Nexbooks’ Origin story

With a credential in math and science for middle and high school, Ryan Teves (the founder of Nexbooks) has taught in just about every educational arena that exists. From large public schools & summer school, to elite private schools & homeschool collectives, Ryan understands that the approach to teaching varies, but kids are all alike. All kids truly love to learn when the content is relevant and exciting, and are quickly turned off by the opposite.

Brainstorms learning Center

While teaching, Ryan also founded and ran the Brainstorms Learning center (tutoring & science camps) ultimately helping hundreds of kids, for thousands of hours.  It was this time and experience that truly informed Ryan of what matters most to kids. Two questions were repeated by nearly every student, and would be the two ideas that were the seeds behind the formation of Nexbooks:

1.      I hate math!

2.      When will I ever use this?

Nexbooks was founded to address both of these questions; making math more fun and clear, and building courses that are super relevant and exciting to kids.

The contrast between what the tutoring kids were interested in, and what was being taught in the large public schools, prompted Ryan to write “In Defense of the American Teen,” which, as it sounds, rejects the notion that kids are reluctant to learn, but rather that public school curriculum has spiraled out of control, and become irrelevant and a source of frustration for nearly every kid.

If the first half of Ryan’s career was dedicated to identifying the problem with education today, the second half will be dedicated to solving it. Nexbooks, founded in Santa Cruz, California (hence the beautiful nature footage!) is just that solution.

With engaging and entertaining math videos, and life-skills electives dedicated to enriching learning and to preparing kids for success in life, Ryan (with Nexbooks) intends to stop short at nothing but changing education forever.

Pontificating about “how it should be” is not enough… creating and providing solutions is Ryan’s true passion.