Navigate the road to college with confidence

People Ops—Adina proudly supports Empowerly’s mission by creating an environment where team members thrive. She ensures people practices reflect values, believing that when employees feel supported, they’re equipped to best guide students.

Senior Admissions Expert—With experience in collegiate admissions, she is passionate about equipping students to master the prep. process. Her work as a college counselor allows her to share proven strategies. She enjoys travel and cultural exchange!

Ben Gutierrez has over ten years of experience guiding students through college admissions, with expertise in selective universities. He has served on admissions and scholarship committees at Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins, where he gained insight into what top schools value. Ben helps students—especially those interested in STEM, pre-health, and research—develop standout academic and extracurricular profiles. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Vanderbilt and an M.L.A. from Johns Hopkins.

Lead Business Analyst—Bogdan graduated from Deakin Uni with a master's degree, and has been working in the EdTech sector for 5 years in the marketing and finance analytics. He enjoys sports, traveling with family, and watching soccer games.

Senior Marketing Associate - Caroline leads Empowerly’s video and content strategy, bringing the Empowerly mission to families around the world through impactful digital storytelling. When she’s not developing scripts or editing video content, she enjoys reading and embroidering everything she owns.

Resource Manager—Chloe graduated from Anne Arundel Community College and UMD, and works to provide students with the tools to carve their own path to the future. When not wrangling her Irish Terrier, she's probably talking about Star Wars.

Daniel M. brings five years of experience in undergraduate admissions to Empowerly. Most recently, he served as a Senior Admissions Officer at Brown University. Before his time at Brown, Daniel was an Assistant Director of Admissions at Connecticut College, where he earned his B.A. in Economics. Over the past five years, Daniel has reviewed over 5,000 college applications, interviewed hundreds of prospective students, and played a key role in more than 50 admission committees. He has evaluated applicants from across the country, representing a variety of school systems and academic interests, including Computer Science, Engineering, the Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Visual Arts. Additionally, Daniel has made decisions on students applying to Brown’s BS/MD program (PLME), recruited athletes, and those pursuing the Brown/RISD dual degree program. Throughout his time in admissions, Daniel has had one-on-one conversations with prospective students about building competitive application profiles. He’s also volunteered as a college counselor, where he’s reviewed essays, helped students build college lists, and educated students on standardized testing. What excites him the most about college counseling is the chance to build genuine relationships with students and serve as a supportive guide during this pivotal time in their lives.

Denard is one of Empowlery’s lead counselors. He has worked as an admissions officer at Elon University and Saint Joseph's University for over a decade. He then transitioned to college counseling directing a Duke University summer program and two independent schools. Denard earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Information Systems from Elon University.

Sr. Admissions Expert—After years in tech, Edgar looked for career meaning. As a first gen graduate, he knows how overwhelming the process is & is dedicated to help students navigate their journey. Edgar is an aficionado of Martial Arts, Futbol, & Ancient Civilizations.

Global affiliate & partnerships practitioner with over 10 years of connecting the dots between brands across education, travel & tech. Biz mantra is “For partners to accomplish more together than each on their own”.

Community Manager | College Counselor—With an admissions officer background, Emma champions students in helping them craft their stories and find the next chapter in their higher education journey.

Ford brings over 5 years of experience in admissions at Johns Hopkins University, where he supported 1,200+ applicants annually from the Pacific Northwest and Canada. As a committee member and Assistant Director, he led scholarship selection, revamped the reading process, and launched a Humanities Overnight Program. He holds a BA in Theater from the University of Mary Washington and has helped students gain admission to top schools including NYU, Duke, JHU, Georgetown, and the UCs—specializing in STEM and CS applicants.

Gelyna studied Science, Technology & Society with a concentration in Life Sciences & Biotechnology at Stanford. She also holds a Notation in Science Communication. She is an experienced college counselor who has helped students gain admission to Stanford, Ivy League universities, and UCs. She is a former Stanford admissions alumni interviewer. Her specialties are interview preparation, essay editing, and essay topic brainstorming.

Head of Engineering—Graduating from Stanford, Hanjoon is passionate about helping others realize their own college admissions dreams. When he is tired of sucking at tennis, he switches over to sucking at pickleball. He is also what you'd call a Chipotle connoisseur.

Recruiting & People Experience Lead - Jay brings over 15 years of combined experience in college admissions and university counseling, helping students and families navigate highly selective U.S. and international application processes with clarity and confidence.

Admissions Expert—A father of 5 with 18 years of experience in education, including as a principal. He has a particular knowledge of the competitive nuances of applying to selective schools as a STEM major.

Jermaine is an Empowerly Lead Counselor and former Senior Admissions Officer at Columbia University. He graduated from Connecticut College with a B.S and certificate from the Holleran Center. He spent his early career working in the admissions office for Johns Hopkins SAIS and spent the vast part of his professional career in scholarship and collegiate admissions. Jermaine deeply appreciates the transformative power of a great school in someone’s life, and specializes in supporting students who are interested in the humanities, STEM, social science research, merit scholarships, and artist performance (from his background as a professional vocalist). He has used what he has learned to continue to support students by way of interview prep, essay editing, and leadership development. Jermaine finds a lot of joy in connecting with ambitious students that are ready to explore new interests and utilize their resources to reach their goals!

CTO—After Princeton, Jerry was a product manager at various tech companies before finding a calling in startups. He treasures mentorship & life-long learning. When not scuba diving or playing escape rooms, Jerry is an amateur cook & an aspiring food critic.

Jessie is proud to serve as the Startup Internship Program Manager here at Empowerly. Jessie, with a background in cultural studies and education from UNC Chapel Hill, brings a wealth of K-12 experience to Empowerly. Having proudly served as a teacher to English language learners in Madrid, Spain, as a college adviser in a Title One school for underrepresented youth, and as a program manager at a non-profit focused on uplifting Asian American youth, Jessie loves working with students to facilitate meaningful experiences. Jessie is excited to direct the Startup Internship Program, ensuring that each student embarks on a transformative journey of both personal and professional growth.

Senior Admissions Expert—While attending Vanderbilt, he gained invaluable insights working in the Office of Admissions. He has firsthand experience navigating the competitive college admissions process and is dedicated to helping families succeed in educational pursuits.

Community Manager—Jordann is a historian by education who grew up in Los Angeles before moving to the Pacific Northwest. He is a relentless advocate and trusted advisor for Empowerly families at every step of their journey.

Sales Leader—Kim has spent 20+ years thriving in sales and loves coaching others to reach their potential. She lives in Tampa Bay with her husband and their 2 children, who are almost out of the house, meaning she’s this close to upgrading to a quieter life (at least until they come back with laundry).

Senior Admissions Expert—As a high school student, she found the admissions process very overwhelming, so she was inspired to help other high schoolers make the process less stressful. She's a UC Berkeley alum with 10 years of experience as a college counselor.

Senior Operations Manager—After helping her 4 kids apply to college, Leslie found a passion for supporting students and parents through the college admission process.

Senior Content Marketing Manager—With a global perspective & a passion for storytelling, Lucie creates content strategies that resonate with diverse audiences. When she’s not immersed in growth strategy, you can find her with a book or doing Muay Thai.

Senior Admissions Expert—Lucie graduated from Stanford & has been in the college admissions industry for 10 years. She has also worked extensively as a professional actress. She has voiced PayPal ads and shot a scene in a Sofia Coppola film!

Sales Leader—Lydia graduated from UCLA in 2014, and has spent the last seven years nerding out about education and communication. She now lives in the Bay Area with her true love: her sighthound, Whiskey. She also has a husband.

Community Manager—Hailing from Ireland, Matt joined Empowerly as a Community Manager. Previously a sales consultant & teacher, Matt felt drawn to directly help students. Matt ensures the customer experience is of the highest quality by working across teams.

CFO In West LA born & raised, at finance roles where Rick spent most of his days. He has since pivoted his talents to ensuring financial discipline at Empowerly. When he is not beating people up for better unit economics he is beating people up for more ACH payments.

Elite Counselor—Shahrukh has 10+ years of admissions experience. A Johns Hopkins BA & MBAs from Columbia & LBS, he has helped students get into Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Yale, & more. A former editor + researcher, he values storytelling & writing.

Hailing from the University of Kansas for undergrad, Shanah’s midwest upbringing helps her establish relationships with you. Understanding your goals makes her heart sing while she creates campaigns that help you find success.

Operations Manager—Shannon spent nearly a decade teaching in New York City and is a lifelong educator at heart. When she's not helping Empowerly families, she enjoys spending time at home sewing and cuddling with her dog, Lentil.

Stephanie holds a B.A. from University of California, Irvine, and is located in Southern California. She also attended Chapman University’s Graduate School of Education where she obtained her California teaching credential. Having worked in the education field for over two decades, Stephanie brings a unique perspective to college counseling. She has experienced the admissions process both as a counselor and mentor and also as a Stanford parent. Specializing in California colleges, the athletic recruiting process, and transfer pathways, she has helped students gain admission to Stanford, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Cornell, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, and University of Washington among other top universities.