Alice Lieu

Co-Founder

Alice holds a B.A. in English from Yale University. She began tutoring in high school and continued at Yale, where she volunteered in teaching programs for middle and high school students and even designed a class introducing students to war literature. Since then, Alice has mentored high schoolers through a nation-wide college admissions counseling program and tutored K–12 students in various subjects at a local tutoring company. With her professional experience as a tech startup content marketer, bilingual mental health counselor, and yoga/meditation teacher, Alice brings clarity, balance, and compassion to her work with students. She co-founded Joyful Mind Tutors with Niko to take a holistic approach to education—helping students overcome obstacles, manage stress, and build healthier relationships with learning in true partnership with their families.

Niko Eng

Co-Founder

Niko earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from UCSF. He has extensive teaching experience as a student leader in peer-led learning program and as a teaching assistant for a core biomedical engineering course. Over time, he discovered that what students often needed most—beyond mastering the material—was encouragement to trust their own ability to learn. Since then, Niko has tutored high school students across math and science, while working as a computational scientist at a biotech startup. Now a meditation and yoga teacher, he founded Joyful Mind Tutors with Alice to combine his love for learning and mentorship with a holistic, supportive approach to education that helps students thrive both academically and personally.

Caleb Kim

Director of Test Prep

Caleb earned his B.S. in Psychology from Yale University, where he researched psycholinguistics and mentored students through cultural and educational programs. He now leads our SAT/ACT program, drawing on years of professional experience tutoring students and developing test prep curricula. In addition to one-on-one tutoring, Caleb has designed workshops that have reached thousands of students nationwide and worked closely with families to guide them through the challenges of test preparation and the college admissions process. He specializes in reducing test anxiety and helping students build both skills and self-belief, creating a supportive environment where they can approach even the most stressful academic milestones with confidence.

Arthur Tran

Senior Tutor, STEM Specialist

Arthur earned a B.A. in Chemical Biology from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from UCSF. He has over a decade of experience teaching and tutoring students of all ages—from volunteering in a literacy program for K–6 students, to mentoring high schoolers in research settings, to leading graduate-level chemistry courses. With this wide range of experience, Arthur specializes in helping students build both confidence and mastery, adapting his approach to meet each learner’s needs. He creates a supportive, judgment-free environment where students can discover their strengths and develop lasting skills for success.

Mike Mudgett

Senior Tutor, STEM Specialist

Mike holds a B.S. in Biomedical & Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from UC San Diego. He is currently a scientist at a biotech company and continues to pursue his passion for education through tutoring. With years of experience teaching students of all ages and backgrounds—from middle school geometry to college-level thermodynamics—Mike uses down-to-earth examples and analogies to connect complex ideas to the bigger picture. His supportive approach helps students build clarity, confidence, and lasting problem-solving skills.

Paul Simon Castro

Senior Tutor, STEM & Humanities Specialist

Paul earned degrees in Applied Mathematics and Data Science from UC Berkeley. He has tutored students from elementary school through college, including work with Data 8—Berkeley’s largest course introducing programming, statistics, and data analysis—and the Data Scholars program, which supports underrepresented students in STEM. Paul has also taught high school students one-on-one at Tilden Prep and supported community college students from diverse, nontraditional backgrounds. He helps learners build confidence in both STEM and humanities, developing long-term skills in a calm, supportive environment.

Ian Jones

Senior Tutor, STEM Specialist

Ian earned a B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics from UC San Francisco. Over the past decade, he has tutored students across math and science and mentored high school and undergraduate researchers in the lab. He has also taught courses on sleep science, biostatistics, and computer programming, consistently breaking down complex material into clear, approachable lessons. With this breadth of experience, Ian helps students build both academic mastery and lasting confidence in their ability to learn

Quinn Edmondson

Senior Tutor, STEM Specialist

Quinn earned a B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from UC Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in Chemistry & Chemical Biology from UCSF. He has taught students of all ages: from elementary school to graduate level organic chemistry and loves making science engaging, approachable, and confidence-building. Quinn creates a supportive space where students feel encouraged to ask questions, tackle challenges, and discover the fun in learning.