Meet The Team
The Inspire EDU team is a dynamic collective of dedicated professionals committed to transforming education through innovation and inclusivity. With diverse expertise spanning education, technology, and creative disciplines, our team is united by a shared passion for empowering learners.
Founder & President
Mike Packer
Mike Packer, a distinguished figure in higher education and music instruction with a career spanning over 28 years, is a dedicated and inventive leader known for his passion for education and innovation. Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts in Percussion Performance and a Master’s in Education, Leadership, and Policy.
Apart from his administrative roles, he is an accomplished drummer, having collaborated with renowned acts and appeared on various television shows. With three decades of teaching experience, he has shared his expertise globally and authored influential publications. Mike's impact on education and music, coupled with his inventive contributions to drumming pedagogy reflects a lifelong commitment to excellence and creativity.
Partner & Chief Business Officer
Jack Friedman
Jack Friedman is an experienced entrepreneur in the education space, with deep passion to serve low-income and first-generation students.
Jack is the founder of Study Smart Tutors, a Los Angeles based education company providing tutoring, college access programming, and career readiness to students nationwide.
In addition to his work at Study Smart Tutors, Jack is also a co-founder of Educational Gaming Services and Advanced Employment Group. He serves as the Board Chair of the Tzedek America, as well as the boards of the Youth Business Alliance, GEAR UP Alumni Association, and the ACT’s CA Council.
Associate Director of Partnership Development
Ayo Strange
Ayo Strange holds a B.S. in Biology from Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN) and initially embarked on a career in pharmaceutical sales. A recruiter’s outreach led her to transition into the Education sector, where she has spent the majority of her professional journey focusing on Graduate and International student recruitment, as well as overseeing university general education and major-specific assessments. This experience has fueled her deep passion for contributing valuable resources to educational institutions and students.
During her tenure at the EdTech company Hobsons, Ayo pursued and earned her M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH and began her leadership career. Ayo joined Study Smart Tutors in 2023 to lead the Partnerships team.
Sr. Director of Partnerships
Laura Orozco
Laura Orozco joins Study Smart Tutors after working for a nonprofit organization. Prior to that, she provided behavioral services for children and adults with an autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. There, her work focused on child and adolescent behavior intervention. Following her time there, she had the opportunity to work for an organization that focused on increasing graduation rates for at-risk students by surrounding them with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. There she coordinated school wide events, case manage students and focus on the needs of underrepresented students.
Laura graduated from California Lutheran University’s Math Science Upward Bound program and first heard about Study Smart Tutors when she was working for the program as a college student. She is passionate about SST’s mission and hopes to make an impact in her community.
Associate Director of Educational Technology
Kristian Markus
Kristian joins Study Smart Tutors with nearly a decade of experience teaching high school English and elective courses in financial literacy and front-end web development. Kristian also brings a passion for educational technology and curricular development, having created online courses for the Youth Business Association, the Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, and Animo Code Academy. Kristian’s core educational beliefs include helping empower students through culturally relevant curricula and developing content that teaches the skills and tools needed for the jobs of the 21 st century.
Kristian earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine and his Master of Science in Educational Technology from Cal State University, Fullerton.
Product Manager
Fabiola Tucux
Fabiola is a daughter of immigrants and the first in her family to go to college. She graduated with a B.S. in Political Science from UCLA and a Master’s of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. During her graduate career, she focused on supports for under-served students including the Central American migrant student population and Black males in education. Prior to her graduate career, she was involved in college access for four years including GEAR UP at Penn and Alliance GEAR UP. She was also involved with CCSA, where her work in advocacy and community organizing inspired a passion for educational justice.