Our Team
Get to Know Our Team
Sonia Rahmani, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO
Dr. Rahmani’s passion for teaching began in 2005 when she started tutoring math at a private high school while completing her undergraduate studies. With dual bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Industrial Engineering, she moved to Vancouver to pursue her Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia (UBC). During her Ph.D. studies, she had the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant for thermodynamics and fluid mechanics courses, and she also earned an Instructional Skills Certificate from UBC.
Throughout her academic journey, Dr. Rahmani recognized that many students struggled due to weak foundational skills in math and science. She firmly believes that success in higher education is not just about mastering advanced concepts but about building a solid foundation from the start. This insight led Dr. Rahmani to establish Exelaa Education, where she envisioned a place where “learning meets excellence.” By focusing on strengthening the fundamental skills and boosting self-confidence, Exelaa Education offers a path to academic success that empowers students to achieve their full potential.
Her dedication to teaching and supporting students led Dr. Rahmani to explore the needs of students with special requirements. She joined the UBC Centre for Accessibility, working for three years in the exam accommodation department, where she supported students with mental health conditions, neurological, and physical disabilities. This experience deepened her understanding of diverse educational needs and further fueled her desire to help all students succeed.
Drawing from her extensive teaching experience and her work with students with diverse needs, Dr. Rahmani developed a unique learning approach that focuses not only on strengthening math and science skills but also on boosting self-efficacy and executive functioning.
To ensure that her high standards are maintained, Dr. Rahmani personally trains all tutors at Exelaa Education through a comprehensive three-month workshop. This ensures that every tutor at Exelaa follows the same effective instructional strategies that Dr. Rahmani has perfected over her career.
Moein Manbachi, Ph.D
Academic Advisor
Dr. Manbachi is a Senior Advisor at Exelaa Education. He is also a Project Leader with the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation at BC Institute of Technology in Vancouver. He was formerly a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia (UBC). Dr. Manbachi holds a Ph.D. degree in Mechatronic Systems Engineering from Simon Fraser University (SFU) and has over 15 years of experience in industry and R&D in the areas of Electrical Engineering and Energy Systems.
He has over 18 years of teaching, tutoring, and supervising experience, which spans from grade 7 to PhD level students. He has developed five courses and instructed more than ten different graduate courses at well-known educational institutes. He is the author/co-author of more than 50 technical papers published in high-ranked journals and conference proceedings as well. Dr. Manbachi is an IEEE senior member and an active member of CIGRE and Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC).
Jayden Miller
Tutor
Jayden started her journey with Dr. Rahmani when she was in high school. Dr. Rahmani has tutored Jayden in math and science for 4 years. Dr. Rahmani has sparked Jayden’s potential talent for learning. Thereafter, Jayden was very passionate about learning and helping her friends at school.
Jayden joined science program at McMaster university journey in 2021. She has been very successful in her courses; she is always grateful to Dr. Rahmani for helping her to change her perspective towards math and improve her study skills.
As of 2024, Jayden has joined Exelaa Education as a tutor to transfer her knowledge to other students. Jayden is very passionate about teaching and mentoring high school students.
Nicholas Peters
Tutor
Nick started his journey with Dr. Rahmani when he was in high school. Dr. Rahmani has tutored Nick in math and science for 2 years. After working with Dr. Rahmani, Nick has found himself very interested in math and challenged himself by attending several math competitions in Canada. Thereafter, he decided to continue his studies in mathematics at university.
Nick joined the Math program at Queen’s University in 2022. Nick has been peer tutoring since he was in high school. His passion and enthusiasm for math persuade Dr. Rahmani to continue working with him, but this time as a team member at Exelaa Education. Nick has been working as a math tutor for Exelaa Education since 2023.
Rahmah Al-Jaf
Tutor
Rahmah’s journey with Dr. Rahmani began in high school. Dr. Rahmani tutored Rahmah for 2 years in math and chemistry. Inspired by her experiences in high school, Rahmah developed a passion for learning and a dedication to helping others. Dr. Rahmani’s mentorship inspired Rahmah to continue to support and teach her peers throughout high school.
Rahmah started her journey at UBC in 2020, pursing a Biology degree. She continues to reflect on the impact of her mentorship journey, aiding her peers in their education which strengthened her own studying methods along the way.
As of 2024, Rahmah has joined Exelaa Education as a tutor, where she is enthusiastic about teaching and mentoring high school students, aiming to inspire them just as she was inspired by Dr. Rahmani.
