The Executive Team
The Executive Team for Connect Me is responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the organization. Each team member leads a department and manages critical tasks, including pairing students and tutors, screening and interviewing new tutors, and organizing exciting projects, including partnerships with school districts and influencers, among others.
Hasini Anand
Claudia (Muyang) Wang
Claudia Wang is a student from Novi, Michigan, and currently serves in Connect Me’s Admissions Department. She is passionate about expanding access to educational opportunities and helping students connect with resources that support their academic growth. Within Connect Me, Claudia has worked on improving the tutor–student pairing process and strengthening admissions workflows to support organizational growth. Outside of the Admissions Department, she is the Co-President of the Novi Connect Me chapter, where she helps coordinate local outreach and tutoring initiatives. As Director of Admissions for Season 7, she hopes to continue refining systems that make tutoring more accessible while supporting Connect Me’s rapid growth.
Amy Mao
Amy is a sophomore at Novi High School in Novi, Michigan, where she co-founded and leads the Novi Connect Me Chapter. She joined Connect Me in March 2025 as a tutor and now serves as Director of Advertising, previously holding roles as a Marketer and Deputy Chair. Having tutored over a dozen students, Amy has seen firsthand the impact of the free tutoring Connect Me provides and is dedicated to expanding access to these services. Outside of Connect Me, she serves as president of several organizations, enjoys playing in orchestras, and loves to read. Amy is always looking for new ways to volunteer and support her community.
Vaibhav Bhaskar
Vaibhav Bhaskar is a senior at Steinbrenner High School in Tampa, Florida with a strong interest in finance and economic systems. He joined Connect Me in 10th grade and quickly developed a passion for building communities and helping chapters grow across the organization. Vaibhav previously served as a member of the Operations Department and as Deputy Chair of Chapter Management, where he supported chapter leaders and helped strengthen internal systems. Known for being a bit of a pepper person, he brings energy, humor, and a collaborative spirit to every team he works with. Outside of Connect Me, Vaibhav enjoys traveling, long drives, and exploring new places.
Jimena Ham
Jimena is a Junior at the American School of Tegucigalpa, located in Honduras, in Central America. She joined Connect Me in March 2025, where she started off by tutoring kids in English, Spanish, and Math. In June 2025, she became a member of the Partnerships Department and eventually became one of the deputy chairs. She has found a new sense of passion towards providing free tutoring and finding different ways to help both her community and students from other countries. She hopes to continue to work towards her goals and continue providing her help for a great cause.
Mateo Atluri
Mateo is a rising senior at Harvard-Westlake high school in Studio City California, who joined Connect Me with a passion for helping to fix inequality in society and serve a greater purpose beyond himself. Mateo joined Connect Me 2 years ago, where he started as a tutor, and eventually joined leadership. Previously the Deputy Chair of the department, Mateo currently serves as the Department Chair of Operations. Aside from his work within Connect Me, Mateo is passionate about economics, math, and computer science, and is looking to pursue those fields in college. He is a leader of his school’s Economics club, Peer Tutoring club, and Community Council.
Ashritaa Palavalli
Ashritaa Palavalli is a freshman at Mira Loma High School in the International Baccalaureate program, studying for a future in pre-med. She joined Connect Me as a tutor in November 2023 and joined the Operations Department shortly after. She has previously served as a team member in the Admissions Department and as Deputy Chair of the Chapters Department. Inspired by Connect Me’s mission, she hopes to continue to make a difference in her community with free, online tutoring. Outside of Connect Me, she is a part of multiple clubs, including Speech & Debate, HOSA, Bioengineering, and American Red Cross. Ashritaa has various leadership positions throughout these ventures and is always looking for a way to grow and make an impact in her community.
Alexander Hu
Alexander Hu is a Junior at the University of Michigan driven to leave a positive impact on education through computer science and engineering. Heavily inspired by Connect Me’s mission of providing free educational services to the students of the world, Alexander joined the Operations Department, developing software applications to scale Connect Me further. Previously the Director of Operations, Alexander currently serves as the Director of Software and manages the tutor portal, a web application that provides a platform for managing tutoring sessions in an adaptable and efficient manner. Beyond Connect Me, Alexander is a member of the University of Michigan’s MHacks team and enjoys going on a run in his free time.
Board of Directors
The Connect Me Board of Directors is a council of former senior Executive Team members who oversee and mentee the current Executive Team while guiding the organization forward. The Board of Directors is responsible for maintaining Connect Me's bylaws, managing finances and approving transactions, overseeing public relations, connecting the alumni network, and supervising the nonprofit's archives.
Mehmet Tascioglu
Mehmet Tascioglu is a student at Stanford University. He founded Connect Me to support students in maintaining their academic success after witnessing systemic educational inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he served as the nonprofit’s first President. Additionally, Mehmet serves as CMO of CrossingZ, an AI-powered job platform tool in the AI/ML space, CEO of the College Treehouse, a media network and college consulting service, and Managing Partner of Mosaic Cakes LLC, a food innovation startup. He is also a Board Member of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, chairing the Youth Committee in which he co-founded, and prior to that served as President of the Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan’s Youth Chapter. Mehmet would like to found a startup or pursue a career in healthcare consulting.
Kaustuv Mukherjee
Kaustuv Mukherjee, a student at Princeton University, became involved with Connect Me during its early stages, serving as the Internal Vice President and Chair of the Advertising Department. His other involvements include activities such as The Daily Princetonian, Princeton’s independent daily student newspaper. Kaustuv intends to pursue a career in consulting or investment management after earning a masters degree.
Camille Johnson
Camille Johnson is Senior in Electrical Engineering Technology at Purdue University. Camille originally became involved with Connect Me through a Fox 2 News story about the organization in its earlier stages. She originally served as the Director of Communications and Admissions where she led and created the Admissions Department when our organization originally faced a massive amount of growth. At Purdue University she also serves as the President of Global Engineering Ambassadors where the aim is to increase cultural competency within the engineering community, A member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Mother Chapter, and a Undergraduate researcher under the SCALE program with a focus on the implementation of Microelectronics in the curriculum of first year engineers. She has an immense passion for inspiring the youth within her community to pursue engineering. Camille intends on pursuing a career in Microelectronics/
Meghana Ramoju
Meghana is a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She joined Connect Me as a tutor in the start of the organization and eventually took on the role as the Director of Applications and the Chair of the Media Committee. Her other pursuits at school include working on the Battery Team for Illini Solar Car, UIUC’s student-run, competitive Solar Powered Vehicle team. Meghana intends to further her education by earning a masters degree in order to pursue a career in Autonomous Systems Integration or Entrepreneurship.
Ritvik Ellendula
Ritvik Ellendula is a senior at Northville High School, passionate about empowering others through the power of education as well as mentorship. He joined Connect Me Tutoring upon seeing the magnificent work the organization achieved on a local level, inspired to contribute to the organization’s mission of empowering students all across the world to chase after their dreams and help students maximize their learning potential. He previously served as the Vice President and the Secretary. Outside of Connect Me, Ritvik is a passionate runner, who races on Northville’s Cross Country and Track teams. He’s also involved in other extracurricular activities, such as Student Government and HOSA – FHP. In the future, he hopes to contribute towards inspiring others to reach their aspirations.
Hasini Anand
The Advisory Board
The Connect Me Advisory Board brings together distinguished leaders in education and technology who provide strategic guidance to strengthen our mission of accessible tutoring for all students. Our advisors lend their collective expertise, industry connections, and proven success to help Connect Me expand its impact. The Advisory Board works collaboratively with our Executive Team and Board of Directors to ensure Connect Me continues to serve students effectively.
Chris DiCosmo
Chris DiCosmo serves as the co-president of U.S. News & World Report, where he is responsible for overseeing multiple business units, including Education, Money, News, and Real Estate. As co-president he manages the company’s daily operations, and develops strategic partnerships and innovative business models and products that align with the evolving mission of the organization.
With a tenure that spans nearly 20 years at U.S. News, DiCosmo has significantly contributed to the organization’s growth trajectory. Prior to assuming his current position, he was involved in the launch of several digital start-ups and led the online advertising operations division at USA TODAY.
DiCosmo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Widener University and an MBA from American University.
Dr. Susanna Loeb
Susanna Loeb is a professor of education and director of the National Student Support Accelerator and the SCALE Initiative at Stanford University. In her prior position, she was the director of the Annenberg Institute and professor of international and public affairs and education at Brown University. Her research focuses on education policy and its role in improving educational opportunities for students. Susanna founded the Center for Education Policy (CEPA) and co-directed Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Education, SIEPR, JPAL and NBER.
TiaMarie Sanders
TiaMarie Sanders is a dedicated community advocate and passionate supporter of educational equity, with a focus on empowering underserved youth. As a parent in Novi for over 19 years, TiaMarie has been committed to fostering sustainable financial support for Foundational Black American children and all young people in need. Since 2014, she has worked with the City of Novi, the Novi Public Library, and directed the Novi Rotary Foundation’s FEED THE NEED program, tackling issues such as food insecurity and educational disparities. TiaMarie’s innovative approach and strong community ties make her a powerful voice for positive change, ensuring that educational opportunities are accessible and inclusive for all. She is driven by a deep commitment to “future-proofing” education and advancing the mission of Connect Me Virtual Tutoring.
Bob Sick
Bob is a Partner in American Infrastructure Partners (‘AIP’), having joined us (and its predecessor) in early 2015. For over 25 years, have served as a CEO, board member, and senior adviser to more than 35 middle market companies, leading them through management transitions, significant growth initiatives and other business transformations. In those roles, have worked with numerous private equity sponsors across a wide range of industries. Bob leads a number of initiatives at AIP.
Departments
Connect Me’s six departments focus on handling specific pieces of the organization’s infrastructure to ensure that Connect Me succeeds in achieving its mission of supporting the community through free tutoring and mentoring. Each department member below dedicates an exceptional amount of time and effort to fulfill their essential role in the organization.
The Admissions Department is the gateway to our organization, responsible for selecting dedicated tutors and mentees who embody our values of compassion and commitment. With a keen eye for talent, they ensure that every member of our community contributes to our mission with passion and integrity.
The Advertising Department is the voice of Connect Me, spreading awareness of our services far and wide. Through strategic campaigns and creative initiatives, this team ensures that those in need of our support know where to turn for free tutoring and mentoring opportunities.
The Chapters Department is responsible for building and maintaining Connect Me’s dozens of chapters at high schools and universities! By managing thousands of prospective volunteers, the Chapters Department ensures tutors have a local, in-person community to share their experiences with!
Visual storytelling and digital engagement are the specialties of our Media Department. From captivating graphics to compelling videos, this team brings our mission to life online, fostering connection and inspiration within our community and beyond.
Efficiency and organization are the hallmarks of our Operations Department. From managing schedules to streamlining processes, this team ensures that Connect Me runs smoothly, maximizing our impact on the community we serve.
Collaboration lies at the heart of our Partnerships Department. By forging meaningful connections with like-minded organizations and individuals, this team expands our reach and amplifies our impact, creating a network of support that strengthens our collective efforts.
Innovation, technology, and coding are the engines of the Software Department. From building, running, and debugging our portal to innovating and developing new tools that power our operations, this team works behind the scenes to ensure that Connect Me’s infrastructure is reliable and functional.
