Meet the Team

Illustration of a smiling woman with short dark hair, wearing a gray shirt, against a watercolor pink and purple background.

Neela Ranganathan

Founder

Neela Ranganathan, a former schoolteacher and long-time educator, has spent more than 20,000 hours working with K–12 students. When Neela left her school teaching to homeschool her child through high school, several former students reached out to continue working with her. Neela has worked with more than 150 students, many of whom have remained for years, in subjects ranging from grammar and punctuation to high school math and college essays.

Neela holds a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where her coursework focused on learning design, interpersonal negotiation, and proof techniques in mathematics. She earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University at Buffalo, graduating magna cum laude. More recently she completed PROMYS for Teachers, a summer program focused on number theory and cultivation of mathematical habits of mind.

Digital illustration of a smiling young man with short dark hair, wearing a blue t-shirt, set against a colorful abstract background.

Aditya Ranganathan

Subject Matter Expert, Physics

Aditya Ranganathan received his PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard University and his BA in Physics from UC Berkeley (highest distinction).

Aditya’s interest in teaching developed at Berkeley, where he was appointed the youngest course head for Sense, Sensibility & Science, a course on reasoning and decision-making that he helped expand to Harvard, UC Irvine, and the University of Chicago. Aditya has also taught classes on mathematical modeling and Data-Science at Harvard.

Aditya currently serves as a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, where he builds AI tools for educators. In parallel, he serves as Chief Technology Officer at Avix Medical, Inc., a startup focused on the early detection of breast cancer. At Sculpted Minds, Aditya works as an academic mentor and tutor across topics ranging from AP Physics to college-level statistics, accounting, and test prep.

An illustrated portrait of a woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a black shirt, with a multicolored abstract background.

Natalie Millan

Illustrator, Learning Designer

Natalie Millan is a Southern California–based illustrator working in digital and traditional media. Her work is informed by long-term drawing practice, in formal study, and training in still life, landscape, and figure drawing.

Nat is the author of the suite of illustrations throughout the site that highlight our vision of education as something that can be beautiful and beyond the banal. Nat learned about Sculpted Minds through her friend Neela, with whom she shares an appreciation for thoughtful design with a touch of whimsy. Together they conceptualized a website environment that would both inform and delight.

In addition to artwork, Nat contributes to other elements of the website’s design as well as illustration for Sculpted Minds’ future offerings.