Andre Costa has extensive experience in e-Commerce, Online Video Marketing, video production, management and training, with a B.S. in Electronics Engineering earned at the University of Santa Ursula in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a PMP Certification in the US.
Mr. Costa has served many U.S. and International Corporations including PepsiCO, McAfee and Banco Itau. Andre is a skilled storyteller, focusing his projects on spinning a compelling tale. His skills earned him 7 Storytelling awards, and as a video Storyteller he won first place in the Texas Association of Television Officers and Advisors, First and Second prizes at the National Association of Television Officers and Advisors and a Lone Star Emmy.
Andre believes that everyone should thrive to live with passion, and Andre’s passion is education. He is a strong believer in the idea that learning should be fun, engaging and exciting; something you actually want to do, not that you have to.
Dr. Shaana Berman is an accomplished early childhood development specialist and educational consultant in the Los Angeles area. She holds a Masters degree and teaching credential in Early Childhood Special Education from California State University, and an Educational Doctorate with an Educational Psychology concentration from the University of Southern California.
Since 1998, Dr. Berman has worked in both private and public settings since to teach academic skills, reduce maladaptive behaviors, and increase functional and social skills among a variety of populations including but not limited to: students with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, cognitive delays, genetic syndromes, processing disorders, and physical disabilities.
Dr. Berman has designed and delivered graduate-level curriculum, has trained public school staff, and has conducted parent education workshops. Her philosophy is that all children can learn, given the right type of supportive instruction.
Director of Education and Research-
Roshi Khalid, Ph.D, was born in and resides in Pakistan. She is a scholar and educator. Among her degrees, include, however, are not limited to: (PhD.), Master of Philosophy in English Language and Teaching, Master of Education, M.A., MBA, B.A and B.CS.
Additionally, Dr. Roshi has certifications, including, however, not limited to: The Certificate of Honor and Mark Twain Gold Medal, Cert. of Honor and Thomas Edison Gold Coin, KSF Shield of Honor, Int'l Forum on the Current Advances in Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling and Methodological Matters.
Dr. Khalid has been presented Honorary Shield as a Guest Speaker by Fixit, Honorary Shield by Hawks Youth Vision, and by Rising Sun Institute for supporting the cause of special children.
Two, among other HEC Recognized publications include: 'A Self-Determination Theory on Effect of Teacher Autonomy Support on Students', Motivation in Public School of Pakistan; and 'Lexicon Amelioration of Feminine Learners through Short Stories: A Rural/Urban Perspective'.
Roshi is proficient in both English and Urdu.
Jessica has over 17 years of experience as an educator. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in early childhood special education. Ms. Wigley has worked in a variety of educational settings and has held several positions in education including: special education preschool teacher, autism program specialist, home/hospital teacher, tutor, college instructor, parent educator, and educational consultant. She works with children at every level from preschool through college and beyond.
Ms. Wigley developed many programs and trainings for students, parents, and teachers and participated in curriculum writing and program development at the preschool, elementary school and college level.
Ms. Wigley takes a humanistic, relationship-based approach to teaching and is an advocate for progressive educational approaches. Residing in Los Angeles, California, she currently specializes in homeschooling.
Sadaf Ahmed is a media management and marketing professional based in Seattle. Her areas of expertise include artist management, communication design, creative development and management, and social media marketing. Sadaf received her B.A in International Relations and Media Studies from Claremont Mckenna College during which time she was awarded a scholarship to participate in the prestigious Hansard Society Scholars Program in the UK.
Sadaf has consulted for companies, NGOs, and educational institutions all over the world and she joined the Odyssia Learning team in 2010 to build the companies creative and communication design.
President and CEO of EdNet Career Institute, Inc. in Woodland Hills, California, Ms. Hamilton directs education programs including English speaking, computer training, basic skills and education, programs for disadvantaged women and young adults, and security guard training.
In the area of school start-ups, Ms. Hamilton is responsible for preparing applications for more than 10 vocational schools, all of whom received permanent state approval as a result of Ms. Hamilton’s efforts.
Ms. Hamilton was appointed to serve on the Governor’s Task Force to Implement the Master Plan for Adult Education in the State of California and acted as Committee Chair to the State’s One-Stop Educational Services.
Ms. Hamilton was elected the “Most Outstanding Young Woman” in her home state of Rhode Island for her accomplishments professionally and her civic contributions. In 2006, Ms. Hamilton was honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal as one of the “Most Successful Women in Business” and has been published in many national journals, newsletters and publications.
Rod Hutchins was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, and now resides in Idaho Falls, ID. He has been involved in many leadership, education and training organizations, as well as numerous local, regional, national and International projects throughout the course of his life.
In his mid-30's, Rod contracted Guillain Barre Syndrome, a serious virus that affects the nerves and joints. This insidious virus deteriorates the Myelin Sheath, which is responsible for protecting the spine and spinal cord.
Rod Hutchins is committed to excellence in life. He is no stranger to growth through challenges and seeks out the opportunity to master all challenges through opportunity. Rod has an impressive list of accomplishments that reflect his passion for both mastery and success in education, leadership and industry.
Rod received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Corporate Training and Vocational Teacher Education and his Masters Degree in Education, and Human Resource Training Development from Idaho State University. He earned his Doctorate Degree (PhD. ABD) in Adult Education from the University of Idaho.
Rod Hutchins is a dynamic and authentic speaker. His zest for life is contagious and inevitably always ignites the fire within those he speaks with. If you've ever had a dream that you can't quite get the motivation to achieve, then you don't want to miss hearing Rod speak, because as so many people say after meeting him... "If Rod can do it, I can do it". To all those who know Rod, when he puts his mind to do something, regardless of how crazy it may sound, he is an individual of his word and that is what he teaches others do be as well.
Tamara Weinstein is a passionate educator with over 16 years experience teaching students in grades 2-6 in both the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Presently. Tamara works as an Education Specialist with the Escondido Union School District in San Diego, California.
Tamara earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Literature from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music.
Currently, Tamara is pursuing a Master’s degree in Special Education from California State University San Marcos for students with mild to moderate disabilities. In her spare time, Tamara enjoys hiking, biking, traveling and spending time at the beach.
Audra was born and raised in Connecticut where she resided for 34 years. She was crowned Miss Mattatuck, a division of the Miss America Program where she had the great privilege to make many public appearances and speak in front of large groups. This experience has afforded her the opportunity to work with numerous groups and organizations to help bring awareness and support to many causes.
She received her Bachelors’ in Business Management and was an IT Professional for over 15 years. She has been a network analyst, Helpdesk Manager, Software Instructor and worked in all aspects of the IT Arena, except for programming. To round out her discipline, she obtained a 2nd Degree Black Belt with Chuck Norris’s organization and had the distinct honor to travel to Russia and train with their military.
Audra moved out west to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2000 and was the IT Manager and responsible for supporting over 50 Engineers. In 2002 she set-out for a new venture and started her own Production Company providing DJ Entertainment, Karaoke, Event and Wedding Planning, Valet, Shuttle, Photo Booths and just about everything required for a successful event. As Co-owner of her production company, she also provided all the IT Support and Social Media.
Audra's passion has always been to help people; whether it was teaching, creating amazing memories or sharing great information. She is now focusing all of her energy on the creation of Animated Videos, Logos, Websites and Courses to help provide individuals with the latest techniques of Ad creations with animations and social media.
In 2004, Ahad graduated from the prestigious Karachi Grammar School. He attained his Honors B.Sc from the University of Toronto at the St. George campus. His undergraduate studies comprised of a major in Human Biology, a minor in Economics, and a minor in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations.
After graduating in 2008, he returned to Karachi in pursuit of his passion for teaching. Since then, he has been tutoring students for standardized admission tests and both O and A Level subjects. Soon after, Ahad started counseling students for university admissions and has helped several students maximize their potentials and gain admissions to top universities around the world.
Students tutored by him and his group have gone on to prestigious universities in UK and USA.
Ms. Ahmed is an early childhood and special education expert in Pakistan. She is an educator and a TV Producer.
Ms. Ahmed is Odyssia’s director and official correspondent of special education in Pakistan.
With over 20 years of experience in television, advertising, food, and education related services, Kausar has a range of experience in different areas: Head of TV1’s morning transmission, Creative Consultant for Geo, Senior Producer, Head of Content at Masala TV, teacher at institutions like the Karachi Grammar School, and food and prop stylist for big companies like Dalda, Pepsi, Unilever and Nestle.
Louisa Silang is a board certified behavior analyst specializing in the treatment of children, adolescents and adults with autism and related disorders. Her experience expands to teaching graduate-level courses in Applied Behavior Analysis through the University of West Florida and National University, obtaining several professional affiliations along the way.
With the School District, Ms. Silang was a member of the leadership team and studied with the UC Davis MIND Institute (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) on evidence-based practices in Autism.
In 2001, Ms. Silang earned her B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior followed by her M.A. in Education with concentration in Psychology from Pepperdine University. Soon after, she earned a second M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education with a Level II Credential from California State University.
In addition to providing program development and supervision to individuals in both school district and non-public settings, Ms. Silang has experience coordinating and administering staff training on ABA principles.
Teresa is an experienced marketer, apart from marketing she is also an experienced assistant teacher
and continues studies for her Bachelor Degree in Environmental (Resource conservation) from Kenyatta University.
Teresa has been a volunteer as an environmentalist with the organization Greenpeace in Africa, an environmental group that advocates for a clean and sustainable environment.
Teresa states the following about being a part of the Odyssia Learning Team...
"Working with Odyssia is like a dream come true. I have always dreamt of a world where education can be accessible to everyone. I see a lot of people from my continent traveling abroad to get education... With Odyssia, we are now given that opportunity here in Africa. It will be very good, and I will also be happy helping people achieve their dreams.
"It’s my passion to help people and see people progressing. One of my life goals is to see people being able to have access to basic needs, education being one of those needs.
Working with Odyssia will help me achieve one of my life goals."
Above all, Teresa is the loving and proud mother of two children.
Frida Gjermeni is a successful IT technologist and professor. She holds a BSc and Msc degree in Computer Engineering; where she was ranked in the top five students of her class from Polytechnic University of Tirana in her native country Albania.
Ms. Gjermeni also holds a PhD in Computer Science, specialization in e-learning. During the last year of her Master studies thanks to her competitive abilities she began her work as IT Specialist at the “Aleksander Moisiu” Univesity of Durres in Albania, where she is also a proffesseur at the Faculty of Information Technology.
Although the young age and few years of experience she has been able to effectively teach different subjects of Information Technology. She strongly believes that Technology and Innovation Platforms can positively improve the way people work, communicate, gain knowledge and improve lifestyle.
Leila Shauk is a voracious reader, a strong writer, a food enthusiast, and a passionate and dedicated yogi. She grew up in Santa Monica where her strong progressive and writing based education at Wildwood School truly helped shape the rest of her path.
The natural progression after Wildwood was going across country to New York to attend Sarah Lawrence College–a small liberal arts Hogwartsian haven in Bronxville known for it’s strong writing program and outstanding faculty. Junior year, she studied abroad at King’s College London with a focus on European history and comparative literature. Since being back home by the beach, she has embraced her love of both food and yoga.
Apart from reading, writing, and eating, Leila is a 200 hour YogaWorks certified yoga instructor and teaches yoga at Mount St. Mary’s College in Brentwood, CA.
Sara Rodríguez Arias is Ambassador of Iversity and Ambassador of (GEYC)-Group of the European Youth for Change. She collaborated in a project as Co-founder of one of the Teams that was featured in Gallery of Innovation at MIT. Her project: “A Sustainable Education Framework for Knowledge Societies” won the Second Prize in the International Conference on Operations and Information Technology and took part in the 29th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Sara’s areas of expertise are English Language and Literature. Having studied at ULPGC in English Philology with honors in Literature, Sara is continuing her studies adapted to the European Plans in Modern Languages at ULPGC. Sara is also trained in Design Thinking through Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford through DTAL. Apart from this, she is the Founder of The Book Park, Influencer at XZEN; and Coordinator at Medison University.
Sara’s main goal is making a change in education by designing a new learning environment for students, believing that education must be open to the public across the world. Sara has a Stanford’s Blog where her project: ‘The Sleepe Framework’ was featured among top projects.