About Us
Invincible.
In Latin, Invictus means “invincible.” Based in Houston, Invictus Prep is a female-owned academic and college readiness startup founded by two siblings who both worked extensively as tutors and identified a pervasive gap in student writing quality and overall academic preparation.
Armed with an entrepreneurial mindset, they created a revolutionary curriculum where students could more methodically map out their futures through a holistic approach aimed to tackle all aspects of college readiness. We hope that through career coaching, writing prep, and even some life coaching along the way, your child will become a strong thinker and communicator to achieve anything his or her heart imagines. Through our program, students become invincible.
As a poet, I've found the greatest inspiration in the writings of some of my literary idols. The name "Invictus" is taken from the title of William Ernest Henley's poem. Its closing lines, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul," encompass our company's philosophy in working with students: you can achieve just about anything if you believe in your own potential.
Meet Our Team
LIZA LIBES, FOUNDER & CEO
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (BA, MA)
Liza is an experienced college consultant and entrepreneur with a passion for writing and education. She received her BA and MA in English from Columbia University, where she completed her theses on the poetry of Sylvia Plath and T.S. Eliot respectively. Throughout her time as an educator, Liza has worked with over 200 students worldwide, guiding them through every step of the college application process while bringing them a sense of both joy and accomplishment. She likes to bring her unbridled energy to her meetings with her students and pushes them towards unlocking their true intellectual potential. Liza's work has placed students at top universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Penn, Brown, MIT, and Columbia. Liza is also a reader, novelist, and poet. She loves to go on runs in Central Park and hit up New York's bookstores and coffee shops. Liza speaks five languages fluently and is learning three more. Her poetry has appeared in various literary magazines and has received numerous accolades. She is currently working on her third novel. You can check out her work at lizalibes.com.
DAVID LIBES, CTO
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS (BS, MS)
David Libes is Invictus Prep’s Chief Technology Officer and oversees all company infrastructure. He graduated from The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is currently earning his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering there as well. Over the past few years, has worked as a researcher studying hydro-phobic surfaces, and is currently writing his thesis on the applications of robotics and control theory. In the past, he has held positions at Boeing and Intel, and he participates in the University of Illinois Formula SAE team, which is are ranked #1 in the world. He enjoys preparing students for success by helping them score higher on college entrance exams and put together stronger profiles. In his free time, David enjoys hiking and the outdoors.
DR. JAMES DUNLEA,
HEAD OF COLLEGE READINESS
CORNELL UNIVERSITY (BS)
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (MS)
COLUMBIA UNIVERISTY (PHD)
Dr. James Dunlea is an experienced mentor, researcher, and published author. He completed his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Throughout his career, Dr. Dunlea has mentored more than 80 students and has published 12 scientific papers in leading scientific outlets. Dr. Dunlea's past students have gained admission to selective Ivy League (e.g., Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, UPenn, Yale), private (e.g., Boston College, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Vanderbilt, Oxford University), and public (e.g., Indiana University, UIUC, Purdue, Rutgers, UT Austin, UMichigan) institutions. Dr. Dunlea's students have gone on to pursue education across sectors including Engineering, Medicine, Business, Computer Science, and Psychology. In the 2022-2023 college admissions cycle, Dr. Dunlea's students were awarded $300,000+ in college scholarships and merit-based awards. Prior to earning his doctorate, Dr. Dunlea earned his B.S. from Cornell University (magna cum laude) and M.S. from Northwestern University (summa cum laude). Dr. Dunlea lives in Chicago, IL, where he serves as a Board Member of the Cornell Club of Chicago.
MAYA JODIDIO,
HEAD OF TUTORING
BARNARD COLLEGE (BS)
NEW JERSEY MEDICAL SCHOOL (MD IN PROGRESS)
Maya graduated summa cum laude from Barnard College, where she majored in Biochemistry and minored in Russian Language and Literature. After a gap year working in education and the medical field, she began studying medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She has years of experience tutoring various STEM subjects for high school and college students. She enjoys growing students’ passion for the subject and catering her teaching technique to different learning styles. The things in life that bring her joy include hiking, cooking new foods, and traveling.
DR. ANDREA FIELDS, COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (BA)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (PHD)
Dr. Andrea Fields graduated from Columbia University with her Ph.D. in Psychology, where she studied the influence of early environments on children’s development. Prior to receiving her Ph.D., she obtained her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University with university and departmental honors as a double major in Biology and Writing Seminars. Dr. Fields has been involved in the academic admissions process for over 10 years, serving as an executive board member for the Johns Hopkins University Blue Key Society for Undergraduate Admissions and a coordinator for the Columbia University Psychology Department Prospective Graduate Student Recruitment Day. Dr. Fields’ extensive experience with empirical research, creative and scientific writing, essay editing, and academia has helped her successfully mentor a diverse set of middle school to master’s level students. Her strengths in writing led her to be recruited by NYU as a professional essay editor. She individually tailors each college consulting session to help students identify their strengths, stay on track, feel confident, and accomplish their goals.
ALEX HORN,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (BA)
Alex Horn studied English Literature and Creative Writing at Columbia University, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Alex has worked as a college applications coach since 2018, helping dozens of students gain entry to elite programs across the country. At Columbia, Alex was the editor-in-chief of the satirical newspaper “The Federalist,” originally co-founded by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. He spent two years as a legal and financial analyst at a distressed debt investment firm. He later worked as Creative Director for Indian podcaster Prakhar Gupta and edited Gupta's book for Penguin Random House India. Alex now works as a talent manager at his company Horn Talent Management, which assists authors, artists, comedians, and musicians with managing their careers. He also volunteers as editor-in-chief of “Green Golem: The Zionist Literary Magazine,” a publication dedicated to promoting the work of Jewish artists and their allies. Alex is preparing to attend law school. He received a perfect score on both the SAT in 2016 and the LSAT in 2024, and he tutors students for both exams.
EMILY BROTHER,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
HARVARD UNIVERSITY (BA)
SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY (JD)
Emily is passionate about working with students and supporting their academic and professional goals. She has served as an alumni interviewer for Harvard College, worked in student affairs and career advising at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, published blog articles for CollegeVine about applying to college, and advised students and families from across the United States and around the globe on the college application process. Emily's advisees have been admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, the University of Michigan, and other top schools of their choice. Emily graduated with honors from Harvard University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Since graduating, she has followed her curiosity and explored a variety of academic disciplines and job sectors, including civic engagement, higher education, museum studies, culinary arts, and law. In fall 2024, Emily will matriculate at Suffolk University Law School to earn a JD and launch her career in public interest law and public service. Emily's wide range of academic and professional interests equips her to advise students of all backgrounds and areas of interest. She works diligently with students and their families to craft authentic applications, develop impactful essays, and advance students' academic, professional, and personal goals.
JORDAN AMANY,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
CORNELL UNIVERSITY (BS)
Meticulously guiding students to achieve their most far-fetched academic and professional goals is what motivates Jordan. He attended Cornell University where he received a BS concentrating in Finance and has since worked in both Investment Banking and Tech at firms including J.P. Morgan and Paylocity, among others. Given his background living abroad and being exposed to various cultures and industries, Jordan is confident that his eclectic experiences can help students of all backgrounds achieve their most unique goals. As an enthusiastic soccer coach and a mentor to countless high school alumni, Jordan has helped students get admitted into countless elite institutions offering tailored guidance on college application essays, resume reviews and overall planning for a successful future.
DR. VICKY HIOUREAS,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
UCLA (BA)
UC IRVINE (MA)
KING’S COLLEGE LONDON (MA)
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY (PHD)
Dr. Vicky Hioureas graduated from Princeton University with a Ph.D. in History, where she studied social and legal history of the Byzantine period. She just returned from a two-year Fulbright fellowship in Israel, where she studied the Byzantine history of Jerusalem. Dr. Hioureas also holds a Master's from UC Irvine in Classics, a Master's in Byzantine history from King's College London, and a Bachelor's in English from UCLA. She has taught courses at Princeton, UMSL, and UCI, and tutored more than 200 students for SAT/ACT/LSAT/GRE exams for over five years. For the last two years, Dr. Hioureas has been conducting undergraduate admissions interviews for a top Ivy League university. Dr. Hioureas is a dedicated educator and takes a deep pride in seeing her students achieve their highest goals. Outside of education, she has a number of interests, namely travel, music, dance, and sewing: in her spare time, she runs her own clothing line and is currently working on producing her second CD documenting bagpipe folk musicians from rural villages.
LILLI LEIGHT-MONTAGUE,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (BA)
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (MPHIL)
HARVARD UNIVERSITY (ED.M)
Lilli earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated with English honors and Magna Cum Laude. In addition to her English major, she minored in Law and Society and Global Medieval Studies. Lilli also holds a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge, where she wrote her dissertation on representations of Judaism and Islam in Young Adult Literature. In 2024, Lilli graduated from Harvard University with her Ed.M. Prior to pursuing her second masters degree, Lilli worked in EdTech. She held multiple roles at her previous organization, which helped her hone her editorial and writing skills. Lilli has supported students in their college admission processes for almost five years. She is passionate about helping students shape their narratives, discover their voices, and successfully transition to higher education. Lilli works full-time in the education sector. When she is not working, you can find her reading, exploring new restaurants, or spending time with her family.
CATHERINE DAISY LEE,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
OBERLIN COLLEGE (BA)
Catherine graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in English and offers a unique background in writing and tutoring. In addition to receiving academic awards within her major, she was a Writing Associate at the Oberlin College Writing Center and enjoys helping students tackle every stage of the writing process. After graduating she worked at a literary agency in Manhattan where she closely read manuscripts and communicated with authors seeking representation for their work. During her gap year, she worked for the Princeton Review and is eager to continue her work in helping students gain admission to their dream schools.
DEREK DE JONG,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS (BS)
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (PHD IN PROGRESS)
Derek graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in materials science and engineering. After spending a gap year working at a battery research start-up, he is now pursuing a PhD at MIT, focusing on soft matter and additive manufacturing. Derek has a strong background in STEM and has published several papers in academic journals, with research spanning synthetic chemistry, self-healing materials, and nanophotonics. Derek is passionate about mentoring and takes pride in helping students explore their academic interests and develop their strengths. With extensive knowledge of the scientific and engineering process, he excels at helping students pinpoint their interests and discover which fields excite them most. He offers insights into the skills that make someone a strong researcher, guiding students in both academic growth and career development. In his spare time, Derek enjoys biking, playing video games, and exploring his city. He is also passionate about creative projects and recently produced a feature-length film.
HANNAH JANNOL, COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
UCLA (BA)
Hannah is a dedicated educator and college essay consultant with a deep passion for writing and pedagogy. She earned her BA in English from UCLA, where she wrote an Honors Thesis on Millennial Literature, presenting her research at both UC Berkeley and UCLA. Hannah’s students not only achieve high grades and improved test scores but also develop strong test-taking strategies, enhanced skills in math and rhetoric, and lifelong abilities in writing and self-presentation. She transforms the challenges of standardized testing, college application essays, and major exams into opportunities for creativity, confidence, and personal growth. Her expertise has helped students transfer from community colleges to top-tier institutions like UC Berkeley and UCLA, as well as gain admission to prestigious graduate programs, including Harvard Law School and Pepperdine’s MFT MA. Beyond tutoring, Hannah is an avid reader, writer, and hiker. Whether she’s at a café in Hollywood or exploring the Angeles National Forest, she can always be found with a book in hand. She also loves discovering new foods and enjoys putting her fluent Spanish and Hebrew to use when ordering.
NINA GOLDSHMID,
COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
BARNARD COLLEGE (BS)
Nina completed her degree at Barnard College majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Science, Ethics, and Policy. She has experience working as a tutor, a Science Writing Fellow, and a college advisor for dozens of students. She also has a background in neuroscience research and Emergency Medical Services. During her gap year after college, she has been involved in organizing college fairs and workshops for students in New Jersey. Nina intends to matriculate into medical school next year. She is eager to help students find their voice within their essays and encourages them to share stories that demonstrate their growth. Outside of work and school, Nina likes to read and dance, specifically ballet, modern, and salsa.
ALEX FERRARO,
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (BBA)
Alex Ferraro is a novelist and copywriter, and a graduate of the Novel Incubator intensive at Grub Street in Boston. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his debut novel. When he's not writing, you can usually find him running, playing softball, and going to as many concerts as possible.