Meet Brainstrong
At Brainstrong, we're committed to transforming the journey of learning to read into a joyful and empowering experience for both parents and children. Our reading system, meticulously crafted through insights from biology, psychology, and sociology, harnesses the science of learning to make every step of the process engaging and effective. Join us in shaping a future where literacy is not just achieved, but celebrated with enthusiasm and confidence.
Professional Accomplishments:
- Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, from University of Nevada, Las Vegas - M.A. in Education - B.A. in Elementary Education - Professor of Higher Education - 20+ years teaching experience – K-12 and University Level - 10+ years teaching academic writing - Published author in peer-reviewed journals - Cited expert of student engagement - Presented original educational research at regional, national, and international conferences
Founder / CEO
Derek Lester, Ph.D.
Dr. Derek Lester earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and has 20+ years of instructional experience. He served as a professor for six years before starting Brainstrong, LLC.
He created the Brainstrong system during his time as a university professor to help master's and doctoral students learn and present advanced information. He saw the impressive progress students made under a mastery-based instructional approached and saw the benefits this system will have for students of all ages.
Dr. Lester is an expert in human learning, student engagement, instructional strategies, and academic research writing instruction. After decades of instruction at all levels of formal education, he found his passion to help of all ages students learn better. The goal for Brainstrong is to prepare students for not only success in school today but also in college and their professional life and career.
Tutor
Ali Raphael
Ali is a 27 year old tutor in Fall City, WA serving students all over the West side. She graduated in 2017 from The University of Washington with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.
She spent summers during college working in math summer camps with Seattle MESA, through the UW, where she tutored children in math that were in danger of falling behind. While in college, she took classes on climate science and advanced physics. Her love and fascination for math led her to an eventual degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Power Systems and Sustainable Energy. When family matters took a turn for the chaotic in 2021, she quit her consulting job to be a full time caretaker for her dad.
Ali now gets to tutor for Brainstrong to bring her love for math to as many kids as possible! Her tutoring style brings together humor, patience, joy, and ridiculous T-shirts
Supply Chain Manager
Neha Ramanath
Neha is a student at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She is focusing on Marketing and Supply Chain, with a minor in Data Science.
Neha is serving as Brainstrong's Supply Chain Manager to help fulfill Brainstrong's mission to help youth learn. She is very excited about the impact Brainstrong will have in the education system.
Meet Our Interns
Marketing Intern
Marketing Intern
Marketing Intern
Tiffany Lu
Tiffany studied Informatics with a concentration in human computer interaction at the University of Washington. In the future, she hopes to go into field of UX/UI design. She is passionate about Brainstrong's mission to provide an easy-to-use system for children learning to read as she values accessibility and innovation.
Design Intern
Emeritus Staff
Marketing Intern
Vivian Pan
Vivian is currently studying Marketing & Information Systems at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business. She is passionate about marketing and enjoys unleashing creativity in her work. What brought her to work with Brainstrong is her interest in her baby cousin's education. She's excited to bring a truly high quality educational support tool to the attention of more people.
Director of Product Development
Ashley Freedman
Ashley was born and raised in Redmond, WA. She currently attends Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. There she is studying as a Pre-Med student with a major in Biomedical Sciences, a concentration in Microbiology and Infectious Disease, and a minor in Business Administration. After interning with Brainstrong, Ashley joined the team as Director of Product Development. She is very excited about all the projects that are in the works and soon to be incorporated into the Brainstrong model.