Johanna Baum FOUNDER
About Johanna
Over the last 15 years, Johanna has helped hundreds of high school and college students, business professionals, and senior executives transition to the next phase of their academic or professional development.
In addition to independent consulting, Johanna has advised students in the guidance department at Princeton High School, taught writing and composition at the University of Pennsylvania, served as an alumni interviewer for Dartmouth College, and worked as a counselor at the student career centers of Columbia University and Baruch College (CUNY). In the corporate world, Johanna coached analysts and their managers on Wall Street, assisted senior executives in transition for Right Management Consultants, and has worked with numerous private clients around the world.
A Certified NJ School Counselor and Certified Professional Resume Writer, Johanna graduated from Dartmouth College and has master’s degrees in Comparative Literature from the University of Pennsylvania and in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. She is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).
Crystal Sablaske RESEARCH & ADMINISTRATION
Meet the Team
Crystal Sabalaske, founder and owner of Cluttershrink®, spent two decades as a professional organizer helping countless clients simplify and declutter their lives while saving time and money, reducing stress and promoting success along the way. Crystal has been featured on multiple episodes of HGTV’s Mission: Organization and in Parents, Family Fun, and Women’s Health magazines among other publications. She continues to attract a loyal, national following thanks to her high-energy, shoot-from-the-hip personality and an infectious, can-do attitude. Having survived 18 residential moves, she offers a refreshing sense of humor and compassion as she helps each client make a molehill out of their mountain.
Prior to launching her own business in 2002, she managed multi-million dollar projects for international companies such as Right Management Consultants. As Assistant Director of Education at Huntingdon Learning Center, Crystal taught children of all ages the organizational techniques needed to achieve academic success. She also has eight years of business experience in accounts, project and records management which honed her keen eye for detail. Crystal graduated from Villanova University with a BA in English, Sociology, and Communications.
Nick Fels is a highly skilled teacher and school administrator with two decades of success teaching K-12 students with diverse backgrounds and abilities. Coming from a family of distinguished educators, Nick’s first job was in a nursery school. After earning a BA in English at Temple University and an MSEd in Education with a dual-certification in high-school mathematics and English at the University of Pennsylvania (4.0 GPA), Nick went on to teach both subjects at Germantown High School in Philadelphia. He later joined Freire Charter High School, also in Philadelphia, where he served as a teacher and assistant head of academics before moving into school leadership as principal.
As an educator, Nick focuses on developing independent learners, empowering students by helping them develop awareness of their individual learning style, strengths, and areas for growth. As each student is a human being with unique needs, Nick tailors his approach, seamlessly weaving organization, time management, self-advocacy, confidence, meta-cognition, and methods for alleviating anxiety into the work as necessary. Students enjoy their time with Nick, gain confidence, and are quickly inspired to push themselves further.
Nick is available for essay consultation and academic tutoring in a variety of subjects.
Kirsten is a college counselor and certified career coach with over twenty years of experience hiring and managing high-performing, cross-functional teams for global tech companies and start-ups. With two decades of mentoring and developing employees under her belt, Kirsten is an expert at helping clients discover and launch purpose-driven careers and negotiate successful promotions and career transitions. In addition to being a Certified Career Services Provider (NCDA), Kirsten holds an MA in Education from the University of Colorado, and a BA from Dartmouth College. She teaches high school entrepreneurship and career development classes in Denver, Colorado.
Matthew Baum is an educator and photographer who has worked with a wide spectrum of students on their writing and photography, from at-risk youths and continuing education adults to university undergraduate and graduate students. He earned a BA in American History from Brown University, studied architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and received his MFA from the School of Visual Arts. Matthew has served on the faculty at NYU-Tisch School of the Arts, the University of California-Davis, Hunter College, and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he has taught historical, conceptual, and technically-based seminars and studio classes. Utilizing a variety of creative approaches, Matthew’s work explores the social and cultural fabric of the United States through both its historical record and present-day circumstances. Matthew’s photography has been exhibited widely at venues in the United States and abroad. He is the founder of PhotoPhlo, a photography education platform which offers real-time learning opportunities and events online.
Matthew is available for essay consultation, art portfolio advising, and instruction in photography.
Nick Fels ESSAY SPECIALIST & ACADEMIC TUTOR
Kirsten Kahn COLLEGE & CAREER COUNSELOR
Matthew Baum ESSAY SPECIALIST & PORTFOLIO ADVISOR