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The Faces Behind Excelas

Combining decades of leadership in schools with world-class engineering to support the next generation.

Our Founding Heritage

Excelas was born in 2023 from a unique intersection of classroom experience and technical innovation. Our mission began when a dedicated teacher, a veteran school leader, and a tech industry expert recognised a critical gap in educational support.

What started as a collaborative vision has evolved into a mission-driven organisation supported by the Bethnal Green Ventures and the UCL Hatchery programme. Today, we combine deep educational insight with world-class engineering to give teachers back their most precious resource: time.

We are a team united by a singular focus: empowering educators to inspire the next generation.

John

Founder & CEO - Teacher & Engineer

As a Russell Group-educated electronics engineer and passionate Science Teacher at one of the UK's top state schools, John brings a unique perspective to educational technology. His firsthand experience in the classroom revealed a critical issue: talented teachers spending countless hours on administrative tasks instead of doing what they love—teaching.

Having studied at the #1 education university in the UK, John combines pedagogical expertise with technical innovation. His vision for Excelas was born from watching colleagues struggle with overwhelming workloads and seeing talented educators leave the profession due to burnout.

"When I saw how much time my fellow teachers were spending on marking rather than creating inspiring lessons, I knew there had to be a better way."

Bryan

Co-Founder

When his son John approached him with a vision to transform education through technology, Bryan's decades of experience in the tech industry made him the perfect partner. As a technology veteran, Bryan brings invaluable expertise and business acumen to the Excelas family mission.

Bryan's technical knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit have been crucial in turning Excelas from a concept into reality. His guidance helps ensure that our solutions are not just technically sound but also practical and impactful for real-world educational settings.

"Working alongside my son to create something that helps teachers and ultimately benefits students has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career."

Phoebe

Co-Founder - Marketing

Having navigated the structured corporate world of Samsung and the high-speed environment of scale-ups, Phoebe realised that the most impactful products are those built on a deep understanding of human behaviour. This conviction led her to pursue her Master's at London's #1 university—LSE.

She combines this commercial expertise with an academic focus on education. Her recent success includes having a co-authored paper accepted by the prestigious World Conference on Teaching and Education. This academic rigour is paired with a drive for innovation; she previously tackled accessibility challenges by conceptualising "Engag-Ed," a tool designed to support neurodiverse learners, during a competitive Microsoft Hackathon.

"My focus is translating complex behavioural insights into accessible technology that champions both educators and the neurodiverse community."

Silvanna

Educational Advisor

As a head teacher with years of experience leading educational institutions, Silvanna provides crucial insights into the challenges faced by school administrators and teachers alike. Her perspective ensures that Excelas solutions address the real needs of educational communities.

Silvanna's deep understanding of educational leadership and school operations helps guide our development priorities. Her focus on both teacher wellbeing and student outcomes keeps us aligned with what truly matters in education.

"I've seen firsthand how administrative burdens take teachers away from their true calling. Creating solutions that give them that time back is essential for the future of education."

Andrew

Chief Technology Officer

With over 30 years of software experience and a successful background as a telecom start-up founder, Andrew brings deep technical expertise to Excelas. His passion for both technology and education makes him the perfect leader for our technical innovations.

Andrew's extensive experience in product design and mentoring shapes our development approach. His commitment to creating intuitive, user-friendly solutions ensures that our technology is accessible to educators regardless of their technical background.

"I believe technology should serve people, not the other way around. In education, that means creating tools that feel natural and helpful rather than adding another layer of complexity to teachers' already busy lives."

Our Journey Supported By

"Thank you UCL Hatchery for providing the foundation and support to help our vision grow."

"AWS Start-ups, your generous credits have been instrumental in scaling our platform securely."

Join Our Mission

Want to learn more about the people behind Excelas and how we're working to transform education? Get in touch to schedule a conversation with our team.

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