Vision and Mission
Learning Yogi’s vision is a world in which each child gets access to a high-quality education that will enable them to thrive in the 21st century by making full use of their in-born talents, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.
We believe that the purpose of education in the 21st century is not just to learn, but to learn how to learn. As critical as core skills in English, Math and Science are, it is not enough for children to only be familiar with them. They also need to acquire non-curricular skills like critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and systems thinking.
Our mission is to use our Atlas Mission game to help kids all over the world – from children growing up in fairly well-off families in developed countries to underprivileged kids living in conditions of abject poverty in developing countries – teach themselves these critical curricular and non-curricular skills, and to do so by completely bypassing the current education system that has served so many of them so poorly for so long.
Meet the Yogis
Our team is 20+ strong (and growing rapidly). Here are a few examples of the amazing team members you are going to be working with:
Abhiraman Suresh, Game Designer
Abhi is a passionate individual who developed a deep interest in games and art at a young age. Now at Learning Yogi, Abhi is committed to designing experiences that will educate and empower the next generation of children through gaming. He is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of children and helping them learn in a fun and engaging way.
Kearan Petersen, Senior Game Developer
Despite a challenging upbringing, Kearan has found himself in the game development sphere with a wealth of experience ready to bolster the efforts of Learning Yogi. He hopes the drive, passion and technological innovation he brings to the organisation will improve the educational upbringing of children and all future generations to come.
Marina Villanova, Digital Experience Researcher
At Learning Yogi, Marina took the company’s name to heart, and kept on learning until she could combine her multiple passions – gaming, art, research, AI, and education – in order to create a lasting impact in the world. She now helps the team remain at the forefront of the impact of technology on design, while still being the same curious and chaotic gamer as ever.
Dr. Mallika Sen, Curriculum Director
Mallika studied neuroscience and childhood cognitive development at Oxford and the University of Bristol, UK and brings with her years of experience in behavioural psychology and curriculum development. Working with Learning Yogi gives her the opportunity to combine her research interests with her passion to transform the education system.
Robert Kane, Game Designer
Robert joined Learning Yogi after spending years illustrating numerous games and children’s books. Learning Yogi has given him the chance to fuel his passion towards games, art and design while also serving a meaningful cause.
Rubia Braun, Co-Founder and Creative Director
A creative savant, Rubia has worked in film, TV, web, music and print in four continents. She holds dual degrees in children’s development and in media studies, started her own creative venture at the age of 21 and produced her first feature film at the age of 23.
Sumantra Roy, Co-Founder and CEO
Sumantra is a serial entrepreneur who started his first venture at the age of 16 when he was still in school. His life’s mission is to use technology to disrupt the education system as it currently stands and replace it with something that actually serves the needs of children from all strata of society. Another of his ventures has been formed in partnership with Dr. Sugata Mitra, the founder of the Hole in the Wall Project and the winner of the 2013 TED prize, in which he and Dr. Mitra set out to open a chain of financially sustainable learning centres based on the Hole in the Wall model.
Vilas Kumbhare, Senior Game Developer
Vilas spent several years working with EA Games where he helped develop massively successful games like FIFA, Need for Speed, etc. Working with Learning Yogi gives him the chance to channel his passion for gaming and game development for a great cause.
Advisors
Dr. Matthew Kam
Matt has performed pioneering, peer-reviewed research on the use of digital devices to combat illiteracy in developing countries. He has taught user experience design, usability testing, the psychology of learning, mobile learning and educational games at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
Sir Robin Saxby
Robin was the founding CEO and Chairman of ARM, which he built into a global behemoth whose technology was licensed by almost every major semiconductor company in the world. Under his leadership, ARM became the world’s most prolific microprocessor company for mobile phones and tablets with a 95% market share.
Sashwati Banerjee
As Founding Managing Director of Sesame Workshop India, Sash spearheads Galli Galli Sim Sim, a multiplatform initiative that combines the power of mass media with educational outreach to prepare children for school and life. To date, Galli Galli Sim Sim has reached more than 50 million children since its debut in 2006 with demonstrated impact on learning outcomes.
Sue Mantle Dicicco
Sue’s children’s books – some original stories, and others featuring characters from Disney and Sesame Street (where she was anointed the status of “Sesame Legend”) – have been read and embraced by a generation of children. Sue is also the creator of the Peace Crane Project, a program that has connected more than 2 million children around the world through the arts.
Dr. Sugata Mitra
Sugata is the founder of the internationally acclaimed Hole in the Wall and School in the Cloud projects. His path-breaking research on the use of minimally invasive education methods to improve educational outcomes led him to receiving the TED prize in 2013.