About Us

Vinnie Gupta co-founded Upward Path (aka UCEazy) in 2015 after thirty years in the business world. He believes that our K-12 system is not designed to develop well rounded students that will become leaders and influencers in today’s complex world. He is passionate about helping students connect their career readiness to their high school and college journeys.

Vinnie is an in demand speaker and has been published in national media. He attended top-ranked Indian universities, including the Indian Institute of Management where he received his MBA and BITS Pilani where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He and his wife, a high school teacher for over 25 years, live in Silicon Valley.

As an Assistant Director of Admission at CMU, Chris received extensive training in majors ranging from computer science, math and engineering. With 16+ years at the university level and elite private high schools, he has a keen eye for how students can differentiate themselves while applying to the most selective majors.

Dr. Soler has over 20 years of experience in college counseling, student development, teaching, program management, and curriculum design in K – 12 private schools, public schools and after school settings. Dr. Soler’s Doctoral Degree from the University of San Francisco focuses education and college admissions counseling, and her Masters in Psychology with a focus on child development. Dr. Soler has advised thousands of students on both the East and West coast helping them pursue their life goals. She believes that each student has a path towards higher education, and with the right tools, skills and guidance, all students can be successful in college and their careers. As a former College Counselor and Program Director, she worked with students and their parents to help them navigate the complex college preparation and application process, making the experience more targeted, less stressful, and their dreams accessible. Annie loves spending time with her husband and young children, exploring the world, cooking together and taking tons of family photos.

Vaitheesh (VK) Kolady, a 25-year veteran in the technology industry, is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Upward Path Institute. After helping navigate his own children through high school and into prestigious universities, he left his successful career in Silicon Valley as a software development executive to help others by developing high-quality college admissions solutions.

After helping navigate his own children through high school and into prestigious universities, VK left his successful career in Silicon Valley as a software development executive to help others by developing high-quality college admissions solutions.

VK was born in India. He earned his BS in Physics at Madurai Kamaraj University and his Master’s in Computer Science at Bharathiyar University. He currently lives in Cupertino with his wife and two sons who are all very active in philanthropy. One of his sons will be attending Purdue University to study engineering.

Brian has reviewed 60,000+ college applications including BS/MD programs as the Assistant Director of Admissions at Boston University. Brian currently is the Director of College Counseling for an elite private high school near Boston. His background makes him a top expert in guiding students to BS/MD and Pre-med programs.

Jocbethem Tahapary has served as counselor, educator, and administrator for K-12 and higher education setting for over 25 years. He has served as an external reader of admission applications for the prestigious University of California, San Diego. Mr. T, as he is known by his students and families, received his B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of San Diego and is currently working on completing his Doctoral degree.

He is passionate about supporting the dreams of college-bound high school students. He lives in beautiful San Diego with his wife and their Yorkie Terrier, Pax.

Dennis Yan has served as Assistant or Associate Director of Admissions for 5 universities over the past 10 years. He has reviewed for engineering and computer science at schools like Purdue and UC Berkeley. As well as having reviewed for social sciences, nursing, and various art majors at private liberal art universities both in and outside of California. Dennis holds both a BA and BS from Purdue University as well as a MBA from University of Southern California. He has been working with 1,000 of UCEazy families for the past six years.

He is passionate about supporting the dreams of college-bound high school students and making families understand how to identify the right college for their kids. He lives in Southern California and coaches his son’s flag football team on Sunday’s.

Rachel Mansolillo has served as a trusted career educator for over 10 years working with high school and college students as well as veterans and military spouses. She has helped countless students and individuals in career exploration and transitions. Her areas of expertise include career and major exploration, internship and job search, resume writing and building partnerships. She received her BS at Mitchell College and MS in Higher Education Administration at New England College.

She is passionate about helping students discover their interests, skills and identifying their major and career path that leads to a fulfilling future. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, two daughters and golden retriever, Willow.

Originally from the Bay Area, Sudeshna grew up being passionate about reimagining where technology meets employability and turns into careers.  Sudeshna has 18 years of experience in career development, early career recruitment at various Bay Area technology companies, and has worked in director level roles at over five colleges on the East and West coast. Sudeshna is passionate about advising students on finding their passion and helping them succeed in their future careers.  Sudeshna has her Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration from Syracuse University. Sudeshna loves to travel around the world and is excited to make new memories traveling with the newest addition to the family; baby Rocky.

 Kristy M. Tancredi has served as an administrative assistant for over 15 years for several different educational institutions. Her specialty area is in organizational development and people/process creation. Her career started at Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Dean’s Office in assisting the Associate Deans, Associate Research Dean, and Graduate Dean. Kristy has a B.A in Interdisciplinary of Arts and Humanities from Florida Atlantic University.

Kristy is passionate about helping support high school students find the best fit for their future careers and having a lasting impact with our families. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Elizabeth Hua has served as a counselor, consultant, psychotherapist in both academic and healthcare settings. In addition to having served as an admissions interviewer for the competitive San Diego State University, she is also a former director and founding member of a mental health organization. She received her B.S. in Community and Regional Development at the University of California Davis and M.S. in Multicultural Clinical Counseling at San Diego State University.

She is passionate about developing curriculum and resources that are centered upon student growth and leadership development. In her spare time, she enjoys learning new languages and traveling with loved ones.

Abigail Capers is a dedicated educator with ten years of experience working with students from various cultures and backgrounds. She has extensive skills in Academic Advising, College Admissions, Program Planning, Career Assessment, and Workshop Development. She has helped hundreds of students excel in high school and prepare them for success in college and beyond.  Abigail is passionate about higher education and elevating students’ experience towards academic and social success. She believes it is important to lead by example and maintain an optimistic attitude to accomplish goals that enhance student achievement and growth.  Abigail earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Brooklyn College and a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Hunter College.  She currently lives in Queens, New York and enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and reading books.

Francesca has over 6 years of experience in commercial marketing. She is passionate about story-first marketing and its power to provide solutions to people worldwide. She received a B.A. from the University of Southern California. Francesca lives in Los Angeles where she enjoys time with her family and friends, walking her dog, and practicing Chinese martial arts.

Christina worked in IT for 20+ years and has extensive experience in technology based businesses in the Bay Area. Christina enjoys working with families assisting them with the college enrollment process.

Angie has been a marketing professional for twenty years including roles at Sony and Microsoft. She is passionate about helping students not only find their best college fit, but their best career path, college major and college counselor. Angie received her BA in English Literature from Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA and received most of her English credits from University of Oxford in Oxford, England. She is an avid reader of historical non-fiction and enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and two dogs, Fitz and Bash.

Andy Williams (Student Enrollment Advisor) has been working with and developing young adults in retail and educational settings for over 15 years. Andy has always been extremely invested in helping young people find the right balance of work, life and education, emphasizing the fact that there is no one right answer for everyone. After high school, Andy continued on with his passion for sports, playing football at Moorpark College before studying film at Columbia College in Hollywood. He now lives in Southern California with his wife and twin daughters, Lennon and Murphy, where he counts the days until they can appreciate old movies.

Hari has many years  extensive experience in website and software development and stays up to date on the latest technology and trends. He has worked with numerous brands to develop websites that create a joyous user experience. Hari’s goal is for Upward Path families to discover everything they need online and make it easy to find.