Meet the Founder

Founder

A business owner and professional tutor with over a decade of experience, Stu began his tutoring career in New York City, where he quickly became one of the most sought-after educators at several of the city’s top boutique firms. After COVID, demand for his remote tutoring grew so rapidly that he expanded his private practice full-time, relocating to the West Coast to serve more students. Along the way, he began connecting with fellow independent tutors, ultimately founding the Independent Tutor Community—a network built to support both students and tutors, rather than maximize corporate profits.

With more than 10,000 hours of one-on-one instruction, Stu draws on the apprenticeship model, the Socratic method, and John Dewey’s educational philosophy to guide his teaching. His background as a master tutor, pod instructor, substitute teacher, long-term substitute, and classroom teacher has equipped him with the flexibility to adapt to a wide range of curriculums, learning styles, and standardized tests. This breadth of experience allows him to approach problems from multiple angles and design strategies tailored to each student.

Other things to know about Stu:

• Originally from Chicago, IL

• Graduate of Stanford University (Symbolic Systems: Decision Making & Rationality, with minors in Creative Writing and Mathematics)

• Former middle school math teacher 

• Performed stand-up comedy for seven years

• Avid Arsenal fan (Premier League)

• Lives in Tacoma, WA, where he enjoys gardening with his girlfriend and playing with his two cats, Pumpkin and Space Chicken