We Are Dreamers. We are doers. We are innovators.

Where It Started

We are a team of talented educators, with a vision of a better tomorrow. We all come from diverse backgrounds, and have varied experiences, that have lead us to believe that way we have been doing things has not worked for everybody. We align on principles of social justice, equity, accessibility, and sustainable solutions for not only be people who learn with us, but those who work for us. We have all been through the way systems work, and we have all seen major gaps in how it shows up for those who may not fit into the traditional paths that exist. This is not a failure of the individual, but a remarkable failure of our education system to imagine people who may create things that were not expected, dream of paths that have yet to be imagined, and come into alignment with their paths forward.

We are a group of people who demands better: we know what exists is working for many people, but not for the majority of the people who have ADHD, who are gifted, or who have autism. We are with you in wanting something new: something better, something worth it, and something that makes us all see our potential.

I am a dreamer, as well. I have been though many years of education (all the way up to medical school), and I have seen what happens when we do not consider that everyone is capable of so much more, as long as they have a structure that works with and for them - not against them. I have struggled to fit into boxes that were never made for me my whole life, and I have seen the way we can work with ourselves, and and one another, to reach success.

I was one of the lucky ones: my mother, realizing that I had unique needs, that were not quite aligned with what was available, wanting to ensure that talents were not obstructed by the things that were incongruent with the way the school system was structured. She attended a master's degree in special education, and was working with me, all through my schooling, to ensure that I would have the tools, skills, and systems in place to allow my life to work for me. She was told, when I was 8 years old, that I would never graduate from high school, or hold any positions of power. They informed her that I would never speak French, or learn another language. They said I would never write, or play the flute. They said to simply hold onto the hope that I could make my way forward, without being reliant on another person for my care. They told her that it was, essentially, hopeless, and to make sure I was able to make enough money to not be reliant on her.

Then, when I went though school, with the support and systems I needed, I not only have become bilingual in French and English (as well as being able to code-switch, into my family language of Jamaican Patiois - that was, however, natural), but speak enough German to get by (as well as some level of Italian, Arabic, and Spanish). It was not easy to learn French, but as soon as I learned that this, in fact, had nothing to do with me, and everything to do about how it was taught - with only 12 weeks of French class in my life - I master it to the point where French speakers think it is my first language.

I was so successful in school, with the right programs, support, and assistance (especially, from my mother), that I not only got into a very advanced high school program, but wrote so well that I won the writing award at my grade 12 graduation. Then, I dreamed of medical school: I wanted to serve people, using my experience, knowledge, mind, and body, to dream of a better collective tomorrow.

I want to stress that I never learned the flute, and I think I am okay with that. However, I have been able to not only finish an undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo, in Social Development & International Studies, earn a year-long diploma in social work, complete a master's degree in Educational Psychology at the University of Waterloo, register as a Clinical Counsellor, and also be accepted into & attend medical school (it was only for a year, as I was absolutely devastated by a severe case of Lyme disease in my 20s, which me very unwell for around 8 years, and I had to leave medical school for treatment - which, unfortunately, makes the symptoms worse).

It was with the support of my mother (for which I am so grateful), as well as a few other creative educators, that I was able to work around my own blocks, and with myself, to achieve success. I spent many years wondering what would happen to people like me, who have so much they can offer, but are blocked in doing so by not having access to the right supports. So, as I moved forward as a counsellor, I never forgot that my passion was also in education: I remember what it was like, to not be able to move ahead, bI and never forgot that it was the external, and specialized, support I received that allowed me to move forward, and make my dreams come true.

I remember when I was young, I never felt like I was able to make the things in my head, go into the world, and make a difference. Now that I am older, I see that I am someone who is unable to stop successfully pushing ahead towards dreams I select to realize, and pushing not only the boundaries of what I was told was possible for myself, but instead, society as a whole.

With all of our minds together, I know we can make other people come forward from where they feel they are caught up in situations that are not working for them, and instead create lives and systems that work with them.

This website is dedicated to all of those who are aware that they may have limitations, in the context of our society, but know that - with the right support - that we can all dream of a better tomorrow, together - for each one of us, and all of us, together.

How It Began.

Working as a clinical counsellour, with quite a few young adults with ADHD and ASD in university, the founder began to notice that there were many people coming to them for help with mental health issues, stemming from anxiety, procrastination, and stress around completing schoolwork; while counselling is the prefect place to address emotional & mental health issues, Sam is always curious about getting to the origin of the issue, to ensure that there is lasting and sustainable change for the client.

In exploring how to address this issue, Sam noticed that the problems were not emotional, but academic. Often times, the issues not something that needed therapy, but specialized counselling, with people who specialize in neurodivergence. The issues were not something that Sam thought could go to anybody, but instead needed specialization. Unfortunately, aside from a few personal and professional connections, Sam had no idea where to send these clients. There was a gap in services.

While there are a few organizations in Vancouver, and BC, that offer specialized help for those with ADHD, ASD, giftedness, and learning disabilities, many of them charge over $100/h per lesson, and this is not accessible for the majority of the people. Moreover, when Sam had just finished graduate school, they got a job at one of Vancouver's leading tutoring organizations for special needs students in Vancouver. Sam found out that, while they were receiving $27/h for the services, the organization was charging the parents over $120/h. At Aligned Paths, we allow all of our tutors to set their own schedules, pick their own rates, and work teaching things that make them feel excited and alive.

The average mark-up for tutoring companies is somewhere between 30-80%, and tutors are often not paid for their work outside of sessions; at Aligned Paths, we collect 15%, and this ensures that energy & costs put into developing this system are covered and respected, the platform fees are covered, that there is administrative support, and that we are able to offer occasional professional development to teachers at no cost. The founder has put over 700 hours, since December, 2023, developing this business idea, and this platform, and it was developed using highly specialized knowledge in educational psychology, education, and mental health, to ensure that the model reflected best practices, was going to be safe/supportive for the tutors and students, and was going to reflect existing research. We not only wanted to be an organization that promoted equity through education, but that provides good jobs, a good workspace, and an accessible work environment for our tutors (especially, when some have special needs of their own). It is just as important for us that the services we offer are accessible to the people we serve, as those who are serving them. We wanted to make an accessible workplace, just as much as we desired to create more accessible learning opportunities.

While it is important that everyone is compensated for their time (a principle of Aligned Paths, and one of the reasons that our tutors are not permitted to email or meet with students or parents, outside of paid lesson time), Sam thinks it is absolutely unacceptable for any organization to profit this much off of the people working for them (to the point of, at best, being exploitative, and at worst, being robbery). After all, it is important for the people who are working for students to be able to live comfortable lives, earn a living wage, and be properly compensated for their time and expertise.

Many parents and students think that, just because someone works in education, they are kind, and will provide support to them outside of their working hours; however, while the assumption of "kindness" is often correct, the tutors need time to be able to work on themselves, work on their hearts, rest enough, maintain a work-life balance, have fun, and have time to live the lives that they want. We, at Aligned Paths, believe the essence of life os found as much in expansion and adventure, as it is in sweetness, slowness, and rest. We love that our tutors help you expand, learn, and grow, and by eliminating out of session unpaid work is one way we ensure that they are feeling good, and ready to show up for you.

we expect that our students show up, prepared, with the material that they want to work on, and that the educational services providers have the expertise in their subject area to be able to teach without further planning

At Aligned Paths, we love serving up to those we serve, as well as creating new communities, and jobs that make sense.

Our dreams.

We are collection of people, from diverse backgrounds, with the same dream: what would be possible, if education was something that was pleasurable, fun, and aligned with all the brilliantly different ways that minds work?

We are one of the first companies that has imagined a better future, together, for not only neurodivergent children, but also adults. We are a collection of people, with dreams for something better, and minds that connect with our hands, to make this happen. We love working with novel ideas, and pushing the boundaries between what is, and what is possible.

We not only dream of a better world for our students, but a better economic model for business. So many problems in the world come from businesses exploiting their employees, and not being accountable for the fact that - while there is no shortage of money in this world - so many people live in situations where they are constantly wondering where their next paycheque comes from. This is wrong. This is abhorrent. This is unacceptable.

As mentioned above, many tutoring companies take over $100/h, charging parents, students, and families their hard-earned income in the promise of a better tomorrow. Then, they pay their tutors and teachers between $20-40 an hour. We think this is wrong. While all businesses, including ours, have an overhead charge, and must remain profitable, we believe that the right thing to do is to leave as much money as possible in the hands of our educators, while also maintaining a business model that reflects & represents the behind the scenes efforts and work of its creation, maintenance and sustenance (as well as some limited continuing education and support options, for the teachers).

We don't want you to have to sacrifice, to get the care and services you need. We do not want those working with us to feel as though they are not appreciated (so, remember, we do not permit any unpaid work, for our educational service providers, including those that are often expected "out of the goodness of their hearts.")

We dream of supporting equity, accessibility, justice, transformation, transcendence, and a love for life, of all those who work with Aligned Paths - not just our students, but also those who work with us.

We dream of an education system, and business model, that works with - and not against - the people who it intends to serve. We love innovation, ideas, expansion, and help those who share our vision step into alignment with the best version of themselves.

We are always looking for people who share our vision.

Who We Serve

We serve neuordivergent students, both adults and children, looking to grow in various areas of life. While we recognize that a lot of supports exist for children, we also recognize that there is a huge need for services, for adults, with ADHD and Autism. That's why we exist: we are not just for students, but also for adults, who are interested in learning more, growing more, and exploring themselves (and, their interests!) in new ways.

This business is intended to serve people who, perhaps due to the fact that they know they learn a little bit differently (often times, "slower" in some areas, and really fast in others), and perhaps do not know where to go to start.

Many neurodivergent people have many interests, and we know that it can be hard to stay on track, or expand: regularly scheduled lessons can often help a lot, and we are here to connect you to the right people, to help you succeed. So, if you are trying to learn math as a high school student, and just have not found it really "clicking," or if you want to explore a new hobby as an adult, we are here to help you find just the right people!

We also value our teachers: we have crafted our policies and our business to support those working with us to have better jobs, that work with them. We aim to create accessible, non-exploitive, respectful, capacity building, and exciting jobs, that people actually want to go to. We charge much lower platform fees than other organizations, and love to make sure that the people working with us are incredibly happy.

as a kind note

As a note, because we work so differently, and we believe that this business model is novel, innovative, and unique, we are in the process of patenting our business model; our website and business model content falls under copywrite protection. Any attempts to replicate this business model (which was posted, first, in full, on October 31st, 2025, but posted first in part in November, 2024), will be examined and prosecuted under existing legal frameworks. A great deal of backend work, including over 700 hours of work prior to launch, specialized education at the graduate level in Educational Psychology, were involved in ensuring this model was going to be effective, ethical, and aligned with existing research & best education practices. The model is novel remains the sole and exclusive intellectual property of the owner, and was developed exclusively & fully by the owner. All infringements, in whole or part, or attempts to replicate this model, will be examined to the full extent, under existing legal and ethical frameworks, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law (as well as being reported to any governing ethical bodies, including teacher and counselling licensing boards). All rights reserved. If you feel like doing something similar, and are interested in franchising, please feel free to contact us at director@aligned-paths.com.