Meet OUR TEAM
The Yellow Parachute Team features experts in their fields.
Our team of Yellow Parachute and Quantum Jump Coaches works with students, parents, educators, and business leaders to build success. Join us!
Discover what YOUR great mind can do.
Cara Thorpe
Founder + Performance Coach
Cara Thorpe
cara@yellowparachute.com
After graduating from Grinnell College with a major in German and a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies. Cara attended the University of Minnesota, where she completed her Master’s degree in Elementary Education. She taught at Creek Valley Elementary School in Edina at the first, third, and fifth grades, for a total of seven years. Cara saw after-school tutoring as a way to create meaningful student growth and formed a small team of teachers to make a greater impact.
Cara continues to seek the most practical business applications for a company that values people over process and has grown to a team of over 50 individuals. She is a member of the global organization “Entrepreneur’s Organization” and has recently completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program.
Jenny McKeand
Student Connector
Jenny McKeand
After graduating from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Jenny followed her passion for working with children and young adults, as well as her lifelong love of literature, and received her secondary teaching license in Communication Arts and Literature and her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of St. Thomas. Meanwhile, Jenny worked at a local high school in their Support Services program, working intensively with students who have learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, and other learning obstacles.
Jenny loves being a Yellow Parachute Learning Coach and helping students to be organized, thoughtful, and successful learners. She finds nothing more rewarding than guiding students towards “a-ha” moments—moments when they finally understand a difficult problem or topic. Jenny works with students on organization/study skills (her true passion–she loves teaching students how to learn, not just what learn!), English, and ACT prep in the Southwest Metro.
Jenny is not only a certified Learning Coach, but also Yellow Parachute’s Student Connector. After many years of tutoring, she is thrilled to be working more closely with all Yellow Parachute families and helping their students obtain the personalized learning that she enjoys giving her own tutoring families.
Jenny is happiest when spending time with her husband and four children, cooking, traveling, reading, and cheering for her kids on various sport sidelines.
Dr. Carli Kody
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
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I earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2008 and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Minnesota in 2002. My doctoral training included an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited predoctoral internship at the University of Southern California and a postdoctoral fellowship at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. In 1999, I completed bachelor’s degrees in Psychology, Women’s Studies, and German at St. Olaf College. |
Yael Dror
EFSkills Coach + ADHD Screener
Yael is a 4th-year graduate student getting her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
In addition to being a full-time student, she works as a dog walker and sitter in the Chicago area.
In her free time, she enjoys going on walks or bike rides along the lake and having movie nights with her friends.
Yael was drawn to being an academic coach at Yellow Parachute because of her background in clinical psychology of wanting to help individuals work toward becoming their best selves.
She uses a strengths-based approach that takes into consideration an individual’s holistic qualities in order to best fit their needs.
Yael is passionate about tailoring tools and skills that are efficient and beneficial for the individual as she doesn’t believe “one-size-fits-all.”
Kirsten Anderson
Learning Coach
Kirsten Anderson
Specializes in Orton-Gillingham, reading, and writing.
Kirsten graduated from St. Olaf College in 1997 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. She has taught k -4 music and worked in the Special Education as a paraprofessional 1:1 with Early Childhood students with autism and DCD. Kirsten then went onto earn licensure in K-6 Elementary Education with an added specialty of Middle School Language Arts, in addition to a Master of Education from the University of Minnesota. In recent years, Kirsten has become certified in Orton-Gillingham instruction for reading through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education and has been specializing in teaching students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities how to read.
Kirsten believes that her wide variety of experience in education makes her a very versatile educator and private tutor, and she forever will be dedicated to teaching! In her free time, Kirsten enjoys singing, yoga and Pilates, being outdoors, reading voraciously, and spending time with her husband and two sons.
Susan Bloom
Learning Coach
Susan Bloom
Specializes in SAT/ACT test prep.
Having survived several advanced degree programs and academic posts in a variety of institutional settings, Susan has found her happy place tutoring for Yellow Parachute. Her uncompromising passion is to meet each student where they are and advocate for them with every skill, tool, and trick that she has in her bag. Each time is new for Susan, and she loves the challenge of discovering the student’s “open sesame” to learning and confidence. Accordingly, it’s difficult for her to declare a true “student niche,” but Susan resonates with anxious testers, appreciates the hard-driving student, and strives to find the right combo of cheer and challenge for each person. Along the way, Susan tries to make the experience as painless as possible and hopefully more than a little bit of fun. At the end, they’ve learned a little, and she has learned a lot. “Best. Job. Ever.” says Susan Bloom, M.A., Ph.D. (Susan lives in the Minnetonka school district, tutors throughout the West Metro, and loves coffee, dogs, Pink Floyd, books, and sports.)
Gabriela Grosshans
Learning Coach
Gabriela Grosshans
Specializes in math (all levels), Spanish, organization/study skills, UMTYMP, and gifted and talented.
Gabriela is a Learning Coach. In addition to ACT math and science, she tutors the following subjects: math for grades 6-12 (including AP Calculus AB and BC, IB Math and the Math 1 and Math 2 SAT Subject Tests) as well as through all levels of math in higher education. She also tutors Spanish through AP/IB levels.
Gabriela loves to teach math. Her passion is teaching math in a way that makes sense. Gabriela teaches students to problem solve instead of just memorizing steps. She loves seeing students’ eyes brighten after understanding a new math concept.
In addition to helping students with all levels of math from arithmetic to calculus, Gabriela is a top-notch Spanish tutor. Gabriela continues to use her Spanish in her travels, especially in Guatemala and Spain, where she has pursued many different types of charity and educational work.
With respect to her ACT tutoring, Gabriela is passionate about helping students realize how quickly and effectively they can raise their scores. One inspiration behind Gabriela’s tutoring was a theoretical neuroscience course that she took while pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota.
In her free time, Gabriela enjoys skiing in the winter and hiking during the summer. Of course, above all, Gabriela enjoys learning new things!
Tim Hereid
Learning Coach
Tim Hereid
Specializes in comprehensive ACT writing, organizational and study skills.
Tim Hereid, MAT is a licensed teacher and provides outstanding tutoring in ACT, SAT, PSAT, college essay, writing and study skills to hundreds of students since 2009. He has taught in Maine, New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota. He’s a daily writer, and the author of The ACT Accelerated as well as numerous short stories. He is the proud father two wonderful and energetic boys, a kayaking enthusiast, and a passionate reader.
Subjects: ACT, SAT, AP, PSAT, College Essay, Language Arts, Math through Algebra II.
Lindsey Mitchell
Learning Coach
Lindsey Mitchell
Specializes in writing, presenting, reading comprehension, poetry, and research.
Hello! My name is Lindsey, and I am ecstatic to be tutoring with Yellow Parachute! I grew up in Chaska and have my education license in 5-12 English in Minnesota. I graduated from Colorado Christian University in 2019 and have worked in various school and tutoring settings since then. Currently I work as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Waconia Middle School. In my free time I love seeing my family often, spending time outdoors, reading, music, ballet, and being involved with my church. I hope to meet with students and families who need a compassionate, down-to-earth help in making stories come alive and valuing the skill of great communication. I would be happy to help with any needs related to writing, presenting, reading comprehension, poetry, or research. I am willing to meet at any public library or in the occasional coffee shop or restaurant. I look forward to meeting you!
Kevin Smith
Learning Coach
Kevin Smith
Specializes in math (up to pre-calc), science (physics and chemistry), ACT test prep, study skills, organization and overall academic support.
Kevin has been tutoring ACT, math, and study-skills to students since December of 2012 and has more than ten years of experience in the classroom working with a variety of students. Kevin grew up in Edina, attended St. Thomas Academy for his prep education, then sailed through the U of Minnesota’s Honors program with a degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Art History. He has a casual style which helps students come alongside him in their personal learning process.
Reid Thorpe
Learning Coach
Reid Thorpe
Reid Thorpe was born and raised in the rural Wisconsin town of Platteville and grew up spending countless hours hiking, canoeing, and enjoying the outdoors of his home state. He now lives and works in Chaska, Minnesota. Reid attended Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he received his B.F.A. in Studio Art. He went on to receive his Art Education degree from The University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Reid has taught a variety of subjects including Jewelry and Video Production in the classroom. His expertise lies in the two-dimensional realm of drawing and painting. Reid’s current work focuses on the land of the Upper Midwest; trees, architecture, and wide-open spaces, and the way each interacts with color in nature, inspire him.
Anna Myrand
Learning Coach
Anna Myrand
Anna is incredibly passionate about teaching English Language Arts and special education to students with a variety of abilities and learning needs. She earned her teaching degrees at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State University Mankato, and she holds licenses in 5-12 English Language Arts and K-12 Learning Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Emotional Behavioral Disorders, and Developmental Disabilities. Over the course of her work in both public and private schools, she has taught students at a wide array of levels, from early literacy to honors classes. She has also taught college admission essay writing and English in Belize.
Most recently, Anna designed and facilitated the high school ELA curriculum for a school specializing in serving students with ASD and related learning needs. Although she loves being a classroom teacher, she cherishes the opportunity to work one-on-one with students and has tutored elementary through high school. She considers it a privilege to be part of students’ growing journeys and be able to give deeply individualized support while building unique, meaningful connections with each learner. When not teaching, Anna enjoys writing, reading, and spending time with the two loves of her life: her husband and rescue dog, Robo.
Bob Plantenberg
Learning Coach
Bob Plantenberg
Bob Plantenberg is proud to be raising his dog and two cats alongside his wife at their home in Golden Valley. He currently works as a Government Grant Writer for Goodwill-Easter Seals of Minnesota but has a wide array of professional and educational experience. He has an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa and has worked in the classroom with kids who have intellectual disabilities, tutored college-bound ESL students, and taught undergraduate writing workshops and literature courses. Professionally, he has worked in the nonprofit sector as a manager and supervisor among many other roles. He believes that critical thinking and organizational skills are the foundation of all learning, and that every student can succeed if they have the support they need. Seeing people succeed is his passion. When he is not working, he can be found writing, riding his bicycle, camping, or spending time with family and friends.
He is available to coach students in the West Metro and Minneapolis. He can coach virtually anywhere Yellow Parachute’s services are offered.
Join Our Team!
Yellow Parachute is growing and looking to add talented, passionate individuals to our team of experts. If your goal is to make a difference and help people reach their full potential, we would love to hear from you! Learn more about Cara Thorpe’s Coaching Experience here.
