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.

David is a Stanford graduate with more than 15 years of experience in college admissions who previously co-founded a tutoring company. Leading Upward Path’s Student Success efforts, David is a strong believer in supporting the entire family and developing a multi-dimensional student for success in college admissions.

David is a graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in Psychology. He received a M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis on school and career counseling. While pursuing his master’s degree, he worked as a counselor for two years at Sacramento State University.

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.

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.

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.

During her 20+ years as a public high school teacher, Kavita Gupta has worked tirelessly to bring access and relevance to science education nationwide alongside policymakers and educators. She has been selected to speak at national events, planned national conferences (including the STEM Forum and Expo and the National Science Teachers’ Association’s National Conference), had her works published in educational journals, and won accolades from leading higher education institutions such as Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for her outstanding teaching methods. She was named inaugural National Geographic Teacher of the Year, and was featured in the National Geographic documentary Women of Impact for her contributions to environmental literacy.

 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 supporting 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.

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.

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.

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.