The journey toward founding Young Minds began in 2011 when I first moved to New York City and started working with students as a tutor. I became increasingly fascinated by the challenges families faced in securing spots at top preschools. The competitive nature of preschool admissions, including the reliance on standardized testing for gifted and talented programs, led me to think critically about how we should be better preparing all children, regardless of background, for these cognitive challenges. With that in mind, I set out to create The Little Kid's Book of Big Ideas in 2014—a set of workbooks designed to enhance critical thinking in young children. The books focused on teaching mathematical, verbal, logical, and patterning reasoning, skills that I believe should be foundational in all early education and was just the beginning of my mission to make cognitive science and critical thinking accessible to all students. It also was the reason I set out to pursue a doctorate in a learning science.

At Teachers College, Columbia University, I delved deeper into the intersection of cognitive science and education, designing an interactive cartoon with embedded science curriculum for preschoolers. This experience reinforced my belief that the gap between research and practice in education was vast—and that schools were missing a critical opportunity to use well-established principles from cognitive science to improve learning outcomes. However it became increasingly obvious that I would need to target higher up in the education system in order to have the broadest impact.

Through years of work across both public and private school systems, I have witnessed firsthand the systemic issues facing schools today. From the inequities in homework policies to the friction caused by movements like "grit" that alienated students and families, I became really animated by the urgent need for a shift in how schools approach learning. My work has also revealed the challenges inherent in retraining students in reading after they’ve been exposed to outdated or controversial methods like whole language reading. Moreover, I saw the stark contrast between private schools, which often have more freedom to innovate and chose curriculum, and public schools, which are beholden to standardized testing in a way that can often become an obstacle rather than a form of ensuring learning is happening.

These experiences solidified my commitment to the mission: to help schools, educators, and parents understand and apply the findings from cognitive science to create more effective, equitable learning environments. I started Young Minds with a vision to close the theory-to-practice gap in education, particularly by advocating for the integration of evidence-based learning strategies into everyday teaching practices.

Beyond consulting, I am deeply committed to raising awareness about the importance of cognitive science in education. As part of a passion project, I am also using social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to reach a broader audience and share insights on child development, learning, and education. The research is out there—but it needs to be accessible to the people who can make a real difference in children’s lives. You can find me on all platforms as @DrLExplains.

With a combination of academic expertise, hands-on experience, and a drive to make education more effective and equitable, I am dedicated to reshaping how we think about and approach learning, which is what Young Minds is all about.