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 aimed to tackle all aspects of college readiness and harness the power of storytelling to help students stand out. 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. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Over the past few years, has worked as a researcher studying hydro-phobic surfaces, and wrote his thesis on the applications of nitinol in solid-state cooling systems. In the past, he has held positions at Sargent & Lundy, Boeing and Intel. 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.
KYLE DONTOH, SENIOR COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (BA, MIA)
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (MBA)
Kyle has a decade of experience in mentorship and tutoring, spanning both academic and professional settings. Throughout this period, he has advised dozens of students on essays and standardized tests, including the SAT, AP exams, and GMAT. He has also provided coaching for graduate school and professional recruiting. He has helped students gain admission to undergraduate and graduate programs at top universities such as Columbia, Yale, UPenn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, UChicago, NYU, UC Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins. To his work with students, he brings unique perspectives from a wide-ranging professional background, including work at the United Nations; at NGOs in Asia, Africa, and the United States; and in strategy consulting. Kyle received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he was a Leadership Accelerator Scholar. In his free time, he can often be found at a used book store, the New York Philharmonic, or the nearest oyster bar.
DR. ANDREA FIELDS, SENIOR 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.
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.
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.
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.
AMY WILLIAMS,
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA (BA)
Amy Williams is a writer and former middle school teacher with a passion for literature and education. Before she transitioned to writing and editing full-time, she taught at a classical school and helped to improve reading and writing outcomes for students of various levels. When she is not writing or reading, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.
HENRY BERNSTEIN, COLLEGE READINESS SPECIALIST
ST. MARY'S COLLEGE OF MARYLAND (BA)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (MFA IN PROGRESS)
Henry is a New York based writer, educator, and artist currently attending Columbia University’s MFA program. He has a diverse range of creative and professional experiences and is passionate about literature, narrative storytelling, and educating students of all ages. He has worked as an animator, designing and animating projects for prominent clients such as History Channel, National Geographic, Smithsonian, NASA, and many others. He has also taught 6th through 12th graders both animation and digital literacy. He is most fulfilled when working with and building relationships with students and helping them achieve their goals and realize their potential. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, reading, writing, and exploring the outdoors. He wants to one day visit every National Park.