ready to conquer your toughest math and science challenges? Meet Andrew: he's your dedicated, full time tutor helping students gain mastery in math and chem since 2017. When he's not hiking epic mountains like Mount Whitney or Half Dome, he's tutoring some of his favorite subjects such as geometry, algebra II/trig, and chemistry. Do reach out, and Andrew can help you reach your highest potential — no mountain pun intended.

​Dane is a professional college counselor and tutor who has worked with over seven hundred students over the past decade. He previously taught as a professor at UCLA and USC and earned his Ph.D. in politics from UCLA, where he received multiple National Science Foundation fellowships. He graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with degrees in economics and physics. He works with clients in all academic subjects except foreign languages. In his free time he enjoys printmaking and cooking.

Pita is Mr. Fix It AI for Learners' Lounge. Please reach out to us if you run into any issues using the site and he will resolve.

This is your virtual support buddy. Kitty Cat will be up with you on all your late nights. You can come look at Kitty Cat anytime you feel anxious about a test or school in general. Kitty Cat will always send you good vibes and be on your side, Kitty Cat loves to learn with you!