Who We Are

Step Up’s Approach Effective, Personalized Tutoring at Scale

Our innovative high-impact tutoring model leverages trained volunteers and Federal Work-Study college students, AI-powered tutor feedback tools, and adaptive learning technology that is personalized to each student's needs. This hybrid human-centered model makes it possible to scale personalized one-on-one academic support at a fraction of the cost.

  • Students are paired with a consistent, caring tutor for one-on-one, twice weekly, online tutoring sessions.

  • Tutors use adaptive, AI-powered learning software and follow a research-backed curriculum—in either math or reading—that is tailored to their students’ needs.

  • Volunteers and Federal Work-Study college students receive training and ongoing coaching.

Who We Serve

Since our founding in 2020, we have supported more than 7,000 2nd-6th grade students from underserved communities by partnering with over 40 districts and charter networks across Los Angeles, the Bay Area, New York City, DC, and Arizona.

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  • College students paid through Federal Work-Study from over 40 colleges across the country (typically serve 3 students each)

  • Aspiring educators (73% of tutors are interested or exploring careers in education) 

  • Community volunteers recruited through service organizations (typically serve 1 student each)

  • All tutors vetted, selected, and background checked  

  • Tutors complete Step Up’s training, co-developed with ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Stanford University’s National Student Support Accelerator

Our Tutors

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Our Team

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Sam Olivieri

  • Sam brings to Step Up more than a decade of experience in leadership roles expanding access to opportunity through education across the PreK-career continuum. Sam was Senior Principal at Guild Education and Partner at Entangled Solutions, where she worked with entrepreneurs to scale impact in education. Prior to Entangled, she was the Chief Strategy Officer for GreatSchools, a national nonprofit that reaches over half of all parents of school-age children in America. Sam started her career as a special education teacher and has worked on school improvement initiatives at the district, state, and national levels. She received her BA from Pomona College and MPP from UCLA. Her passion for education stems from her formative experiences in the classroom, where she learned the power of young people’s ingenuity, talents, and passion.

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Bethany Celestine

  • Bethany Celestine is a seasoned nonprofit and HR professional with over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has been involved in several nonprofit fields including Ed tech, food insecurity, and many other social services.

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Atiya Davis

  • Atiya has over 5 years of experience in education working closely with children from impoverished neighborhoods. As a former Montessori Administrator, she understands the importance of “enriching the whole child” and meeting the students where they are. Atiya holds a B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College. Her passion lies heavily in bridging the gap in educational inequality and ending the stigma on youth mental health for students in underserved communities.

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Eriana James

  • Eriana has over 7 years of experience in education working closely with students from underrepresented communities and those who identify as first-generation, low-income. She remains active in her community, mentoring fellow FGLI undergraduates at Georgetown University. Dedicated to lifelong learning, Eriana began her path toward a Ph.D. as one of 10 members selected for Johns Hopkins’ first Summer Pre-Doctoral Pathway Program cohort in 2023. Her professional mission is to ensure all students receive holistic, equitable, and meaningful resources to thrive as their full selves in nurturing educational spaces.

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Lisa Elson

  • Lisa brings management and outreach experience from working as a consultant to political campaigns and nonprofit organizations. She is passionate about equity in education and is constantly inspired by volunteers who devote time to help others. Lisa has worked as a tutor/mentor to elementary school students both in person and virtually. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Her lifetime love of learning and dedication to helping students was inspired by her Mother, who was a teacher.

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Justin Viola

  • Justin is a seasoned software engineer with over 10 years of experience in designing and implementing cutting-edge solutions. Specializing in both frontend and backend development, he has a proven track record of delivering scalable, user-friendly applications that drive results. Known for his collaborative approach and dedication to continuous learning, Justin combines technical expertise with a passion for innovation to bring value to every project he undertakes.

Daniel Halper - Los Angeles, Stanford, Step Up Tutoring

Daniel Halper

  • In June 2020, Daniel co-founded Step Up Tutoring after learning about the pandemic's significant impact on students' education and well-being. Driven by a passion for creating meaningful change, he helped build the organization from the ground up to address the urgent needs of students and families. Daniel graduated from Stanford in 2021 with a major in Product Design, equipping him with a deep understanding of user-centered design principles and technical problem-solving skills. Blending his love for design and coding, he specializes in developing intuitive, impactful user experiences.

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Charmaine Ho

  • Charmaine has over 15 years of account management and client service experience in the advertising and communications industries for global Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. In her employee comms role, she connected an audience of 55,000+ employees to people, activities and information to help build community and inspire excitement for their workplace. She started as a tutor with Step Up Tutoring in the fall of 2020. Charmaine is also a self-proclaimed bibliophagist, so please send all book recommendations her way! She had a high school teacher that always seemed to have an abundance of knowledge and interest in different topics - he taught students the importance of being curious and Charmaine has been asking endless questions ever since!

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Elena Barrera-Waters

  • Elena joined the Step Up team in September 2024 after four years of working for education nonprofits dedicated to serving low-income students. With a bachelor's degree in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago, Elena has always been passionate about serving youth from disadvantaged backgrounds and empowering the educators that support them on their journeys. She is passionate about education equity, college access, and financial education.

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Felicia Ann Tacto

  • Felicia previously worked as a Research Assistant, evaluating the impact of California-based organizations serving people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. Inspired by their work, she pursued a career in non-profits. Felicia is grateful for the mentorship she's received and enjoyed her first experience mentoring through Step Up Tutoring. Now, as Step Up Tutoring's Onboarding Program Manager, she hopes to share the joys of mentorship with new tutors and students.

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Haripriya Valayaputtur

  • Haripriya is deeply committed to fairness and equity in education and believes that collaborating with communities is essential for achieving high-quality education for all. With a strong background in data science and learning sciences, Haripriya has over 7 years of experience in various areas of education - from teaching and instructional design to test development and data analysis. She made a career switch to education from consulting years ago to join an EdTech firm in India and has never looked back. Haripriya holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani University (Goa) and an MSEd in Learning Sciences and Technologies from the University of Pennsylvania. Her love for education stems from her mother, who is a math teacher, and with whom she spent many summers finding creative ways to solve problems in geometry!

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Erin King

  • Erin has over 15 years of teaching and leadership experience in early childhood education, including recruitment. Erin is committed to ensuring strong partnerships with families, working together to provide the highest quality education for children. She understands the important role relationships play in developing the whole child and supporting their educational journey. Erin is excited to bring her experience to Step Up Tutoring, to support the meaningful work of the organization. She had a high school math teacher who stayed after school to tutor students, demonstrating the power of tutoring and committed educators. She graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. When she is not working, Erin loves traveling with her husband and sitting down with a good book and a latte.

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Gabriella Schneider

  • Gabriella brings over five years of development experience, having previously run an individual fundraising operation at a prominent think tank based in Washington, DC. With a particular focus on major gift cultivation, Gabriella is passionate about developing genuine relationships with supporters and connecting them with transformative nonprofits that are driving effective change for the causes they care about. Gabriella is thrilled to be raising funds to close the educational achievement gap and create increased opportunity and pathways to success for students. Gabriella holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law from the University of Richmond. She is grateful to have had many formative teachers in her life, including her high school AP English teacher who (now retired) still hosts their original class for annual dinners around the holidays.

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Genesis Guerra

  • Genesis is a passionate advocate for equitable education and currently serves as the School and Family Partnerships Manager at Step Up Tutoring. A first-generation college graduate with dual degrees in American Studies and Ethnicities and International Relations from the University of Southern California, Genesis brings a wealth of experience supporting students and building school partnerships. Having worked extensively with underserved middle school students as a Program Coordinator for the Emily Shane Foundation, Genesis understands the transformative power of mentorship and personalized support.

    Genesis is dedicated to fostering meaningful collaborations with schools and community organizations to increase student engagement. Outside of work, Genesis continues to stay connected to their local community in Los Angeles and is committed to uplifting families and schools in under-resourced areas.

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Kathryn Kester

  • Kathryn began her career in education as a teacher in both schools and dance, where she developed a passion for helping students thrive. She later transitioned into management, overseeing a brick-and-mortar tutoring company, and spent over a decade in senior leadership roles growing a now international virtual tutoring company. With extensive experience in both in-person and online education, Kathryn is deeply committed to equitable education and strongly aligns with the mission of Step Up Tutoring, an organization dedicated to providing underserved students with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed. Her career reflects her belief that every student deserves the chance to reach their full potential, regardless of background or circumstances.

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Krissy Reyes

  • For Krissy, the joy of learning has never stopped, and she aspires to share that joy with all students. She received a Bachelors in English and Theater from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters in Education from Fordham University. She was an English teacher in New York City for 4 years and has worked in customer education and project management in the edtech industry. Her favorite teacher was Ms. Hunter who made learning fun by performing plays in class and hosting student poetry readings.

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Meredith

  • Meredith (Mer) has 10 years of experience in educational technology as a category and operations manager, along with over five years experience tutoring mathematics and test prep. Outside of work, they enjoy competitive puzzling and playing bass. They live with their wife and their three dogs—Floppy, Willow, and Duncan.

Our Board

Alison Yoshimoto-Towery
Executive Director, UC/CSU California Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity and Learning; member of the California State Board of Education; former Chief Academic Officer, Los Angeles Unified School District

Ankita Kaulberg
Head of Product, Stanford University HEARTS Lab; former product leader at Khan Academy and Seesaw Learning

Deborah Stipek
Stanford University Professor & Former Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education

Howard Gordon
President, Teakwood Lane Productions; Emmy Award Winning Television Writer and Producer

Jake Neuberg
Co-Founder, Revolution Prep; Chairman, Discovery Education

Jamie Halper
Chair and Co-Founder, Step Up Tutoring; Senior Advisor and Investment Committee Member, Blue Owl Capital; Chair, Stanford Accelerator for Learning Task Force; Member, Stanford Human Centered Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council

Janet Carter
Former CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance

Lynn Jacobson
Former Chair of the Board, Teach for America Los Angeles; member of the USC Rossier Board of Councilors

Nati Rodriguez
Co-Founder, Step Up Tutoring; former Program Director, Annenberg Learner