About us

Prequel is the first paragraph of your TED Talk

At Prequel, we don’t just teach; we transform. We’re here to show parents and the world that when you raise the bar of what’s expected, kids will not only reach it - they’ll surpass it.

Our 10-year-olds launch businesses with dozens of customers. Our pre-teens beat Harvard MBAs in their simulations. Our teens are already in the top 1% of global income earners.



When kids surprise even themselves at what they can accomplish today, they go into their future with endless confidence that they are limitless.

Ivy Xu
CEO and founder

Founder story

Prequel was born after I saw my 15-year-old sister struggling to answer that annoying question we all get as a kid: “What do you want to do when you grow up?”

She loved art but saw the only path forward as a struggling artist. The lack of exposure to the real world and its limited possibilities left her uninspired and anxious about her future.

We live in a fast-changing world where new career opportunities are emerging daily, and traditionally safe jobs are becoming redundant. The kids who did “everything right” in school are pipelined into adults stuck with unfulfilling jobs.

Worse yet, few of believe that they have the control and abilities to build a meaningful life.

Kids are born dreamers but through childhood, their ambitions are dampened by society, schools, and adults who push them towards safe and conventional over aspiration.

Prequel exists to help kids realize agency in doing hard, scary, ambitious things - like daring to find purpose and pursue their passions.

Jane built a design agency in high school, making thousands of dollars by working with niche makeup brands. She is in her first year of college and interning in UX and Product design.

Now, I try to be the badass older sister to all the Prequel students, creating a space where kids doing extraordinary things is the norm and the unimaginable becomes routine.

Our Team

Katarina Smith
Program Director

Raising teen’s ambitions and outcomes to new peaks while I hike to my own.

Salman Sohani
Program Director

You might think I run a kitchen with the way I help smart teens cook.

JP Guerra
Program Director

A new age polymath: professional athlete, gamer, social media influencer, and educator.

Donnie Yee
Head of Operations

Operations leader by day, noodle connoisseur, and squat champion by night.

Amin Bashi
Head of Product

Listening sometimes and shipping products most of the time

Maria Edison
Chief of Staff Intern

A human Rubik's Cube, solving problems with a twist

Zaki Hirji
Social Media & Content

Creator, photographer, and occasional skydiver - when I’m not diving into social analytics, I’m flying high making content.

Roberta Lindal
Teen Admissions

Getting the smartest kids in the world into Prequel's teens programs…and trying to get a good night sleep with a 1-year-old.

Hasina Daya
Admissions Coordinator

Development, Diplomacy and Diversity

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