The Applerouth Company

Jed Applerouth

Founder and CEO

When he's not touring the country speaking to parents, teachers, and counselors about educational psychology and admissions testing, Jed is a counselor, painter, and globe-trotting photographer. In the studio, Jed works in acrylic and pastels. During his many travels he shoots landscape photography. Jed also enjoys playing the djembe with his West African drumming group.

Natalie Henderson

Chief Operating Officer

Natalie runs all daily company operations. A Woodruff Scholar at Emory University, Natalie earned her Bachelors Degree in Mathematics/Economics. After earning her J.D. from Yale Law School, Natalie went into consulting, where she led projects supporting the Departments of State and Homeland Security until she accepted her current position with Applerouth in August 2012.

Heather J. Bergnes

Director of Client Services and Operations

Heather leads both the Operations and Client Services teams at Applerouth. She earned her B.B.A. in Entrepreneurial Management from Stetson University in 1996. After 15 years in customer service at IBM and several small start-ups, Heather returned to school to earn her J.D. at Georgia State University before joining Applerouth in 2013.

Bronwyn Dowling

Senior Enrollment Specialist

As a graduate of Georgia State University, Bronwyn completed a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and post-baccalaureate studies in Pharmacy. She joined the Applerouth team as a tutor in 2008 and was quickly promoted to premium tutor status. She is currently the Senior Enrollment Specialist and helps guide families through the process of SAT/ACT test preparation.

Claire Strowd

Enrollment Specialist

Claire is a graduate of Sewanee (BA, English) and Georgetown (MA, English), and she worked in independent school admissions for 15 years before coming to Applerouth. As an Enrollment Specialist, she consults with students and families seeking assistance with academic support and test preparation and makes tutoring recommendations based on students' needs and goals.

Spencer Breidenbach

Enrollment Specialist

Spencer Breidenbach studied psychology at Emory University because of his interest in understanding learning and the mind. Spencer started at Applerouth as a tutor; as an Enrollment Specialist he loves helping answer families' questions and learning about their students to help tailor a prep plan that will be a strong fit for them.

Natalie Murphree

Enrollment Specialist

Natalie Murphree is an Enrollment Specialist with Applerouth and a licensed attorney. She completed her Bachelor's degree at Vanderbilt University and her law degree at Georgia State University College of Law. She was the 2014 Premium Tutor of the year at Applerouth, and enjoys her role assisting families with developing customized test prep plans.

Bryan Lawson

Enrollment Specialist

Bryan holds a BA in International Affairs and French from The George Washington University and a MA in French Literature from the University of Michigan. He started tutoring with Applerouth in 2012 and joined the Enrollment team in 2016. When he's not helping families navigate the test preparation process, Bryan enjoys running, boating, and traveling.

Kelli Glasgow

Enrollment Specialist

Kelli studied British Literature at the University of North Alabama. She started tutoring when she began her graduate studies in 2012 and joined Applerouth in 2017. Kelli loves consulting with families to find the best test prep and academic support plans for their students.

Sarah Abdelaziz

Client Services Specialist

Sarah is earning her Masters degree in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and has a Bachelor's in Philosophy. In addition to working on the Client Services team, she is a Premium Tutor. In her free time, she loves to cook and consume good food, read on politics and fiction, swim, and catch up on sleep!

Ben Gesch

Client Services Specialist

Michelle Ramirez

Client Services Specialist

Katie Rose

Receptionist

Katie received an MA in English Literature from NC State University in 2013; before coming to Applerouth, she taught English at Georgia Gwinnett College. Here at Applerouth, Katie manages the reception desk and works in Client Services.

Maxwell Smith

Senior Director of Business Development

Maxwell is responsible for hiring, training, and managing Applerouth's business development team. Maxwell earned a B.A. in Literature & Mathematics from Wheaton College, and worked as a restaurant manager and product developer before discovering his love of tutoring. He has spent 10 years tutoring students and building a business with student success as its highest standard.

Jill Steinberg

Director of Business Development (New York)

A graduate of Cornell University, Jill holds a Master’s degree in Education from Manhattanville College. When she isn’t pondering the differences between the SAT and the ACT, Jill hosts animals for the puppy socialization program of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. She lives in Westchester with her husband, two daughters, and their dog.

Hannah Schwendeman

Business Development Manager (Seattle)

Hannah Schwendeman received a BA from the University of Washington in Anthropology and Law, Societies & Justice in 2016. She began tutoring in social science writing and research (where she became a perpetual advocate for the semi-colon). As the Business Development Manager for Seattle, she assists schools, counselors, and clients with their test prep needs.

Diana Cohen

IEC Account Manager

Diana brings a love of learning and a commitment to effective communication to her role as Applerouth's dedicated liaison to educational consultants. As a parent and a professional with degrees from Duke and Yale, she is thrilled to be part of an innovative team working to put cutting-edge educational research into action for its students.

Amy Shaw

IEC Account Coordinator

Amy graduated in 2005 from Oglethorpe University with a Bachelor's in English before receiving her Master of Arts in Teaching from Georgia State University in 2012. An actor and musician in her spare time, Amy serves as the IEC Account Coordinator for the Atlanta and online tutoring markets.

Komel Caruso

Director of Marketing

Lauren James

Senior Marketing Coordinator

A Marketing major from Kennesaw State University, Lauren began working at Applerouth as a Marketing Intern. After graduating, she joined Applerouth's full-time team as the Marketing Coordinator and has recently been promoted to Senior Marketing Coordinator. Lauren can be found creating flyers, sending marketing emails, managing Applerouth's social media, and fulfilling any other marketing need.

John Cadenhead

Director of Tutor Services

As Director of Tutor Services, John oversees all Applerouth tutors and trains teachers throughout the world on how to teach the SAT and ACT. John triple-majored in undergrad at Emory and earned two Masters, the latest in teaching. He has taught professionally from middle school to collegiate levels. John's favorite word is "metacognition."

Bess Kaye

Tutor Manager (Emerging Markets)

Bess received a B.A. in Theatre from the College of William and Mary and began her career teaching theatre and directing plays in middle and high school classrooms. A tutor since 2010, Bess now manages Applerouth tutors across the country. She works primarily with students with learning differences and accomodations for SAT and ACT testing.

Jenna Berk

Tutor Manager (DMV)

Jenna is the Tutor Manager for DMV and IEC Account Manager. She graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, earning a BA in English and Drama. She then traveled to London and earned a degree from LAMDA, after which she returned to the DC area to be closer to her family and decent Mexican food.

Tom Burt

Tutor Manager (Atlanta)

Tom has been an educator for 15 years. He has taught AP US History and AP Economics classes to thousands of students and has tutored over 500 students for standardized tests. Tom's breadth of experience and extensive background in education allow him to connect with, motivate, and educate a broad range of students.

Marshall Findlay

Tutor Manager (Atlanta)

Education has been at the heart of Marshall's endeavors since high school. Having served as mentor and teacher's assistant at Davidson College, his alma mater, Marshall went on to teach in the People's Republic of China and Charlotte, NC. He now manages Applerouth's preferred tutors and continues to tutor high school and college students.

Andrew Spring

Assignment Manager

Andrew is responsible for finding the best tutor match for every Applerouth student. He received his degrees from Georgia State University in Studio Art and Sociology and has a professional background in management and customer services. Andrew earns commissions for his artwork and musical talent, allowing him to do what he loves the most: create.

Shara Sue Crump

Full-Time Tutor

Shara-Sue received degrees in Art Marketing and Art Education from Georgia Universities. She spent eight years teaching Special Education, Math, and Visual Art to public middle and high school students. She worked as a private tutor before joining the Applerouth team, where she enjoys working with students who have low confidence and test anxiety.

Kayla Edgett

Full-Time Tutor

Since receiving her BA in Sociology from Emory University in 2013, Kayla Edgett has helped students of all ages reach their academic potential and test score goals. She tutors SAT, ACT, SSAT, and subject areas, and assists with instructional design and tutor training. She enjoys working with students with anxiety, learning differences, and accommodations.

Matt Kiesner

Full-Time Tutor

Matt Kiesner came to Applerouth after nine years of teaching at Emory University. A lover of puzzles, Matt works on our instructional design team creating practice problems and curriculum. Matt also trains tutors in Atlanta and is one of our most requested tutors, as families appreciate his record of success and creative approach.

Grace Franklin

Tutor Hiring Manager

In addition to teaching group classes and individual students in Atlanta, Grace recruits and hires tutors throughout Applerouth’s markets. She holds degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Georgia, as well as an M.A. in British Literature from the University of Virginia. Grace enjoys getting unenthused students excited about learning.

Harry Veilleux

Inventory & Logistics Specialist

Harry grew up just outside Boston, attending Littleton High School and Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. He tutored for nearly five years before joining Applerouth in 2015. Today, he is a Premium Tutor and Logistics Coordinator, keeping things running inside the office while continuing to work with students in the outside world.

Joshua Crook

Inventory Assistant

A graduate of Florida State University, Joshua enjoys working in the music field as a professional horn player and educator. As the Inventory Assistant at Applerouth, Joshua keeps the wheels turning, making sure everyone has the materials they need for tutoring, mock testing, and group classes.

Ryan Paulsen

Director of Software Engineering

Originally from Chicago, Ryan graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Computer Science. He manages the team of software engineers that develop Applerouth's game-changing digital test prep tools and resources.

Shugo Tanaka

Web Developer

Shugo graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Computer Engineering. As part of the Software Engineering team, he develops features for our students and tutors to make their jobs easier, more efficient, and more fun.

Richard Vigneault

Director of Instructional Design

A graduate of Emory University and Emory Law School, Richard has followed a passion for communication and education throughout his career. As Director of Instructional Design, Richard leads a team of writers, teachers, and animators to create our print and digital curriculum.

Emma Vigneault

Curriculum Coordinator

An Atlanta native, Emma graduated from Davidson College with a BA in Political Science and Music. Since 2011, she has been tutoring students in the SAT and ACT, writing and editing print curriculum, creating online educational content, and lending her voice to all of our video content.

Tina Motway

Lead Artist

Our fun and enthusiastic Lead Artist and Animator earned a BFA in Animation from Savannah College of Art & Design. Tina leads the art team and is the talent behind the motion graphics in our animated instructional videos.

Azeakeal McNees

Artist / Animator

A graduate of The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur, Azekeal has refined his skills to bring characters to life through drawing and animation. He uses these skills to create art for our books and character animation for our instructional videos.

Sarah Fletcher

Math Specialist

Sarah majored in Math at Harvey Mudd College and then did a few years of graduate studies at Georgia Tech. She came to Applerouth when she realized that her passion is in teaching mathematics rather than research. She currently works both as a tutor and a writer in the Instructional Design department.