Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Green.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a first-generation, Black woman from a city on the East Coast, I remember vividly how burdensome it was to start my college and financial aid applications. What I truly needed was for someone to guide me step-by-step through the application process, as no one in my family had prior experience. That sparked a journey that would put me in front of college access work for over a decade. When COVID started, I found myself leading workshops for students and I realized that despite all of the information out there, students needed step-by-step guidance by someone who looked like them and anticipated their needs. My graduate work from Howard University equipped me to become a licensed therapist, and one thing that makes our program different is that it doesn’t just throw college information towards the students as if they are a robot. I help them navigate their emotions, their hopes, and their fears because for many of them, taking this leap of going to college will be the first within their bloodline.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think the biggest challenge for me was being a founder in the edtech space. I was not equipped. I knew many entrepreneurs but not many founders. So not only was my knowledge limited, but my social network was as well. However, I got connected with Camelback Ventures, an organization that funds founders who are #ruthlessforgood. Founders who want to change their communities and ultimately the world. I’m currently in that program now and honestly, without it, I may have been a failed founder. My passion could only get me so far. I needed expertise. I needed the cheat code on how to run something that could be a social impact organization. Thankfully, I feel more confident, empowered, and proud as a CEO and Founder that is equipped to see this vision as a future reality.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Uprooted Academy reimagines college guidance through our tech platform that gives students access to high-quality college application guidance. The on-demand, go at your own pace course that students can access through our app or on a laptop gives students 20+ hours of video content that takes them through building your list, writing an essay, requesting letters of recommendations, and more. Students also learn about mindfulness through the process so they can navigate all the emotions that come with this process such as joy, disappointment, and even guilt for “making it out.” Students also receive a 90-page workbook that coincides with each lesson. As a licensed therapist, I know if we can get students to confidently navigate this risk, they will feel more confident applying to those tough jobs, interviews, and even study abroad!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
When COVID hit, the education industry was forced to change. When you look at the data within college access, college application numbers plummeted during COVID. We realized that having support solely in a school is not sustainable. Even before COVID, students, especially future first-generation students, really struggled with access to high-quality college guidance. School counselors have a ratio of 456 to 1, and most of the resources online are loaded with checklists of what students have to do. But what about students like me, who will be first-generation college students and didn’t have someone to fill in the gaps around HOW to do the checklist items. Right now, the growing gap between the haves and have nots are showing up greatly in the college access space. On average, those with income privilege spend $5000 on a private school counselor. That is not sustainable for a low-income family whose income is around 25,000 with a family of four. So Uprooted Academy’s approach thinks behind privilege. The privilege of time, money, and social networks.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.uprootedacademy.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/theuprootedacademy
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/uprootedacademy
