One Year In: Why We Built MsSuzie, Online Tutoring Made With Love

On October 5, 2025, we incorporated MsSuzie Technologies and officially started building an online tutoring platform for children from Pre-K to Grade 12. It went live in March 2026. One year on, this is why we did it, who we are, and what the families who trusted us have taught us.

It started with a conversation: a leg up, an unfair advantage

It was a conversation we kept having with friends and siblings, and something we kept seeing: how do we give our kids a leg up? An unfair advantage, if we're honest. A full exploration of the American dream.

Behind it was a question we heard in different forms every school year. Is my child getting what they need to get where we know they can go?

We are not educators. We are not even parents.

Here is the thing: all three of us founders are not educators. We are not even parents. We felt unqualified. This was not our company to build.

But first comes love. I have always believed that. The travails and travels delayed, maybe even eliminated, fatherhood for me, but I don't feel childless. Beyond my own nephews and nieces, there is a world of children out there that I owe a personal duty to, to help build a better world.

One of my co-founders spent 15 years leading Hope For Girls, sending some of the most athletically and academically gifted girls from Africa to the US on athletic scholarships. Many have gone on to excel well beyond the court, and are models of what we believe good citizenship looks like. Our third co-founder is an aunt times thirty-three. Yes, 33 nieces and nephews.

So no, we are not parents or educators. But we had love. We borrowed this line from Nobel laureate Saul Bellow: it is "caring, or loving or believing alone that matters." We had what it took, so we went for it. You be the judge. We hope the love shows. It will always be our measure of success.

What MsSuzie is today: one-on-one online tutoring for Pre-K to Grade 12

MsSuzie is an online tutoring platform where every child learns one-on-one with a tutor. We mix a little bit of home, the science of education, and a lot of love and rigor, to prepare children for a world that will be different from the one we live in today. That little bit of home matters to us. We built MsSuzie with African diaspora families in mind, and every family is welcome.

In practice, that means:

• One-on-one lessons with vetted tutors, online, from Pre-K to Grade 12.
• A learning plan built around your child, aligned with Common Core, not a one-size-fits-all syllabus.
• Progress reports, so you can see what is changing and where to focus next.
• A high bar for tutors. We hold them to an unreasonably high standard, and they keep meeting it.
• An education team of principals, researchers, PhDs and teachers who help us shape best practices and test stronger ideas.

How to choose an online tutor for your child

Whoever you choose, these five questions will tell you a lot.

1. Who is the tutor, and how were they vetted? Ask about qualifications, checks and training, not just a friendly profile photo.
2. Is it truly one-on-one? Your child should have the tutor's full attention.
3. Where does my child start, and where are we headed? Good tutoring begins with a baseline and clear goals, agreed with you.
4. How will I know it's working? Look for regular, specific progress reports, not just "she's doing great."
5. Does the tutor understand my child and our home? Expectations, culture and encouragement shape how a child learns. They matter more than most platforms admit.

Report card season: what to do with the grades

First-quarter report cards are arriving in many districts, and parent-teacher conferences follow. A few ways to use them well:

• Read past the letter. Teacher comments and trends tell you more than a single grade.
• Compare with last term, not with other children.
• Ask your child what felt hard, and listen before you fix.
• Pick one goal for next quarter, such as finishing multiplication facts by January.
• Act early on a slipping subject. Small gaps are easier to close than big ones.

If you are a MsSuzie parent, please email your child's report card to success@mssuzie.io as it comes in. We suspect it will be good.

A year goes fast, and we have a lot planned. First, thank you.

To our tutors: we hold you to an unreasonably high standard, and you keep living up to it. We will not let up. Our children deserve the best of us, and we will give them that.

To our operations and engineering team: what a time to build. The world is wobbly, yet we have held each other together. Let's keep shipping excellence.

To our education team, the principals, researchers, PhDs and teachers who help us shape best practices and try stronger ideas: thank you.

To the influencers and partners who put the word out early and took a chance on us, and to those who invested in more than a dream: we still have a lot of work to do.

And to our parents: you have trusted us with your children and your money, two of the most important things you have. Your feedback, good and critical, keeps shaping us. Your endorsement fuels our growth. We are grateful.

Start with a $20 first month

If you're curious, request a trial at mssuzie.io and claim your first month for $20. Here is what that month includes:

• A baseline assessment. The tutor sits with your child to understand what they already know, what is hard for them, and what they need next.
• A full first month of lessons.
• A check-in call during the month, so we can make sure you're seeing a difference and align on anything you'd like to add.

After the first month, you choose the plan that fits:

Pricing Plans

• 2 sessions per week: $89/month
• 3 sessions per week: $109/month
• 4 sessions per week: $129/month

Meet a tutor, see how we work, and judge for yourself.

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Frequently asked questions

What is MsSuzie?

An online tutoring platform offering one-on-one lessons for children from Pre-K to Grade 12.

Which grades and subjects does MsSuzie cover?

Pre-K to Grade 12, including math, reading and writing, and science.

How much does it cost?

The first month is $20. After that, plans are $89 a month for two sessions a week, $109 for three, or $129 for four.

What does the $20 first month include?

A baseline assessment, where the tutor works with your child to see what they know and what is hard for them, a full month of lessons, and a check-in call to make sure you're seeing a difference.

Will I see how my child is doing?

Yes. Parents receive progress reports, and there is a check-in call during the first month.

Who started MsSuzie?

Three co-founders, Bolaji, Folake and Ebun, who are not educators or parents, but who believe in children.

By Ebun Okubanjo, co-founder of MsSuzie.