When it comes to the collegiate lifestyle, it's all about being on-demand. Since the comforts of food, booze and hookups are all a click (or right-swipe) away, it was time to create an app to ease students' academic angst.
LA’s new edtech startup,
, looks to provide on-demand tutors to students in a pinch.
Students request a lesson at a specific time and place, pick from a list of available qualified tutors, and let the app handle payment once the lesson is complete. The app hosts more than 600 tutors and has clocked in over 700 hours of tutoring since the company launched in August.
Tutors are vetted through a process that includes a course-specific test, transcript verification, Skype interview and background check. Hourly rates range from $20 to $250 and topics can range from calculus to cooking.
“I became so obsessed with this idea of connecting students to teachers,” said founder Sophia Parsa. “You’re walking past people every day that can probably help you with things you are struggling with; whether it’s academic, a sport or a hobby... We have this amazing database of tutors who are academics but have the ability to teach other things. If you’re at home and you want to learn how to make an amazing pasta sauce, we want to connect you with someone in your area.”
Parsa attended Loyola Marymount and started her first company, a digital signage provider, when she was 21. While juggling her studies and the responsibilities of running a company, she relied on tutors to stay up-to-date in class.
On the eve of a big exam, her tutor’s wife went into labor. Parsa emailed her professor who connected her with a former student who was willing to help. The two met at 11 p.m. the night before the test and after a few hours of tutoring, Parsa passed the class. The Johnny-on-the-spot experience was the primary influence behind the company.
“We also provide a lot of value to the tutors," Parsa said. "They don’t want to run around chasing invoices all day and with toot they know they are getting paid after their lesson. And we’re essentially their marketing tool — they don’t want to go around looking for students.”
toot is currently active in Los Angeles and has already begun to expand their network in San Francisco and New York as they anticipate a multi-city launch.
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