Papaya Tutoring
Venture Overview
Papaya Tutoring is an online tutoring service helping ESL students learn STEM concepts through personalized one-on-one and group classes taught in their first language. Founder Sandra LaPlante, a Latina engineer and immigrant from Peru, earned her degree in Industrial Engineering & Management Systems from UCF before consulting for global tech firms. Motivated by the lack of diversity in STEM and her own journey as a non-traditional student, Sandra created Papaya to make STEM more accessible, affordable, and inclusive.
Website: www.papayatutor.com
Venture Issue Area: Education & Talent
Venture Headquarters: Miami, Florida
Venture Founder
Sandra LaPlante is a Latina engineer in tech, an immigrant advocating for minorities, and an idealist. She believes everyone's mission is to make a difference in their own way. Sandra immigrated to the USA in search of the American dream when she was 17 years old. She told her parents she could make it on her own in America, but not in a third-world country like Peru. In Peru, it is almost impossible to work and go to school at the same time. After many jobs, she finished her bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering & Management Systems at the University of Central Florida. Even before graduating, she got an offer from the most prominent technology firm in the world, Accenture. Her job relocated her to California, where she started consulting for tech companies all over Silicon Valley. It was then that she noticed the lack of diversity in tech - and overall STEM. So she went back to an old crazy idea while studying the most difficult subjects in Engineering School, an Uber-type of platform for students who needed help right away. The catch would be that the tutors would be from LATAM, so that it can be affordable while breaking stereotypes about minorities in STEM. The mission is to open doors to non-traditional students like her, so STEM can be more diverse - starting at the educational level.
