Our team
Extra Ed’s staff is the heart of what gives our programs that little something extra.
Our instructors are passionate, caring leaders and mentors. Carefully vetted for subject matter expertise, they are as diverse as the populations they serve. They are supported by our dedicated administrative team who work together to keep us running smoothly so that we can continue to offer our best to students, families, schools and communities.
Yakos Spiliotopoulos
Chairman
Yakos is the founder of Extra Ed. He built Extra Ed with the goal of making educational experiences for kids meaningful, challenging, accessible, and fun. He ensures that Extra Ed sets an example by actively working to restore and protect the environment.
A highly-engaged father of three, Yakos has a firsthand appreciation for the value of nurturing and supporting the next generation as they learn and grow.
Katya Rudzik
Director
Katya is the Director of Extra Ed. With over 20 years of leadership experience in education, she is responsible for working with schools, community groups, and organizations to ensure that Extra Ed provides innovative, relevant and rewarding educational experiences.
Katya has a Master’s of Museum Studies and has worked for a number of educational organizations, consulting with a diversity of communities to develop innovative programs.
Anna Hebert
Director of Programs
Anna is Extra Ed's Head of Curriculum Development. She is responsible for the hiring, training, and quality assurance of our instructional staff. Her teaching philosophy incorporates play and storytelling into the classroom to foster engagement, participation and growth.
Anna is an OCT certified teacher. She has an MEd from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, a BA in Child and Youth Studies, and a BEd from Brock University.
Bliss Man
Director of Operations
Bliss responsible for Extra Ed’s daily operations and systems management. With previous experience as co-founder and executive director of a designer toy company, she brings over 15 years of business leadership and operations expertise. She has a passion for working with young people and for managing teams towards business growth.
Bliss has a Bachelor of Design in Fashion from TMU.
Sophya Yumakulov
Office Administrator
Sophya is Extra Ed's Office Administrator. A former instructor at Extra Ed, she now works hard behind the scenes as our primary point of contact, maintaining our registration system and supporting the rest of the team in doing their best work.
Sophya has over a decade of experience in academic teaching and project management, as well as anthropological training and a Master in Community Health Sciences.
Savera Bayat
Social Media Manager
Savera is responsible for the content on Extra Ed’s social media channels. Whether posting photos, creating videos or documenting the Extra Ed experience first hand, she brings an upbeat and enterprising spirit to the team.
Interested in joining our ranks? Visit our Contact page to get in touch about current or future opportunities.
